Gadabout SalonSpas
PAM McNAIR
Gadabout SalonSpas
GADABOUT SALON HAD BEEN successfully operating in Tucson, Arizona, for a halfdecade when its founder, Pam McNair, responded to a request from an intriguing partner: Canyon Ranch. The iconic destination spa asked Gadabout to operate the spa’ s salon facilities, initiating a 15-year partnership. Though the Tucson spa scene is burgeoning nowadays, 40 years ago there were no day spas to speak of and Canyon Ranch“ was the first spa that most of us ever heard of,” says McNair.“ We couldn’ t believe that you would dedicate an entire facility to spa services.”
Through this partnership, McNair saw firsthand“ how important the combination of beauty and self-care was.” The experience put the idea of a true salon-spa hybrid in her mind for the first time, but when she visited her friend Noel de Caprio’ s salon, the concept fully clicked into place.“ Noel had a salon spa in Connecticut,” says McNair,“ and it was the first independent salon-spa I had ever seen.”
In 1990, de Caprio visited a new standalone Gadabout location that McNair was building and advised her to make it a true day spa. The result was the first Gadabout SalonSpa, a pioneering space dedicated“ to the body and
Wylie, Frank and Jana Westerbeke, Pam McNair and Wagner Westerbeke
skin, not just the head,” says McNair. Thirty-five years later, it is increasingly common to see spa services offered in premier salons across the United States, and Gadabout was an important early leader in this shift.“ They’ re not just salons anymore,” says McNair.“ It’ s a place where people can come for beauty and wellness.”
Now Gadabout SalonSpas has five locations across Tucson and is in its third generation as a family business: Pam’ s daughter and son-in-law, Jana and Frank Westerbeke, are copresidents of the spa and her grandchildren, Wylie and Wagner, also have growing roles. What has made Gadabout so successful? McNair attributes it to smart marketing and effective staff education through organizations like ISPA and Intercoiffure Mondial. According to McNair,“ When Gadabout started there were salons, of course, but they weren’ t advertising, and they weren’ t educating their staff.”
“ I’ ve never learned anything by myself,” she adds.“ I really believe that this industry has grown because of the many people who have been willing to share their successes and their failures.” n
FOUNDER’ S PLAYBOOK l ADVICE FOR YOUR YOUNGER SELF:“ Evaluate your partnerships and your relationships, and realize that it works better if you can bring them something versus trying to get it all from them.” l PERSONAL MOTTO:“ I do it a day at a time.” l BIGGEST MENTOR:“ Noel de Caprio was a mentor in the spa business. Vidal Sassoon inspired me to change the way we did things.” l ALTERNATE CAREER:“ Honestly? None. I feel like it was destiny.”
Know a company founder in the spa industry whose legacy should be celebrated? Contact ispa @ ispastaff. com to share their story.
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