Dr. Michela Henke-Cilenti is a leadership psychologist, executive coach, and hospitality consultant specializing in the commercial psychology of recommending, engagement and culture. For over three decades, she has worked at the intersection of people and performance—helping spa directors and hospitality leaders increase revenues without compromising integrity or guest trust.
With advanced degrees in psychology, sociology, business and organizational leadership, and experience as a regional operations director, Michela understands both the emotional and financial realities of running a spa. She knows the tension: how do you grow retail, increase average ticket and improve rebooking rates without your team feeling like salespeople?
Her answer is rooted in psychology. When teams understand guest cues, build trust intentionally and recommend from purpose rather than pressure, revenue rises naturally.
Michela’s proprietary recommending frameworks have helped spas:
Increase retail penetration and average service revenue
Strengthen rebooking and guest loyalty
Improve team confidence and accountability
Reduce the cultural resistance to “selling”
She is also an Assistant Professor in the MBA and MA Organizational Development & Change program at Webster University and co-author of Ready for Anything: The Making of a Change Leader.
Through keynote speaking, consulting, and executive coaching, Michela equips spa directors to lead profitable cultures of trust—where commercial results and human connection strengthen each other.
