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Spa Marketing Made Easy | Spa Business Growth
SMME #465 Open to Growth: Why Comfort Zones Are Killing Your Spa Business in 2026
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Hey, real quick. I want to personally invite you to something very special happening next month. I'm hosting a spa CEO intensive on February 15th and 16th in Fort Worth, Texas. This is a two day in person event where we are going to be going deep into the sales and social phases of the growth factor framework. We are essentially diving headfirst into the role that AI will play in these two phases. So we're talking automations, we're talking agents, all, all of the things. So if you've been curious about how AI can help your business grow, this is the event for you. Head over to auto aesthetics.com events, click on the In Person Events tab there and you will find all of the details for Fort Worth. I cannot wait to see you there. Hey there and welcome to the very first episode of 2026 on the Spa Marketing Made Easy podcast. I am your host, Daniela Warner, and I have you. I am so excited for this year. Not in a everything is going to be easy peasy kind of way, but in a I'm scared and excited at the same time kind of way, which is honestly exactly where I want to be. So today's episode is a little bit different. Instead of diving into a specific tactical strategy or framework, I want to pull back the curtain and share what I'm personally working on in my business this year, why I'm doing things that are genuinely going to make me uncomfortable, and how that connects with what I'm actually seeing in our industry right now. Because here's the thing, if you've been listening to this podcast for any length of time, you know that I am all about systems and strategy and sustainable growth. I'm the person that talks about KPIs and delegation, roadmaps and five year plans. I do talk about personal development, but not as much. Right? And personal development, it happens right alongside business growth. And this year I'm pushing myself in ways that I haven't before. This is year 12 for us in business and so I'm saying yes to things that my comfortable homebody self would have said no to in the past. And I'm doing it because I believe deeply that the next level of my business requires a different version of me. Right? We always have to grow. Your business is going to grow to the level of your personal development. So if I want to grow my business, I need to grow myself. So if you are someone who's been playing it safe, staying in your comfort zone, doing what feels familiar, even though you know that you need to stretch, this episode is for you. Let's Talk about what it really takes to grow. All right, so let me start with this. Every year, I choose a word. Not a resolution, not a goal, but a word that becomes the lens through which I make decisions. I did a whole episode about this in December. I'm not gonna jump into that and go super de. But just know that this year, my word is open. Open. And I'll be honest, when this word first came to me, my reaction was like, oh, no, this is going to push me, isn't it? Because I knew immediately what it meant. It meant being open to doing things differently. Open to opportunities that scare me a little bit. Open to pushing myself even further out of my comfort zone than I had been willing to do before. So let me give you a little bit of context. I am not someone who naturally loves being in large groups of people. And I know that might sound weird coming from someone who hosts a podcast with millions of downloads, but there is a difference between recording in my home office, where it's me and a microphone. I'm in here by myself. I hear my dogs barking downstairs. But it is me here. That is different than being in a room with hundreds or even thousands of people. Okay, So I actually really love one on one conversations, and I love small group settings. That kind of stuff energizes me where I can go deep with people, but big crowds, big events, that is not where I naturally thrive. That drains my energy. It makes me nervous. It pushes every single one of my I would rather not buttons. But the power of in person, it is undeniable. And I know that if I want to serve my community at the highest level, at the level that I am being called to, if I want to expand our impact in the way that I believe we are meant to, I cannot keep avoiding things that make me uncomfortable. So when I chose open as my word, I made a commitment to myself. I'm going to say yes to opportunities that stretch me. I'm going to show up in ways that feel vulnerable. I'm going to do things that make me nervous because I believe deeply in the why behind them. And let me tell you, ask and you, you shall receive. The universe immediately tested me on this, because within weeks of choosing this word, opportunities started coming in that were exactly the kind of things that I would have said no to in the past. But this year, I'm saying yes. I'm being open, even when it's uncomfortable, even when it scares me, because I know that growth does not happen in your comfort zone. And I want to be really clear about something. This is not about pushing yourself to do things that go against your values or who you fundamentally are. This is about recognizing when feeling fear or comfort is holding you back from something that you actually want. There's a difference between honoring your boundaries and hiding behind them. So for me, I want to connect with spa owners in our community. I want to meet you in person. I want to hug you. I want to hear your stories. I want to celebrate your wins. I want to help you work through your challenges face to face. That is what I want. But my comfort zone says, just stick with the podcast and the online programs. That's easier. So this year, I'm choosing what I want over what is easy. Okay, so let me tell you what this is actually going to look like in practice, because being open sounds nice and inspirational, but what does it actually mean? What's the action behind it? So for me, I've committed to a first quarter. Really? Like a first four third of the year. That is so outside of my comfort zone. Well, I'll tell you in. I'll tell you in May if it was a great idea or not. But I want to tell you now as I'm in it, instead of waiting and kind of reflecting on it, I want to share my thought process because speed is so important this year. So I want you to know what I'm thinking and what I'm doing. Okay, so later this month, I am flying to Vegas for Circadia Connect. So if you're not familiar, Circadia is a global skincare brand and this year is their 25th anniversary. So they reached out, they asked me to come and speak at their conference. It was. They have been so kind and so accommodating, and let me paint the picture for you of why this is a big deal for me. So first, Vegas is not really a quick flight from D.C. second, there's going to be expected to be about 500 people at this conference. 500. And third, the agenda is packed from morning to night. So workshops, networking sessions, a formal, formal gala, a meet and greet. It's a whole production. Okay. And there are some other incredible speakers who are going to be there, leading workshops on retail sales, business development, all of it. This is not a show up and give your talk and then you leave kind of event. This is a full immersion experience. So the old Daniela would have looked at this invitation and been grateful, but immediately started thinking of reasons of why it wouldn't work. It's a long flight. It's a lot of people, my kids. I can't be Separated from them. I've got so many other things to do. I probably would have politely declined and stayed comfortably at home, but when they asked, I said yes, because I'm being open, because it aligns with what I want in my business. And here's what I've realized as I've been preparing for this. Yes, it's going to push me. Yes, I'm going to be tired. Yes, there are going to be moments when I want to go and hide in my hotel room. Thankfully, Christy is coming with me and will be my, my rock there. But the opportunity to connect with 500 spa professionals who are passionate about skincare, who are passionate about this industry, who are building businesses, who are part of the Circadia family, that is worth the discomfort. I know I'm going to have a blast when I'm there. Plus, can we talk about the ripple effect of in person connection? When you meet someone face to face, when you have a real conversation, when you exchange ideas and energies in the same physical space, that creates a bond that Zoom calls and Instagram DMs just can't replicate. And it also actually, when you are on those Zoom calls, when you do see each other on social, it's a different connection because you know you're going back to that feeling that you had in that shared space. So I'm so excited to meet spa owners that I've only known online. I'm. I actually have had a few dming me saying, oh my gosh, I'm going to be there too. So I'm so excited about that. I told them all to please come give me a hug. I'm going to connect with industry leaders I admire. I'm going to learn from other speakers and other educators and hopefully I'm going to be able to pour into the people in the room in a way that helps them see what is possible for them. What is, is what they are capable of. So Vegas in January, it is happening. I am going to be there with Christie and I am nervous and excited in equal measure. Okay, so that's January, February. We're putting on our first spot CEO Intensive of the year. Now, these events are very different than Circadia Connect. Our intensives are more intimate. We cap them at 50 people, not 500. But here's what makes this significant. So we spent most of 2025 restructuring. We were working behind the scenes on systems and offers and team development and really building the infrastructure that it would allow us to scale kind of in our next decade. And that meant that we didn't Host our intensives. Last year that was a big thing because these have always been so popular with our community. For the ADO community to be able to connect in person. Well, they are back and we are hosting three of them this year. These intensives are hands on their workshop style. We spend a full day diving deep into strategic planning systems, building CEO level thinking that you need to scale your business. So it's not a conference where you sit and listen to speakers or get death by PowerPoint. This is a workshop where we get things done. Okay. So for me personally, these are kind of my favorite events because I get to work directly with spa owners. I get to see like you came here and then we did this. Right. And I love that I get to help them through their challenges in real times. But they do, they require a lot of energy, right. I've got to be fully present for the entire day. I am leading the majority of this workshop. So it does take a lot of energy. And February's intensive is on sales and social. So we're, we're really going deep into AI automation, AI agents. There's a lot of things that are going to be there. So it is the women that come to these events. They are action takers. They are implementing with speed. They are spot owners who are successful and ready to level up. It is going to be a incredible event. Then March, right? So we've got January, we've got February. Now we're in March. And at the time of this recording, this is still being confirmed, but we're like 90% there. Okay? So forgive me if this falls through for some reason, but we are 90% there that we are going to do the trade show at the Job IT center in New York. And if you've ever been to the Job at Center, you know, it's massive. It is not small, it is not a cozy event. The last time I was there, I was actually, it was the Boston Marathon bombing, which is crazy. I was, I was working at Bellisante and we went to the show as myself and Sarah and we were walking around and the bombing actually happened when we were on the train back from New York and we had to stop, I think in Rhode island or something. So it was nuts. It was just a crazy experience. And I have not thought about going back to that show for quite some time. And then I was like, you know what, I'm going to go, I'm going to get a booth. It's going to be a thing. And this is a trade show with thousands of attendees, hundreds of Vendors, nonstop activity. It's a, it's a thing, right? It makes me want to take a nap just thinking about it. But this is also about being open to opportunities that expand, expand our reach and allow us to connect with spa professionals, professionals that we might not meet otherwise. Okay, so trade shows are, it's such an interesting mix of people because you've got spa owners who are just starting out, trying to figure out what products to carry. You've got established spa directors looking for the latest technology. You've got industry veterans who've been in the game for decades. You've got a lot of people who are just trying to survive the chaos of the trade show floor. That'll probably be me, but I'm doing it. I'm pushing myself out there. And what I do love about these events are the conversations that happen. So someone stops by your booth with a question, 15 minutes later you're talking about their entire business strategy. You meet someone in line for coffee, you realize you have a mutual connection because this industry is much smaller than we realize. The serendipity of in person events is something that you just cannot replicate virtually. So yes, it's going to be exhausting. And yes, I'm going to need three days to recover afterwards, but the connections we'll make and the people will be able, we will be able to serve is totally worth it. Okay, so that's Q1 and we are actually doing our next spacio intensive in April. But after that we are doing in our company what I call the summer slowdown. So you always want to have balance, Right? So I have a really crazy January, February, March, April, and then in May, June, July and August. Those are slower months for me. Okay. So yes, I'm still working, but that's also end of year for school. My kids are out of school. When we talk about building a business around the life we want to live, it's going to be more mellow during that summertime so that I can spend more time and so that my team can spend more time with their kids. Then we are going to pick back up in September, October, November, December. Right. So it's all about having the balance. I would not want to push myself hard like that for 12 months. But I'm doing four months on, four months slow, four months back on. Right. So I'm super, super excited about all of these things. So why does that matter for you? Why am I sharing all of this stuff? Because it does have everything to do with your business. Because we are living through a period of unprecedented change. Right now, AI is moving faster than anyone predicted. McKinsey does a lot of great reports. If you're trying to keep up with like what's going on with AI, just follow McKinsey. They do a lot on blog, they do a ton of information out there. So they've been a great resource to understand the speed and how it's being implemented in small business. But it's moving faster than anyone predicted. Consumer behavior is shifting in ways that we have not seen before. The tools and technologies that are available to us are evolving like every two months. I feel like there's something totally different. There is a massive opportunity right now for those who are willing to act with speed, okay? For those who are open to adapting, for those who are willing to do things differently instead of clinging to the way that we have always done it. Okay? So of course there's things that are always going to matter. Customer service under promising and over delivering, right? These are key principles. But we've got to be open to change. We've got to be open to trying new things. The spa owners who are going to thrive in the next three to five years are going to be the ones who are the. They're not going to be the ones who are most experienced. They're going to be the ones who have been adapting quickly, testing new things, pivoting when things are not working. Okay, so go back five years, right? What was five years ago? We were in Covid, right? It was like the middle of COVID 25 years ago, in the middle of COVID If I was like, hey, AI can write all your social media captions, create your treatment protocols, generate your client intake forms, even help you analyze your business metrics, and you can build agents that can do all these things. It's going to save you time and money. You would be like, what? But this is our reality. That is, you know, five years ago is not that long ago. Okay, so are you using these tools? Are you adapting? Are you resisting? Because it feels uncomfortable or unfamiliar, really look in yourself to understand that, have some self awareness and see, like, what are you doing and why are you doing it? Your business will only grow as much as you're willing to grow. Okay? If you are not willing to step out of your comfort zone, your business will stay comfortable too, which means it will stay where it's at. Okay? So for me, saying yes to these in person events is stretching me personally, but the business impact is going to be massive. The relationships I build, the insights I gain, the visibility and the credibility that comes from showing up in these spaces, that's going to create opportunities that I can't even predict right now. The same is true for you. Maybe your version of being open isn't about in person events, but maybe it's about finally raising your prices and stopping to be scared that your clients are going to leave if you start charging so that you have an appropriate margin. Maybe it's about investing in that piece of equipment that you've been putting off or about hiring a spa manager, even though that feels like a huge commitment. Maybe it is about starting a podcast or showing up on video even though you're uncomfortable speaking on camera. Whatever it is for you, the thing that would genuinely move your business forward but feels scary uncomfortable, that's where your growth is waiting. So what are you going to do differently this year? How are you going to step out of your comfort zone? What are you going to say yes to that you would have said no to last year? That version of you that got your business where it is right now is not the same version of you that's going to get your business where you want it to be. You are going to have to evolve, you are going to have to stretch. You are going to have to do things that feel uncomfortable. And look, I'm not saying that you need to completely change who you are, abandon your values or do things that genuinely don't align with your vision. That's not what this is about. This is about recognizing when fear is holding you back from something that you actually want. This is about choosing growth over comfort. This is about being willing to be scared because you know the opportunity on the other side is worth it. So for me, I want deeper connections with spa owners in our community. I want to expand our impact. I want to serve at a higher level. So I'm willing to get on planes. I'm willing to stand in front of crowds. I'm willing to push myself beyond what feels easy. What do you want and what are you willing to do to get it? So this year my word is open. I'm being open to opportunities that stretch me. I'm saying yes to things that make me nervous. I'm showing up in ways that require me to grow. And I'm inviting you to join me in that commitment. Maybe your word isn't open. Maybe it's courage, maybe it's growth. Maybe it's bold, maybe it's aligned. Maybe it's something totally different. But whatever your word is, I want you to make it mean something. I want you to use it as a Filter for your decisions. I want you to let it push you beyond what's comfortable. This is so important. You've got to adapt with speed. You've got to step out of your comfort zone. So before you move on to the next thing in your day, ask yourself, what is the one thing that I've been avoiding because it feels uncomfortable? What's the one thing that would genuinely move my business forward if I actually had the courage to do it? Write it down, put a date on it, put it on your calendar, make it real, and then actually do it. Don't overthink. Don't talk yourself out of it. Don't wait until you feel ready. Because you're never going to feel ready. Just take the first step. Okay. That was a lot. That was a lot. All right, my friends, if you have been enjoying this podcast, spa marketing made easy. If these episodes have been helpful for your business in any way, if you've learned something, if you've implemented something that got results, would you please take two minutes and leave us a review? Just go to Apple Podcast or Spotify. What? Wherever you're listening to our podcast, scroll search for Spa Marketing made easy. Hit that five star review. Let us know what you're learning. Your reviews help spa owners discover the show. And honestly, they are so encouraging for my team and I to read. We just got one in today that, like, brought tears to my eyes. I was so, so grateful to see it. So it makes a huge, huge impact. All right, my dear. So thank you so, so much. I'm excited for this year. I'm excited for what you are going to build. I'm excited for the growth that is ahead for both of us and I'm excited to maybe meet you in person. Okay. If you are at any of those events, if you're at Circadia Connect, if you are coming to our event in Texas, if you are going to be at the trade show in New York, come give me a hug. Come say hi. All right. I am grateful for you. However we connect, I'm grateful you're here. Thank you for spending time with me on this very first episode of 2026. I'm Daniella and I will catch you on next week's episode.