Good Neighbor Podcast: Palmer
Bringing together local businesses and neighbors of Palmer. Good Neighbor Podcast Palmer MA hosted by Liz Lemon helps residents to connection with local doctors, lawyers, financial advisors, insurance agents and other business owners in and around Palmer, and other Massachusetts Communities. Helping neighbors to become friends while introducing them to local businesses and charities is my goal.
With 29+ years of hard work, my career began in Graphic Design. Evolving to TV Production, Newscast Directing, Technical Producing, and Filmmaking. In addition, Sales, Marketing, and Advertising across various platforms, while always exceeding expectations. Then transitioning to the Entertainment and Sports Industries, I specializes in Special Events, Promotions, VIP Services, Live Events and Security, expanding Nationally at various Stadiums, and Concert Venues.
Passionate about learning and diverse topics, I love sports, especially the New England Patriots, the NFL, and NASCAR. An avid outdoors enthusiast, I also enjoy swimming, hiking, and exploring new places while photographing, digitally recording each one . Excited about my new role as PPM Area Media Executive at Podcast Plus Media, I'm ready for this new Adventure of a Lifetime, continuing to connect with people and exceed expectations in the local community.
Is your business serving the residents of Palmer? Then, we need to talk! Visit gnpPalmer.com or to schedule your free interview.
Good Neighbor Podcast: Palmer
EP# 69: From Corporate Climb to Healing Haven: Todd & Sue Thibodeau's Inspiring Transition to Spa Entrepreneurship
Ever wondered if owning a spa could be more than a luxurious fantasy? Meet Todd Thibodeau, who swapped his corporate grind for the serene life of owning Elements Hot Tub and Spa in Amherst a long side his wife Sue Thibodeau. Todd takes us through the transformative journey from corporate America to becoming the heart and soul of a spa that's more than just a pretty retreat—it's a healing sanctuary inspired by the charm of Santa Fe and Arizona. From hiring top-notch therapists to keeping the essence of the original founders, Todd and his wife have crafted a place where anyone can find solace and relief.
In this episode of the Good Neighbor Podcast, Todd chats with Liz about the myths surrounding the spa industry and how Elements offers more than just pampering sessions. It's a haven for those seeking real healing from aches and pains, not just a day out with friends. Todd also shares insights into his personal life and what he and his wife Sue loves doing outside of work. Tune in to discover the therapeutic benefits of spas and be inspired by Todd and Sue’s passion for creating a holistic space for everyone, regardless of gender. This episode is a heartfelt exploration of entrepreneurship, wellness, and the power of a supportive community.
This is the Good Neighbor Podcast, the place where local businesses and neighbors come together. Here's your host, Liz Lemon.
Speaker 2:Welcome to Good Neighbor Podcast. Are you in need of some fun, relaxing ideas? Surprisingly, it might be closer than you think. Today I have the pleasure of introducing your neighbor Todd, with Elements, Hot Tub and Spa, Amherst Location. How are you today, Todd?
Speaker 3:I'm doing great, Liz. How about you?
Speaker 2:Great, we're excited to learn all about you and your business. So please tell us about Elements, hot Tub and Spa, amherst Location.
Speaker 3:So Elements Hot Tub Spa was started back in 2007 by a beautiful couple, diana and Jeff Krauth. My wife and I purchased the spa in 2018. And since then we've made some minor changes, but we've really kept the continuity of what they did and how they did it and just added a little bit of our own flavor to it, and it's got a Santa Fe, arizona, theme to it. It's very cozy to walk in and we offer a bunch of services that people really enjoy.
Speaker 2:Oh wow, how did you get into the business?
Speaker 3:Well, it's a good question, because none of us really have any spa background at all. My wife and I kind of worked corporate America for a long time and you know the real grind of doing that and you know some people have a midlife crisis and they might go buy a car. We decided to buy a spa. I had been looking at businesses for a long time and it's very difficult to go out there. The general idea I think most people go into it is just to try to find something they're passionate about, but a lot of times it doesn't lend itself to what you can do and make a good living at.
Speaker 3:So we kind of reverse engineered it and we're looking for a business that was 10 years older or more um sellers selling for the right reasons, was increasing revenues year over year and had a chance to own the real estate.
Speaker 3:And, um, you know, when the numbers came back and that was a spa, it was like, oh boy, like you know, I don't know if we could own a spa. And then, you know, we met jeff and d jeff d's short for diana but um, you know, we met Jeff and Dee. Jeff Dee is short for Diana. But, you know, once we met them, we fell in love with them, we fell in love with the place and it's been great since.
Speaker 2:That's fantastic and such a interesting industry and very helpful industry. Speaking of industry, what are the myths and misconceptions within the spa industry?
Speaker 3:Well, I mean, mean I can tell you from my misconception point, like I think my stereotype or thought going into it was uh, you know, it's just this place of luxury. People just go and you know they have a day where they got all their friends together and they do these spa type things and it's uh, it's just, you know a unique experience, but you know, truthfully, you know a unique experience, but you know truthfully, you know elements. Hot tub spa is really a place of healing and you know people do go there to have that luxury day so you can have both. But there's a lot of good stuff that's done in there.
Speaker 3:You know a lot of body work, a lot of healing, a lot of people who have, you know, those aches and pains, if you're talking about it from a massage perspective, that you go in there and they're regular customers. But they're dealing with real issues and there's real programs and we only try to hire the best therapists that are attentive, experienced and know what they're doing. So we kind of couple that luxury feel with a lot of healing in it. The other thing I'll say too, and being kind of, you know a male and thinking of spa, but you know, I think a lot of people think spa are only for women. But we have a lot of male clientele. They have the same problems that females do in terms of the aches and pains and when you kind of couple that with the hot tub, sauna and you know the steam room, experience it's a great place for everybody.
Speaker 2:Experience it's um, it's a great place for everybody that's fantastic, definitely a great place to relax and unwind and, um, you know, heal for sure outside of work, even though it sounds fun outside of work. What do you do for fun?
Speaker 3:um, I'm kind of a pretty big golfer. Um, you know, my son's also in his first year at Western New England. So we do $10 soccer games, he plays soccer there and we are, you know, kind of just starting to travel. So you know, we are empty nesters at this point for the first time. So to try to enjoy some of those things that we haven't been able to do, it's been nice. So we try to have, I think, what everybody's striving for, that work-life balance. Not a little bit of everything, but just a lot of everything if we can.
Speaker 2:Absolutely work-life balance, for sure. Let's change gears just for a moment. Can you describe one hardship or life challenges that you rose above and can now say because of it you're better and stronger? What comes to mind?
Speaker 3:Well, this one's easy. You know it's a tough one. Right when we bought this bus, we bought it in 2018. We lost our oldest son in a tragic car accident which, you know, at 17 years old, was a real big thing to you know, take in, get over and then still try to be productive. So you know, when you're faced like a challenge like that, you know you've really got two courses. And you know the first course is hating everything. The universe is against us. And then you know the second is, you know, understanding it, healing from it. And then you know really having that love experience from it.
Speaker 3:And you know, I don't one of the things nice about having the spa and the atmosphere and the people there, it was, you know, definitely a process that we all got through together.
Speaker 3:But I think once you get through something like that and once you've kind of gone past it and you have that love back again, you kind of have an attitude or approach to life where you know there's nothing more tragic. So you know, when the small stuff come along, you kind of deal with them a lot better. You don't sweat the small stuff and it's uh, it's one of those things where, if you can get through it. The byproduct, the other side of it is filled with a lot of love and you know support that. A lot of things I guess you take for granted that you just have a whole different perspective on, and it's helped us on all levels personal levels, business levels, any type of level. You can think of that uh, you know the end of it is, uh, it's, it's. You never want that to happen, but there's a lot of good that's come from such a very bad thing right, uh, we'd like to extend our sincerest, deepest condolences.
Speaker 2:First and foremost, of course thank you, appreciate it of course you're welcome um, but you definitely have moved forward and healed um and in your place of business, um healing. That's what has helped you guys too. So that's um inspirational for sure, and appreciate you sharing the story yeah what is the one thing you wish our listeners knew about? Elements, hot tub and spas and Amherst location.
Speaker 3:So probably a couple of different things. I mean, once we have hot tubs that people you know enjoy, and our biggest package is like a couple's massage where you come in and you take a 30 minute or a 60 minute soak. We have, you know, saunas in some of the rooms and we have a steam in another room. But I think that you know, when you have a massage experience, if you go in there and you go in cold, your body is like a piece of clay. When you have taken a chance to get some hydrotherapy or a steam or a sauna, your body is 90 percent worked up, so that massage goes so much further than when you can, you know. So it's like, you know, I kind of call it the secret sauce. It's like when you couple that together, it's unbelievable.
Speaker 3:Um, the other thing too, you know, with the people that we have, we really do try to hire the best. We have an extensive screening process. We have a great manager in place. She's fantastic, but she's really kind of selective on who we bring in there and and we, like I said, we only try to hire the best.
Speaker 3:Now we're starting to add skincare, which a lot of people don't know about, kind of in a very simple startup version. You know we're offering facials and lashes at this point, but it's an area that's growing, so it's under added service that we that we have there. I guess the only other thing I'd say, too, is that a lot of people don't believe, but we take the health, like the cleanliness aspect to another level, like so, we drain and fill our hot tubs every single night, which, for those people who are going, oh my God, they're wasting a lot of water, I hear you. But when it comes to you know, the health and safety of our clientele, you know we found it's the best way to do it. We found good ways to do it, the most economically possible with the least amount of waste as possible, but it's something that, uh, every single night those things are drained and cleaned right, that's important, um important as far as the business aspect of it, of course, and personal um that that you're able to to do.
Speaker 2:We appreciate that, of course. Your customers, your guests definitely appreciate that as well. How can our listeners learn more about Elements, hot Tub and Spa in Amherst location?
Speaker 3:So all the channels. You know we're on social media, we're on Facebook, we're on Instagram. You know we're, right, nestled in the Amherst rate, kind of tangential to Amherst College. So you have the two colleges there, you have UMass, amherst. Our website's got a lot of information. It's very informative. You can always call us, but there's a lot of information on the website. There's a lot of testimonials out there too, if you go to Google, who you know have been to the facility and kind of commented.
Speaker 3:So we try to make ourselves available. Our marketing we're trying to be, I consider Elements more of a mature business so we don't spend a lot of time on what I call wasteful marketing. I mean marketing is good. I think we're trying to grow the business. So we're trying to do a lot of philanthropic type of marketing where you know it's kind of tethered to a cause, if you will. So you know we get the name out there as much as we can. But thank you for doing this podcast because you know hopefully it reaches other people who can come and enjoy and we truly have what I would consider we're very lucky probably the best staff, whether it's the, the customer service staff, our managers or the therapists working there. I mean these people truly care.
Speaker 2:you know about your well-being, what's your ailment and how we can help that's fantastic to hear um to to go a little bit deeper into the spa industry, and we appreciate that very much. Is there a phone number that you wanted to share?
Speaker 3:So our main phone number is 413-256-8277. I guess I haven't called it a bit so I should make sure on that. But yeah, I think that's the number. If not, we can edit that out or something and maybe change it. I'm pretty sure that's the number All of us with phones nowadays. Usually I put in Elements Hot Tub Spa and it calls it yeah.
Speaker 2:I know Nobody remembers. We all have it programmed into our smartphones Exactly so sorry about that. No, you're fine, todd. Thank you so much for joining us today. It's been a pleasure. It's been a pleasure learning about Elements, hot Tub and Spa in Amherst and we wish you and your business the best moving forward.
Speaker 3:Really appreciate that. Thanks so much, Liz.
Speaker 1:Thank you for listening to the Good Neighbor Podcast. To nominate your favorite local businesses to be featured on the show, go to gnppalmercom. That's gnppalmercom on the show. Go to GNP Palmer calm. That's GNP Palmer calm, or call 413-414-5940.