“ I learned to always take on things I’ d never done before. Growth and comfort do not coexist.”
— GINNI ROMETTY, Chairman, President and CEO of IBM
MIRANDA HENNING, Assistant Spa Director, Woodlands Spa at Nemacolin Woods Resort, Farmington, Pennsylvania
Most of the time, getting out of your comfort zone is the best thing for you. You can’ t grow from complacency. For Miranda Henning, that meant getting out of her small Pennsylvania town and jumping head first into the spa industry. She packed up and moved to Miami with her best friend, whose family was entrenched in the industry. They took her under their wing and taught her the basics, giving her the foundation she needed to be able to flourish.
After working in guest services at both a country club and a hotel in South Florida, Henning decided to move back home.“ Fortunately, I have a gem of a resort basically in my backyard, Nemacolin Woodlands Resort,” says Henning. She was hired by The Woodlands Spa at Nemacolin as a guest services attendant in 2006.
“ I spent the next two years observing as much as possible about the operation, specifically leadership styles and group sales. Our group planner at the time became my mentor. She taught me everything she knew about her role and counted on me as her right hand,” recalls Henning. Her determination paid off. In 2008, she accepted the role of guest services supervisor and groups coordinator. Then, in October of 2011, she was promoted to manager of guest services and groups. In the summer of 2016, Henning was ultimately promoted to assistant spa director.
“ It was the biggest accomplishment
Woodsy and tranquil, Woodlands Spa at Nemacolin Woods Resort was like returning home for Henning.
of my career thus far,” Henning says of her promotion. During Nemacolin’ s interim spa director’ s maternity leave, the spa brought Jean Kolb, owner of consulting company Jean Kolb Well By Choice, on board to run the ship. Hennings credits Kolb’ s guidance as a propeller for her career.
“ Jean was motivating and helped me work through my challenges with a strong sense of urgency and professionalism. By the end of Jean’ s tenure with us, our interim director assumed the role of director of spa and wellness and I moved into the assistant director role,” says Henning.“ I felt very honored to have been recommended for this position by Jean, as we had no prior history or personal relationship established. She only knew me through the work performed over the summer and she trusted that I was qualified and now ready for this role.”
Henning’ s hard work and dedication have been the building blocks of her career since she was 18. Touting her parents for instilling her with a strong work ethic, she hopes other leaders in her generation are prepared to work their way to the top.“ I think people of my generation look for shortcuts; the quickest way to get to the end-result without doing the work in between,” she notes. Her advice for others looking to follow in her footsteps is along the same line.“ It’ s important to lose any sense of entitlement you may have and know that the world doesn’ t owe us anything. Be patient, dedicated, and confident.”
March / April 2017 ■ PULSE 39