For the past few months, my daughter has been binge-watching the entire television series “Mad Men,” and I’ve been rewatching some of the episodes with her. We just reached the finale, and it occurred to me how telling it is that one of the most quintessential shows about New York City ends (spoiler alert) at a meditation retreat on the California coast. The world portrayed in the show was clearly evolving, moving away from a hard-drinking, materialistic, career-before-family-and-everything-else society to a time when introspection and inner peace are celebrated. Ultimately, we’re left wondering if Don Draper, the show’s hero, and his cronies can adapt to the new world.
This theme is related to a topic we tackle in this issue’s cover story, which looks at luxury resorts along the California coast that offer superior wellness programs and amenities. Many of the properties featured in the story did not start out as particularly wellness-focused. Maybe they offered a few varieties of massages here and there, but these resorts have had to adapt to changing times and evolving consumer values and develop holistic programs designed for modern travelers. And by embracing the wellness revolution, they have largely succeeded.
Travel advisors can learn a lot from this approach. Change can be difficult — in most cases, having to rethink a philosophy that has worked well in the past doesn’t happen without some anguish — but it’s the only way to thrive in business. This mindset is especially important for advisors in the West, where consumers are quick to embrace new trends. The region is where the modern concept of wellness entered the mainstream — as the story points out, California leads all other U.S. states when it comes to five-star spas — so savvy agents need to be on the lookout for new options in order to stay a step ahead of their clients.
The key to adapting to trends and changing attitudes is to have an open mind and embrace new ways of thinking. The last thing any businessperson wants is to realize that they are suddenly out of date and no longer relevant.
