Inspirations for You.
Inspiring my teams over the last two decades has been one of the most enjoyable parts of my job. By sharing my vision for what is possible in our daily briefings, I powered my team and myself up for the day.
I firmly believe my passion for inspiring others has led my teams to achieve multiple international awards, including the rare Forbes Five-Star rating.
With my inspirations on this Spa & Wellness Blog, I wish to continue inspiring Spa professionals to succeed. Furthermore, I hope that my inspirations lead you naturally to actions that elevate and enhance your Spa.
Enjoy this productive break reading my inspirations and allow you to reflect, review, and sharpen your vision to become even more successful.
Daily Team Briefings for Success.
Not one day is alike in the hospitality industry, and that applies also for Spas. Having worked 20 years in the operations, there were not two days alike, and almost none went as planned. Therefore it was essential to adapt each daily briefing to the day and to the team in front of me. Over the years I learned the importance of setting the right tone for the day, so let's discover how also you can empower your team to succeed and leave a lasting impression on every guest who walks through your doors.
Complaint Management for Success.
At the start of my career, I used to feel relieved when I could turn to a manager to handle guest complaints. Over time, with training and experience, I gradually learned how to communicate with unhappy guests and manage challenging situations effectively.
Complaints are a natural aspect of any business, including the spa industry. While spas aim to offer relaxation and rejuvenation, occasional mishaps can lead to unsatisfied customers. I realized that how spa teams and managers address these issues can greatly impact their reputation and success. Through my journey, I came to appreciate the importance of efficient complaint resolution in spas, allowing me to handle complaints gracefully and even convert unhappy guests into loyal ones.
Relaxation Lounge for Success.
The most unique relaxation room I have ever been in was in Bali. I had it all by myself, undisturbed and connected with nature. That, of course, was pure luxury and is not what most Spas can offer their guests. But I like to think back to this memorable experience I was able to enjoy as it has inspired me throughout the years to deliver to our guests what I was experiencing: calmness, the beauty of the surroundings, allowing me to destress, just to be and enjoy the moment.
This lawn in Bali, where I could enjoy some time following the treatment, listening to the sounds of nature, and connecting to nature, made me very emotional...
Excellence for Success.
What is actually excellence? - For me, excellence is the quality of being outstanding or extremely good at something. It is the continuous pursuit of improvement and the commitment to deliver the best possible results consistently. From experience, I can tell you it requires lots of dedication, hard work, and a willingness to push beyond one's limits. Striving for excellence in all areas of life will eventually lead to personal growth, career advancement, and a sense of fulfillment.
Achieving excellence in the workplace requires a lot. The hardest is the consistency. But for many of my team members, it has become natural and easy to apply daily - with practice and daily encouragement.
Performance Reviews for Success.
Who had a team member whose performance was not up to par? Or one whose performance was just OK. - I think we all faced such situations, some more, some less. But here’s the question: what did we do about it?
Some time ago, I had an assistant manager complaining that one employee was not performing at the same level as the other team members. I could feel the assistant manager was frustrated, ready to give up on the employee, and absorbing the situation’s negative energy.
My only question to the complaint was: What have YOU done about it? - And I saw the big question mark in the assistant manager’s eyes. “ME?” the assistant manager asked after a short moment of silence…
Coaching for Success.
I was fortunate enough to work in a work environment where my managers and leaders provided me with coaching. - My perspective has shifted. Initially, it felt awkward since I was not accustomed to receiving regular feedback from the companies I worked with.
Receiving coaching and feedback from my leaders and managers, I have highly valued as an opportunity for my personal and professional growth. Having worked as an operational leader for many years, I felt it was my role to do the same and coach my teams!
Gift Cards for Success.
Do you know the most amazing facts about gift cards that help you drive impressive sales?
There is no doubt that gift cards or online gift certificates are among the No 1 gifts these days and in any holiday season. Various industries have seen this already for some years before March 2020. But looking back at the 2020 holiday season, when many locations were still in lockdown, gift cards became one of the hottest holiday presents. And this lasts into the future!
Maintenance for Success.
Maintaining the facilities I managed over the years was one of the most challenging parts of my job. Since I depended on our hotel’s maintenance team, this part was about pure collaboration and convincing of priorities. Also, I have heard from others what a struggle the relationship between Spa and Engineering often represented in the daily life of a Spa leader.
But as a Spa Manager, I had two choices: Investing energy and time over and over again. Or to give up.
Global Wellness Day for Success.
Ever since Global Wellness Day was celebrated for the first time in 2012, the Spas I worked in participated in raising awareness about living a well life. From the early beginnings, I felt it was our role, the role of the Spa & Wellness industry, to support this unique movement. I loved sharing with our employees, guests, and local communities about living well and increasing each person’s motivation to do so, not just for today but for all 365 days of the year.
Having participated actively in creative ways in this celebration each year with my teams, it was an enormous honor to become an official Global Wellness Day Ambassador earlier this year.
Homecare Recommendations for Success.
How well is your team performing when it comes to sales after a facial? Some Spas have figured out how to include this critical step into their team's daily routine, having their team members at ease with this 'sales' step and seeing remarkable results on their business's top and bottom line.
But I also know that this is far from being the norm looking at this particular part of the Spa & Wellness business internationally. I will never forget when I was appointed for the first time Spa Manager; my team made it clear upfront: "We don't sell!" That was a statement, but with training, belief, and perseverance, we moved within a few years from 11,000 Euros monthly in retail sales to 100,000 Euros monthly - and every team member, even the massage therapists, was part of this!
