Back for its second year, American Spa’s Women in Wellness Awards honor the women in our industry for their contributions in making the world a better place. Nominated by their peers and chosen by acclaimed wellness journalists, these women are showing they’re a force with which to be reckoned. Making a profound impact in the industry and beyond, they are leaning in by serving on related industry boards and organizations, discovering untapped opportunities, giving back, and bringing their unique perspective to all that they do.
From September 24 through September 28, each day American Spa will be announcing two new winners of the 2018 Women in Wellness Awards. Today, discover the winner of the Educator & Trainer Award.
Educator & Trainer: This award honors a woman who is making a difference in education and sharing her knowledge of industry topics, products, equipment, and more.
WINNER: Joanne Berry, founder, Wellness Education Hub
A qualified massage therapist, aromatherapist, esthetician, and nail tech, Joanne Berry is a jack of all trades. Her true passion, however, is as a teacher. Her career path has involved teaching others and supporting brands by offering high-quality education to spa and wellness facilities covering product knowledge, specialized treatments, techniques, and bespoke-designed treatment offerings. She has worked for academies in the U.S., such as the elite Bellus Academy, mentoring students entering the industry and teaching them the skill sets they need to be successful. She recently founded the Wellness Education Hub to fulfill the demand for her style of high-energy, high-quality training across the U.S. and internationally. Dedicated and incredibly passionate about contributing to the industry that she loves, Berry has worked hard to learn all facets of the industry, so she can approach education with a well-balanced and knowledgeable approach. For more than two decades, she has shared her skill set and knowledge with audiences around the world. Engaging people with her enthusiasm, humor, and own love of learning, she inspires those around her to continue advancing their skills.
FINALIST: Becky Kuehn, owner, Oncology Spa Solutions
As a leading oncology educator, Becky Kuehn highlights the importance of compassion and healing touch to those who need it most. Having overcome her own challenges with cancer, she has taken her experience and combined it with her passion for helping others to overcome similar situations. Teaching oncology training to spa, salon, and medical professionals, she founded Oncology Spa Solutions, which helps prepare spa professionals to safely and compassionately care for clients with cancer. Striving to have an oncology-trained professional at every hospital and cancer center in the U.S., Kuehn created two patient programs whose mission it is to restore each person’s unique beauty and improve the quality of their life while undergoing cancer treatments. Today, Oncology Spa Solutions has approximately 24 locations in the U.S. with oncology-trained estheticians offering skincare and wig services to cancer patients. “I love to share with each class the life lessons I learned throughout my personal cancer experience and the things I’ve learned from the many clients whose lives have touched mine,” says Kuehn. “We have the opportunity to use the talents and gifts that we as spa professionals have to care for those who are facing cancer.”
FINALIST: Manon Pilon, founder and R&D director, Derme & Co
A true motivator, Manon Pilon has dedicated more than 35 years to sharing her knowledge in the skincare industry and extending her advanced clinical and business expertise internationally among skincare professionals. Getting her start in the industry as an esthetician at a spa in Montreal, Pilon jumped at the opportunity to buy the spa when it was offered to her. She then went on to open several day spa franchises and founded a private esthetic school. After representing the Nelly DeVuyst brand internationally as an educator, Pilon founded Derme & Co., a one-stop shop for spa and medical spa owners. Her passion for continuing education has always been a driving force in her success. She has led skincare conferences worldwide and written and contributed to various articles in the industry. She is also author of Anti-Aging: The Cure Based on Your Body Type (Sgraff; 2007). At Derme & Co., she continues her legacy as an educator by putting together a personalized service and training platform, complete with advanced training and consulting aimed at helping business and health professionals develop more efficient and profitable spas.
Stay tuned on American Spa online, as well on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter as we continue to announce the 2018 Women in Wellness Awards winners all week long. Up next: Spa Consultant and Spa Director on Thursday, 9/26.
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