|
The Yin: Cindy Cocke, Co-Owner
Cindy was born and raised in Minnesota, but has always been intrigued by the sultry south. She attributes this curiosity to “the Minnesota winters she endured growing up”.
At age 20, Cindy made her first adventurous trip to New Orleans. I fell in love with the city, she says, and eventually moved here to see how far down the Mississippi river I could live, and stay in the continental United States. I have a great passion and respect for water. Moving to New Orleans which sits below sea level, from the land of 10,000 laked made perfect sense to me.
Her spa interest started as a child, mixing potions consisting of things like talc powder, toothpaste, and Dippity Doo, and slathering them on her face to see what would happen. She also grew up in a family business and remembers helping her mother in her toy store as a teenager. Cindy plans to carry on this tradition with her daughter Paris. Having the experience of helping customers at a young age prepared me for life as a young adult. I Want Paris to know and understand the value of listening, and helping people not only in a spa setting, but in life in general, because it comes back to you in so many ways. Making a difference in someone’s life need not be complicated, and often comes from a single, simple act. The results can be compelling. For instance, having a client leave the spa in a better place than when they came in? That can truly make my day.
Cindy’s interest in running a spa and store as her vocation started at a small spa close to her home in New Orleans. Whenever she was stressed, she simply walked into that place and melted away. She was so taken by the way it made her feel, she went to work for the company. The experience she gained in the budding business became invaluable. She learned to pay close attention to detail. We love product lines with a cause. When there is philanthropy involved, we always take notice. Hurricane Katrina taught us that coming together with purpose and intention can be a powerful tool, and it works! Choosing lines that follow these same beliefs is an important part of the process. She has also learned that her careful, quiet and thoughtful demeanor allows her to subtly administer change as needed, to ensure the spa is the best it can be; without being stuffy and overwhelming.
Her attention to detail plays an important role in their success as well, and she is a stickler for it. “The spa is a direct reflection of who we are, so every detail matters”. This includes the products she buys for the spa. They must be quality, rare, beautiful, with no animal testing involved.
Meeting Sandy was “destiny”, she says, and a perfect blend of contrasts. “ I wouldn’t want to be in this crazy business with anyone else, and besides, no one can make me laugh quite so hard!” Although they are different, their goal and mission have always been perfectly aligned, and has never varied. Their mission is simple: To provide the client with an experience unlike any other spa experience, bringing them a new found vitality that could only be described as a “breath of fresh air”. “Just believe, breathe, and receive,” Cindy says, “and your inner brilliance just glows”.
|
