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At Work
Pg 34 - At Work with Cici Coffee
The owner of Natural Body-whose spa empire will stretch across seven states and 14 stores by year's end-shares her beginnings, her tips for being green, and her Rx for staying sane.
Who: Cici Coffee, owner of Natural Body day spas and a founding member of the Green Spa Network
Where: Atlanta, Georgia
Why: Because she has been on the cutting edge of green spas since launching her first location in 1989.
Organic Spa: You launched Natural Body before green was mainstream. How'd you get your start?
Cici Coffee I have a sports and fitness background. I was a user and broker of natural cosmetics in the late 1980s, before The Body Shop was [in the U.S.] I was very young-only 24-and I was passionate about the environment.
OS: At first Natural Body just sold natural cosmetics and products. How did you segue into offering spa services?
CC: I thought that the products we were selling deserved more of a platform, more attention, so we created a sampling room in the back of our first retail store. I look at it today and we were basically giving away spa services for one or two hours. We opened the spa on Mother's Day 1989, with massage therapists and estheticians. Customers were getting upset that they couldn't get in!
OS: Natural Body is a founding member of the Green Spa Network (GSN). Tell us about that.
CC: Along with my partner Celia Tully, we were a handful of people that came together to form the communications hub for spa industry leaders who wanted to conduct their businesses more sustainably. We are building the collaborative platform that will support a green transformation in the spa community, with the guests that frequent us, and the communities in which we do business. GSN includes and encourages people wherever they are in the process of developing a sustainable business. We lead by example to encourage best practices rather than certifying, rating, or endorsing. This is a culture of merit more than metrics, where accomplishments are publicized and celebrated.
OS: What environmental initiatives does Natural Body practice?
CC: We made a commitment to rethink all our business practices, to lessen consumption, and integrate sustainable resources. Small things are cumulative; organizing and systems are key. We're into refilling, recycling, and reusing, from energy efficient light bulbs and equipment to toner cartridges. We no longer dry towels used in wet treatments and we've downsized to a smaller bowl for soaking feet. The beauty is, you won't miss a thing.
OS: One of your newest locations in Atlanta is LEED (Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design) certified. Can you give us some tips to help determine how green a spa is?
CC: Ask if they are a member of the Green Spa Network. Ask to see the spa recycling guide. Ask the spa what it does to conserve water, or if it has had a water use audit. Ask if the spa has received an energy audit and what they changed as a result of the audit. Ask to see the spa's natural, organic skincare line. Ask to see the spa's cleaning products and verify they are non-toxic and biodegradable. Ask if they are buying energy offsets. Natural Body does all of that.
OS: Your headquarters are in Atlanta. Is there a Southern sensibility to the way you do business?
CC: Definitely. We are immersed in our community, which is a Southern value. Customers talked to us about PETA and rescuing dogs, they bought retail products in San Francisco and gave them to us to source. It's like when somebody next door brings you a pie, then you bring them a pie. That's the way we do business.
OS: In terms of your treatments, I adore the herbal friction massage. What's your favorite Natural Body treatment?
CC: I love our signature massage that hasn't changed since our inception; it's a fusion of different modalities. I'm a regular, but I confess, I get bumped. In a perfect world, I get massaged weekly.
OS: What else do you do to stay balanced?
CC: I'm a closet "blender," so I love concocting my own aromatherapy oils to address whatever is going on emotionally with me. Then I take an amazing soak with a beautiful glass of wine and get into a different zone. Verana in Puerto Vallarta is my favorite place to disappear and get wonderful services-second only to Natural Body, of course. It's sheer heaven.
-Suzanne Wright