Ana Maria Moore - The interview | NZBusiness Magazine

Ana Maria Moore owns the multi-award winning Bodyhaven Spa in Wellington and with 25 years in the spa business she’s a leader in the well-being and massage therapy sector.

NZB: Tell us a bit about your background. You are originally from Peru?

ANA MARIA: Yes, it is my place of birth, my Spanish parents were posted there when I was born. Because they had to travel and live in different parts of the world I grew up in the US attending a Catholic boarding school run by nuns. I found their education gave me the strength to know I can do anything and I just have to do it.

My parents were very fond of exploring and understanding cultures and art – that has been passed on to me and I am very grateful for it. I share their vision: children need to be cultivated, well educated; it’s important to understand their passion, hold their hand and assist them discover their abilities and likes. I have passed that onto my own children.

Communication and the use of words fascinates me and this lead me to become certified in neurolinguistic programming.

I travel twice a year to Ecuador, another country I learned to love as a result of my Kiwi husband being posted there for some years. There I assist as a volunteer offering leadership skills to young professionals.

I have lived in Wellington for more than 20 years and consider myself a Wellingtonian. In my personal time I love making gourmet food. I find it relaxing while I listen to a Radio NZ concert program really loud – particularly when they play Bach, Handel, Charpentier and Paganini.

NZB: How did your business start, what was the motivation behind it?

ANA MARIA: I was always a people’s person and have worked extensively in the service industry with hotels and airlines. During my time working in the hospitality industry I became interested in wellbeing and was fascinated to discover that our body has the ability to recover by means of therapeutic approaches. I trained in massage therapy in San Francisco and completed beauty therapy training in Lyon in France.

I have always wanted to work in the spa industry and I knew I had the skills, passion and drive to set up my own spa business.

NZB: You have been in the spa business for 25 years – do you ever feel you’d like to move on?

ANA MARIA: To me this is a hobby more than work and is the kind of activity I feel most comfortable with: looking after our spa guests’ well-being, achieving a positive outcome, educating and advising people on how they can not only look good, but feel good too. No, I don’t get tired of it.

NZB: Do you have one business philosophy that you try to live by?

ANA MARIA: Don’t make excuses, make improvements. Don’t stop when you’re tired, stop when you’re done!

NZB: BodySpa won accolades as the Best Luxury Hotel Spa in New Zealand at the 2016 World Luxury Spa Awards. What makes you stand out?

ANA MARIA: We offer a real unique, personalised service. I’m especially involved with my therapists – encouraging, mentoring and helping them develop to the best of their ability.

All of our products and treatments are carefully selected to promote our holistic approach to health and beauty for mind, body and spirit.

We offer an authentic Moroccan tea room, manicure and pedicure stations, single and double spa suites fitted with therapeutic copper tubs, and a dedicated spa function room.

We like to offer that ‘travel’ experience away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life. We also offer a healthy, light menu.

Many New Zealanders travel to exotic locations so I believe a spa experience here must rank with the world’s best: so one can discover a little slice of paradise at home. And that is what we set out to do.

NZB: What trends are you seeing in the spa sector?

ANA MARIA: I believe today’s “floating hotels” are providing some of the largest, most impressive, comprehensive spa and wellness programming and facilities available in the world.

NZB: Is this an industry whose time has come?

ANA MARIA: It’s becoming more and more popular as people realise that self-care and prevention are important – as well as managing work-life balance to prevent high stress levels or sleeping difficulties.

NZB: What advice would you give to new business owners, in any sector, about running a business?

ANA MARIA:

Ensure your personal infrastructure will allow you to work irregular hours.
Set a business plan and ensure that it is viable.
Know that you will be working very long hours.
Know that it will not always go according to plan. Be flexible.
Be patient. It takes some time before you will show profit.
Don’t hire too many employees too soon, rather do it yourself.
Ask for advice from as many people in the industry as possible. Most people are happy to share their experience and advice.

NZB: What’s the biggest challenge you’ve faced in business?

ANA MARIA: One of the greatest challenges has been educating the public on the value of the services we provide; that they are a necessity and not a luxury, and now it’s paying off.

NZB: What is the hardest thing about owning a business?

ANA MARIA: Learning to delegate tasks, juggling all the many responsibilities, paperwork, managing time accordingly and all your obligations successfully.

NZB: What is the best thing?

ANA MARIA: You are the commander of your own ship and you have a variety of tasks to undertake.

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What men want

NZB: You have more male than female clients, what’s driving that?

ANA MARIA: The male psyche is changing and men are more conscious than ever of their well-being. They not only seek a better work life balance but want to improve their image and look more youthful. People are generally living a lot longer, so 50 is really the new 40.

Men also want to share their experiences with their partners – we have a lot of couples coming in for treatments too.

NZB: What do men want at a spa?

ANA MARIA: They want to make themselves look a little bit fresher. To have their lashes tinted, their eyebrows done. They absolutely want to look great but they also want to escape the stress of work and relax. I see an increasing number of bookings from men wanting eyelash-tinting, brow-tinting, waxing and facial services.