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# 71: Harmony and Healing: Hayley Procon's Journey to Revolutionizing Self-Care at Aura Day Spa
Can self-care be an essential part of healthcare? Discover the transformative power of self-care with our guest, Hayley Procon from Aura Day Spa. Hayley and her business partner, Kristen, have turned an old dance studio in Ludlow into a sanctuary of relaxation and rejuvenation. Join us as Hayley recounts their incredible journey of opening Aura Day Spa in September 2022, overcoming initial challenges, and rapidly becoming a beloved self-care destination in the community. From stress-relieving facials to therapeutic infrared sauna sessions, learn how Aura Day Spa is making a significant impact on their clients' well-being.
This episode is packed with insights into the often misunderstood day spa industry. Hayley sheds light on common myths and emphasizes that self-care is more than just an indulgence—it's vital for overall health. Whether you're dealing with chronic pain or looking for a peaceful escape, Aura Day Spa offers a variety of treatments designed to enhance your quality of life. Tune in to hear Hayley’s passionate take on why everyone deserves a moment of tranquility and how their services are helping people live healthier, happier lives.
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 very deserving relaxing techniques? Surprisingly, it might be closer than you think. Today I have the pleasure of introducing your neighbor, haley Procon, with Aura Day Spa. How are you today, haley?
Speaker 3:I'm great, Liz. Thank you for asking. How are you?
Speaker 2:I'm great. Thank you as well. We're excited to learn all about you and your business, so please tell us about Aura Day Spa.
Speaker 3:So my business partner, kristen, and I opened Aura back in September of 2022. So we're still very new to the business, to the area. We're actually both Western Mass natives and we saw a need for self-care in the area. We found a location in Ludlow.
Speaker 3:It was an old dance studio and I'm a very visual person so, seeing, you know, if you don't know a dance studio, they're usually pretty big, open. There was mirrors on both ends and I could just see it. You know, I could see the treatment rooms, I could see where the nails were going to be, where the reception was going to be, and it just kind of worked out. Honestly, we walked into the building, we had this idea, we talked to the landlords and, honestly, the next day we had come back to look at it again, they had started gutting the place and we were like, oh my God, we have to do this. Like it kind of the bar, the ball started rolling and, you know, we knew there was a need for it in the area and we have found that we are now a lot of people's go-to place for self-care, which is fantastic.
Speaker 2:That's amazing. Yes, actually, how long have you guys been there?
Speaker 3:So, like I said, September of 2022. So this upcoming September will only be our second anniversary and we're just kind of we're still in those growing pains. You know we still have days where we can fill and then we have days where we're booking out, you know, weeks in advance and people are mad that we don't have availability. So still pretty new to the, to the business, to the industry, to the area, and people every day are still driving by, coming in and being like I had no idea you guys were here. So you know my marketing, I'm really trying to get us out there and, you know, in front of people's faces, Right.
Speaker 2:Absolutely. What are the myths and misconceptions within the day spa industry?
Speaker 3:I think a lot of misconceptions are that it's a treat yourself sort of environment, and it definitely can be. I think a lot of misconceptions are that it's a treat yourself sort of environment, and it definitely can be. I think everyone deserves to have, you know, a spa day or a day to themselves. But you know, self-care is also health care. If you're taking care of your inside and out, it's showing on your inside and out. You know, if you had a stressful week and a facial or a massage or a mani-pedi, if that kind of you know takes you out of your element, that you were in, and relaxes you, then doing that for yourself is going to improve your day. It's going to improve your mood, your stress levels. We have an infrared sauna and we're noticing that. Yes, it's a detoxing, relaxing experience. But a lot of people are seeing long-term benefits with sleep experience. But a lot of people are seeing long-term benefits with sleep.
Speaker 3:We have a few clients who have chronic diseases who are using the infrared sauna and they're less looking at it as a self-care, treat yourself kind of experience and they're using it for medical purposes and being able to improve their quality of life and they've turned to other services as well, like massage. If you have a bad back, getting a massage can change everything about you. If you are on your feet all day, getting a massage can completely reverse what happened that week before, and it's just stuff like that Any of our facials. If you suffer from any acne or you know anything on your face that you want to change and you're getting these consistent facials, your confidence is boosted because you're seeing a difference and you're working on the things that you may want to change about yourself, whether that's, you know, relieving stress or treating acne, anything that you're really trying to work on. It's not a treat yourself sort of environment. It's a self-care. It's healthcare environment.
Speaker 2:Right, self-care, healthcare, for sure, and you know it's important. It's important, it's important to educate and that's fantastic. That's where your guests are definitely thriving, for sure. Let's just change gears for one 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:I would definitely say the growing pains with the business. Like I had said before, we had no idea about the industry. I don't know if I'd kind of gotten in too deep about this, but me and Kristen don't come from a self-care spa background at all. We actually owned a coffee shop prior to this and being thrown into the industry industry and having to adapt to you know, all of the a lot of like the insurance stuff, insurance that a lot of the client-based things um, there's a form for just about everything we do.
Speaker 3:Um, and being new to the area and the industry, there were a lot of growing pains with finding clients and it's, um, you know a spa that it can be an intimate place. You know you are alone in a room with someone. Um, a lot of the times you get undressed to your comfort level and if you're not familiar with that, that can be pretty intimidating for a lot of people. And getting people to trust us and make them their new self-care spot was definitely a struggle and we're still facing that today, where people are comfortable with the people that they know and that they knew before and, like I said, an intimate environment like this where you might not have any idea what you're walking into.
Speaker 3:We have a lot of first time massage facial clients who had no idea that they, you know, typically get undressed to get into the bed and you know someone's alone in a room with you. So creating that level of you know, safety and trust between a client and our staff has definitely been on top of our list. That is our number one goal and just getting people to trust you and realize that you're here for the long haul Our staff has been here since majority of them have been here since we opened. So you're seeing the same people day in and day out for whatever service you're coming for. You know. So you're seeing the same people day in and day out for whatever service you're coming for.
Speaker 2:So just building that and you know the growing pains, ultimately just finding the people to come in, and you know get the services. Right and that's important and you guys have stuck with it for sure. How?
Speaker 3:can our listeners learn more about Aura Day Spa? So we're all over Facebook Instagram. Our Facebook is Aura Day Spa Ludlow. Our Instagram is Aura Spa underscore, ma. And then our website, aura Day Spa Ludlow dot com. It has just about everything that you need. You come in here. I've added to that page so people aren't feeling uncomfortable asking you know, you know personal questions that they might, you know, not know. Walking into a spa, um, so definitely our website Facebook Instagram. We're typically all over there. Um, that's probably where you'll find the best information.
Speaker 2:That's perfect. Uh, do you have a phone number you'd like to share as well?
Speaker 3:That's perfect. Do you have a phone number you'd like to share as well? Yep, we have a spa phone, so it's 413-610-0650. And we're typically answering it all day, unless it's out of our business hours. But you can leave a message and we'll typically get back to you within the next day. Or if one of us stops by to check the voicemail machine, we try to stay on top of any messages between Facebook, instagram or the voicemail.
Speaker 2:That's important. Well, thank you, haley, so much, and self-care is definitely healthcare. We appreciate you being on the show today and we wish you and your business the best moving forward. Thank you.
Speaker 3:It was a pleasure being here.
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, or call 413-414-5940. Thank you.