Durham will Serve as Chief Development Officer
Hand & Stone Massage and Facial Spa, a luxury spa concept, named Jennifer Durham Chief Development Officer (CDO). As CDO, Durham will continue the brand’s growth by collaborating with the franchise development, real estate and construction teams. She is one of several new additions to the Hand & Stone’s leadership team, following a year of expansion.
Durham discovered Hand & Stone as a member. “I enjoyed disconnecting from the hustle of life and was intrigued by the industry. Little did I know just how compelling the business model was until I researched further.” With this role, she looks forward to working with franchisees who are as excited about growth as she is.
From Fast-Food to Wellness
Prior to joining Hand & Stone, Durham served as CDO for Cooper’s Hawk Winery and Restaurants. She started her franchising career at fast-casual brand Checkers & Rally’s, and also worked at Intermedia, a cloud communications company. Throughout her time in franchising, Durham has enjoyed “watching new franchisees take the leap to start their own business; it’s a thrill beyond measure and takes serious guts!”
To Durham, the transition from food to wellness has more parallels than one might think. “Ultimately, it’s about the experience; whether it is a delicious meal or a great service, providers who make members and guests feel awesome fuel the business. Our franchise owners know that when they take care of their teams, their teams take care of members and guests.”
Advice for Candidates
When making the decision to buy a franchise, Durham suggests prospective candidates “choose wisely – great leaders build great brands.” She believes that leaders should also be great listeners. “Feedback that results in meaningful operational improvements is critical to brand growth.”
Wellness Industry Trends
Hand & Stone Spa is part of the wellness and medspa services market, which is one of the top trends in franchising. “Hand & Stone is the skincare expert in the industry, and we’re just getting started. We offered facials well before others, and it’s an amazing growth layer of our business,” she says.