Wow! I can not believe a full year has gone by since I made the life changing decision to become a Spa Director. It has been such an intense year that I feel as if five years have passed. I am not 100% sure that is entirely good, but in this year I have learned the equivalent of five years, and the life lessons I have experienced make me feel five years older!
It has been difficult, frustrating, delightful, enlightening, weird and funny all at once. Sometimes I have to remind myself of the reasons why I wanted to be a Spa Director. I remember the first conversations with my staff when I was deciding to leave Human Resources and I have to smile at how naive I was in what I expected.
The obsession to do it right, the demands of the job, the hours needed and the pressures I have to put my family through is what makes me sometimes wonder, "Why oh why? What do I like about it that keeps me doing it?" I equate it to a relationship, when I only see the bad and negative I need to sit down and make a list of the things that made me fall in love with this originally; a list of the Pros so that I don't see only the Cons. If I ever get to the point of it being too much, or where I am only seeing the negatives, that is when I have to stop and change courses because it will mean I have burnt out. I had a great friend when I was at Sonoma Mission Inn & Spa, she was energetic, full of life, new to being a Spa Director but a total "go getter"; she had spunk and intelligence. At some point in her career she wrote about her burn out, the reasons the job became too much and her decision to leave it. She continues to be in the business as a consultant, educator and inspiration to others. I always keep her story in my head and in my heart and I hope to one day exit as graciously as she did, and still keep my love and passion for this industry. In the meantime and since I am proud of having made it through this year, I want to continue to learn and experience this wild new career that I chose, I need to remind myself of the things I do love abut being a Spa Director and some of the lessons learned this past year.
- I love working in a place where I can burn candles, listen to meditation music, work out and evaluate a massage treatment as part of my duties.
- I have learned about nutrition and life balance.
- I've experienced and learned about Reiki, Shirodhara, Craniosacral and Polarity treatments. Some of these philosophies and disciplines were so foreign to me and know I feel I've been around them my whole life.
- I have met some of the most enlightened individuals and true energy healers. (I've met some weirdoes too, but I am concentrating on the positive here!)
- I know how to read a Profit and Loss statement and create a budget dealing with millions of dollars. Furthermore I know how to manage that budget efficiently and effectively and I enjoy it.
- My job requires me to look and feel healthy, be knowledgeable about the latest skin care products, the latest techniques, and I get free salon services. What is not to like about that?!
- By making sure the Spa is running effectively and efficiently I am contributing to the client's well being. I make a difference in their experience and my staff's everyday experience. I can influence the energy of those around me.
- I touch the life and attitudes of my coworkers. One act of kindness a day is all it takes to make a better world, the Spa industry provides me with tons of opportunities to make acts of kindness.
- I get to meet celebrities of all kinds, up-close and personal. I get to go to events with celebrities even if I can not talk about it, I love being part of it; it's like being a kid in a candy store.
- It provides me with the income to provide for my children in a way I only dreamed possible when I was beginning in the Hotel industry.
- I get to travel to the most beautiful Resort/Hotel destinations in the world and attend great events that I would have never been part of if I had stayed in HR.
- My children and family get to enjoy the places I work at and they are educated in having a healthy mind and body. They know more about skin care and massage therapies that most adults will ever learn in a life time.
- I have a new family, my Spa family and I love them.
Time to celebrate, here is to my first year and the many more to come! To all the Spa Directors out there that paved the way before me, and to all that are going to start this journey, embrace it.
Bring it on!!!
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