Goodbye Summer…..hello holidays, busy season is around the corner!

As we say goodbye to summer, in Florida it never quite seems to take on the colorful amber character of Fall as in other states. Weather continues its wrath of hot days followed by heavy rains. But we do start to feel that twinge of festivities as we anticipate the holidays coming upon us. At the FSA we are already preparing for our annual spa holiday mixer at the Carillon Miami Wellness Resort on November 16th, which is just around the corner.

We always look forward to this fun and festive social, where we can mingle with other like-minded individuals who are passionate about our spa community and use this opportunity to catch up with friends while networking with industry Resource Partners. The FSA team is dedicated to supporting our Florida spas and staying ahead of the curve. We pride ourselves on uniting our spa community and providing up-to-date information and resources and ways to improve business. We’re here for you!

As our spa leaders start preparing for Florida's busy season, in anticipation of snow birds that start flocking to Florida, this is when they organize staff and stock up on supplies for the influx of clients. It’s important that staff is well trained and ready for an increase in business. This usually includes additional training on new services or products, as well as customer service training to ensure that everyone is providing the best possible experience to clients.

As we head toward the holidays, taking care of our well-being is also important not just during the busy season, but all year round. As we enter into the busiest time of year, it's even more crucial that we take the time to focus on our health and well-being. By taking some time now to recharge our batteries, we can ensure that we're in the best possible shape to face the challenges ahead. As wellness-minded advocates, embracing wellness in all its forms - from physical activity to relaxation and healthy eating –helps us feel reinvigorated and ready to take on whatever comes our way. So let's make taking care of ourselves a priority this season, and all year long.

Wishing wellness

Ilana 

Congratulations to our Movers & Shakers

 Our extraordinary Spa Industry is continuously evolving through innovation and transformation.

Highly appreciated professionals in the Spa community take on new challenges and positions

as they start a new venture in their career.

Congratulations!

llana Alberico and Christina Stratton,

co-founders of  Innovative Spa Management in 2006

have just been acquired by Arch Amenities Group

and will be joining the AAG executive team!

Ilana Alberico

Co-Founder at Privai

Principal at Spa Space Chicago 

Co-Founder at ISM Spa

         Christina Stratton

Founding Partner & CEO at Privai

Founding Partner & CCO at ISM Spa

Arch Amenities Group Acquires

        Innovative Spa Management, Privai and Spa Space

Arch Amenities Group, a full-service global provider of wellness, amenity and meeting services for commercial and residential properties, hotels and private clubs, announced the acquisition of Innovative Spa Management, Privai and Spa Space.......which is very exciting!

Read about AAG acquiring ISM, Spa Space and Privai:

Marisa Gonzalez, Spa Manager at Rock Spa & Salon, Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Hollywood

Marisa has just started her new role as Spa Manager at Rock Spa & Salon at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino. Marissa just started her new journey at this unique Guitar Hotel designed to resemble back-to-back guitars, with brightly lit strings reaching 450 feet into the sky and floor-to-ceiling glass panes. It is truly an architectural marvel that redefines the South Florida skyline. Marisa will manage her new Spa which offers tranquility for guests seeking relaxation with a wide range of wellness and health-focused services. Having a head start with expertise for wellness and guest services, Marisa previously started as spa Coordinator at the Carillon Miami Wellness Resort and after only 6 months was promoted to Spa and Fitness Operations Manager, at the Carillon for which she served for 2 years. Marisa was also the Spa Manager and Assistant Spa Director at the JW Marriott Miami Turnberry Resort & Spa prior to joining the spa team at the Carillon. As proven leader in spa and wellness, we know she will be an outstanding addition to her Rock Spa team, leading them on a path to success.     Congratulations Marisa!

 It's that time of year again!

The Annual FSA Carillon Miami Wellness Holiday Social is just around the corner on

Wednesday, November 16th.

This year, Ian McIntosh, Florida State Massage and FSMTA Board Member, is our featured guest speaker. He will provide an update on all Florida State laws and guidelines at 2pm.

This is an important session for anyone looking to keep their spa compliant.

After the presentation, enjoy a cocktail reception networking and uniting

with FSA Resource Partners, mingle with spa friends

and get your sparkle on!

This is a great opportunity to

look ahead and welcome in the holidays.

We hope to see you there!

More info coming soon.

PAST EVENT

#FSA2022 VACAY at Ocean Reef Club, Key Largo

August 29^th 2022

An Event to Remember!

This year's FSA event at the Ocean Reef Club was a huge success, with 37 Resource Partners in attendance and our highest spa turnout ever. We were excited to have so many new and established spa professionals, as well as new spa leaders and first-time vendors. The dynamic assortment of brands was a big hit with Florida's top spa decision makers. Throughout the showcase, guests were able to enjoy a variety of exciting experiences. In addition to the main exhibit presentations, there were also additional spa services with interactive hands-on treatments.

Since opening our doors, we were committed to providing our guests with unique and memorable experiences. We are proud to be a part of such an extraordinary and special community. From our one-of-a-kind treatments to our beautiful setting, we offered an escape from the everyday at this event. Our goal was to provide every guest with a personalized experience that left them feeling valued and connected as part of our spa community.

We were honored to have Dr. Michela Henke-Cilenti present an exciting keynote presentation on leadership skills.  Dr. Henke-Cilenti is a leading expert in the field of leadership development, and she brought a wealth of insights and experience in her presentation. She emphasized the importance of developing a clear vision for your team, and showed us how to identify and develop the skills needed to achieve that vision. She also discussed the importance of effective communication in leadership, and gave us some great tips on how to improve our own communication skills. Overall, it was a highly informative and inspiring presentation that left our attendees with a lot to think about. We want to thank Dr. Henke-Cilenti for sharing her expertise with us, and we look forward to continued collaboration with her in the future.

We thank our spa community for their participation at this exciting event!

We're already anticipating our next event and look forward to

welcoming you to our spa family!

Dayleann Vallejo, Director of Spa & Retail at Arch Amenities Group, 

Nobu Eden Roc Hotel Miami Beach

Before finding her home with Arch Amenities Group managing the spa at the iconic Nobu Eden Roc Hotel in Miami Beach, Dayleann began her professional journey in 2006 by earning her A.S. in Natural Health from Florida College of Natural Health where she earned her licenses in massage therapy and esthetics. In the early years of her career, she worked in various aspects of the spa industry ranging from medical, to cosmetic, private practice and, ultimately, in hospitality. “It was not until I arrived to the hospitality industry that I felt like I was home. It all finally fit together.” Dayleann has a passion for wellness and learning that has helped her grow in the spa industry and as a leader.

Always the consummate learner, Dayleann is currently in her final year of her TCM Acupuncture studies and hopes to incorporate an elevated wellness experience for her staff and guests alike. Deriving from her experiences, she believes that wellness is all encompassing and embracing it fully allows people the freedom to connect not only with others, but with themselves. 

As a child, Dayleann wanted to be an artist. She loved performing, creating, and playing music. There was an inherent desire to connect to the world and express it in any way she could. She attended a high school in which she became immersed in the medical field and found her passionate about serving others. When her daughter was born, it completely changed her life. It was at that exact moment during a commercial for the massage therapy program at Florida College of Natural Health played that resonated for her. From the first day of class she knew she found the industry that was right for her. It encompassed the stability and tangibility of medicine with the passion and intuitiveness of wellness. The wellness industry allowed her to grow. Through it, she climbed the mountains of Peru in a journey to learn earth medicine, connected with her spirit through Kundalini yoga, and has become a conduit for others to do the same.

In her massage therapy practice, she focuses on providing a space for people to heal on all levels- physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual. She believes that true healing comes from a place of self-love and acceptance, and it is her hope that each person who comes to see her leaves feeling more connected to themselves and the world around them. She is grateful to have found her calling in life, and looks forward to continuing to grow and learn in this field for many years to come.

Dayleann is a mother of two, eldest is a senior in Hialeah High school and will be pursuing her passion for theater at the University of North Carolina School of the arts and her youngest is in 8^th grade at Howard McMillian Middle and is an avid chess player and competes in VEX robotics. In her leisure time, she enjoys playing her guitar, reading fantasy novels, gazing at the beach, and watching Anime with her children.

Favorite quote: “People are disturbed not by things, but by their view of things.”

Blame it on the Coconut!

Coco La Vie Home Fragrance + Apothecary, a Miami based brand,

was born in the Summer of 2017, brainchild of teacher turned entrepreneur. 

Being surrounded by sunshine, palm trees, the coastal waters of Florida, 

and my not-so-secret obsession with coconut oil

(I mean, coconut oil pretty much fixes everything) 

the Miami native in me, set out to build a brand dedicated to all things coconut.

Coco La Vie Home Fragrance + Apothecary's mission is to incorporate the goodness

of coconut oil into a complete collection of luxurious bath + body products,

while making the same decadent scents available in an array of home fragrance products

and our insanely indulgent (exclusive coconut wax blend) massage candle. 

For the Love of Coconut! Fact is coconut oil has an amazing moisturizing power,

is a renewable resource, naturally antibacterial 

and, well, it smells like the beach, which clearly makes me happy! 

Coco La Vie [all things coconut]

Meet Maggie, Coco La Vie

Founder, Entrepreneur & Candle Maker

Maggie Rodriguez set off on her second entrepreneurial adventure in the summer of 2017, Coco La Vie Home Fragrance + Apothecary, a new brand with coconut oil as the main ingredient. The collection delivers luxurious bath and body products, as well as amazing home fragrances. All the bath and body products are infused with the goodness of coconut oil with decadent massage candles, perfect for the spa lover! However, Maggie started her career as a school teacher, never did she plan to become a business owner, or did she have any formal business education. She attributes her business savvy to her father; growing up she watched him build a textile business and witnessed firsthand the ups and down that lead to success.  Hard work, dedication and vision mixed with sleepless nights, wearing multiple hats and traveling non-stop made the line a huge success. In 2017, she launched Coco La Vie, where the Miami native has incorporated her love for coconut oil and dream of creating a beautiful and complete collection of bath and body + home fragrances. 

What's Behind The Sexual Wellness Retail Revolution?

Consumers can buy lube at Nordstrom, vibrators at Holt Renfrew and arousal oils at Urban Outfitters rather than having to patronize sex shops for intimate goods. And the sales of sex products show no signs of slowing down. The global sexual wellness market is projected to proceed at a swift compound annual growth rate of 12.4% from 2020 to 2026, according to Research And Markets. For perspective, the global consumer packaged goods market overall is expected to advance at a 3% CAGR through the same period, per Industry Research.

5 Daily Practices to Harness and Use Your Emotions

Your emotions can provide you with guidance, energy, connection,

and much more.

Key points

• Growing up in an "emotionally blind" home walls off a person's feelings so they don't have full access to them as an adult.
• Healing childhood emotional neglect is a matter of giving oneself what wasn't given in childhood: emotional attention and care.
• There are five daily practices that can make a substantial change in how a person feels about themselves, makes decisions, and more.

Our emotions are the deepest, most personal, biological expression of who we are. Our feelings provide us with vital information about what we need and want, and what to pursue, choose, avoid, or allow. They energize us to make changes in our lives and they enrich our connections with other people.

SUSTAINABILITY

 What Is Green Lodging and Why Is It Important

Green lodging refers to any hotel or resort that commits to environmentally-friendly practices. Brands that seek green lodging certification, which varies by state, conserve natural resources - like water and energy - reduce waste and lower greenhouse gases.

One international certification program, Audubon International, requires hotels to have a credible and all-inclusive method for assessing environmental efforts undertaken, including how the facility can reduce environment-related costs.

The Florida Green Lodging Program operates stateside, promoting the protection of Florida's natural resources. The program provides environmental guides that allow hotels and hospitality brands to evaluate their operations, set goals and take action.

The FSA calendar of events for 2023 will be released soon.

Stay tuned for more information!

Pineapple Chicken

This pineapple chicken stir fry may just take the crown. It has the tangy bite from the pineapple, a solid crunch from cashews, and a little kick of heat from jalapeño.

What's not to love?!