Lisa Starr, principal of Wynne Business and 35-year spa and wellness industry veteran, has launched the StarrCast podcast, interviewing wellness professionals about their career path.

Industry figure and consultant Mia Kyricos was the latest guest, discussing her predictions for industry trends and how she sees significant growth potential in wellness communities, real-estate and wellness technology.

Kyricos serves on multiple corporate boards including as a founding board member of the Global Wellness Institute (GWI) and Global Wellness Summit, and now focuses on strategic and brand advisory at her consulting firm Kyricos & Associates.

“Overall, I think we’ll see a deepening and broadening of each one of the GWI’s industry bubbles. Wellness isn’t slowing down anytime soon as COVID-19 is serving as a catalyst for the business of wellness and wellbeing," she said.

“People are also shifting their focus and the conversation we’ve tried to have about living and leading well at work and in our communities has been put on warp speed.

“The pandemic has reminded us of our mortality and, more than anything, the importance of our health. This has levelled the playing field globally and that’s exciting for all of us in the industry.”

Starr agreed and said consumers are now starting to truly comprehend and commit to wellness.

“At the end of the day we're definitely in the business of prevention and it’s ensuring our longevity for years to come,” added Kyricos.

“We have the power to help people live longer, happier and richer lives, and it’s a real privilege. We need more people to help carry this work forward and I’ve never been more bullish on the business of wellness and wellbeing than I am today.”

Kyricos is one of eight interviews from Season One of StarrCast, where individuals from six countries reflect on their career and industry experience (see list below).

Hailing from around the globe, the podcast’s interviewees are from widely different backgrounds, including everything from hospitality, F&B and fitness, to areas such as linguistics, the law, marketing, investment and acadaemia.

The goal of the podcast is to encourage those in established careers wanting to make a change, or young people thinking of their future, to consider a position in the wellness industry.

“I started the podcast because so many of us in spa and wellness have taken different paths into our fulfilling jobs, and I’ve always found the stories fascinating,” said Starr.

“There is so much opportunity to work in wellness, but career paths are undefined, often unpredictable, and even unplanned.”

StarrCast will cover the entire spectrum of the wellness industry, including spa and beauty, holistic and integrative health, nutrition, fitness, workplace wellness, wellness tourism and wellness communities.

Seasons two and three will be released in the next few weeks.

StarrCast season one line-up

• Alfrida Boinett, CEO Private Collection, Kenya
• Andrew Gibson, wellness visionary, Sweden
• Elena Bogacheva, president Spa & Wellness International Council, Russia
• Karen Mitchell, beauty therapist, UK
• Mia Kyricos, president, Kyricos & Associates, USA
• Michael Tompkins, partner, Hutchinson Consulting, USA
• Sara Jones, nanaging director and editor of Spa & Wellness MexiCaribe, Mexico
• Tara Grodjesk, VP Massage, Spa & Wellness at Living Earth Crafts, USA