StarrCast – Details, episodes & analysis

Sauna and bathhouses are the hottest (pun intended!) topics in spa & wellness right now, and no business is hotter than Othership. Co-founder and CEO Robbie Bent shares the story of the amazing growth of the business, from his back yard to the newly opened 3rd location in Manhattan, and what he sees as the future of contrast therapy.

Have you incorporated generative AI into your life yet? We'll dive into how AI is being incorporated in the design, operations and fitness realms of the spa and wellness industry. Listen in as Vishal Patel of Sensei, Toby Ward of DFL and Enrico Manaresi from Technogym share how they are using AI to help their businesses work smarter and face the future. Hosted by the Consulting Initiative of the Global Wellness Institute.

You know those beautiful spreads of spas and hotels in glossy magazines? We speak with Angelina Villa-Clarke and Nicole Trilivas, who are writing many of them for Forbes, Travel & Leisure, The Robb Report, and more! These women have the job of a lifetime; they travel the world visiting luxury properties and trying out the amenities. We gain their perspective on what they look for in their spa and wellness experiences, what is a turnoff, and what trends they are seeing across the globe.

Scandinavia is often equated with saunas and contrast therapy, but it was always done individually; it is only of late that communal experiences have become more common. Travel with me to Norway as I visit the amazing water palace spa & hotel The Well and chat with Asst. GM Annete Ose, survive a Celtic Sweat Lodge ceremony at Farris Bad with Tim Jago, and meet with Ragna Marie Fjeld, a founder of the Oslo Sauna Association, which is bringing affordable sauna to the people!

With so many digital business promotion methods available, is it really necessary to have a website anymore? Connie Holen, Owner and Founder of Pixality Design, designs websites for wellness, fitness and yoga businesses, and shares her tips and tricks for effective web design and SEO practices, resulting in business promotion for both known and prospective clients.

Calculating the value of 11 different wellness industry sectors which total $5.6Trillion is no easy feat! Meet the knowledgeable leaders of the Global Wellness Institute research team, whose experience and determination make this feat a reality. Ophelia Yeung and Katherine Johnston have spent the last 10 years providing perspective and scope so the rest of us can better understand our specific sectors, and the multitude of business possibilities before us, as the industry is forecast to grow another 52% by 2027!

No wellness industry trend report carries more weight than the GWS Future of Wellness. Recorded live at the press event unveiling in NYC, hear the 2024 trends accompanied by illuminating thoughts and opinions on the trends from some of the attending journalists and experts. You'll hear from Jonathan Leary, Remedy Place; Sara Jones, Spa & Wellness Mexicaribe; Erica Huss, All Too Well Media; Joe Holder, GQ Magazine; Heather Mikesell, Well Defined; Cathy Chon, Finn Partners; Jane Kitchen, Spa Business, and Mia Kyricos, Kyricos & Assoc. Order your copy of the report here. 

Sven Huckenbeck earned his Masters in Sports Science before venturing into the spa & hospitality world, so he possesses a unique skill set as both a business operator and a body technician. Currently the Spa Director at Inspiration Spa at Das Konig Ludwig Hotel in Bavaria, Sven discusses the creation of his BioBalance system for maintaining optimal physical and mental health.

We know consumers seek wellness in the general sense, but decided to dig down into trenches to learn how those desires are manifesting within the treatment room. We speak with celebrity esthetician and skincare expert Pietro Simone, massage expert Nicole Chryst, and Alisa and Mike McGlothlin, award-winning owners of an Ageless Fitness franchise, on what they're hearing from clients.