Building Your Support System
Bolster you and your spa business with the right network
It may be scaling your business, navigating market uncertainties or being thrust into a leadership role.
Whatever the catalyst, many spa retailers eventually realize they can’t — and shouldn’t — do everything alone. At that point, they begin exploring coaches, peer groups or professional communities that offer the experience, perspective, support and accountability for personal and professional growth.
“Leadership isn’t meant to be done on its own,” says Susan McPhie, vice president of business development and general manager for SilkBalance, headquartered in British Columbia, Canada. “Coaches and peer groups give you something that you can’t do yourself. They help you see blind spots, interrupt old patterns and elevate you beyond the day-to-day whirlwind of running a business.”
When owners find themselves solving the same issue again and again, or when the business is growing but their confidence isn’t, those can be strong signals outside guidance is needed.
Why support matters
Time and cost are often the biggest stumbling blocks, but McPhie notes these investments offer greater returns than many business owners expect.
Getting started, however, can be intimidating.
Often, the day-to-day pace is so consuming that owners don’t slow down long enough to begin looking for help — one of the biggest early barriers, says Alex King, vice president of sales for King Technology in Minnetonka, Minnesota.
“It’s always tough to get started on something like coaching or finding a strong peer networking group,” King says. “But once you get into it, it gets easier. You prioritize it and try not to miss it, because it’s valuable to you and you don’t imagine doing business without it.”
Choosing a support system
Coaches, peer groups and professional organizations all offer support and structure, but the format and depth vary.
- Business coaches provide individualized guidance, structure and accountability.
- Peer advisory groups offer varied perspectives, shared experiences and community support.
- Professional organizations, both inside and outside the hot tub industry, provide resources, education and broader connections.
If you have the budget, one-on-one coaching can be transformative. Coaches offer personalized guidance and strategies, working with your needs and holding you accountable, says Heidi Cortez, a Los Angeles-based business consultant. Cortez says each of her client sessions is followed by about two hours of “homework” to keep clients accountable between meetings.
Peer groups, by contrast, are typically lower-cost or free. They provide connections and offer collective accountability — not to mention the invaluable opportunity to learn from others’ real-world wins and mistakes.
McPhie encourages leaders to think of their peer group support system as a “personal board of directors” — a small group of people with strengths in different areas (finance, leadership, operations, personal well-being) who help guide major decisions and keep the leader accountable.
Professional organizations span a wide range, from the Pool & Hot Tub Alliance to retailer-focused groups outside of the industry. These organizations provide education and benchmarking tools, and King says they can be especially useful for staying on top of retail and marketing trends. Women-focused groups or leadership associations can also be crucial for building confidence and connection.
Family businesses have an additional layer of complexity, which makes outside support especially valuable. King’s family participates in the Family Business Center at St. Thomas University. While participants come from different industries, the family dynamics are similar.
“You’re dealing with multiple generations and different ways of thinking; you’re wired differently,” King says. “But yet you’re still a family. How do you keep your family special and cohesive without letting the business impact that — and vice versa?”
Finding the right fit
Finding a good coach or group takes time, but it’s important to seek support that aligns with where you are and where you’re headed.
When seeking a coach
Platforms like LinkedIn or Facebook can be helpful, but word of mouth is often the strongest starting point. Industry conferences and trade shows are also great for networking. At these events, “people know you and know people like you,” King says. “One conversation leads to another, then another introduction, and it goes from there.”
Cortez suggests taking advantage of the free consultation calls coaches usually offer to get a sense of their style and your initial rapport. She also encourages researching a coach: credentials, websites, social media and especially video testimonials.
Once you connect, pay attention to the dynamics. “A red flag for me would be somebody who talks more than they listen, or someone who pushes their own agenda instead of helping you clarify yours,” McPhie says.
When seeking a peer group
Manufacturers and vendors were key resources for Amanda Annis, president of Ohio Hot Tub & Sauna in North Canton, Ohio. After returning to the family business following a nine-year absence, Annis knew she needed guidance. Through industry contacts, she joined a peer group of other hot tub retailers. “We share best practices, what’s working and also our successes and challenges,” she explains. Over time, the group integrated one-on-one coaching, and Annis has since connected with industry consultants who previously owned and sold successful hot tub businesses.
Annis also learned that support must be balanced. At one point, she found herself committed to several coaching programs at once — and realized too many competing perspectives could actually distract from running the business. Narrowing her focus helped her make clearer, faster decisions.
Avoiding groupthink
Many business owners hesitate to join groups because they fear groupthink — everyone agreeing, no one challenging assumptions. But effective groups don’t operate that way. King has seen this firsthand in his family-business peer network, where participants from multiple generations and backgrounds naturally challenge one another’s assumptions.
Owners should look for groups that:
- Have a clear structure for discussion (so one opinion doesn’t dominate)
- Encourage debate and curiosity
- Share data, not just anecdotes
- Prioritize confidentiality so members feel safe being honest
- Focus on problem-solving rather than everyone agreeing
A supportive group challenges you — not to think like everyone else, but to think more clearly for yourself.
Insider insights
The hot tub market is navigating distinct pressures that make industry-specific judgments especially valuable. Retailers are managing increased labor and product costs, higher overhead and declining demand — a combination that requires fast, confident decision-making, Annis notes. “We have to get more operationally efficient, and the best way to do that is to see what is working for your peers and what has worked for other businesses,” Annis says.
Within PHTA, the International Hot Tub Association provides market data and research that allow members to benchmark performance and make informed decisions. McPhie adds that the emotional load of supporting staff, customers and vendors in a highly relational industry can be heavy without a peer community that understands those pressures.
“Because this industry is so specialized, it’s easy to feel like no one on the outside really understands what we’re balancing,” McPhie says. “That’s what makes a peer community and strong mentors even more crucial. They provide a place where you can ask questions that you can’t ask anywhere else, share challenges openly and access the wisdom of people who have lived the same reality.”
The ripple effect
Business coaching is not life coaching, but King notes that the benefits often spill over.
“There’s a type of emotional support where what you learn from your business coaching translates into your personal life,” King says. “Sometimes it’s transparency or communication skills. Being a great teammate at work translates into being a great teammate at home to your spouse or kids. And, just as you can learn by being coached, you learn how to coach others … a kind of paying it forward.”
10 Questions to Ask a Potential Business Coach
Once you have a clear idea of your needs and goals, it’s time to ask potential coaches these essential questions:
- What is your experience in this niche? If it’s not specifically hot tubs, what about retail or other crossover industries?
- What results did you achieve?
- What areas of business development do you specialize in (sales, strategic initiatives, marketing, scaling)?
- How would you describe your coaching style, and how do you tailor it to different personalities or leadership types?
- What is your process? How do you structure support in between sessions?
- How will you hold me accountable?
- How do you discover blind spots?
- What happens when we disagree?
- What does success look like in 90 days? Six months?
- What do you look for when evaluating a client who you haven’t worked with before?
