Hello! And welcome to the first ALIGNED backstory of the year 2024! I love firsts. And this story is a big one...
Whenever and wherever this story finds you, know that I'm sending you wishes for a happy and abundant new year, full of everything your heart desires.
If you’ve read my book, ALIGNED, you may know that I’m celebrating the 11 year anniversary of taking the biggest leap of faith in my life, which was when I took a 5 month self-imposed sabbatical from my company Align Spa in Park City, Utah. I didn’t have a clear plan or curriculum for my sabbatical, in that it was more of an experiment with combined intentions, such as wanting to write, wanting to explore a new me and wanting to be bold about all of it. The sabbatical was inspired after considering the sale of Align to a client and friend, but I said no to him after his offer came in at a price I’d never consider.
But what I wanted to say yes to was the exploration of who else could Harriet be? Was I allowed to do that? A sabbatical at 35? Do people do that? It felt bold, exciting and scary, which is kind of a fun combo.
For 10 years I’d shown up almost every day to answer the Align Spa phone, making myself available pretty much 24/7 to do massage, work the desk and be the primary solution seeker and vision holder for Align. My commitment was fierce, the company’s why was deep and the vision was clear and in motion as I got to witness the flow of talented therapists enthusiastically sharing their gifts with grateful clients.
The “A Team” was a strong force of empowered leaders and healers and its roots ran deep and were felt and nurtured by staff and clients.
So with the encouragement and blessing from the A team, I felt the excitement and freedom to go exploring myself and what I wanted to be outside of showing up at my spa everyday. But Align held my hand in this self exploration, in that I remained the 100% owner, and I stayed on payroll, but I entrusted the day to day operations to two of Align’s senior staff, Calli and Amy. It was a scenario that was a win win. We created the position of Spa Director, they both took on the role and poco a poco we removed almost all things from my work plate and passed them over to Calli and Amy. And for 5 months I set myself free of letting Align be my chief focus, concern and priority.
It felt strange and a little scary, but also liberating.
My sabbatical began December 1, 2012, the day I also had an unplanned break up with my 90% awesome boyfriend. He was great, but something intangible was missing, so I took that leap of faith as well that there was someone else out there for me, who was more aligned with who I wanted to become. But my ex still dropped me off at the airport in Salt Lake City on December 2nd, to depart on a yoga retreat in Costa Rica that I’d booked 11 months earlier not knowing why I needed to be there, but feeling a strong yes. The last thing my new ex said to me before I got out of the car was, “I hope you go to Costa Rica and figure out if this relationship is what you want. I’m just scared you’re going to go and fall in love.”
And I lovingly laughed.
Because it seemed completely inconceivable given the retreat I was going on was more of a self-help and empowerment retreat with an older audience. And so I hugged him goodbye and took flight with no expectations other than to be open to who and what came my way.
And along came Adam Lanka.
He strolled into my life when he came along selling crystals and offering energy balancing sessions to hotel guests from the retreat I was on. And once Adam entered my life, everything instantly changed.
So perhaps my ex boyfriend was more tuned in than we thought- wink.
Two weeks after meeting Adam in Costa Rica, I spontaneously flew him to Salt Lake City to spend Christmas with me. I remember telling Thomas, one of Align's longest standing staff members that I thought Adam was "The One," and he laughed...but in a sweet way. He might have even muttered, “I have heard that before H.” And sure, I knew he had a point, especially since Thomas had known me a long time. But I also knew this thing with Adam felt very different.
Adam and I spent 9 days together over that Christmas holiday, and he met Calli and Amy, a lot of other work friends, he did some healing sessions on some staff and clients, and he met my mom, sister, brother-in-law, and my brother and his wife at a family Christmas party in Park City. It was a lot. But Adam handled it all perfectly.
We also flew on Christmas Eve to go visit and stay with Adam’s family in Chicago, and I met 30+ of his aunts, uncles and cousins at his family Christmas party. People of course asked how long we'd been together, and I nervously laughed when I told them it had been about 16 days. But they loved it and couldn’t have been more welcoming to me.
And now 11 years after that first Christmas together in 2012, I got to enjoy Christmas once again at the Lanka's house in Chicago...except this time Adam and I are married, we have two amazing children and we have a yoga and retreat center in Potrero, Costa Rica, The Lanktuary. So lot has changed since my first visit Christmas in 2012.
But the biggest difference this year is that back in 2012 I had no idea what life could be like for me outside of Align. Whereas on our trip in 2023, I've been making the final arrangements to officially sell The Align Spa to the two women I first entrusted to step in and run it for me 11 years ago.
The plot twist few saw coming...
Even Calli and Amy were shocked when I first came up with the idea towards the end of 2022. But I’m confident the spa couldn’t be in better hands. Align has thrived, grown and improved so much under Calli and Amy's leadership, so I look forward to seeing what expands for everyone under their ownership. I feel like a proud spa mom and friend.
As far as Align’s day to day operations and flow, you as a client won’t feel a thing. And that’s the beauty of it. But what you might feel is some increased excitement from the team; particularly in Calli and Amy. So when or if you see them, please congratulate them on achieving this huge goal of ownership that they’ve worked hard to achieve. They deserve it. Especially since Amy was one of the first hires I made back in 2003, and then Calli joined in 2005.
As far as myself, Adam and our family in Costa Rica, we still love Align dearly and will always be a part of the A Team, but now in a new way, as the founder and adoring clients. When we’re in town, you’ll still see us in the spa lobby waiting to get our favorite treatments, or we’ll be back in the staff room laughing and giving hugs, or we may be trying to get a treatment from Dr. Malin. So this is not the end of my story with Align, it’s just a plot twist that benefits everyone.
Please know that Adam and I still welcome Align clients and any of our friends to be our guests at the Lanktuary in Potrero, where you can enjoy a personal getaway, a retreat, a family or friend gathering, a yoga class or massage with me or enjoy a wellness workshop at Heart & Flow Yoga.
I will also be continuing the celebration of releasing my ALIGNED book with an accompanying ALIGNED retreat series. And I'm excited to share that the first guest/co-host I've invited to join me is none other than Scott Moore, who is the man, the myth and the legend who helped usher the ALIGNED story out of me and who wrote the intro to ALIGNED. Scott has been a trusted guide, friend, yoga teacher and influence in my life since around 2008, so it's an honor to now explore co-hosting a retreat with him. The ALIGNED retreat series feels like an invitation to be myself fully and share who and what I love with others.
You can wait to hear from the spa for more on the ALIGNED retreat series, or you can message me directly from this story.
Thanks for being a part of our Align Spa journey from me beginning in a 1 room massage office at Red Pine Condo Clubhouse in 2002, to becoming a bustling high vibe mecca and magnet for healing, wellness and great people. It sure has been a wild ride.
Onward The Align Spa goes with love and new owners. I love you Calli and Amy. It has been a pleasure serving with you the last 18-20 years and I know you love Align as much as I do.
Never forget the pleasure of the journey.
Much Love,
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