“When your purpose and passion are in alignment, your work becomes your calling, your life becomes your dream.” ― Farshad Asl
If you've been feeling called to start a wellness business, but you're not sure if you should quit your day job, you’re not alone. Wellness is a booming industry, and it's no surprise that more and more people are taking interest.
Your reluctance to quit your day job is also valid. This may be because you feel like you don’t have enough experience to start a wellness business, maybe you’re not sure about the skills you need, and if your business idea is solid enough to stand on its own.
In this article, I would like to share with you my experience in transitioning over from a regular job to entering the wellness business space. Becoming a specialist consultant, I’ve also witnessed countless wellness business ideas come to fruition. In my case, it didn’t happen in an instant – but times are different, and with the right guidance and resources to help shape your business vision, you can achieve your goal of staring your own wellness business in a shorter span of time. Therefore, I’m also sharing with you four reasons why you might consider taking the leap.
For years I’d felt it bubbling up. That increasing sense of dissatisfaction working 60+ hour weeks in a job that is well-paid and challenging, but in the end not meaningful. For eleven years I worked in Advertising, managing the global business of various tourism clients. I travelled the world promoting things I loved, so it was easy to get wrapped up in the magic of the moment. However, when I moved to a new job at Australia’s then-top agency, working on petrol stations, white goods, and meat and livestock, the reality of my role hit me. I’d loved my clients; not my job. The very purpose of my role was to fuel consumerism, which didn’t sit well with my personal values.
It was time for a change.
I quit my job and took a 75% pay cut to work as a Spa Manager. I’d studied a host of therapies over the years out of interest, and had a strong business background, so the thought of aligning my work with my interests was exciting!
That was in 1999. I can honestly say that decision to quit was the best thing I ever did. In the 23 years since, I became a consultant and worked with clients ranging from passionate individuals to many of the world’s leading spa and wellness resort brands, creating over 75 wellness concepts in 15 countries. For the last decade, I’ve also judged several international spa awards, so I’ve had the opportunity to assess hundreds of businesses around the world.
One thing became very clear. It is the businesses with passionate owners that best succeed and stand the test of time. While owners and brands with deep pockets can build stunning operations that look great in magazines, it is the passionate owners that win hearts and often change the lives of their clients.
Take, for example, Kamalaya – a wellness resort in Koh Samui, Thailand. The founders, John & Karina Stewart, started the resort with a vision of service; to share their deep experience in healing and spiritual traditions by creating a nurturing, healing environment from which people can explore and embrace life’s potential.
It wasn’t an easy journey. The couple faced many challenges, including financing their dream. However, they stuck to their vision. Rather than compromising their offering to make the odd saving, they always found a way. Their tenacity paid off, as Kamalaya has consistently topped the global rankings for almost a decade. More importantly, it has changed thousands of lives.
If you really wish to start your own spa, beauty or wellness business? Now might be the ideal time to turn your daydreams into reality.
Covid-19 has caused a seismic shift in our priorities and lifestyles. Old ways of living, working and playing have been tossed into the air, and everyone is waiting anxiously to see how things settle. As the world navigates towards a ‘new normal’, opportunities for wellness abound.
Here are four reasons why you might consider taking the leap:
1. The World needs it
For decades, life has been getting busier and busier, faster and faster, as we struggle to keep pace with exponential advances in technology. Digitisation and the shift to remote work has blurred the boundaries between work and life. For most people now, there is no ‘off button’. The need for convenience has led to poorer quality diets, while long hours on devices has created a more sedentary society. The result is another, silent pandemic: chronic disease. Not as publicised as Covid but far more deadly*.
Add to this growing stress and mental health concerns, aging populations and an increasingly polluted and toxic environment – everyone on the planet would benefit from the ‘TLC’ that wellness brings.
2. Demand is there, and growing fast
Wellness was already a fast-growing trend, but the pandemic has catapulted it from a ‘should’ to a ‘must’ in every aspect of life. According to research by global management company McKinsey, 79% of people worldwide now believe that Wellness is important, and 49% consider it a top priority.
The industry is currently valued at $4.4 trillion, according to the Global Wellness Institute, and is forecast to reach nearly $7 trillion in 2025. Growth is projected at 9.9% p.a. for at least the next five years, fuelled by pent-up demand and growing need.
3. You can do it your way
So, what type of wellness business should you have?
The answer: whatever type appeals to you. There is no one ‘right way’ to do Wellness.
When I first started as a spa consultant, there were three basic business models for wellness: day spa/salon/clinic, hotel spa and wellness resort, and all businesses pretty much followed the model for their category.
Not anymore. The days of ‘paint by numbers’ are over. Today’s entrepreneurs are creating wellness on their own terms.
Sally Kellett is a great example. As the founder of Melbourne-based Mirosuna, Sally has created a space ‘to help people live less stressful lives’. Offering meditation, massage, corporate wellness, holistic therapies, events and online services…it’s hard to put a label on what Mirosuna is, but it works!
So, be creative. You don’t need to model your business on one of the big brands. In fact, it’s better if you don’t!
4. It’ll boost your own wellbeing
Motivational speaker Jim Rohn famously said, “you are the average of the five people you spend the most time with”. By immersing yourself in Wellness as your work, you’ll be surrounded by like-minded people. In sharing knowledge, resources and inspiration, it will almost inevitably take your own wellbeing to a whole new level.
Also, in doing what you love, you will positively impact others. Regardless of whether your business supports people through illness, relieves stress or enhances their self-confidence through beauty, you’ll experience a deep satisfaction that comes from doing meaningful work.
If these four reasons resonate with you, chances are that owning a Wellness business will bring you joy and fulfilment. It’s worth considering quitting that day job, or at least developing a transition plan!
To investigate further, check out our free Masterclass on how to start your own wellness business.
* According to the W.H.O., chronic disease is responsible for 71% of all deaths globally.