To relieve stress, visit a spa... or open a spa!
Many exhausted financiers indulge in spa treatments to relax and unwind. Oliver went one step further by leaving his stressful hedge-fund job to set up a peaceful day spa business.How I can help Esc members
I can provide business advice and general encouragement for free. My staff can also provide total relaxation for body and mind for a fee!
Currently...
Together my wife and I take care of our two lovely children, Alexandra and Oscar, as well as our spa business. Following on from the success of our first spa, So Thai Spa London, we have now moved to Thailand to grow the business further.
We have already established a second spa, So Thai Spa Bangkok, and our third and fourth branches, both in Thailand, are currently being fitted out.
Before I escaped...
I worked in finance for six years, starting with four years as a junior investment banker at Credit Suisse, in London, followed by two years as an investment analyst at Park Square Capital, also in London.I quit my job after the birth of my first child to spend more time with her, as it was not really practical for her to come to the office with me!
My moment of truth...
Although I enjoyed many aspects of my career in finance, such as working on many high-profile and important deals, I always dreamed of doing something less serious.During an emotionally challenging first day back at work after parental leave, I decided it was time for a change.
Planning for it...
While I was still working, my wife started the business on a small-scale to test the level of demand. Given the success of this experiment, I was confident enough about the company's prospects to invest my savings and forfeit the relative security of a fixed monthly salary.
The worst and best bits...
The best bit is seeing my children grow up, and playing an active role in their development. The worst bit is changing dirty nappies.With regards to the career change:
The best bit is not having to arrive at work at a certain time. The worst bit is that I never really leave work.
Best advice...
Despite the wide body of academic literature covering the subject, it was only after real experience as an entrepreneur that I came to understand that execution is just as important as idea generation.I would advise anyone considering starting their own business to be aware that a unique business idea will not automatically infer great success, and that even without an original idea, a business can still rise above its competitors.