DAYSPA is the magazine of spa management. Spa owners and spa managers turn to DAYSPA for spa management trends, spa management tips and more.
Issue link: https://dayspamagazine.epubxp.com/i/109233
TREND WATCH Let���s Hear it for the Boys! In an industry once dominated by women, male spa directors have become a force to be reckoned with. Here, some of these fearless leaders sound off on their unique spa world experiences: ���Doing business in a small town, I���ve found that many women become unnerved at the idea of getting undressed in a room with a man for a massage or wax treatment. But once you gain this client���s trust and she becomes comfortable with you, she is yours forever, and she���ll spend considerable amounts of time and money with you because of that relationship you���ve established.��� ���One of the advantages to serving in this industry has been gaining an appreciation for spas and what they offer in terms of wellness. I love being able to share that knowledge with my male friends who are not connected to the industry.��� ���William L. Oviatt, director, Sonoran Spa at Westward Look Wyndham Grand Resort & Spa, Tucson, AZ ���Gregory Cartwright, owner, Koru Touch, Statesville, NC ���In entering the spa industry, the biggest challenge was educating myself on the beauty business and its products. Now that I���ve gained a solid understanding, I have a new appreciation for beauty products��� and it works to my advantage! I was recently discussing makeup brushes with a client, and I suggested she try a kabuki brush. She was genuinely surprised that I knew what that was!��� ���I feel the spa industry is much more of an even playing ���eld now, and that most ���gender imbalance��� concerns are in my head. I���ll sometimes wonder if clients or employees will secondguess my input because I���m a man, when in reality that���s not the case. It���s just a common fear of perception.��� ���Brandon Cof���ng, spa operations manager, The Spa at Mandarin Oriental, San Francisco ���Simon Marxer, spa director, Miraval Resort & Spa in Tucson, AZ ���Since entering the spa industry in 2001, my biggest challenge has been adapting to the mostly-female environment. As a former nightclub owner, DJ and actor, I have always been a tongue-in-cheek, satirical, laissezfaire kind of person���especially when it comes to managing people and interacting with clients. Over the years, I have reined that part of my personality in���without losing it entirely. It can still be challenging at times, because guys think, react, speak and deal with situations in a much different, more compartmentalized way.��� ���Scott Kerschbaumer, co-owner, ESSpa Kozmetica Organic Skincare, Pittsburgh 16 DAYSPA | MARCH 2013