WBS Interview – Bask Day Spa

Meet Angela from 

Bask Day Spa is a brand new full-service day spa in Point Cook. I have tried to create something that is a little bit luxurious, a little bit modern and a little bit edgy. I wanted Bask to be quite unisex with the growing number of men attending day spas and I wanted the spaces to appeal to both the younger client who wants somewhere upmarket to prepare for her Deb ball, right through to the Baby Boomers and everything in between.

We have spacious single and couple treatment rooms, large areas for group gatherings like hens days and an intimate relaxation lounge to gather your thoughts post treatments. I have partnered with some of the best Spa ranges on the market including the luxurious Italian spa brand Comfort Zone for all our facial and body treatments, Issada Mineral Makeup (Australian) and Jessica Nails from the US. Our service menu will be complete with results driven facials, beautiful body treatments, spa manicures and pedicures with a luxury point of difference, hair and make-up for all those special events as well as waxing, massage and LED Light therapy.

What does being a business owner means to you and why did you became one in the first place?

I always wanted to own my own business but I never even considered opening a Day Spa despite a career in the industry for the last 15 years. It was always either “stay in the spa industry” or “open a business doing something else” I think because most of my spa career has been in operations so much bigger than I could foresee opening myself. But an opportunity came up just over a year ago that ticked a lot of boxes. It was close to home which beat travelling over the Westgate every day. It was a new build so I didn’t have to fix anyone else’s mistakes. The space allocated for the spa was part of a hotel property that was growing and marketing themselves in the high-end space that I wanted to keep working in. And the owners that were looking for a Spa Operator were really genuine, lovely people that I felt I could connect with and work with. So the whole thing happened really organically and that was really important to me. I follow my instincts a lot and if something doesn’t sit right with me then usually I should listen to that but, whilst this has been a really long journey, everything has sat really comfortable with me along the way so I feel assured I’m on the right path.

What or who has been your greatest influence in business and why?

About 16/17 years ago I was living in Sydney and working in the corporate world. I was a really young country girl with no family close-by and not a huge network of friends, having moved from a small town in the far north of WA, but I worked in a team of people in the Westfield Head Office and that’s where I started getting a hunger for business. I was P.A. to one of the Managers and he was a massive influence. He taught me so much about business and processes and numbers and people. He supported us as a team in each of our roles which allowed him to be better at his job as well. I left that job to complete my massage qualification and start my career in spa but I still keep in touch with him and he’s a big part of my network. Only recently I sat down with him to nut out the terms of my lease and he went through my business plan and gave me some feedback and tips for improvement. It’s so important to have people like that in your life that understand you really well as a person and know how to give you honest feedback to get the best result.

What would you say is your greatest professional accomplishment to date?

Opening Bask Day Spa will take this hands down but given we are about 6 weeks away from opening there is another one worth mentioning.

2 years ago I launched the Aurora Spas in both the Sydney & Melbourne QANTAS International First Class Lounges. We launched both spas on the same day with only a 6 week lead time from when we landed the contract and less than 24 hours between the previous operator closing down and us opening up. It was a mammoth feat to coordinate all the recruitment, contracts, training, products and new systems to comply with airport policy in such a short period of time. Melbourne opened at 6am so I was there early to ensure everything was set up and the team was ready for business. Once they opened I flew to Sydney for an 8am opening and spent the rest of the day with the team up there. Obviously I couldn’t have done it alone so having a key person in Sydney to assist with the transition that I trusted wholeheartedly to do a great job was imperative.

What’s the best advice you have received in business that you wish to pass on to our readers?

If you can see a better way of doing things don’t be afraid to change.

What has been the most effective marketing initiatives or programs you have used to promote your business?

Networking never goes out of date. Everything else has it’s peaks and troughs, even social media but I think putting yourself in a room where you could potentially have a hand full of clients and just talking about your business is one of the most powerful things you can do.

What one thing have you learned as a small business owner that has served you well over the years?

Are there any resources or tools you’d like to share with other small business owners that have helped you run your business? If yes, please describe (and include links if available).

Do you have any new projects coming up (or have you just completed a big project ~ reached a milestone, etc.)? If so, please tell us about it.

Bask Day Spa should be open by mid-April all going to plan.

What do you do for fun/relaxation?

I like doing almost anything that I can enjoy with my partner. I just started riding dirt bikes with him last year and I love it. Spending so much time in a predominantly female environment around predominantly female things means I actually really enjoy being “one of the boys” on the weekend. It think it really balances me out so it’s not surprising that I also love the footy season and follow a few other male-dominant sports.

What would you say are the top three skills needed to be a successful entrepreneur?

Patience – sometimes things don’t go to plan or they take a bit long. You just have to trust it and keep focussed on the end game.

Faith – you need to have faith in yourself and your idea. If you’re not going into it with 100% conviction then you’re almost setting yourself up to fail.

Adaptability – Everything is changing all around us all the time. This means our vision has to adapt and change sometimes as well in order to stay ahead of the pack. We need to open to that and know when we need to change or adapt our thinking in order to move forward.

What is your greatest fear, and how do you manage fear?

I think my greatest fear is running out of time to be able to do all the things I want to do. You never know how much time you have and there is still so much to learn, so much to see and so much life to be had and I feel like I’m just getting started.

What makes you happy?

My family. My partner Glenn, my daughter Lucinda and my dog Bruce are my everything. I’m happiest when we are all together. I’m always filled with so much gratitude that I have them in my life.

Excluding yours, what company or business do you admire the most?

I’m a big fan of the Virgin brand and I love a lot of Richard Branson’s beliefs in terms of what makes a successful business. I’m in the middle of reading his book for the 2nd or 3rd time and he has so much drive and wisdom and innovation. It’s really inspiring.

Where you see yourself and your business in 10 years? 20 years?

Over the next 10 years I would love to grow Bask into multiple locations. I have a very specific vision for the Brand so I don’t want to see it in every suburb and shopping centre. Just 1 or 2 locations in each state so it maintains it’s exclusivity but grows it’s accessibility.

What book has inspired you the most? 

There’s too many great books to have favourites and I think when you read a book it will feed you what you need at that particular moment in your life.

How do you measure your success in business?

Firstly I think you need to have some really clear goals that are short, medium and long term and I think if you are achieving these as your journey progresses then you are definitely on the road to success.

Do you have children? What is their favourite activity to do with you?

I have an 8yo daughter. Despite being so young she is a massive spa advocate already and has a cupboard full of product and lip gloss and nail polish. Recently we started colouring in together. With the popularity of mindfulness in colouring it’s a really good way to force me to put the phone down and we just colour and talk. We have a special colouring book that we are working on together and it’s a really nice way to connect.

Connect with Angela

Website

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WBS Listing

Womens Business Society Team

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