In a nationwide contest hosted by the 30-plus unit massage and facial spa Hand & Stone, Howell, New Jersey mom, caregiver and nurse, Joanne Vadas, was named “Hardest Working Person in America.” Nominated by her daughter Natalie, Joanne’s story captured the hearts of Hand & Stone fans nationwide, who voted her story the most compelling in the nationwide Facebook contest. As winner, Joanne Vadas will receive free massages for an entire year at Hand & Stone’s Spring Lake location for her selfless giving and hardworking character.Natalie’s nomination stated, “My mom, Joanne, is the hardest working person I know. My father passed away last year from malignant melanoma so for the past two years my mother has been consumed with not only taking care of him for his last few months, but now she is working so very hard to keep this household afloat. She is a nurse in a dermatologist office, and she is on her feet all day-- with one knee replaced and the other needing to be replaced any day now (which she would, except she cannot afford to take the time off of work). She does everything for everyone, but never anything for herself.”
Natalie Vadas’ nomination was one of seven heart-felt nominations selected to move to the final round, where Hand & Stone’s Facebook fans voted on the nominations to determine the winner. Joanne Vadas was announced the winner on Monday, Sept. 20, 2010. The 2nd place winner is Jean Sable of Phoenix, AZ.
“I am amazed, awe struck. I was completely unaware about Natalie (Joanne’s daughter) signing me up for the contest,” said Joanne Vadas. “It came as quite a surprise just how many people had nice things to say and showed their support for me.”
Hand & Stone’s “Hardest Working Person in America” contest was designed to build individualized and personalized connections with would be and established members alike.
“Especially in trying economic times, Americans are forced to work harder and longer hours,” said Todd Leff, CEO of Hand & Stone. “We wanted to hear our member’s stories, as well as the stories of their friends and families, and then reward them with a little relaxation.”
The contest launched Hand & Stone’s social presence and built individualized and personalized connections with their Facebook fans and educated fans about Hand & Stone’s services.
“While the typical massage client used to have to track down a freelance masseuse, schedule an appointment days in advance, and pay over $100 for a one-hour treatment, most Hand & Stone clients book their appointments on the same day as service and pay 30 percent less than the traditional hourly rate,” said Leff, noting that when they sign up for a one-session-per-month plan, they end up paying just $49 per visit.
As massage spas become more mainstream in the health care industry, Hand & Stone stays at the top of the game by adding locations and services to keep the brand fresh. That strategy has proven to be successful, as the addition of facials and waxing to the services roster has boosted the average store sales by over 20 percent during this past year, in a very tough economic environment. Hand and Stone expects to open 15 new locations currently under construction by the year end.
"Most of our franchisees have no massage experience, they are just business people who understand that this industry is ripe for growth and love the fact that we are providing a positive health related service," Leff said. "Twenty-two percent of Americans got a massage last year, and that figure is growing. As massage becomes a more integrated part of health care, we see this business achieving even wider-spread growth and longevity."
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