The Michael "Mad Dog" Cady Fund

Blooming Footprint Launches Today!

Amy & Katie have joined forces to create a cutting-edge, comprehensive, brand management firm. After working hand-in-hand on the marketing and PR for the band BLVD, they instantly recognized their like-mindedness and complimentary skill-sets. It became evident that brands, businesses and bands could all benefit from their combined talents and contacts both on & off-line. They had no choice but to jump in feet first!

OK, enough of talking about ourselves in the third person!!

'So what is this all about?' you might be asking yourself. Well, a FOOTPRINT is everything an organization creates both on and off-line that is available for the public to view...logos, websites, social networks, blogs and even messaging. Through the use of dynamic content, social media strategies, campaigns and untraditional outreach, we are able to help any FOOTPRINT BLOOM based on the businesses individual needs and goals.

For more info and even a picture for you visual folks, please check out our official website and our comprehensive list of services. You'll notice a few "Coming Soons", so please check back often. You know Katie is already out there networking, so please become a fan of Blooming Footprint on Facebook and of course, follow us on Twitter...you never know when Amy might make an appearance ; ) We are just rolling all this out today and could use the love!

We want to thank all of you out there for your support of our new endeavor and of course your referrals are always welcome.

Here's to making YOUR footprint bloom!!!
Amy & Katie

My Coverage From MMMF (Day Two)

See the full story here including video and pics of Random Karma, Young Dubliners, Railroad Earth, and The Flaming Lips. Amazing day!!


Railroad Earth MMMF 2009


Flaming Lips MMMF 2009


Flaming Lips MMMF 2009


Flaming Lips MMMF 2009

Personal Coverage from MMMF (Day One)

I was asked to cover the 5th Annual McDowell Mtn Music Fest by my friends at Creamy Radio this year and Day One, Friday, April 24 was just posted!!

Michael Franti MMMF 2009

Hot Tuna MMMF 2009

New Riders of the Purple Sage MMMF 2009

Update and Getting Back on the Horse!!

I have been neglecting my own blog while worrying about everything else out there...enough is enough! Thinking about where I want to see this go, but in the mean time, here is a quick update...

BLVD is currently on their way back from east coast tour supporting Lotus. They will be appearing at the Do Lab's  Lucent Misting Oasis at Coachella next week and then have a nice 4 day CA run at the end of the month. We have confirmation that BLVD will be performing at Summer Meltdown in Darrington, WA (8/14 - 8/16) and Earthdance Laytonville (9/25 - 9/27).

I am also working with Gaslight Street, a soul infused rock band from Charleston. They just released their first album, Blue Skies For Fools and are touring regionally. We are currently creating their web footprint and collateral marketing materials. Keep your eyes and ears peeled for these guys, they are awesome!

And of course Cartfly and Sellit are still making things easy for you independent merchants out there ; ) Cartfly is for anyone wishing to increase online sales by leveraging your social networks while Sellit gives you the same options but is currently for CafePress merchants only. 

Did you get all that?? I hope so!

Photo by Aaron Gautschi (DJ Stage, Coachella 2008)

Forgot all about Ping.fm. Think I am going to start using it again...for now ; )

137 Clothing's New Sellit.com Store

BLVD Fall Tour Schedule

Attention Merchants and Bloggers!!!!

I write for the Cartfly Blog and need a steady stream of merchants to feature every Tuesday. If you would like to be highlighted, simply set up a Cartfly Store and hit me up. I would love to hear about your products and why you are choosing to sell online.

I have featured clothing retailers, bands, artists, specialty item retailers and even a pin-up!! The more interesting your product, the better, however, beggers should not be choosers!!

We are also in the market for guest bloggers. If e-commerce or even better, social e-commerce is your thing and you have some time to kill, please let me know.

BLVD: Austin City Limits Battle of the Bands

The Sound and The Jury

Help us win a spot at The Austin City Limits Music Festival!!

Round One Voting Deadline is August 22

It is all about the votes!! We don't move to round two without your help now! Use all your e-mail addresses and ask your friends to vote...we need your help!

Click here to vote now!!!!

Thanks for your support and friends, please pass this on!

I'm Co-Writing for the Cartfly.com Blog Now!!

Here is a sneak peak!

Cartfly Gets Bands Selling on Social Networks
Selling your unique band merchandise and CDs online can be a huge opportunity to make money and increase your band's visibility. Using Cartfly.com as your store gives you mobility and the beauty of replication because we all know you can only sell so much at your live shows.

Let's look at the Livetronica band BLVD from San Francisco. They have a website, a blog, a MySpace, a Facebook page and an Imeem page. So right off the bat, BLVD has the ability to have 5 copies of their store in 5 different web locations. Their Cartfly store enables them to sell to 15,000 fans right away.

Click here for the full story.

"I'm Voting Republican"...Crazy Hits On The Web!

Hi All!

Take a satirical look at dedicated Republican's reasons for voting their party.

This was a independent film I was involved in here in AZ with SyntheticHuman Pictures.

This was uploaded to YouTube on Tuesday 6/10 and has already received 1.5M+ hits and the very informative website has received 468K+ hits since it launch on Sunday 6/8!

It is currently on the front page of Google Video, the top of the Alternet heap, featured on BuzzFeed, Wired's Blog Feed and even on Talking Points Memo. Today it was on MSNBC news!

If you have not seen this already, do yourself a favor and do so!!

www.imvotingrepublican.com

Thanks for your support!

P.S. I am the lesbian!!

Staffing Your Spa for Success PART II

How do you know where to start?  As a spa or salon owner or manager, the first thing to look at is any consistencies in turnover.  After years in the club and spa world, it is obvious to me that turnover is contagious.  When one disgruntled employee starts complaining on the job, they all seem to get on the band wagon.  This could be due to many in-house issues; low morale, no clear career path, lack of recognition and even poor employee-manager relations.

If you were a fly on the wall, what would your staff be saying when you were not around?  Are your employees happy and feel this is the best work environment they have ever been in?  Or do you have back-stabbing employees, consistent fires and daily drama?  These are two extremes and hopefully you spa's staff is relatively drama free and content.  Many managers don't even realize or care about how their staff feels.  This is the difference between an effective manager and a manager with ongoing staffing issues.

To be an effective manager you need to give your staff the opportunity to express their thoughts and feelings so you know when problems exist and how to put them to rest as quickly as possible.  A weekly, mandatory meeting is necessary to keep the lines of communication open and to keep any egos in check.  This is also a great way to develop trust and give your staff a time and a place when they know problems and issues will be addressed.

I hope you take the time to do an environmental evaluation of your spa and give your staff the chance to vent before it is too late.  Remember it is less expensive to keep your existing staff happy and on board, them to find new ones!  

Staffing Your Spa for Success in 2008

With the new year upon us, it is time to take look back at what we did great last year and what we could improve on.  Staffing is an on-going issue that most of us could use a helping hand with.  Was the difficulty staffing your manager and department head positions, or was the challenge in the hourly and part time positions?  Do you have high turn over in your existing staff?  Are you getting qualified candidates for your open positions?

There are a few concepts to consider when looking to improve the staffing program for your spa or salon.  A better retention program, an applicant tracking program and an employee referral program.  I will delve deeper into each one of these in my next entries.  If you can find a way to dial in each idea to fit your spa or salon, you will be able to hold on longer to your current staff and have more luck when hiring new ones.

It is important for companies to position themselves more competitively - having more efficient, productive staff and keeping operating expenses low.  An organizations biggest asset is its people, and also its biggest expense.  If you want to increase your staffing success, might you consider using SpaandSalonJobs.com?

Spa Employment Compensation Plan (Part II)

In my previous post I hit on the average hourly/yearly rates that therapists, support staff and managers are getting paid.  I wanted to touch on the pro's and con's of the actual compensation plans.  As I said, there are three ways in which therapists get paid:

1. Hourly Pay Rate

2. Commission Based

3. Combo of Hourly and Commission

As far as hourly pay goes, therapists are paid for each hour they are at work, whether a service was performed or not.  Hourly pay rates usually differ state to state, but as stated earlier the range is from $8 to $12 per hour.  The pro's to being paid hourly, you know how many hours you work in a week and how much you make an hour.  This is the way to have a steady paycheck and no surprises, no matter how busy or slow the spa happens to be.  The con's, you get paid the same amount whether you are busy or not and if you provide above average service or not.

Now for the commission based therapist.  This is the most commonly used plan where the therapist is paid a predetermined amount for each service performed.  Again, the average rate is 30% to 40% of the full service which equates to $25 to $40 for a one hour treatment. The pro's, therapists are compensated for experience and education as well as their up-selling abilities and building up of clientele.  This is a very simple formula, the more hours you work, the more treatments you perform, the more you can make!   The con's, very simple...no traffic, no money.  Watch out for newly opened spas or spas off the beaten path.

Last but not least, there is the combination plan of hourly pay plus commission.  In this plan the therapist receives their hourly rate with a commission for each service provided and is normally offered at newly opened spas.  The pay is about $10 to 12 per hour with 20% to 30% commission on each treatment provided.  The pro's, security of an hourly rate, even when it is slow, but also the motivation to build repeat business.  No real con's to this structure, only that your pay structure will eventually move to commission only.  It is simply used to maintain happy employees during that on-again, off-again start up phase.

I hope you find this information helpful and for all your staffing needs, remember SpaandSalonJobs.com.  Find qualified candidates fast at an affordable price!

How Should I Be Getting Compensated as a Spa Employee?

You may be a veteran of the spa world looking for a new job or for that bump up into a management position.  On the other hand, you may be brand new to the spa industry.  What ever group you may fall into, the bottom line is, how should you be getting compensated?

As far as Spa Technicians (Massage Therapists, Skin Care or Body Treatment Therapists) go, there are three options.

1. Hourly Pay Rate

2. Commission Based

3. Combo of Hourly and Commission

They each have their pro's and con's (which I will delve deeper into in my next blog).  Depending on your personal motivation and monthly monetary needs you have to decide which structure fits your lifestyle best.  Since the spa industry is becoming so competitive, you may also want to consider a spa with benefits like insurance, ongoing education, bonuses, sales commission, tips, raises, provided uniforms, vacation and retirement plans.

Now lets look at the average pay rates* and commission percentages based on each position...

Aestheticians - Hourly rate of $10 to $12, plus 20-30% of each service provided and 10-25% of retail sold.  The gross hourly rate calculates to $22 - $40 per hour or $25K - $65K per year for a full time employee.

Massage Therapists - Same as above or NO HOURLY RATE but 30-40% of each service provided and 10-25% of retail sold.  Same yearly income as above for a full time employee.

Front Desk, Reservationist & Housekeeping Positions - Hourly rate or $8 to $12.  This equates to $15K - $23K per year for a full time employee.

Remember, employers usually base their pay scales on experience and longevity.

As far as Manager and Director positions go, salaries* are based on the type of facility you may be working in.  These positions typically include insurance, bonus plans and vacation.  They usually do not include over time (you know you will be working more than 40 hours a week!), commission or tips.

Day Spa - $40K to $50K per year

Hotel/Resort Spa - $40k to $50K per year

Destination Spa - $60K to $90k per year

Multi Facility Position - $7K to $100K per year

I hope this was helpful in giving you a better idea of the "going rates" these days.  This will help you when negotiating your rate for your new position.  Don't forget to check out SpaandSalonJobs.com for the newest jobs in your city today!

*All rates and salaries listed were found at virtualspa.net

Staffing with SpaandSalonJobs.com

Every spa and salon needs qualified and personable employees who can interact appropriately with clients one on one.  As you know, clients coming into your spas and salons have varying levels of expectations and needs.  You should have the right staff on hand for any situation.  

The cost of advertising at SpaandSalonJobs.com is especially low when compared to the high cost of a newspaper or magazine campaign.  When advertising in a newspaper, it is nearly impossible to target your job recruitment to seekers looking for careers as opposed to the next "job".  We strategically market our site to Google, Yahoo! and Indeed.com to make sure your posts are viewed by as many qualified job seekers as possible. The wide reach and specific focus of SpaandSalonJobs.com makes it a powerful tool for job hiring.

The Green Spa Network

We all know how important it is to do our part to help preserve our planet's resources and many spas are now jumping on board to "green up" their operations.  I recently stumbled across a new website, GreenSpaNetwork.org, and wanted to share their innovative ideas and goals with you.

There are three main goals of the GSN...

1. To bring sustainable operating practices to the spa industry.

2. To facilitate education, research and alliances in sustainable business practices.

3. To promote the natural connections between personal well-being, economic sustainability, and health of our planet.

GSN is a relatively new company that is not even taking members at this time.  They have over 100 companies and professionals interested and a handful of  "Founding Seed Spas" that are the test market for the programs that are currently in development.  FYI...they are accepting applications for 3 more Seed Spas and general membership will begin in Spring 2008.

The following are examples of the programs they have in development, that as a member, you would have access to.

Seed Spa Program: The strategies GSN has developed along with the tools and products your spa would need.

Green Spa Toolkit: Everything you need to know if you intend to go green...what light bulbs to buy, cleaners to use and how to conserve water.

Green Spa Network Website: A resource with ongoing product reviews, tips, request for information and expert advise.

We each need to do our part to protect our natural resources.  Companies like the Green Spa Network have done the research and spent the time to make "going green" a feasible option for spas wanting to make an impact without sacrificing the planet.  Check out all the green ideas there are out there and see how your spa can start making a difference today.

Spa Trends 2008

For those of us in the business, SpaFinder.com, the global spa resource, has been a staple in the spa world for years.  It is a fabulous tool for anyone in the business as well as people looking for a local spa, a get away spa or anything in between.  For the past 5 years, SpaFinder has posted their Annual Spa Trends Report that "forecasts the innovations and ideas that will shape the world of spas in 2008."

Spas, as well as the services they sell, seem to becoming more integrated and cater the one stop shopper.  With the popularity of the Medical Spa (comprehensive medical and wellness care), it is easy to see how this trend could be catching on.   

So the report is out and here are the top trends for 2008...

1. The "Feng Shui'd Gym"

2. A Star (Therapist) is Born

3. Wellness, Wellness, Wellness

4. Luxury Detox and Luxury Bootcamps

5. Spa Real Estate Mania

6. Taking Sleep Seriously...Especially If You Want To Lose Weight

7. Fertility Tranquility

8. Hydro and Thermal Super-Experiences

9. Urban Spa Explorer

10. Plug-in or Unplug: It's up to You

Getting A Job In The Spa Industry

It seems there is a spa on ever corner and in every strip mall USA.  According to statistics, there are over 14,600 spas in the US to date.  That is up 6% from last year and almost 30% from 2004.

The breakdown is as follows:

11,700+ day spas

1350+ resort and hotel spas

980+ medical spas

430+ club spas

80+ destination spas

50+ mineral spring spas

Most clients say they go to the spa to relieve stress.  Since stress can increase your risk for cardiovascular disease, which claims over 870,000 lives per year according to the American Heart Association, the spa is a good and healthy option. 

Today consumers can find lifestyle spas that focus on healthful menus, medical spas for weight loss or chemical peels or destinations spas that focus on treatments from a particular culture.  There are even green spas devoted to environmentally sustainable facilities and practices.

This growth is also good for job seekers.  As of summer 2007, there were more than a quarter million people working in the spa industry on both a full-time and part-time basis.  Most spa jobs require training but programs are short in duration and are affordable in price.

So do your homework and see what training you need for your trade of choice and how to get it as quickly as possible.  Consider which spa setting would be the best fit for you personally and log onto SpaandSalonJobs.com and post your resume today!!