What does it really take to grow a family business, build a trusted local brand, and compete in a market full of short-term competitors? In this episode of the Builders of Authority Podcast, Adam McChesney sits down with Angi Hess, Vice President and General Manager of Spas and More, to talk about family business, leadership, marketing, company culture, and the evolution of the health and wellness market. Angi brings more than two decades of retail experience, including 19 years in management focused on human resources, payroll, and P&L management. Around 2016, she transitioned into the day-to-day operations of Spas and More as her father’s health began to decline. Founded by her father in 2006, Spas and More has grown into a three-generation family business serving customers across Missouri, Kansas, and Illinois. In this conversation, Adam and Angi discuss: • Transitioning from retail management into leadership of a family business • Building Spas and More into a recognizable local brand • Shifting the company’s messaging from luxury products to health, wellness, and recovery • Expanding beyond hot tubs into swim spas, infrared saunas, and cold plunges • Competing against fly-by-night companies through trust, consistency, and local service • Using home shows and expos as a major customer acquisition channel • Managing advertising internally to stay connected to performance data • Understanding how economic and political uncertainty can affect consumer buying behavior • Expanding across a large multi-state territory while keeping delivery and service in-house • Creating a family-first company culture with competitive wages and employee benefits • Leading from the front and being willing to do any job required to support the team Angi also explains why Spas and More made the decision to build its own brand rather than relying exclusively on the Master Spas name. By emphasizing in-house delivery, service, and long-term customer relationships, the company has been able to differentiate itself in a competitive market. She also shares how the business has evolved alongside changing consumer priorities, positioning hot tubs, swim spas, saunas, and cold plunges not simply as luxury purchases, but as investments in physical health, recovery, and mental well-being. 🔗 CONNECT WITH ADAM: Facebook: https://bit.ly/3td8Pdo Instagram: https://bit.ly/3HmCR3m LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/3hjU4jq 🔗 CONNECT WITH ANGI: Facebook: https://bit.ly/3S9KaqB Instagram: https://bit.ly/3TSAcuw Website: https://bit.ly/3UtUPNC ✉️ CONTACT: Email adam@buildauthority.co Website adammcchesney.com Book a call: https://buildauthority.com/contact-us/ About me: I’m Adam McChesney: an entrepreneur and marketer who’s spent the last decade building and scaling service-based businesses. I’ve been on both sides of the table: running companies myself and helping other business owners grow through smarter, more disciplined marketing. I’m the founder of Builders of Authority, where I work with service businesses to improve visibility, strengthen their brand, and build marketing systems that actually perform over time. Everything I share comes from real experience, what I’ve tested, what’s worked, and what hasn’t. Today, I create content, speak, and have honest conversations about marketing, growth, and leadership, with one goal in mind: helping business owners stop relying on last-minute tactics and start building something sustainable. Built for the contractors the market keeps overlooking. #BuildersOfAuthority #AngiHess #FamilyBusiness #BusinessGrowth #Leadership #LocalMarketing
