Needing a change from her life as a busy fashion executive, Janine Hall decided to combine her career skills with her passion for coaching, surfing, yoga and well-being to create Surf Haven Bali.
Surf Haven Bali is a luxury boutique surf and yoga spa retreat that blends surfing, yoga, spa treatments and nutritious cuisine to help guests recharge their batteries and give them an adventure of a lifetime.
Setting up the business has rekindled Janine's zest for life – and that is exactly what she tries to do for all the guests that pass through her private tropical oasis in Bali, Indonesia.
Expat Women's Interview With Janine
Expat Women: Janine, how does a fashion marketing executive end up running a surf spa retreat in Bali?
Janine: I had a busy international career in fashion marketing – living in London, Tokyo, Sydney and then New Zealand, which I was so passionate about, when I felt that passion changing, I knew I had to do something about it. I fell in love with water sports later in my life at 30. I knew then I needed to incorporate them into my life. I was having a conversation with a girlfriend who asked me, "If fear were not a factor, what would you do?"
It was the nudge I needed to get off that fence that I was sitting on and create my new chapter. I wanted to take all the elements of a job that I had loved and combine it with my other newfound passions and share this healthy way of living with others.
My vision was to create a space for women that offered them the chance to take time out for themselves, meet other like-minded women from all over the world while having an adventure of a lifetime – and all of this set in paradise!
The reason I chose Bali was because this place has always held a very dear place in my heart. Growing up, I spent many wonderful holidays here with family and then girlfriends. Bali has the unique blend of culture and natural elements that makes it so well-loved. I saw an opportunity to offer women a choice in a surf spa retreat here with a quality five star experience and real value for money.
As for surfing, it seemed like an obvious foundation for the retreat. I can still remember the first time I surfed. Growing up on the ocean in New Zealand, I watched my brother and father go off surfing for years. One day I thought I would try and after many failed attempts, I finally managed to stand on the board for half a second. That was all it took to convert me to a surf addict –I was hooked. I wanted to share that feeling and sense of complete freedom with others.
Expat Women:
What challenges or setbacks did you encounter when you started your business and how did you handle those?
Janine:
One of the biggest setbacks was realising the country I had chosen was not the right one! Bali was my Plan B: Brazil was actually my Plan A. After revisiting and spending time there, and as wonderful as the country was, it was neither the right time to run a well-being retreat there nor was it known as being a well-being destination. A girlfriend had offered some great advice before I set out. She asked me what my exit strategy was. What were the indicators/red lights that would serve as warning bells that I needed to back out? Having worked these out beforehand, it was easy for me to realise within the first month that Brazil was no longer the best choice. So Plan B became Plan A and I learnt two invaluable lessons: do not cling too tightly to your plans; and be rational and do not let your emotions determine your business decisions. If I had not worked through where the "no go " line was I would have crossed it and spent a lot of needless time trying to make something work that was not meant to be.
Expat Women:
This sounds like such a great trip to take with other girlfriends. But is this strictly a "women-only " retreat?
Janine: The retreat was indeed conceived as a "women only " program. There were many reasons for this. Some of the best moments I have are surfing with my girlfriends, out on the ocean. I believe that when women surf together something powerful happens – they awaken to their true self, developing inner confidence, strength and friendship. It allows us to let go and literally washes away concerns giving perspective and bringing inner peace and harmony.
About 70 percent of our guests are solo women travelers representing cultures and countries from all around the globe. It is wonderful watching how they come together, inspire and become inspired by each other over the course of the week. A lot of personal transformation happens over this time and great friendships are formed as women leave all their labels and concerns at the door. Due to demand, we will be offering several co-ed weeks in 2011 so that couples and men can also enjoy a luxury surf retreat experience. However, yes, most of the retreat weeks are still reserved for women only.
Expat Women:
Your business model also includes a charity program. How does that work?
Janine:
As well as being kind to the environment, we are also committed to helping the local community through charity programs. We believe that a small group of people can create a big change, so we have implemented a charity program called 5 Percent For Change. We donate 5 percent of our profits to two Balinese charities – The Bali Orphanage and the Bali Animal Welfare Organisation. Guests can choose where their 5 percent goes and if they wish, we can also arrange for them to visit the charities and take part in volunteer work. Both charities do amazing work in the community and we are proud to support them.
Expat Women:
What five tips would you offer to women starting a business abroad?
Janine:
1.
Know thy customer! Before you do anything, do your research on your customer: Who are they? What do they want? What are they currently getting and from whom (competition)? Where is the opportunity for your business to help them? Understand your niche and use the customer intelligence you have gathered to deepen your understanding and differentiate your brand. Competitors can copy what you do but the relationship you have with your customers and the understanding you have of them is what will set you apart.
2.
Simplify, simplify, simplify: It is so natural to want to do it all when you run your own business. I have found it critical to constantly look at how we can simplify what we do. If it does not flow, something needs to be fixed. Do not engage on all fronts. Rather than being competent at everything, understand what you want to be known for – be it customer intelligence, product excellence or price leadership, and focus your efforts on really shining in that area and being known to excel there.
3.
Understand the 80/20 rule – Being a start-up means that my team is small, so time is a very precious commodity. I am guilty of working very long hours as most business owners are. It has been important for me to understand the difference between what is really driving the business forward and what is not, then apportioning my time appropriately (usually 20 percent of the work is responsible for 80 percent of the results). When I found that the bulk of my time was being spent on low-value activities, I quickly changed my focus and the way I used my time. Now, before I start investing my time in something or leaping at unqualified opportunities, I ask myself "Will this really drive my business forward or will it take my eye off what really will? "
4.
Continuously improve: I love the Japanese business practice of Kaizan.
Challenging yourself to continually do things better and more effectively drives business improvement. It was about asking myself the right questions: How can I make this better? What can I learn from this and how can I apply it? This is what fundamentally grows the business.
5.
More than anything, believe in yourself: It can be pretty scary out there on your own so it is so important to back yourself and trust your decision-making. Do not let fear stand in the way of your judgment and remember that the biggest learning and most creative periods will come from hard times. This will form part of your story of success. I think Steve Jobs says it best, "Stay hungry, stay foolish ". To me that means not losing sight of the hunger to succeed, not to stop taking risks and to remember that initial passion that drove you to set up your own business in the first place.
Expat Women:Janine, we are inspired by your adventurous spirit which we are sure has rejuvenated many weary women through Surf Haven Bali. We wish you and your business many years of success!
