When business energises life: Spa innovator Susan Harmsworth discusses her business philosophy
ByJon Fernquest[Introduction|Vocabulary|Article]
[Reading Questions|Answers]
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"Differentiate or die" is a marketing truism nowadays.
[Article #1, Article #2]
As business becomes more stressful the world over, the business of reducing this stress becomes a booming business.
Reducing stress is what spas do.
A dozen small spas popped up last year in small provincial Chiang Rai, northern Thailand.
How many will still remain in business after a year?
How to differentiate from the competition, provide value, and attract customers? These are the questions on every spa owner's mind.
Meanwhile, on the educational front, business plan competitions are all the rage in Thai classrooms. [Article this week]
Combine business plans with the resiliency and richness of Thai culture, a natural fascination with creams, lotions, health, and beauty, on the part of women, and increasingly men, throw in some learner-centered teaching, walla!
What you get as a teacher, is a stack of spa-resort business plans sitting on your desk, also some spa-related products such as lotions, creams, treatments, and therapies, all sitting on your desk to ready to read, to peruse, evaluate, and provide feedback on. End of weekend.
Today's article provides just the food for thought that these young fledgling spa entrepreneurs need, that non-spa enthusiast (yet stressed out) teachers will be hard-pressed to provide.
The article digs deeper than just the products on offer at hotels or local pharmacies.
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Susan Harmsworth has not allowed her firm to be constrained to any standard and limited notion of what can be done with spas either. The online description of her business stresses fusion, fusion of the traditional with the modern as well as fusion of the product side of the business with the more human side, including training and spa design, in the services the firm offers.
Training, interior design, and architecture are three dimensions of the spa business idea that are new areas to explore in the classroom.
This article is a wonderful and warm introduction to a growing business as well as way of life in Thailand. It will certainly stimulate even more creative efforts in this area on the part of students in your classroom.
Read past Bangkok Post articles on business plans and enterpreneurs.
Read past Bangkok Post articles on medical tourism.
Read past Bangkok Post articles on women in business.
Read a Wikipedia article on the history of spas.
Reading Questions
Here are some questions to guide your reading (See answers at end):
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1. What is Espa famous for worldwide?
2. What are the essential elements of Susan Harmsworth's business philosophy?
3. How long has Susan Harmsworth been in the spa business?
4. When she first opened spas in New York and Toronto in the 1970s did spas or places like spas exist yet?
5. What is a day spa? (Research outside the article required)
6. What kind of problems did British health farms of the 1980s help people with?
7. What kind of health professionals helped people on these health farms?
Dreaming Up a Spa Business Plan
Let's say you were setting up a health retreat where people stay for a week to relax and de-stress, how would you deal with the problems that Susan Harmsworth discusses in her interview?
How would you use the lessons from Susan Harmsworth's own life in running your spa?
8. How would you help the stressed out people who came to your spa?
9. How would you help workaholics who came to your spa?
10. How would you help people set priorities in their life?
11. How would help a young woman just starting out in life with her career, husband, and family?
12. How would you explain why essential oils are an essential part of the spa experience?
13. Finally, can you think of good reasons in life why either stress or a negative attitude towards something might be necessary? (Express your opinion)
14. How would you (or do you) personally go about relieving the unavoidable stress in your life?
Article July 20, 2007
THIS IS LIFEBringing out the best
UK spa guru Susan Harmsworth talks about her personal and business philosophyKANOKPORN CHANASONGKRAM
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The British spa guru has over 30 years of experience in the industry, starting in the 1970s when she opened salons in New York and Toronto, which quickly developed into what would today be called day spas. At that time the word spa, as we think of it today, didn't really exist, recalls Harmsworth, but there were treatments like thalassotherapy in France, Banya in Russia, Terme in Italy and Kur in Germany as rejuvenating remedies.
In the 1980s she went back to the UK to run a health farm with a team of doctors, nurses, acupuncturists, osteopaths and therapists. People came not for the luxury but spent seven to 14 days to lose weight, de-stress, and for general good health. Both the day spas and health farm were significantly ahead of their time.
Today there is a worldwide boom in spas and health retreats because of the need to escape from a stressful life. Espa's CEO, however, is not at all stressed out from expanding her business, which has managed 60 spas worldwide.
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Susan Harmsworth: "Stress is not going to go away because technology and the pace of life is the problem."
I was a journalist for Vogue and Nova and wrote about women's and health issues. But I had always been interested in integrative medicine from a young age because my mother, who was a nurse, looked after my father when he had TB, basing her care on traditional and complementary medicine.
We used to use herbs more than doctors. In the UK we had a whole culture of water therapy, for example at Bath, Leamington Spa, Harrogate and Buxton. These all died off when modern medicine came in, but today we are coming full circle and using complementary medicines and spas again.
Because of TB, my father became very health conscious and was a healthy man despite having one lung removed. The doctor told him that he couldn't have children so when he had me and my brother he really appreciated us. So, as well as recognising the importance of health, from his circumstances I grew up with a positive view of life that we could overcome most things.
How does Espa differ from your '70s day spas and '80s health farms?
The traditional health farms addressed lifestyle and well-being needs in a simple, no-fuss and matter of fact way. The luxury trimmings were not evident and everything was results-driven. Guests would visit a health farm and completely turn themselves over to the care of their therapists with programmes laid out for them from morning until night. Nutrition was strict and everything was overseen by a doctor or resident nurse.
We are seeing a hybrid of these spas returning to the industry now as the need for wellness grows stronger. However this time they will have the latest in modern facilities including luxurious heat experiences and vitality pools, state-of-the-art fitness equipment and multi-functional treatment rooms with private showers.
We are more accepting and informed about Eastern and Western philosophies; therefore the selection of therapies available will expand to embrace therapies from India and China, although it remains key to ensure that every treatment is authentic and effective.
The customer journey has become key; taking into consideration the five senses at every turn - from the moment you arrive in reception to the point of departure, guests should experience a seamless transition from check-in to changing, heat and water to relaxation and treatment to sleep zones.
Why do you believe in using essential oils in facial care?
Asians may not be comfortable with applying oil on the skin because they think of mineral oils. Espa oils are very fine plant oils which work at a deeper level than moisturisers, helping to build strong skin. Moisturisers are important, but they are more about preventing moisture coming out than treating the cause of the problem.
How do you think people can better deal with stress?
Stress is not going to go away because technology and the pace of life is the problem. People have not learnt how to control technology. They are addicted to their mobiles, laptops, and iPods and can't live without them. With email, people are easily connected but they are actually losing their communication skills. I always tell my staff to pick up the phone rather than email when they have to discuss something so they can communicate person-to-person.
Moreover, life is all about work, maybe overworking - six days a week, like the Japanese. And people don't know when to stop or how to stop. I think we have to learn a different type of time management. For example it is important to create a conscious separation between work and home. Keeping a clear desk is very effective and just having the one piece of paper you are working on in front of you. Routine is important to establish a list of tasks to do and rearrange them in order of priority. Always tackle the hardest job first!
Despite your international success, you're not a workaholic?
If we overwork, this can spiral into needing a glass of wine to fall asleep and then a cup of coffee to wake up, which can quickly turn into sleeping tablets and anti-depressants. It also results in poor quality of work and higher susceptibility to illness. We all need to have a cut-off point, where everything is turned off, including the television and phone, to have peace and quiet to end the day.
How do you manage stress?
If you have a positive attitude, life is a lot easier. However, people don't laugh any more, they don't have fun any more. Having a positive attitude and staying positive is an important life skill that we all have to learn as life gets so serious.
I meditate - something I started when having children. As much as possible we have to deflect negative energy. So I try to surround myself with positive people. I know that everybody has problems but some people drain you and take everything from you. I choose to do projects I enjoy and when you enjoy what you're doing you don't get so stressed.
What's most important in life for you now?
After travelling so much, I find that despite different cultures people are all the same underneath with the same needs, worries and emotions. From my experience, most people are essentially good. Everybody has something to contribute and I always see the best in people until they prove me wrong.
At the end of the day, people are the most important - especially friends and family. In my life, I have had no money, I've made money and lost money. Money may not mean anything because we could all be dead tomorrow.
What's your advice to today's young women?
It's a difficult time for young women. Women can't have everything. It's difficult to balance husband, family and career. Husband and family are time-consuming [laughs].
With all the stress in life they have to learn how to achieve a balance. And for good health they have to start with prevention and looking after themselves.
When a woman is happy and independent, her family will be happy too.
Vocabulary (in discussion above)
Differentiate - make different from others (See glossary)
truism - statement accepted as obviously true (to the point of becoming boring)
is all the rage - is popular and fashionable
entrepreneurial -
resiliency - being strong and not easily damaged, able to recover quickly from a disaster (See glossary)
richness - having a great and interesting variety of things (for example, teh city has a rich cultural heritage, a fusion of several different ethnic groups)
holistic medicine, holistic concepts - medical care involving the treatment of the whole person -- body, spirit and mind (Source; See Wikipedia on holistic health, and alternative medicine)
herbal medicine - the traditional treatment of disease with natural herbs and plants found in almost every culture (See Wikipedia on Herbalism)
fusion - merging, creating something new and innovative by joining different ideas and things
health professionals - people specially trained to deal with certainkinds of health problems and provide special kinds of treatment and therapy
bringing out the best - helping people do the best they can do, nurturing, helping people reach their highest potential
the City of Angels - Bangkok, Thailand
The Peninsula Bangkok - one of the best hotels in Bangkok, part of the larger Peninsula chain of hotels (See website)
Espa - a leading innovator in the global spa industry offering products, treatments, design, and training:
"Deep within our philosophy is the determination to combine the best of ancient and modern therapies with the finest quality ingredients and skin care advances....The result is an unusual combination of Spa inspired products, treatments and services that harness the best of aromatherapy, hydrotherapy, thalassotherapy, and phytotherapy" (See website)
the Peninsula Spa by Espa - a spa in Bangkok that was designed by Espa (Read a description)
day spas - a spa where you go for treatments during the day, not a resort or retreat where you stay for days or weeks (See Wikipedia on day spas and body treatment)
Thalassotherapy - use of natural seawater in medical treatment:
"the medical use of seawater. The properties of seawater are believed to have beneficial effects upon the pores of the skin. Thalassotherapy was developed in seaside towns in Brittany, France during the 19th century.Trace elements of magnesium, potassium, calcium sulphates and sodium, found in seawater, are believed to be absorbed through the skin.
The therapy is applied in various forms, as either showers of warmed seawater, application of marine mud or of algae paste, or the inhalation of sea fog. Spas make hot seawater and provide mud- and seaweed wrapping services available.
Popular with actresses such as Joan Collins and Jennifer Lopez, thalassotherapy is believed to ameliorate the effects of hypertension, arteriosclerosis, asthma, bronchitis, muscle atrophy, scabies, arthritis, etc." (See Wikipedia)
Banya - a traditional Russian steam bath, not as hot as the Finnish sauna, feels dryer than Finnish saunas (See Wikipedia on Banya-Sauna)
Terme - Roman public baths found in almost every Roman town, centres for socialisation (See Wikipedia on Thermae)
Kur -
rejuvenating - makes you feel and look young again
health farm - (British English) a special hotel for health
osteopaths -
therapists -
stress - (See Wikipedia)
deal with stress -
de-stress - reduce or eliminate built up stress
ahead of their time -
a retreat - a quiet, isolated place for resting and privacy
health retreats - a quiet place to rest and regain your health
Vogue - the world's most influential fashion magazine (See Wikipedia)
Nova - a British woman's magazine
integrative medicine -
TB - tuberculosis, a contagious and deadly lung disease, treatable with anti-biotics but millions worldwide still die from the disease (See Wikipedia)
water therapy - drinking large amounts of water to cleanse the digestive system (See Wikipedia on water therapy)
coming full circle - after a long series of events and changes, arriving back at the start, the place you began from
health conscious - being aware of your health in every day life (for example, eating only hamburgers and coke is not health conscious, eating vegetables with fruit juice would be)
How does Espa differ from your '70s day spas and '80s health farms? -
no-fuss - not difficult, easy
matter of fact - without emotion (just the facts)
trimmings - extra added things, like decoration
luxury trimmings - features added to make more luxurious and expensive
results-driven, goal-directed - every action is taken to achieve a goal
hybrid - a combination or mixture
wellness - dimension of health beyond disease, includes the social, emotional and spiritual aspects of health, from the 1970s used in more affluent nations for "behaviors which prolong and enhance the state of being healthy, and by extension, the lifespan itself" (Source: New Zealand's Health Strategy; See Wikipedia on Health)
vitality - energy and liveliness
embrace - accept enthusiastically
the five senses - 1. sight, 2. smell, 3. touch, 4. taste, 5. hearing (See Wikipedia on the senses)
seamless - continues without stopping, no breaks or gaps
experience a seamless transition - a smooth change, without any delays
essential oils, plant oils - oils that carry the distinctive scent (essence) of a plant, for example "oil of cloves," used in aromatherapy, oils include Sweet orange, Mentha arvensis, Peppermint, Cedarwood, Lemon, Eucalyptus globulus, Litsea cubeba, Clove (leaf), Spearmint (See Wikipedia)
mineral oils - oils with mostly industrial uses, for
moisturisers - mixtures of chemicals designed to make skin softer and more pliable by increasing the moisture in the skin, can also serve as a barrier against the loss of water through the skin, repair scaly, damaged, dry skin, or acne, repairing or postponing the aging of skin, one of the most famous is the Olay brand (See Wikipedia on moisturizer)
time management - tools or techniques for planning and scheduling time, usually to increase effectiveness and efficiency of personal and corporate time use, taught in books, seminars and courses, these strategies have in common: 1. a to-do-list, 2. setting priorities, and 3. goal management (See Wikipedia)
a workaholic - someone addicted to work (like an "alcoholic" addicted to alcohol)
spiral into - gradually get more and more out of control (like an out-of-control airplane spiralling to the ground)
sleeping tablets - sleeping pills
anti-depressants - medicine that helps alleviates depression like the infamous Prozac (See Wikipedia)
susceptibility - vulnerability, likelihood of being harmed or negatively affected
higher susceptibility to illness - easier to catch a disease
cut-off point - stopping point
attitude about y - the way that you think and feel about y
a positive attitude - thinking positively, optimism, enthusiasm
deflect - blocking, prevent from being directed at or being affected by
deflect negative energy - avoid negative actions and speech of others
Answer Key:
1. What is Espa famous for worldwide?
a. Spa design
b. Spa management consulting.
2. What are the essential elements of Susan Harmsworth's business philosophy?
a. A balanced lifestyle.
b. Well-being
c. Treatments that combine holistic concepts with natural and organic ingredients.
3. How long has Susan Harmsworth been in the spa business?
Over 30 years.
4. When she first opened spas in New York and Toronto in the 1970s did spas or places like spas exist yet?
No, not really. Although the spa as "we know it today" didn't exist, there were similar types of places in European countries like France, Russia, Italy, and Germany.
5. What is a day spa? (Research outside the article required)
6. What kind of problems did British health farms of the 1980s help people with?
a. Lose weight
b. De-stress
c. Regaining health.
7. What kind of health professionals helped people on these health farms?
a. doctors
b. nurses
c. acupuncturists
d. osteopaths
e. therapists
Dreaming Up a Spa Business Plan
Let's say you were setting up a health retreat where people stay for a week to relax and de-stress, how would you deal with the problems that Susan Harmsworth discusses in her interview?
How would you use the lessons from Susan Harmsworth's own life in running your spa?
8. How would you help stressed out people who came to your spa?
9. How would you help workaholics who came to your spa?
10. How would you help people set priorities in their life?
11. How would help a young woman just starting in life with her career, husband, and family?
12. How would you explain why essential oils are an essential part of the spa experience?
13. Finally, can you think of good reasons in life why either stress or a negative attitude towards something might be necessary? (Express your opinion)
Some people might say:
a. Sometimes stress is just part of a job that one must if one wants to continue to work at that job.
b. Criticism is often a catalyst for positive change
14. How would you (or do you) personally go about relieving the unavoidable stress in your life?
