Irene Macabante works to bring trauma awareness and more inclusivity to the spa industry through her Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Assessment.
Irene Macabante turned her passion into a career by starting a blog that promoted spa safety and inclusivity. Now the founder and CEO of Citrine Consulting Collective, Macabante works to bring trauma awareness and true inclusion to the industry. Most recently, she launched the Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Assessment for spa and wellness businesses. Here, Macabante shares her passion for everything spa and wellness, her favorite self-care practices and her desire to make meaningful, positive change within the industry.
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Irene Macabante turned her passion into a career by starting a blog that promoted spa safety and inclusivity. Now the founder and CEO of Citrine Consulting Collective, Macabante works to bring trauma awareness and true inclusion to the industry. Most recently, she launched the Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Assessment for spa and wellness businesses. Here, Macabante shares her passion for everything spa and wellness, her favorite self-care practices and her desire to make meaningful, positive change within the industry.
How did you get started in spa and wellness?
I’ve been a passionate spa-goer for over 30 years, so going to the spa was a consistent part of my rest and recovery routine at home and while traveling. Friends and colleagues would always ask me which spas to visit; since that’s usually a layered answer, I started a blog that featured radically honest spa reviews and discussions about how to make spas safer and more inclusive. From there, I started focusing my branding and marketing work to include spa and wellness brands so I could be dedicated to this industry.
What are you most passionate about in this industry?
I’m passionate about bringing progress where there has been little to none. Currently, that’s in the holistic health of our people, particularly those who have been marginalized or under-resourced. It’s an uphill climb for sure, but the health and success of the industry depends on it. And, for purely selfish reasons, I really want my regular exceptional massage therapists (who were laid off during the pandemic) to return to work! They seem to be part of the Great Resignation, so I’m passionate about figuring out why and if/how we can bring them back.
Where is your top travel destination?
Maui, Hawai’i, holds a special place in my heart. I have family and roots there, so Maui is the one place I will always go before anywhere else.
What wellness trends do you see emerging?
We are looking deeper into what holistic health means and shifting the perspective to include previously overlooked and ignored points of view. Wellness is being redefined, in that personal and professional wellness is evolving to include concepts like empathy, trauma awareness and true inclusion or belonging. We need practices that incorporate these concepts to be able to fully heal and thrive.
What is your favorite self-care practice?
I have many favorites, and my practice usually depends on how I’m feeling. Right now, my go-to is guided meditation using the Insight Timer app. When I combine that with sitting out in nature, that is my ultimate wellness practice.
What change would you like to see in the industry?
When I started working in this industry, making a meaningful change was at the heart of it. I had several negative experiences at spas that traumatized me, and my blog was a means to share my lived experiences so that they hopefully didn’t happen to anyone else. My work now centers around this in the form of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) and trauma awareness work, which can bring about deep, impactful change for those who invest in it. The wellness industry could use some shifts in DEI and belonging—from the inside out, meaning that it start with leaders and teams through to guests. If we are here to provide authentic wellness experiences, we have to provide it to ourselves first. You can’t give what you don’t have.
