SpaFinder Lifestyle Online Magazine Debuts
- Published: Thursday, November 20th 2008
- in Living Well
SpaFinder Lifestyle Online Magazine Debuts
By Susie Ellis, SpaFinder Insider
A few weeks ago, on November 6th, our new SpaFinder Lifestyle online magazine launched. Several days later I attended the ISPA conference in Las Vegas. I can’t tell you how many people remarked to me that they had seen it, read it, and liked it! That was music to my ears as creating this very new online magazine with a cutting-edge format was a trailblazing endeavor. Most of the credit goes to Sarah Day, our VP of Global Publishing who shepherded the process from beginning to end, Michael Ackerman, VP Digital Media who made sure it had plenty of sponsors, and Melisse Gelula, editor-in-chief of SpaFinder Lifestyle whose vision and passion define the content and to a great degree, the format.
What people said about SpaFinder Lifestyle included that:
a. The writing was good
b. The photographs were enticing
c. There was a noticeable difference in tone and use of photography (no bodies with stones on them for example.)
Melisse is a generation X (age bracket 27 – 43) – not a baby boomer (age bracket 44 – 62). Her reference point reflects the generation after the large baby boom wave which gives this online magazine, in my opinion, a refreshingly new edge. 
For example, take a look at this photo (credit: Erica Beckman) from the Massage Matrix’s Lomi Lomi massage section. This massage therapist doesn’t fit the mold of a typical massage therapist. This woman is tattooed, dressed differently, and seems to be in excellent shape herself. She represents a new breed of massage practitioner and looks to me like someone who knows what she is doing! I checked with Melisse to learn more and sure enough – this woman is a real massage therapist – not a model! Turns out, this massage therapist, Robin Pickering, is also a Jivamukti yoga instructor in Brooklyn, New York.
For example, take a look at this photo (credit: Erica Beckman) from the Massage Matrix’s Lomi Lomi massage section. This massage therapist doesn’t fit the mold of a typical massage therapist. This woman is tattooed, dressed differently, and seems to be in excellent shape herself. She represents a new breed of massage practitioner and looks to me like someone who knows what she is doing! I checked with Melisse to learn more and sure enough – this woman is a real massage therapist – not a model! Turns out, this massage therapist, Robin Pickering, is also a Jivamukti yoga instructor in Brooklyn, New York.
My favorite part of the first SpaFinder Lifestyle issue is the Massage Matrix where you can plot the kind of massage you want in terms of amount of pressure and amount of relaxation. Then the matrix shows you specifically what type of massage would be ideal for you.
The bottom line is that the various sections, Escapes, Beauty, Spa Living, Well-Being and Melisse’s blog keep me in the loop on how the younger generation is living the spa lifestyle. It is a bit like Daily Candy for spa enthusiasts, only a tad longer and more spa savvy.
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