Area woman works hard at the business of relaxing

RESEARCH-Julie Merrick, owner of SpaDay Planning Services, is shown in front of the Hotel Hershey spa in Hershey, Pa., one of nearly 70 facilities she visited as she developed her own company that plans spa packages for groups of all sizes. Most people would agree that visiting 68 health spas and resorts in six years is a great way to relax. For Julie Merrick, though, the time spent traveling to the numerous oases of relaxation throughout the United States and beyond may very well be considered hard work.

Merrick, 36, is using her expertise in the business of relaxation to start her newly launched company, SpaDay Planning Services.

Merrick plans, organizes and schedules spa retreats for anyone looking to escape life's hectic pace. Her clients include individuals as well as entire office staffs.

SpaDay Planning Services does everything from selecting just the right spa to planning the proper order in which clients should receive their treatments.

Merrick said businesses that send their employees on spa trips-whether for a few hours or an entire weekend-often see a companywide increase in morale and decrease in absenteeism.

"You need to invest in your employees," Merrick said. "I feel they are your biggest asset."

A Ventura County native, Merrick attended Westmont College in Santa Barbara and graduated with a bachelor's degree in biology. She went on to earn her teaching credential from Cal Lutheran University in Thousand Oaks.

Merrick, a teacher for seven years, found that she longed to start her own business. So, in June of 2004, Merrick left Los Altos Middle School in Camarillo to become the spa coordinator at the Ojai Valley Inn to learn more about the resort industry in hopes of opening her own spa. She quickly realized, however, the start-up money needed to open her own spa was too much and she began thinking of creative ways to turn her dream of being a businesswoman into a reality.

Merrick said her time at the Ojai Valley Inn taught her that for some, the time spent planning to relax was actually causing too much stress-particularly for those who were trying to coordinate company retreats or large parties, which is why she works so hard to take the stress out of relaxing.

Since her days at the Ojai Valley Inn, Merrick began her business and has organized a number of spa retreats for the teachers she used to work with at Los Altos.

"I didn't have to worry about making the plans," said Cathy Saltee, a teacher and one of Merrick's clients. "If you want to have lunch with your friends, she arranges all of the appointments, so you all have time to connect with each other."

Merrick lives in Camarillo with her husband of six years, Bob Merrick.

For more information about SpaDay Planning Services, call (805)-504-6006.