THE READING ROOM
News, insights and views from our team of seasoned Spa Business experts
LEADERS WE LOVE: A Q&A WITH LISA BARDEN
Lisa Barden is the Director of Barden Spa, a Board Director for the Standards Authority in Touch for Cancer Care (SATCC) and the Group Director of Spa and Wellness at Arora Group. Currently pre-opening the inspirational project at Fairmont Windsor Park developing a Spa and Wellness Concept that will marry the traditional spa therapies with meaningful, transformative wellness experiences. Lisa has previously served as Chair of the UK Spa Association and is a true advocate of wellness for all.
As a leader we love, a mentor and a true champion of the spa industry, we spoke with Lisa about her incredible career, the imminent unveiling of the Fairmont project and her hopes or the future of the industry.
A Q&A WITH RACHEL ROSELT, SPA DIRECTOR AT BULGARI LONDON
Rachel Roselt, Spa Director at Bulgari, Knightsbridge London, provides insights into leading a spa through a global pandemic. Thank you Rachel, a leader we love.
‘I hosted weekly Managers Zoom calls followed by Full Team Zoom calls, and also created a weekly newsletter based on our personal lockdown lives and wore my heart on my sleeve with complete transparency. This carried us for the 21 weeks of lockdown and created a strong bond and resilient team to the point that when we reopened on August 15th, it felt like we were never apart, however much we missed the human contact.’
KIM: A YEAR AGO TODAY
Looking forward to year ahead, we spoke to Kim Cochrane, Spa Development & Operations Manager at The Spa Collaborative about what she was doing this time last year and what she is excited about for 2021.
What were you focused on professionally this time last year?
Almost to the day, I was sitting down to plan my wants and needs for the year of 2020. Every year I use a vision board to manifest and organize my goals to keep me focused for the year ahead. This was a special one as I was embarking on a new job and moving to a new company.
JASMINE: A YEAR AGO TODAY
We asked Jasmine Haynes, Group Concept and Operations Manager at The Spa Collaborative, to reflect on what she was doing this time last year, what she will miss and what she is very glad to say goodbye to.
What were you focused on this time last year?
I was completing in-person audits for W Costa Rica and W Fort Lauderdale which was a fantastic experience, meeting with dynamic and interesting Spa Leaders to unlock the potentials of their spa and future plans in the dreamiest of locations
EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE IN LEADERSHIP
The ability to monitor our own and other people’s emotions and alter our behaviours and leadership style accordingly is more important than ever.
There is a fine line between managing your emotions and masking them, leadership during this period and for the foreseeable future requires us to be the master of emotional management but also be as transparent and honest as possible.