You really don’t need it. And it’s certainly not mine to give anyway. But I just wanted to say – You Have Permission to Ask.
In February, I created my own website – TrentMunday.com – and started a weekly blog. That blog gets re-posted each week as an article on Linkedin. Then in May, I started a weekly podcast – Inside the Spa Business. That too gets re-posted onto Linkedin and shared across Facebook and Twitter. Finally, on December 1, 2017 I started my daily podcast – Trent365! – which I share on the same social networks plus Instagram. All of this content can be found on my website of course.
People have asked me why I’m doing all this.
Deference is Dangerous
My initial reasoning was to just encourage everyone in the spa industry to ask more questions. I’ve long felt that we have a tendency to just accept whatever the industry influencers tell us. We don’t want to question what they say as it might be seen as negative. Better we just smile and nod in quiet agreement rather than risk upsetting anyone. The folks up on stage at the spa conference must know what they’re talking about. They are the thought leaders and influencers of our industry.
Fair enough, I guess. After all, the reason they are the influencers is because they have many years’ experience and so their opinions matter. But it doesn’t necessarily mean their opinions are right. Or, more to the point, it doesn’t mean that any contrarian opinion is wrong. Maybe they just haven’t considered that alternative view that you have? They may have a very different perspective to yours and so it follows that their thoughts and ideas will differ too. Not better. Not right. Just different.
Who? Me?
Over the course of the year, I’ve had many interactions with people I didn’t know, as a direct result of the content I’ve put out. And what I’ve come to realise is that there are some folks who just don’t believe they’re allowed to ask these questions. At least not out loud. They don’t believe they have permission to question.
He’s much more experienced than me. Who am I to question him?
She works for a major spa brand. Her opinion is probably right. I must be wrong.
These are actual statements I’ve heard from people over the past few months.
So, as we close out the year, if there is just one message that I hope gets through from all my content, it is this…
You have permission to ask. No matter how much experience the speaker or writer has. No matter how little experience you have. If you don’t agree, please say so. If you’re not convinced, seek more proof.
The hotel spa business, I believe, has reached a bit of a crossroad. We all have options from here. None of us has all the answers. But if we all ask questions of ourselves and of others, together, we just find be able to find them.
PS: Full disclosure, I am probably considered to be one of them. One of the influencers. So feel free to question me too! 😉
PPS: Happy New Year.
