I’ve always been a believer in the timing of life events. We have all heard it, things happen for a reason when they should. It’s all about being in the right place at the right time. Last year, I had reached a crossroads in life and had the opportunity to have some time to think about my next move. I am very fortunate to have worked with many spas and spa schools with product selection, sales training, brand development and other fun things and I also owned a luxury day spa for a while and I was wondering what could I do to find happiness and help others. As I took this time for myself to figure out my next chapter, I knew one thing for sure—I love spas.
I love meeting new people and building relationships so I’ve always enjoyed spa people (the people who work there and the guests who come to visit) and the overall experience of helping others to feel better, look better, and helping them achieve their definition of wellness. Moreover, I am in love with spa products, from understanding ingredients to the stories of why people create brands to the amazing results we’ve all seen in treatment rooms nationwide. I also love helping people and businesses succeed by learning and understanding how and why they do what they do and offering solutions on how to help them do it better. And finally, I love education and learning. The first couple of years I worked in our beloved industry, I spent much of my time supporting spa schools. I sat in classrooms and listened and this gave me a great understanding of spa modalities and treatments. As I progressed in my career, my education of the spa and wellness industry involved visiting and working with hundreds of spas—day spas, resort and hotel spas, medical spas, and visiting with independent spa professionals across the nation.
So, let me move the story along. Last year, sitting on a patio in Texas, I shared a vision for wanting to build a spa products company built on supplying products that worked and made good sense for spas, educating spa professionals and leaders to increase success for everyone, giving back and raising awareness for a community I love, and doing it all with the latest and greatest in technology so more people could benefit from it. Luckily for me, the young lady sitting across from me that day, also at a crossroads in her life, said, “let’s do it together.” And with that, Tori Clark, became my business partner and our friendship has only blossomed with time—in fact, Tori and me and our better halves have become “chosen family.” With a handshake and mission to align our values, experiences and strengths, The Spa Mart was born.
This blog post is called, “Defying Gravity,” and I want to explain why. I’m an avid fan of Broadway shows and I have watched “Wicked the Musical” eleven times. Many of you I’m sure have also enjoyed a performance and realize that the penultimate moment of the show occurs at the end of the first act when Elphaba and Glinda sing “Defying Gravity.”
I have no doubt that my connection to this show is that I’m drawn to this song—it’s become a bit of a mantra for me. Defiant and courageous yet providing a unifying message, the lyrics are powerful because all of us have been in this place in life where we must make a big decision about next steps. The song is also about believing in one’s self and taking that leap and defying gravity. In your free time, go check out the song on the link below, but here some key lyrics that always get me thinking.
“I’m through accepting limits
‘cause someone says they’re so
Some things I cannot change
But till I try, I’ll never know!”
&
“Together we’re unlimited
Together we’ll be the greatest team there’s ever been”
Spa industry, we can do anything together and being a part of this spa and wellness community, our home, is an honor and a privilege. What an amazing calling we all have!
Today, let’s all take a leap of faith, be happy with the decisions we make, forget regrets, give everyone a chance to fly, leave limits behind, and focus on teamwork without limits.
“It’s time to trust my instincts, close my eyes and leap, it’s time to try…
DEFYING GRAVITY!”
Come join me….
With sincere thanks and unabashed enthusiasm,
– Teddy
