Penny is a Wellness Entrepreneur, Director of Moddershall Oaks Country Spa Retreat and founder of MADE Wellness Retreat
1: Tell us a little bit about your business and what makes it special
Welcome to MADE is a 360-degree wellness centre based in Staffordshire. The wellness centre aims to redefine the way in which people view health wellness and aims to create a happier and healthier everyday life through discovery, encouragement, and positivity.
MADE is more than simply a brand but a lifestyle and offers a safe haven for a vibrant community of like-minded and positive people. The centre has the best fitness experts and professionals in the area to provide classes and workshops. As well as boutique gym the wellness centre has a Cycling Cave, treatment rooms for rehabilitation services and a wellness café which makes nutritious food fun!
It is the first business of its kind in Staffordshire. The Midlands as a location is slightly behind London and other main cities in terms of boutique wellness facilities, which is one of the reasons why I launched the business. It is a small and intimate space which is positive and not intimidating. We get a really great variety of members with different goals and needs and the fact that we are boutique means that we are able to provide a personal service tailored to each member. For example, some of our members may come to the centre to get fit and lose weight and others may come for rehabilitation and mental health reasons. We provide an escape for them by providing them a safe space to focus on themselves.
2: How would you describe your business culture and why is this culture important?
The culture is very much collaborative. I lead the team from a business point of view, but the amazing team that works inside MADE are very qualified and experts in their area so provide a real knowledge to the team and our customers. They take part in everything from social media ideas and promotion ideas to events and campaigns. It is very much a team effort! Wellness has so many branches to it so it has always been important to me that each member of the team, with their own unique expertise, is able to share ideas and collaborate.
3: What or who motivates or inspires you in business?
~Business Game Changer Special Promotion~
I am always inspired by females leading in business. I do feel like it is more difficult as a woman in business, so I particularly look up to female entrepreneurs in the wellness space.
4: What are your business goals for the next five years?
In the next 5 years, I would love to expand our scope in Staffordshire in terms of healthy catering and wellness services to the area. This would involve corporate wellness to businesses but also family wellness and schools, it is so important that we introduce the notion of wellness early for the next generation. There is so much scope in the local area for Staffordshire – and beyond!
5: Name one book every business person should read and why they should read it.
I love books and podcasts that explore personalities and what shapes a person. Psychology of it is great.
I love the book ‘It’s a zoo around here’ by Nigel Risner. I have seen him talk a couple of times and his book is an incredible exploration of the human psyche, relating them to animals. It’s very useful to find out how to communicate effectively, work with and how to get the best out of each personality type. It is from a business perspective so very easy to implement in your team. In all teams a ‘one size fits all’ approach does not work, and this book helps to explore different ways to work with each personality.
