Libsyn Directory

Inside the Retreat Boom: Business Lessons from the Founders of Redbird House

Release Date: 09/24/2025

Is "New Year New You" The Wrong Approach? An Interview with Jennifer Walsh

StarrCast

What if the pressure to reinvent yourself every January is actually pulling you further away from who you already are? In this episode of StarrCast Podcast, host Lisa Starr sits down with Jennifer Walsh to explore why remembering your natural intelligence matters more than optimizing your life, your body, or your productivity. Together, they unpack how presence, ancestral wisdom, and human connection offer a more sustainable path to wellbeing in an increasingly artificial world. What You’ll Learn: Why the “new year, new you” mindset can create unnecessary guilt and burnout How...

From Farm to Five-Star Spa: Michael Madreiter on Building Puradies in the Austrian Alps

StarrCast

In this inspiring episode of The StarrCast Podcast, host Lisa Starr travels to the breathtaking Austrian Alps to explore how strategic wellness development is transforming mountain destinations. Against the dramatic backdrop of Leogang's limestone peaks, Lisa visits Puradies eco-resort and sits down with owner Michael Madreiter to discuss the property's stunning Heaven Spa expansion and the remarkable story of how this region has achieved consistent double-digit growth through thoughtful spa and wellness investment. Michael shares the 185-year family farming legacy that informs...

Darkness Retreats, Sensory Reduction, and the New Trend of Nervous System Recovery

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 reinterpreted as a tool for nervous system regulation, psychological clarity, and long term wellbeing. Listeners will gain a grounded, experience driven understanding of why darkness retreats are moving...

Creating the Next Generation of Wellness Hotels

StarrCast

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 in design, investment, and operational strategy, this dialogue explores how wellness is redefining the fabric of hospitality worldwide. Listeners will walk away with a sharper understanding of the...

Inside The Rise of "Soft-Cold" Snow Rooms in Modern Wellness, with guest Sara Brenninger

StarrCast

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 business models behind next-generation spa environments. What You’ll Learn: How indoor snow technology evolved from slope-making to multisensory wellness environments Why soft-cold modalities are...

Live from The Global Wellness Summit in Dubai: Five Experts on The Future of Wellness and Spa Management

StarrCast

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 approach to personalized care. Kirsty MacCormick is a global spa and wellness strategist recognized for building operational systems, signature experiences, and high-performing teams across luxury...

How Emotional Intelligence and Personalization Are Creating Human-Centered Hospitality, with Magdy Abdelaty

StarrCast

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 generation of spa and wellness leadership must embrace to stay relevant, regenerative, and meaningful. What You’ll Learn: Why wellness no longer belongs in a silo, and how to embed it across the entire...

How Four Seasons Costa Rica is Designing the Future of Spa, with Arnaud Dieutegard

StarrCast

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 using data, design, and disciplined creativity to move beyond “amenities” and build a truly transformational wellness ecosystem for guests. Arnaud traces his journey from a wellness-focused...

How Chiva-Som Is Redefining Evidence-Based Wellness, with Dr. Jason Culp

StarrCast

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, this conversation redefines what it means to live well, and lead well, in a world driven by change. What You’ll Learn: How naturopathic medicine bridges the gap between science and...

Adam Tanaka on Wellness As Part of Civic Infrastructure

StarrCast

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 creating civic-scale wellness destinations that merge architecture, technology, and community. What You’ll Learn: How Therme Group is transforming ancient bathing rituals into modern wellness...

More Episodes

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 Wendy share how they turned a plot of land into one of the most buzzworthy destinations in wellness travel, and what their story reveals about the future of retreats, hospitality, and community-driven health.

What You’ll Learn:

The business of transformation – How Redbird House balances creative retreat design with a solid revenue model that includes proprietary programming, Airbnb rentals, and partnerships with outside retreat leaders.
Designing for impact – Why the “built environment” and guest experience planning are as critical as the retreat programming itself.
Creating conditions for transformation – Practical insights into pricing, capacity planning, and delivering value while fostering authentic personal growth.
Trends in wellness travel – The rise of specialty retreats (menopause, conscious leadership, urban day retreats) and why segmentation is the next growth frontier.
Leadership lessons – How two seasoned wellness professionals navigated risk, uncertainty, and creative collaboration to build a thriving business during a global pandemic.

Episode Highlights:

00:00 – Why wellness retreats are booming beyond the traditional spa visit
05:30 – Sallie’s journey from entertainment to wellness entrepreneurship
12:40 – Wendy’s path from fashion to corporate wellness and spa development
20:15 – The serendipitous story behind the Redbird House name and design
28:05 – Building a three-story retreat home during the challenges of COVID
36:20 – How Redbird House creates “conditions for transformation” in every retreat
44:10 – Pricing strategy and the business model behind a successful wellness retreat
50:25 – Future trends: menopause retreats, urban day programs, and the global retreat economy

Meet the Guests:

Sallie Fraenkel is President of MindBodySpirit Network, an event curator and wellness consultant who has organized over 55 industry networking experiences and worked with leading properties like Canyon Ranch, Rancho La Puerta, and Retreat Costa Rica.

Wendy Bosalovage is President of The Wellbeing Collective and a longtime spa and wellness strategist known for her expertise in operational design, new business development, and creating transformative built environments.

Together, they co-founded Redbird House, a boutique wellness retreat destination in Bethel, New York, dedicated to helping women reconnect with themselves through community, curated programming, and playful-yet-profound experiences.

Tools, Frameworks, or Strategies Mentioned:

MindBodySpiritCamp seasonal retreat series for summer programs
“Middle Cappuccino Layer” Retreat Design – a unique metaphor for balancing depth and playfulness
Synergy Retreat Show – a global gathering of wellness and retreat leaders influencing the next wave of wellness travel

Closing Insight:

“We create the conditions, but transformation is an inside job.” – Sallie Fraenkel

Redbird House proves that with vision, collaboration, and careful planning, wellness retreats can be both meaningful and profitable. Explore upcoming retreats or learn more at redbirdhouseny.com and discover how intentional spaces can unlock connection, creativity, and personal growth.

Looking for expert advice in Spa Consulting, with live training and online learning?

Spa Consulting: wynnebusiness.com/spa-management-consulting

Live Training: wynnebusiness.com/live-education

Online Learning: wynnebusiness.com/spa-management-courses

Other Links:

Contact Sallie Fraenkel: https://www.linkedin.com/in/salliefraenkel

Contact Wendy Bosalavage: https://www.linkedin.com/in/wendy-nierel-bosalavage-1001287/

Follow Lisa on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisastarrwynnebusiness,

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