There’s an old notion that successful business and benevolence don’t mix. It’s not true, of course, but it contains a grain of truth. Even in the business of wellness, a sector that strives to make the world a happier and healthier place, it’s sometimes easier to make selfish and short-sighted business decisions.
In Spa Executive, we like to consistently feature those leaders who are dedicated to maintaining the ethos upon which this industry is based.
This month, our cover spotlight is on Lucy Hugo and Monica Helmstetter, founders of We Work Well, a new company creating the next generation of hosted buyer events. We Work Well’s events will allow industry leaders to cultivate business relationships in meaningful ways while enhancing physical and mental well-being. A big part of their mandate is promoting employee wellness because, they told us, “It’s important that companies not just talk a good game, but actually walk the walk.”
This sentiment is echoed by Sonal Uberoi of Spa Balance Consulting who talked to us about the rampant problem of employee burnout in the industry. “The irony of it all,” she said, “is that we promote wellbeing, we preach work-life balance, but we don’t practice what we preach in our own businesses!”
Focusing on these factors isn’t just good ethical sense, it’s also good business sense! A well employee is a productive employee.
We also spoke with Julie Bach, founder of Wellness for Cancer, and Daniel Poulin of AccorHotels, who together are part of the movement towards raising cancer awareness in the spa industry. They and others are addressing, head on, the issue that the people to whom current and former cancer patients are turning for care and support during and after treatment are turning 90% of them away (according to Bach’s estimate).
Bach and Poulin are working to solve a difficult and complicated problem, because it’s the right thing to do.
We’re proud to feature the people embodying the values that we espouse.
These are the people who are walking the walk, practicing what they preach, and inspiring us to do the same.
Read our fourth issue here: