Meet Twila Kelly of Spa Development International in Scottsdale

Today we’d like to introduce you to Twila Kelly.

So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I was born and raised in Kotzebue, Alaska, north of the Arctic Circle. I am the daughter of parents who were entrepreneurs. My father, Jay Caldwell, M.D., is a sports medicine physician who owned his own practice for over twenty-five years in Anchorage. My mother, Diana Caldwell, Ed.D, was professor of education and taught in the area of special education for many years at the University of Alaska Anchorage. Being raised by two successful parents taught me the value of hard work and education. But I also learned that I didn’t have to work for someone else to be successful, I could work with people to be successful.

From the age of eight, I was a successful competitive swimmer and earned a swimming scholarship to North Carolina State University. Being an athlete was my first job and from it I learned the meaning of hard work, commitment, perseverance and the importance of a positive attitude. Because swimming is both an individual sport and a team sport, I needed to be able to work with my coaches and teammates to be successful.

After graduating N.C State with a BA in Communications, I trained for and finished my first Ironman Triathlon. These achievements early in my life became the platform for my personal and professional success.

One of my first jobs, seventeen years ago, was in the Spa and Wellness Center in the Phoenician Resort. It was there that I was introduced to the excitement of the hospitality industry.

While working at the Phoenician, I learned about what was needed to run a successful spa and salon and realized there was a need in the industry for someone to guide spa and salon directors in selecting the appropriate equipment for their guests, to provide those tools, and to support the staff in their use. My objective has always been to accomplish these goals while also creating and maintaining genuine personal relationships with my clients.

In 2006 my hard work in establishing relationships with people in the spa industry came to fruition. I launched my company, Spa Development International, with my closest friend as the Vice President of Operations. Together, we created the successful spa and salon distribution company that we have today. We are a respected distributor of spa and salon equipment and supplies to hotels and resorts all over the world.

My passion today is consulting with clients on major spa and salon equipment purchases, project management, and spa and salon operations. Because of my extensive experience with salon and spa equipment I have worked with many leading hotels, resorts, and destination spas in their development, upgrading, or remodeling. Many of our projects have been featured in Day Spa Magazine, Spa Magazine, American Spa Magazine, and Spa Management Magazine.

While consulting with clients on spa and salon equipment purchases and helping to manage their projects, it is my goal that they will feel my passion, which is contagious, for the industry, allowing them to enjoy the often tedious and frustrating development process! I truly enjoy educating people on spa and salon equipment, helping them purchase the right items to run their businesses successfully, and managing their orders during crucial phases of hotel openings and remodeling. I especially love working with teams of staff to define and achieve their own goals. I believe my commitment to work hard and to the personal relationships I’ve fostered makes Spa Development International enjoyable to work with and successful.

After starting my business I met and married my husband and we now have two young children; I am also the proud stepmother to my husband’s two children. Being a busy mom and wife and running a company are the keys to my happiness. I love working hard and working with people, my two favorite ingredients for a successful and happy personal and professional life.

Whether it be with a client, a friend, or family, trust is what makes everything work in my life. In today’s busy social media environment, it’s easy to work through emails and text messages, but I prefer the sound of a human voice, a face-to-face meeting, and a genuine and trustworthy personal relationship.

As my life has evolved, I have endeavored to evolve with it. I look forward to the rest of my professional life and to continuing to make Spa Development International a successful and fun company. Someday I hope to reach a level of success that will permit me to become involved in a charity foundation where I can continue to work with and assist a wide range of people.

Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
I have experienced “bumps’ along the way over the last 12 years, the main one was in 2009 and 2010 with the Recession. I was working on the City Center project in Las Vegas Nevada, when the crash happened and thankfully the funds had already been approved for the project. During these difficult two years, I had to rely on my relationships with clients to keep the business going. While the spa opening and remodel portion of our business slowed down and pretty much stopped during the recession. It provided us with an opportunity to grow our supplies portion of our business. It was my drive to be proactive and ask clients what they needed from us instead of being responsive that kept us going during these difficult years.

Please tell us about Spa Development International, LLC.
Simply put, Spa Development International is a one-stop provider of all things spa and salon—including furniture, fixtures, equipment and operating supplies, as well as design, development, and consulting for spas and salons.

From our headquarters in Scottsdale, Arizona, we’ve built a worldwide network of manufacturers and providers, ensuring that we can give our clients the highest level of quality and support, at the most cost-effective price.

We believe in the added value we provide, from personalized customer service and troubleshooting, to the continuous communication we provide before, during, and after your project. We offer an organized ordering and delivery system—creating customized schedules to ensure proper order placement and delivery of your equipment. We are a client advocate, here to guide you every step of the way and answer any questions you may have. Ultimately, our main focus is to support you, and keep your guests coming back!

There are a few other companies in our industry that do what we do. We can all get the same equipment at the same price and the main thing that makes us different from our competitors is me. It is the relationship that I create with my clients that separates us from our competition.

If you had to go back in time and start over, would you have done anything differently?
Nothing. I believe that I am where I am today because that’s how I set it up. I wouldn’t have changed a thing!

Contact Info:

• Address: 8902 E Via Linda Suite 110-21 Scottsdale, AZ 85258
• Website: www.spadev.com
• Phone: 888-474-4SDI (4734)
• Email: twila@spadev.com

Image Credit:
Aria Hotel & Casino, Las Vegas, NV
Vdara Hotel & Casino, Las Vegas, NV
The Post Oak Hotel & Spa, Houston, TX

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