StarrCast

What happens when darkness becomes the environment for insight, recovery, and self regulation? In this episode of the StarrCast Podcast, we explore the rise of structured darkness retreats and why they are gaining traction across wellness, hospitality, and performance focused audiences. Guests Ananda Jey (AJ) and Diederik van Middelkoop unpack how controlled sensory deprivation is being reinterpre...

What happens when four of the most respected voices in global wellness hospitality gather in Milan to dissect the future of spa, hotel, and guest experience design? This episode brings together Matteo Brusaferri, Emlyn Brown, Lynn Curry, and Laszlo Puczko for a rare, insight-packed conversation recorded live at the Wellness Hospitality Conference. From evolving guest expectations to seismic shifts...

What happens when one of the world's leading snowmaking innovators brings winter indoors, and transforms wellness in the process? In this episode, I sit down with Sara Brenninger, the visionary shaping the future of indoor snow experiences at TechnoAlpin. We explore how engineered snow, biophilic design, and cold-contrast experiences are reshaping wellness architecture, guest rituals, and the busi...

What happens when four global leaders in wellness, integrative health, and spa innovation come together to discuss the future of wellbeing? This week, The StarrCast is proud to bring you an amazing roundtable of experts, live from The Global Wellness Summit in Dubai: Dr. Kathryn Dundas is a leader in integrative health and clinical wellbeing, known for her evidence-based, assessment-driven approac...

What happens when luxury hospitality, holistic wellness, and human transformation intersect? In this conversation with Magdy Abdelaty, we explore how modern wellness leaders are redefining the guest journey through emotional intelligence, culture-driven design, and deeply personalized experiences. This episode reveals why wellness is shifting from a service to a philosophy, and what the next gener...

Can a spa director also be a systems thinker, a creative artist, and a human performance strategist? In this episode, Arnaud Dieutegard, Senior Director of Wellness, Spa & Retail at Four Seasons Costa Rica, shares how he's reimagining resort wellness, from creative leadership and culturally rooted experiences to peak performance programs grounded in science. Listeners will hear how one property is...

What happens when science meets soulful healing? In this episode of the Starrcast Podcast, Dr. Jason Culp, Director of Research & Development at Chiva-Som International Health Resort, reveals how integrative wellness is evolving beyond luxury into a global movement rooted in evidence, empathy, and everyday choices. From Thailand's pioneering Chiva-Som to the rise of holistic health leadership, thi...

What if wellness could be scaled like culture? In this episode of Starrcast, host Lisa Starr sits down with Adam Bamba-Tanaka, Chief Operating Officer of Therme Group U.S., to explore how the global company is redefining bathing culture for the 21st century. From Bucharest to Dallas, Tanaka unpacks the intersection of urban design, sustainability, and social wellness, revealing how Therme is creat...

The future of wellness is global, collaborative, and human-centered. In this Starrcast Podcast episode, host Lisa Starr sits down with Diego Carrete, Professor Meng-Mei "Maggie" Chen, and Dr. Jiri Dvorak to preview the Global Wellness Summit 2025, where science, culture, and leadership converge to redefine the meaning of wellbeing. Together, they explore how innovation, education, and empathy will...

What if aging could be redefined, not as decline, but as evolution? In this episode, Nancy Griffin, founder of Glowing Older, joins host Lisa Starr to explore the emerging longevity movement and what it really means to age with vitality, purpose, and community. From wellness innovation to anti-ageism in the spa industry, Nancy shares how we can transform aging into an empowering, joyful stage of l...

The fitness and wellness revolution is transforming Saudi Arabia, and FIBO Arabia 2025 is at the center of it. In this episode of the Starrcast Podcast, host Lisa Starr takes you behind the scenes at the first-ever FIBO Arabia event in Riyadh to uncover how vision, entrepreneurship, and cultural transformation are reshaping the region's wellness economy. From boutique studios and luxury health clu...

How is China redefining wellness travel and reshaping the global spa industry? In this episode of the Starrcast Podcast, host Lisa Starr sits down at the Spa China Summit with Michael Branham, General Manager of the Four Seasons Suzhou, and Jonas Schurman, Board Member of Reformosa and longtime Mandarin Oriental executive. Together, they unpack how wellness has evolved from spa treatments to a lif...

Wellness travel is no longer a luxury; it's a movement. In this episode of the Starrcast Podcast, host Lisa Starr explores the rise of boutique wellness retreats with industry veterans Sallie Fraenkel and Wendy Bosalovage, the co-founders of Redbird House in the Catskills of New York. From building a three-story retreat property during COVID to curating transformative guest experiences, Sallie and...

Microplastics aren't just an environmental problem; they're a hidden human health crisis. In this eye-opening episode of the Starrcast Podcast, host Lisa Starr speaks with Dr. Gerry Bodeker (Oxford public health researcher and Global Wellness Institute leader) and Trent Munday (Senior Vice President International, Mandara Spa) about the alarming presence of microplastics in our air, food, water, a...

STARRCAST IS BACK for Season 9! We are thrilled to return to bring you more insights and fresh perspectives to help your spa business thrive! Thinking about opening a sauna or bathhouse, or scaling the one you've got?  To kick things off, we're replaying an incredibly informative webinar that unpacks the operating math behind the hydrothermal business: capacity planning, MEP-first ("engine room")...

In this immersive live episode, host Lisa Starr brings listeners into the heart of the first-ever U.S. Aufguss World Masters Trials , recorded on-site at the newly expanded Bathhouse Williamsburg in Brooklyn, NY. As the ancient European tradition of Aufguss —a multisensory, storytelling sauna ritual—makes its competitive debut in America, Lisa interviews several key figures shaping this cultural m...

This compelling episode of StarrCast comes to you live from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, where host Lisa Starr sits down with the dynamic Dr. Ebtissam AlMadi , co-owner of the Kadoon family of businesses, wellness visionary, and cultural bridge-builder. Together, they explore the remarkable evolution of spa and wellness in the Kingdom—from the first medical spa in 2003 to the creation of the Kadoon integ...

Host Lisa Starr sits down with Leah Crump , founder of Leah Crump Consulting and author of the forthcoming book Be Well, Do Well , in this inspiring episode of t he StarrCast Podcast . A trailblazer in spa consulting, Leah shares her unique path from the treatment room to global wellness consulting and authorship. With a deep focus on healing, authentic leadership, and sustainable business practic...

In this powerful episode of  The StarrCast Podcast , host Lisa Starr sits down with Lindsay Madden-Nadeau , Senior Director of Wellness Strategy for Red Sea Global , to explore one of the most ambitious hospitality and wellness developments in the world. From her beginnings in luxury hospitality to leading wellness vision for giga-projects like Amaala and Red Sea , Lindsay offers insights into the...

In this enlightening episode of The StarrCast Podcast, host Lisa Starr welcomes wellness visionary  Belgin Aksoy , the founder of  Global Wellness Day . From her beginnings in the Turkish hospitality industry to the creation of a worldwide movement touching over a billion lives, Belgin shares the deeply personal journey that led to the birth of Global Wellness Day—and the unstoppable passion that ...

In this insightful episode of  The StarrCast Podcast , host Lisa Starr welcomes two industry leaders— Tony Nicastro , Senior Global Manager of Spa & Fitness at  Marriott , and  Derek Hofmann , Senior Director of Spa & Wellness at  Four Seasons — for a deep dive into the evolving practice of yield management in spas. Once a foreign concept in wellness, dynamic pricing is now gaining traction as spa...

In this inspiring episode of The StarrCast Podcast , host Lisa Starr sits down with Vivienne Tang , founder and CEO of Destination Deluxe , a luxury wellness and travel company, to explore the dynamic world of wellness retreats . Vivienne shares her journey from fashion publishing to becoming a global thought leader in wellness travel, offering insider perspectives on the evolution of wellness exp...

In this episode of  The StarrCast Podcast , Lisa Starr speaks with  James Gu , Director of Spa and Wellness for  Equinox , and  Greg Kasparian , founder of  The Creek Retreat  in Serenbe, Georgia. The episode, recorded live at the We Work Well spa event at Chateau Elan, offers a dual perspective on the future of wellness.  James discusses how Equinox is evolving its spa offerings across over 90 pr...

Live from FIBO Part 2 of 2; Longevity Center CEO Joanna Bensz discusses her Center's focus on expanding preventive health and lifestyle optimization and László Puczkó , Hospitality and Wellbeing Strategist, advises on incorporating true wellness activities into your business model. Event organizers Andrew Gibson and Sven Huckenbeck comment on the many innovative takeaways of the Spa & Wellness Int...

Live from FIBO, the largest fitness show in the world, we're sharing excerpts from the Spa & Wellness International Day, where expert speakers shared innovative business models integrating longevity and wellness with hospitality and membership. This episode, part one of two, features Andrew Gibson , Oliver Patrick of Pillar Wellbeing , and Claire Bourne of Eden One .