P: Speaking of which, there’s been a great amount of
surprise within the spa industry around the rebrand. Was
Mynd surprised by the strong reaction of the industry?
W: No, I don’t think we were surprised. I think people from
the outside know the recognition and the heritage—but I
would say that the heritage doesn’t change. Our past hasn’t
changed: it is what it is. I think what people may not under-
stand are the limitations that we felt we had as a result of
people’s preconceptions. And so ultimately, our decision was
that the opportunities outweighed the risks. It
doesn’t mean the risks don’t exist. I’m not
surprised by people’s surprise, and I
think that people are watching to
see how we do at this point.
There’s a great quote that
someone attributed to
Darwin: “it’s not the strong
who survive, it’s those who
adapt.” As we look at how
the industry is evolving,
and how different
consumers are being
attracted to the industry, we
believe that we have to adapt
to meet the needs and wants of
those consumers.
P: How did you make them more comfortable about the
change?
W: The first thing we did was to make sure that they appre-
ciated that their guests are coming to see them. The guest is
loyal to them as individuals. So, as long as they felt
comfortable and confident about the rebrand, then the guest
would as well. To help them in that process, we developed
FAQs and talking points for how to share the news with their
guests.
P: But Mynd’s staff responded well to the
change, by and large?
W: My favorite story is a 25-year Red
Door veteran who said, “Look, when I
came to this country I was six
months pregnant. I had everything I
owned in two suitcases and I had
$400 in my pocket. This is going to
be nothing.” That was an
amazing attitude, I thought. The
response even from the more
tenured team members was just
amazing, from “It’s time for a
change,” to “I like the new look and
feel, this is exciting.” Our less-tenured
team members are 100 percent excited
because they recognize the opportunities and
that the new brand will [be more] inclusive. That
would be the final thing I would say: our team is made up of
people from all over the world. There is an appreciation for
being more inclusive than we felt we could have been under
the Elizabeth Arden and Red Door brand. So it’s amazing
“As we look at
how the industry is evolving,
and how different consumers
are being attracted to the
industry, we believe that we
have to adapt to meet the
needs and wants of
those consumers.”
P: What was the reaction internally from
Mynd’s locations?
W: The universal response was extremely positive, but it
definitely varied from the less tenured to the more tenured.
We’ve got over 250 team members who have been with us
for more than 25 years. I think for them there was probably a
bit more apprehension because it’s what they’ve always
known.
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how universally the new brand was accepted, and perhaps
for different reasons by the different groups of our team
members. n