Say yes, and two more keys to spa industry success from Allan Share, President of the Spa Industry Association,
In 1989, Hannelore Leavy started the Day Spa Association and then, later, she founded the International Medical Spa Association. Those later grew to become the Spa Industry Association after Hannelore decided it was time to retire and I took over in 2010.
By Allan Share,
President of the Spa Industry Association
Today, the Spa Industry Association operates as a free informational resource and place to make connections for people in spa-channel, which includes spa, salon, resort, esthetics and more, around the globe. We make industry critical information available with the aim of helping everyone in the industry grow their businesses. Part of our mission is to connect the worldwide community and create accessibility to all the tools you need to make your business a success.
As President of an association with thousands of connections across the globe and a dedicated and knowledgeable team, I have learned some valuable lessons about what it takes to succeed in the spa and wellness world. Now more than ever is the time to be sharing these insights with one another, and so, I’ll continue doing what I enjoy and share some of this information.
Here are three keys to success in the spa industry:
Find your niche
Our association offers business building and support to grow your facility. There are many other great associations out there, like AMTA, which supports massage therapists, NASN in Texas, which supports aestheticians, and of course, ISPA, which supports resort and destination spas across all the borders (just to name a few).
The Spa Industry Association supports everyone but is different in that we do not host a trade show or publish a magazine, and our main area of expertise is connecting people to people and resources. That lets us be a good supporter of everyone without being regarded as a competitor to others in this arena.
Finding your niche doesn’t always mean setting yourself up to not be viewed as competition, but it does mean setting yourself apart from the competition.
Connect with others
Our association mantra is: connect the community, which is why membership in our associations has no charge for those actively practicing the pursuit of Wellness. Nationally and internationally, all are welcome to join.
We are a place where people can go with all the questions they don’t have answers to, and we currently have 86,000 members across the globe today.
The association’s ability to connect people is among our most valuable assets. It’s through our connections that we help others find business opportunities and jobs, discover great products, bring in new customers, and generally find success. We need each other to succeed. Nobody can work in a bubble and do well.
Put yourself out there
Our golden rule at the Spa Industry Association is: “Say ‘yes’ to everyone. We’ll figure it out.” This is what we tell our team.
We believe in offering our expertise and resources to everyone who can use them. Sometimes we don’t know the answer but we’ll go find it for you.
Saying “yes” makes everyone more successful and this makes our industry stronger. Our members have access to everyone from skincare and equipment manufacturers to credit card and insurance companies. It’s through saying “yes” that you will discover unexpected opportunities. Saying “yes” builds goodwill and with goodwill we all thrive. I am not recommending you say“yes” to things you should not do or don’t have the capacity for. I am recommending stepping outside of your comfort zone, trying new things, and pushing yourself to discover and learn, instead of saying ‘no.’
Putting yourself out there can also mean asking for help, being vulnerable, doing something that scares you, or just showing up. My dad, who passed a number of years ago, used to say, “when you’re in the swim, things happen and you.” If you put yourself out there, you’ll find connections and have no idea how they are going to help you down the road.
When you take a leap of faith, things happen in the universe. If you wear blinders and stay in your comfort zone, nothing happens. Put yourself out there and see what happens!
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