The Wellness in Hospitality Podcast

Sonal Uberoi
  • 5.0 (1)
  • HEALTH & FITNESS

Get insights firsthand! Join top global wellness expert and author, Sonal Uberoi, as she shares insights from hoteliers all over the world, managing all types of hotels, each with their unique set of challenges (location, owners, regulations, teams, etc.), and learn their wellness in hospitality best practices.

  1. 5D AGO

    140. 3 Reasons Why Pricing by Time Is the Worst Business Strategy for Wellness Consultants

    Most new consultants think the safest way to price their work is by the hour or by the day. It feels logical, familiar, and measurable.​    But the truth is pricing by time is the fastest way to stay underpaid, undervalued, and stuck in your old employee identity, no matter how talented you are.    Let’s look at how this actually shows up for new wellness consultants in real life.    When new consultants join The Wellness Consultant Blueprint, the same pattern appears every time.​  They finally find the courage to step into consulting… and the first question they obsess over is: “What’s the going hourly rate for consultants in my market?”    Unlike many of my peers, I never billed by the hour or by the day. In my Goldman Sachs days, pricing was fundamentally tied to value, and when I later saw consulting firms reduce everything to hours and day rates, the lack of coherence was impossible to ignore. That contrast is a big reason my clients resonate with my work today: it is never about renting my time, it is about the transformation we create together with complete transparency.    In this episode, I explain the 3 reasons why:    1.- Hourly pricing exposes an employee mindset  When you charge for your hours, you are still operating as if someone else owns your time.​  Consultants are paid for value, not hours; if something takes you 3 hours while it takes someone else 50, you should not be paid less for being more skilled.    ​2.- Hourly pricing makes it all about you, not the client  If your “bad day” takes twice as long, your client pays more; if your ninja-skill takes half the time, they pay less.  ​  Clients do not care about your hours, they care about the outcome you promised.    3.- Hourly pricing creates incongruence  Not all tasks have equal value.  ​A high-value P&L projection that takes you 3 hours is worth far more than 3 days of SOP writing, yet hourly pricing often pays the opposite.        ​  By sticking to time-based pricing, you cap your earning potential and exhaust your time freedom  ​  By the end of this episode, you’ll understand why hourly pricing keeps you trapped in a job-like business, the mindset shift required to think like an entrepreneur, how value-based pricing unlocks scalable, service-driven, long-term growth, and why consultants who focus on output instead of hours create exponential revenue and impact.

    30 min

  2. DEC 14

    139. 5 Myths Wellness Leaders Believe About Consulting

    Most wellness leaders think consulting will finally free them: from operations, chaos, long hours, and everyone else’s demands. You don’t escape the fires; you trade the operational fires you know for business fires you’ve never handled before, and that’s what makes the transition feel so disorienting.  Here’s how that plays out when you actually leave operations and step into consulting.  When you leave operations, consulting looks like the calm, strategic next step: no more therapists calling in sick, angry guests, or last‑minute GM requests. Then the new problems arrive (late client payments, scope disagreements, tax bills, cash‑flow tension) and you realise you’ve stepped into a different kind of pressure that takes time and practice to navigate.    Here are the 3 things you’ll learn:    1.- The 5 myths about consulting that quietly mislead wellness leaders  You’ll see where common beliefs about freedom, time, money, and expertise set you up for disappointment, and what’s actually true about the early years of consulting.  ​2.- What consulting really looks like behind the scenes  You’ll get an honest look at the “unsexy 50%” of consulting: marketing, selling, proposals, admin, timelines, boundaries, and cash‑flow management, so you’re not blindsided when these become part of your weekly reality.    ​3.- How the pressure really changes (and how to handle it)  You’ll understand how you’re not escaping pressure but upgrading it, from internal operational demands to full ownership of your business, and what you can do to make that upgrade safer, more sustainable, and less emotionally draining.    By the end of this episode, you’ll be able to spot these five myths in your own thinking, understand what consulting actually asks of you (emotionally, financially, and practically), and see the concrete shifts you need to make so your move into consulting feels intentional, sustainable, and on your terms. _______ Are you ready to take wellness to the next level? Here are 2 ways I can help: 1️⃣  WHO: Wellness directors who want to join 1% of wellness leaders 📌 WHAT: The Wellness Asset Academy A 10-week online group programme where I guide you through my 7-step ESSENCE framework. Achieve higher pay and secure a genuine seat at the hotel’s big table—so wellness is no longer the most neglected area in the hotel. →  Join the waitlist here. 2️⃣  WHO: Owners of small, independent hotels with a strong wellbeing focus 📌 WHAT: Asset Builder Mentorship Exclusive 6-month 1:1 mentorship programme to master creating a wellness asset, build a proud team, and deliver transformative experiences for your guests.

    25 min

  3. DEC 7

    138. The Safety Net Every Wellness Consultant Needs

    If you’re standing at the top of your wellness career and quietly wondering, “How do I move into consulting without losing the security I’ve worked so hard for?”, this episode gives you the answer with clarity and honesty.    I’ve watched so many senior wellness leaders reach the highest point of their careers, great salaries, respected roles, global exposure, only to realise the excitement is gone. The travel feels heavier. The work feels bland. And yet the fear of leaving is bigger than ever, because the leap from a high salary into consulting feels impossible.    I know that tension well.    In my 18 years of consulting, I had to return to full-time employment twice, not because I didn’t have the clients, but because I hadn’t yet built the skill to ensure I got paid for the work I delivered. That experience shaped the consultant I became.    I learned the hard way that consulting isn’t about matching your current salary; it’s about knowing the real cost of your life, building the safety net to sustain it, and giving your business the time it needs to grow. The only reason I’m still here, almost two decades later, is because I understood that my safety net wasn’t optional, it was the thing that kept my business alive.    Most wellness leaders don’t fail because they’re underqualified.    They fail because they expect their consulting business to feed them before it has even learned to walk. This episode shows you how to transition strategically, safely, and from a place of strength.      Here are 3 things you’ll learn:    1.- Why matching your salary isn’t enough when transitioning into consulting, and the real revenue number you need to maintain your lifestyle.    2.- How to build a proper safety net (the kind that protects you and gives your consulting business room to grow).    3.- The mindset shift that separates consultants who thrive from those who are forced back into employment long before they’re ready.    By the end of this episode you’ll know exactly why your safety net is the most important step in your transition, and how to build one that supports your consulting career long-term.

    23 min

  4. NOV 30

    137. What Exactly Does A Wellness Consultant Do?

    Most wellness leaders feel the pull toward consulting, and then freeze on one simple question:  “But what would I actually do?”    In this episode, I break it down clearly and practically, so you finally understand what the role really looks like.    When wellness leaders ask me, “Sonal, what does a wellness consultant actually do?” I always smile because I remember being in that exact place myself.    Years ago, when I first stepped into consulting, I thought I could do everything. I had just come off a successful pre-opening in the Middle East, so when a boutique hotel in Spain hired me for my first consulting project, I rolled up my sleeves and jumped straight into operations. I created the concept, opened the spa, trained the team — all the things I knew how to do exceptionally well.    What I didn’t realise was that the moment I got pulled into day-to-day execution, I lost the strategic altitude that a consultant is supposed to hold.  I wasn’t guiding the why or the what.  I was drowning in the how.    Fast forward nearly 20 years, and I’m consulting with the same owners again. Their wellness facility is still beautiful but strategically, it’s as if they’re starting from scratch.    Not because they failed or because the concept was wrong.    But because no one stayed above the day-to-day to protect the strategy, refine the concept, and iterate as the market evolved.    That realisation changed the entire trajectory of my consulting career.    A consultant is not an upgraded wellness director.  A consultant is the strategist — the guide — who shapes the why and the what so the team on the ground can execute the how.    And once you understand that distinction, you also start to see the three natural consulting paths that wellness leaders grow into and which one might be the right next step for you.      Here are the 3 Things you’ll learn in this episode:    1.- The real difference between consulting and operations  How consultants own the why and the what, while wellness directors own the how, and why a hotel needs both.    2.- The three consulting paths wellness leaders naturally move into  Internal Advisor, Project-Based Consultant, and Strategic/Specialist Consultant, and what each path looks like in practice.    3.- Why operational excellence alone isn’t enough to become a consultant  And what mindset and skill shift is required to make your transition successful.    By the end of the episode, you will see clearly what wellness consultants actually do. You will also understand how the role differs from, and complements, that of a wellness director.  _______ Are you ready to take wellness to the next level? Here are 2 ways I can help: 1️⃣  WHO: Wellness directors who want to join 1% of wellness leaders 📌 WHAT: The Wellness Asset Academy A 10-week online group programme where I guide you through my 7-step ESSENCE framework. Achieve higher pay and secure a genuine seat at the hotel’s big table—so wellness is no longer the most neglected area in the hotel. →  Join the waitlist here. 2️⃣  WHO: Owners of small, independent hotels with a strong wellbeing focus 📌 WHAT: Asset Builder Mentorship Exclusive 6-month 1:1 mentorship programme to master creating a wellness asset, build a proud team, and deliver transformative experiences for your guests. →

    38 min

  5. NOV 23

    136. The Sunken Cost Trap

    What if the reason you feel stuck isn’t your job, your boss, or your hotel but the story you’re telling yourself about everything you’ve already invested?  In this episode, I share a pattern I see over and over again with wellness leaders, and one I lived myself.  You pour years into a role. You stay loyal. You work harder. You deliver more. You wait for the next position, the recognition, the title that will finally validate all the effort you’ve invested.  And when it doesn’t come… you tell yourself to wait a little longer.  That “wait a little longer” becomes years.  This is the sunken cost trap.  And it quietly keeps some of the most talented wellness leaders stuck in roles they have long outgrown, and keeps boutique hotels attached to wellness offerings that no longer work.    In today’s episode, we’ll cover 3 key points:    1.- Why loyalty often disguises fear, and how to know when you’re staying for the wrong reasons.  2.- The real risk no one talks about, and why staying too long compounds the cost of burnout, income loss, and missed opportunities.  3.- How to honour your past experience without letting it trap you, and the mindset shift that turns everything you’ve built into the foundation of your consulting career.  By the end of this episode, you’ll know how to recognise when the sunken cost trap is running your decisions, the questions to ask yourself before waiting “one more year”, and why pivoting isn’t failure, it’s leadership. And how to redirect your experience into your next stage of growth.  _______ Are you ready to take wellness to the next level? Here are 2 ways I can help: 1️⃣  WHO: Wellness directors who want to join 1% of wellness leaders 📌 WHAT: The Wellness Asset Academy A 10-week online group programme where I guide you through my 7-step ESSENCE framework. Achieve higher pay and secure a genuine seat at the hotel’s big table—so wellness is no longer the most neglected area in the hotel. →  Join the waitlist here. 2️⃣  WHO: Owners of small, independent hotels with a strong wellbeing focus 📌 WHAT: Asset Builder Mentorship Exclusive 6-month 1:1 mentorship programme to master creating a wellness asset, build a proud team, and deliver transformative experiences for your guests. →  Become a steward of true hospitality. 💡 Why work with me? I know what works with wellness and I also know what doesn’t. I’ve made the mistakes so you don’t need to – saving you thousands of dollars on bad decisions. ✅ #1 best-selling author, global wellness expert  ✅ 40+ projects in 20+ countries across Europe, Middle East and Asia Pacific  ✅ Top brands: Abadía Retuerta, Four Seasons Hotels & Resorts, Accor, Six Senses Resorts & Spas  ✅ Interviewed over 150+ hoteliers worldwide

    28 min

  6. NOV 16

    135. From Spa Director To General Manager With Dr. Rajesh Bail

    What does it take to move from managing spa menus to running an entire wellness resort?    Dr Rajesh Bail’s story is proof that when you blend scientific curiosity with commercial acumen, wellness stops being a “department” and becomes the heartbeat of the business.  In this conversation, I sit down with Dr Rajesh Bail, General Manager of Swastik Wellbeing in Pune, India, a resort that’s redefining what modern wellness hospitality looks like.    Dr Rajesh began his career as a research scientist, driven by one question: How can we prove that wellness works?     That question led him from research to practice, and from spa operations to leading wellness ventures for global hotel brands like JW Marriott, Kempinski, and Taj.    Today, as a General Manager, he’s part of a rare group of leaders who’ve built their careers on both science and strategy, showing what’s possible when wellness professionals stop waiting for opportunity and start creating it.  In our conversation we uncover 3 key topics:  1.- Why credibility is the next crisis in wellness.  As the market explodes, authenticity and integrity will decide who lasts and who fades.    2.- How to build wellness concepts that perform.  The difference between a beautiful idea and a profitable one lies in measurable outcomes, guest retention, and credibility.  3.- How wellness leaders can move up or branch out.  The same skills that make you a strong spa director can make you an extraordinary consultant, if you know how to communicate value in business terms.  By the end of the episode, you’ll see how top wellness leaders are stepping into roles once reserved for GMs, and why this shift signals the beginning of a new era where wellness leadership and business leadership are one and the same.  If you’ve ever wondered what your next move could look like beyond the spa doors, this episode will open that door for you.  _______ Are you ready to take wellness to the next level? Here are 2 ways I can help: 1️⃣  WHO: Wellness directors who want to join 1% of wellness leaders 📌 WHAT: The Wellness Asset Academy A 10-week online group programme where I guide you through my 7-step ESSENCE framework. Achieve higher pay and secure a genuine seat at the hotel’s big table—so wellness is no longer the most neglected area in the hotel. →  Join the waitlist here. 2️⃣  WHO: Owners of small, independent hotels with a strong wellbeing focus 📌 WHAT: Asset Builder Mentorship Exclusive 6-month 1:1 mentorship programme to master creating a wellness asset, build a proud team, and deliver transformative experiences for your guests. →  Become a steward of true hospitality. 💡 Why work with me? I know what works with wellness and I also know what doesn’t. I’ve made the mistakes so you don’t need to – saving you thousands of dollars on bad decisions. ✅ #1 best-selling author, global wellness expert  ✅ 40+ projects in 20+ countries across Europe, Middle East and Asia Pacific  ✅ Top brands: Abadía Retuerta, Four Seasons Hotels & Resorts, Accor, Six Senses Resorts & Spas  ✅ Interviewed over 150+ hoteliers worldwide

    35 min

  7. NOV 9

    134. Why Pain Pays Bills And Aspiration Builds The Business

    Most wellness leaders build their offers around fixing pain:   👉🏽 stress, burnout, imbalance.    But the consultants who create real impact and longevity build around aspiration:   👉🏽 who their clients want to become, not just what they want to fix.    This idea came up during a live training with students inside The Wellness Consultant Blueprint.    We were discussing how to create a signature offer that led to a powerful realisation:  👉🏽 There are two ways to build a business.    You can build around pain  ↳ solving problems that bring quick results but little loyalty.    Or you can build around aspiration  ↳ helping clients evolve into the next version of themselves.    I’ve done both.    For years, I built my business around clients’ pain: hotels that didn’t know how to build wellness, spas that weren’t profitable, teams that were disengaged.    It paid the bills, but it didn’t build the kind of business I wanted.    The turning point came when I started focusing on aspiration instead: helping my clients create legacy-level impact.    That’s when everything changed.    In today’s episode, here are the 3 things we’ll uncover:    1.- Pain sells once.  It creates urgency. Clients pay to stop the bleeding, and then they leave.    2.- Aspiration builds trust.  When you help clients step into who they want to become, your work compounds in value and loyalty.    3. Transformation happens at the base of the Value Iceberg.  The tip is where pain lives: quick wins, tools, trends.  The base is where aspiration lives: identity, purpose, and long-term success.    By the end of the episode, you’ll understand why solving pain might bring short-term revenue, but building around aspiration creates long-term loyalty, sustainability, and legacy, both for your clients and your business.  _______ Are you ready to take wellness to the next level? Here are 2 ways I can help: 1️⃣  WHO: Wellness directors who want to join 1% of wellness leaders 📌 WHAT: The Wellness Asset Academy A 10-week online group programme where I guide you through my 7-step ESSENCE framework. Achieve higher pay and secure a genuine seat at the hotel’s big table—so wellness is no longer the most neglected area in the hotel. →  Join the waitlist here. 2️⃣  WHO: Owners of small, independent hotels with a strong wellbeing focus 📌 WHAT: Asset Builder Mentorship Exclusive 6-month 1:1 mentorship programme to master creating a wellness asset, build a proud team, and deliver transformative experiences for your guests. →  Become a steward of true hospitality. 💡 Why work with me? I know what works with wellness and I also know what doesn’t. I’ve made the mistakes so you don’t need to – saving you thousands of dollars on bad decisions. ✅ #1 best-selling author, global wellness expert  ✅ 40+ projects in 20+ countries across Europe, Middle East and Asia Pacific  ✅ Top brands: Abadía Retuerta, Four Seasons Hotels & Resorts, Accor, Six Senses Resorts & Spas  ✅ Interviewed over 150+ hoteliers worldwide

    27 min

  8. NOV 2

    133. Meet the Deep Traveller: The Guest Every Boutique Hotel Wants With Richard Lindberg

    Most hotels still ask: Where do our guests want to go?    But the next generation of travellers is asking something entirely different:  👉🏽  Why am I going?  The next era of travel isn’t about where we go, it’s about why.  In today’s episode, I sit down with Richard Lindberg, the founder of One Planet Journey, and we explore the rise of the Deep Traveller: the purpose-driven guest reshaping how we think about tourism, wellness, and legacy.    When Swedish entrepreneur Richard Lindberg took six months off to drive from Stockholm to Lisbon, he didn’t just discover new places, he discovered a new way of traveling.    What began as a post-pandemic sabbatical became the seed for One Planet Journey, a digital magazine championing “deep, meaningful travel.”    Today, Richard is redefining travel as a vehicle for personal growth, community connection, and lasting wellbeing, the very foundation on which modern wellness hospitality must be built.    In today’s episode, we talk about:  1.- What “Deep Travel” really means, and why it’s not about budget or duration, but intention.  2.- Who the Deep Traveler is: a curious, discerning, and purpose-driven guest who values authenticity and human connection over luxury for luxury’s sake.  3.- How boutique hoteliers and landowners can attract them, from storytelling and slow itineraries to experiences rooted in culture, community, and meaning.  By the end of the episode you’ll understand how “deep, meaningful travel” overlaps with wellness, why it creates lifelong guests (not one-time visitors), and how to design experiences that stay with people long after they’ve checked out.  _______ Are you ready to take wellness to the next level? Here are 2 ways I can help: 1️⃣  WHO: Wellness directors who want to join 1% of wellness leaders 📌 WHAT: The Wellness Asset Academy A 10-week online group programme where I guide you through my 7-step ESSENCE framework. Achieve higher pay and secure a genuine seat at the hotel’s big table—so wellness is no longer the most neglected area in the hotel. →  Join the waitlist here. 2️⃣  WHO: Owners of small, independent hotels with a strong wellbeing focus 📌 WHAT: Asset Builder Mentorship Exclusive 6-month 1:1 mentorship programme to master creating a wellness asset, build a proud team, and deliver transformative experiences for your guests. →  Become a steward of true hospitality. 💡 Why work with me? I know what works with wellness and I also know what doesn’t. I’ve made the mistakes so you don’t need to – saving you thousands of dollars on bad decisions. ✅ #1 best-selling author, global wellness expert  ✅ 40+ projects in 20+ countries across Europe, Middle East and Asia Pacific  ✅ Top brands: Abadía Retuerta, Four Seasons Hotels & Resorts, Accor, Six Senses Resorts & Spas  ✅ Interviewed over 150+ hoteliers worldwide

    32 min
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Get insights firsthand! Join top global wellness expert and author, Sonal Uberoi, as she shares insights from hoteliers all over the world, managing all types of hotels, each with their unique set of challenges (location, owners, regulations, teams, etc.), and learn their wellness in hospitality best practices.

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