Arinola Adeniyi, in this interview with KEMI AKINYEMI, traces her sojourn in the spa industry and busts a few myths about it in the country
Q: You left the banking industry for the health and wellness industry. How well did you prepare yourself for the challenges that came with this decision?
A: I guess over the years, God had been preparing me for this, because in my bathroom at home, I had a steam bath for 12 years. And before I used any oil, I would read on what it could do; the benefits and the ones to use at a certain time of the day. So, I have always been very health conscious. I couldn’t survive without doing a massage once a week, even during my banking years. So, I guess I had been prepared gradually for that. And when the time came, the transition was much easier.
Q: But were you not afraid that you were leaving certainty for uncertainty?
A: My calling to run a spa was a vision. My banking years was an ambition, because back then, that probably was the most popular thing. So, it only followed that it was going to be the next step to take. But along the line, I realised that God had a lot more for me to do. I found my purpose. I found my vision and I began to pursue it. I guess when there is a vision, the issue of that kind of fear will not come up. I could just see ahead of a paid employment, I could see ahead of a paid driver, of the official cars and other perks of the job. Even my newspaper in the bank was paid for. But I knew there was a lot more ahead of me. So, I went out with that confidence. It was a God-driven vision, so I knew I could not fail in it. It was something to look forward to. You know when you are doing something new, it is very challenging. There is so much to do and there is so much to learn. You don’t even think of the challenges before you. You are just thinking of where you are going.
Q: What were the initial challenges you faced when setting up the business?
A: The challenges were something new in Nigeria. People didn’t think that it could be imbibed. A lot of people saw it as a white man’s indulgent business. But spas are not really bad. They are also very therapeutic and the benefits are enormous. So, there was this initial attitude of this-is-Oyinbo-business, which was portrayed by many Nigerians.
Q: And how has the journey been so far?
A: The journey has been tough, but the experience has been very encouraging. It has been very good. From the start, it was a very novel idea in Nigeria. It was not a popular thing. So, a lot of awareness and education went into what we were doing. I am very happy people are imbibing it. And the number of spa goers has really improved. People are now more aware and we also have many more spa operators in Nigeria.
Q: Beyond the regular facials and skin care treatment, what other services does Venivici offer its clients?
A: Over the years, what Venivicci strives to do is to keep abreast of events around the world. We always try to keep up with the growth in the spa industry. We just don’t want to set up something and not be able to find out what is new. The Spa industry is an evolving thing. One of the newest things that we do now is the colonic hydrotherapy. This is a complementary therapy. It has been used for thousands of years. But now, they are just being modernised. It is done in a more pleasant way. It is less painful than before. Recently, I trained as a colon therapist. So, I am licensed to perform colonic hydrotherapy. You see, it has been found that colon cancer is the second largest killer all over the world. Moreover, disease of the digestive tract has become one of the most prevalent we are facing at the moment. And what causes it is the way we eat. We don’t take enough fibre in our diet and there is too much refined carbohydrate. So, our digestive system is not working as it is supposed to be. Sometimes, our lifestyles have not helped us in any way. Most people follow diet regimen that are not planned. And then how do you address the years of abuse, of wrong choices, of poor choices, of cigarrette smoking, of alcohol, of indulgences at parties. So, detoxification is the next buzz-word all over the world. Going by the way we live, it has been found that energy medicine is the next best thing for us in modern day terms. We need more energy to fulfil our obligations and to meet all the deadlines that we have and to do what we need to do.
Modern day living is a 24-hour existence. Sometimes we don’t even have the time to think to make the right choices anymore. Invariably, we have become time paupers because we cannot finish what we want to do. And when you wake up the next morning, there is anxiety and all sort of things. So, we find that when you find time to relax, restore and renew yourself by doing spa therapy, then you will be stronger. We have the foot detox, which helps to draw out toxins from other organs of your body. Then we have the body polish which is a form of exfoliation – removal of dead skin cells. We also have body wrap which draws out toxins from the body as well. And then when you do the steam, you will be sweating because we have five major eliminative organs – the lungs, kidneys, sweat glands, skin and colons. We must be able to get rid of toxins from all those organs. But the very crucial ones are the colons and the kidneys.
Q: Why do most people believe that spa treatment is solely for women?
A: It is a misconception. There is something for everybody at the spa. It is not only the women who want to live long. Most people tend to think that it is for women because they think it is a frivolous thing. It is not all about beauty. It is more of health and wellbeing. And until we remove the misconception, people will continue to believe it is for women. Men also benefit a lot from spa treatment. At least, we have a thriving and large male clientele base at Venivici, who know the importance of their health. If your health is important to you, you won’t wait till you fall sick. You will take preventive measures. Recently, I read a story in Forbes magazine about how 20 investment bankers went to a spa to celebrate their friend’s Bachelor’s Eve in New York. So, it is not all about women. There is a thriving male population in the spa business.
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