Angela
Cortright
Owner • Spa Gregorie’s
Newport Beach,
California
In what way have the
times changed for you
or your brand? Plus side:
We no longer have to
explain what “spa” is. We
are not a hot tub! Down
side: A lot more spas in the
market so we are less
“unique.”
Above: Cortright was all smiles as she
celebrated her 50th birthday. Right:
Melanie Edwards (middle) with the
Cortrights, Angela and Chuck, during
the early years of Spa Gregorie’s.
What’s your most
memorable 90s moment? My most memorable moment
was opening our first and flagship spa in Newport Beach,
California.
Which 90s trend you swore you would’nt be caught
in? Conspicuous consumption.
Which 90s trend would you like to make a comeback? Beanie Babies—I still have a garage full of them!
How do you see yourself or brand in another 25
years? The venerable old standard in the community.
2015
ISPA
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AWARD
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Jeremy McCarthy
Boldijarre Koronczay
Group Director of Spa • Mandarin Oriental Hotel
CEO • Eminence Organic Skin Care
Group • Causeway Bay, Hong Kong
Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
In what way have the times changed for you or your
brand? In the 1990s: Fitness was “aerobics.” Yoga was weird.
In what way have the times changed for you or your
brand? Now, more people understand what organic and
Product brands were in the background. Asian spa therapies
were exotic. Couple’s treatment rooms were almost unheard of.
Replacing tennis courts in hotels, spas
were an amenity, not a business.
Biodynamic means. In the 90s, I had to explain what these words
actually meant. People now realize the value of natural, non-GMO
and organic ingredients. The education we focus on now is
making sure end-consumers realize that our health is internal
and external—meaning, nutritional value, health and lifestyle
encompass what we put on as well as what we put in our bodies.
What’s your most memorable
90’s moment? When I opened my
first spa in the early 90s, I was
instantly hooked on this career. But
when I mentioned my aspirations to
an executive in my company at the
McCarthy during his early years
time, he said: “Forget about spa as a
working at Four Seasons Punta
Mita in Mexico.
career. Spa is just a fad. Today every
hotel is putting in spas, but five years from now, it will be something else.” Despite the discouragement, I decided to continue
working in spas, until something better comes along. That was
25 years ago—and nothing better has come along yet!
How do you see yourself or brand in another 25 years?
The pace of change is so fast now that I think we can’t even
imagine what the world will be like 25 years from today. But I
do think high-touch services, such as spas, will continue to be
in demand.
From a handful team members during its annual business meeting in 1991,
the Eminence Organic Skin Care team has grown in numbers to become the
"one big happy family" that it is today.
October 2015
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