Women In Wellness: Tina Hay of Four Seasons Resort Rancho Encantado Santa Fe On The Five Lifestyle Tweaks That Will Help Support People’s Journey Towards Better Wellbeing
An Interview with Candice Georgiadis
Feedback Is a Gift: At first, I didn’t receive constructive feedback as a positive until I started to recognize that it allows you to be aware, improve in areas, identify opportunities and celebrate things that you are strong and successful in.
As a part of my series about women in wellness, I had the pleasure of interviewing Tina Hay.
Tina Hay helms The Spa at Four Seasons Resort Rancho Encantado Santa Fe, which features high-desert healing and reinvigorating retreats in the mystical wonderland of Santa Fe. A 20-year veteran of the wellness industry, Tina is currently focusing on expanding the resort’s wellness and movement opportunities and its connection to the indigenous surroundings.
Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series! Our readers would love to “get to know you” better. Can you share your “backstory” with us?
While attending college at the University of Houston, I started working as a spa coordinator at Institut Clarins, a luxury Clarins Skincare branded boutique spa at Saks Fifth Avenue. Prior to starting with Clarins, I was undecided on which industry I wanted to focus my career on and quickly realized my passion for spa and wellness. Throughout my 10-year tenure at Clarins, I gained invaluable experience in all aspects of the operation through various roles before joining Four Seasons Hotels & Resorts in 2006. During my 14-year tenure at Four Seasons Hotel Houston, I gained exposure and experience in hospitality spa operations through rebranding the spa and fitness center in a business-focused city hotel. In July of 2021, I joined the team at Four Seasons Resort Rancho Rancho Encantado Santa Fe, where I was truly taken in by the enchanting and magical energy of Santa Fe and the opportunity to work in a resort spa and curate spa treatments and wellness experiences in an indigenous setting.
Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you started your career? What were the main lessons or takeaways from that story?
One of my biggest accomplishments throughout my career is having the opportunity to build a spa from a blank canvas into a full spa operation. I remember going into an interview and the interviewer asked me to “go and take a look at the current operation and to let her know what I thought.” Upon entering, I noticed that it was not the traditional layout for a spa operation facility and instead of seeing only the challenges, I immediately shifted to seeing the potential and opportunities. From recruiting and building a spa team, curating spa and wellness experiences and having full reigns to self-select décor to create a tranquil ambiance, I made mistakes and learned a lot along the way — my biggest takeaway being that it is ok to take risks and learn from them. That process later led to a multimillion-dollar renovation of the spa in which I was able to apply the creativity, skills and knowledge of what I learned.
Can you share a story about the biggest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?
When first starting out, I felt the need to try to do it all. As I continued to grow in my career, I learned to let go, delegate and to trust the process and outcome, which is essential to developing others, encouraging contribution and building a strong team
Let’s jump to our main focus. When it comes to health and wellness, how is the work you are doing helping to make a bigger impact in the world?
Given the recent effects of the pandemic throughout the world, wellbeing needs to be a priority that we all incorporate into our daily lives. The best part of what I do is creating a tranquil space with spa and wellness experiences where guests can reset and recharge and learn practices that they can implement into their daily lives. After their retreat to the spa, I get to see the impact and transformation that an uplifting spa treatment or wellness session gives. I also know that I have equipped them with new tips and tricks to take home.
Can you share your top five “lifestyle tweaks” that you believe will help support people’s journey towards better wellbeing? Please give an example or story for each.
Start Each Day with a Positive Affirmation: Mindset is everything and I have experienced that starting my day with a scripture and positive affirmations sets the tone to having a better day.
Self-Care is Not Selfish: Keep a balance in all aspects of your life to avoid physical and mental burnout.
Practice Forgiveness: This applies to both others and ourselves. We are all navigating through life, and it’s important to forgive ourselves and others when we make mistakes and things don’t go as planned or intended.
Nourish your Mind and Body: Maintain a healthy diet, stay active and explore new things through a hobby that you enjoy. From taking walks to enjoying fresh air to cooking, there are many ways to nourish our minds and bodies. Spending time in the kitchen and trying to put a healthy spin on my favorite dishes is one of my favorite ways to nourish my body while remembering to indulge within balance.
Keep Learning & Experiencing New Things: There is so much to explore take a new course or experience new cultures and demographics through travel.
If you could start a movement that would bring the most amount of wellness to the most amount of people, what would that be?
Unplugging comes to mind and getting back to the basics. As a child, I remember being outside running and playing with friends on bikes and playing sidewalk games which kept us naturally active. Fast forward to today, we all spend so much time focused on being electronically plugged in and need to remember to disconnect and connect with nature and fresh air, embrace cooking and enjoying a healthy home-cooked meal versus fast processed foods, and remember that getting a good uninterrupted night of sleep goes a long way for our wellbeing.
What are your “5 Things I Wish Someone Told Me Before I Started” and why?
Maintain Balance and Set Boundaries — It’s important to maintain balance in all areas of our lives and to set boundaries, so you don’t burn yourself out. We must remember that it’s ok to say no and that we can’t do everything on our own. We have to be able to ask for guidance and help when needed.
Stay True to Your Beliefs and Follow Your Instincts: Listen to that inner voice and feelings about things that you are passionate about and that are important to you.
It Takes a Village — Rely on family, friends and a great mentor for support and guidance. It’s always great to have someone to discuss ideas with, hear different viewpoints from others and learn from those with experience in areas that you are growing and developing in.
Own Up to Your Mistakes: While we strive to deliver the perfect outcome and experiences, it’s important to recognize that mistakes happen and that everything will not always go perfectly as planned. Owning your mistakes is a way to build trust.
Feedback Is a Gift: At first, I didn’t receive constructive feedback as a positive until I started to recognize that it allows you to be aware, improve in areas, identify opportunities and celebrate things that you are strong and successful in.
Sustainability, veganism, mental health, and environmental changes are big topics at the moment. Which one of these causes is dearest to you, and why?
While each of these topics are important, mental health is often overlooked and is not approached in the same way that we take care of our physical health. Mindset is powerful, and it is important to take a positive approach. However, we must also learn that it is ok to recognize and admit when we are not feeling our best emotionally and to seek the appropriate care when needed to maintain a healthy level of wellbeing.
What is the best way for our readers to further follow your work online?
We share the latest from the spa at fourseasons.com/santafe/spa and you can connect with me on LinkedIn.
Thank you for these fantastic insights! We wish you continued success and good health.
