admin “The greatest leader is not necessarily the one who does the greatest things, she is the one that gets the people to do the greatest things.” implies same by Abi Wright, MD & Founder of Spabreaks.com, Europe’s No. 1 Spa Break Specialist. A multi award-winner and marketing specialist with over 15 years of ample experience in the hotel and spa industry Abi believes, “Good leadership is about nurturing the talent and letting it grow.”
Mother of three and from a very humble background Abi had been working in hotel spas for 10 years before she started Spabreaks.com. Abi’s elder son was just 4 months old when she started the journey of being successful entrepreneur founding Spabreaks.com. Spabreak.com is now Europe’s largest spa booking company, employing over 70 people from all backgrounds and cultures. She is a pioneer in the industry and constantly striving to make Spa more accessible. Being an industry leader in innovation and empowerment, Spabreaks.com leads the way in creating spa experiences for people with cancer and those with disabilities.
Passion for Wellness
Abi is very passionate about her business and Spabreaks.com team. She developed spabreaks.com with her innovative ideas. Abi was very clear about the idea behind spabreaks.com. Abi Said “During that time I really got to know how many amazing spa experiences there were available, however the message wasn’t really getting out there. I really wanted to show everything that spas had to offer – from the real wellness side of things to the fun of an afternoon tea with friends and facials, and I really wanted to highlight how important all of that is to wellbeing. I wanted to market spas more dynamically and make it really easy for individuals to find the right spa break for them through the advice and expertise of our team. My goal was to bridge the divide between commercial success and brand integrity for the many amazing spas in the UK and around the world”
She made the process of booking premium services of spas very easier.Spabreaks.com offers a wide variety of package to their clients like hen parties, romantic breaks or solo breaks at very affordable rates. Also, it offers something for every region, price point and occasion. At early stage of Spabrakes.com, Abi and her team had to be very careful while arranging spa bookings, as money was a major concern initially. Today, Sparebreaks.com has reached a height where managing money isn’t a concern anymore.
As time has passed they had been able to invest in more sophisticated technology and ways of working. But, there’s nothing like being a startup to really force her to focus her resources.
Abi believe that spas in the true sense of the word can make a phenomenal difference to our physical, emotional and mental wellbeing. “I really believe that spas in the true sense of the word can make a phenomenal difference to our physical, emotional and mental wellbeing, and I want to see people be able to enjoy and experience that as much as possible, “We have a collective psychological barrier between commercial viability and brand integrity when it comes to wellness, but I firmly believe that we can and should, have both,” explores Abi. She is always delighted to help spas become popular out and resulting in increasing customer base, and also make people completely relaxed and refreshed. She feels spa services revitalize your beauty and soul.
‘Be helpful, be positive and be encouraging’
“I really think it starts with the attitude we bring into the room. I think sometimes there is a culture of trying to bring other women down, criticising, and I don’t like that. As a woman, you’re often damned if you do and damned if you don’t, but I really believe that a rising tide lifts all boats. We’re all in this together, so be helpful, be positive and be encouraging.”
‘Children are Biggest Motivation’
While asking about her greatest inspiration, Abi shares, “I don’t think it’s an accident that I started Spabreaks.com when my first baby was four months old because ultimately it’s my children who motivate me. It’s about wanting to provide for them, give them every opportunity I can, and also setting an example to them about working hard and women in the workplace. On a day to day basis however, my team and the clients we hear back from motivate me. My team inspires me every day, and some of our most important developments have come from client feedback.”
‘Children’, Only Fear factor
“I think like any parent my greatest fear is of anything bad ever happening to my children. Of course, the only thing you can do is love them and do the best you can, so I try to remember that and focus on what I can do rather than what I can’t. Keeping things in perspective is really where looking after your mind and body become so important”, “I am the first to say that I don’t practice enough self-care, but every day I walk my dogs first thing in the morning to get a little exercise and some fresh air, that really helps me to keep my fears, worries and stresses in check,” she added.
Looking Back to Journey through Struggles
“I think every false start or dead end at any stage of my career proved to be an important learning curve, so to be honest I’m at peace with decisions I made and the journey I’ve been on so far”, “Of course, I worry that I’ve been too busy while my children are small and that will have negative repercussions, but now they’re at an age when they tell me what they think and it was the most wonderful thing hearing my son tell me he’s proud of me.”
‘Listen to client feedback’
While asking for long term customer relationships Abi said, “There’s a lot of factors that go into that, and of course it’s always evolving, but I think a really important thing is listening to client feedback and being willing to constantly evolve. I look at all client feedback, on emails and Trustpilot where we have a five-star rating. I think people know when you’re genuine about listening to people and caring about their perspective.”
Abi’s Success Mantra for Aspiring Entrepreneurs
For new and aspiring Entrepreneurs Abi suggests, “Work hard, do your best, look for opportunities and listen to other people but make your own decisions. I started Spabreaks.com in 2008 when recession had just struck and everyone thought I was mad to start what was essentially a luxury business at a time of economic turbulence, but here we are, 11 years later and we are still growing year on year”, “Also, surround yourself with people you trust and admire; those are the people who will keep you feeling passionate when you’re tired and fed up,” she further added.
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