Spiral Findings

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Spaaaaaahhhhhhh: Soothe versus Zeel

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A week or so ago I got a notice that one of the services I was using to schedule massages was getting acquired.  MassageNow had been acquired by Zeel and instead of booking free spots at local spas akin to a HotelTonight for spa treatments.  However, with the acquisition, the model has changed and now Zeel is offering services more similar to Soothe than what MassageNow used to provide.  It’s an interesting change, and one that I’ll be interested to dig into as I try out the service and compare it to Soothe.

Here’s what I have learned so far:

  • Zeel costs a bit more than Soothe.  In San Francisco, a 60 minute Swedish massage starts at $110 with an added 18% tip, whereas Soothe costs $99 and tip is included for the same service.
    • (Update from 12/2018)
      • Prices have increased since this article was written: 129 + tip for Zeel and 119 + tip for Soothe for a 60 minute massage.
      • Soothe claims they never included tip as part of the service despite earlier messaging to the contrary.  They now support tipping in their mobile app.  Their site/app is a bit confusing about the tipping.  Zeel has always included an automatic 18% tip.
      • A membership service is available with both companies.  This reduces the per massage price by 20%.
  • Zeel operates from 8am to 10:30 versus Soothe’s hours of operation of 8am to 12am midnight, which might be nicer to get you relaxed and ready for a nice sleep.
  • With Soothe, you suggest a start time for the service, whereas with Zeel, you suggest a window of when you would like your spa service, i.e. start as early as 7pm and end by 9pm.  I imagine this gives Zeel more flexibility for scheduling appointments versus Soothe’s model.

If you’d like to try these services, feel free to use the following promo codes and you’ll get some $$ for your service!  I’ve tried Soothe and plan to try Zeel though I’m not sure I’ll be interested in sticking with them if their service is more expensive by at least $10 + tip each time.  $100 is just a more palatable option.

Zeel Promo Code: $20 off your visit

Soothe Promo Code: $20 off your visit

Note: I will also get a benefit if you use these codes.  I hope this gives you an incentive to try something new and please feel free to share your experience in the comments section.

Update:

I tried Zeel this evening and I wanted to give a little update on the experience I had with this service versus Soothe.

  • (+) It was one of the better massages I’ve had, maybe in the top 5 or so regarding quality of massage.  The massage therapist knew what she was doing, responded to my feedback, and really made sure I had a relaxing experience.
  • (-) She indicated that there is an option to request sheets if you don’t have any extra of your own, which I will definitely be doing if I use them again.  I don’t like the idea of paying more and then having to do laundry as well.  It adds to the overall cost of the massage which isn’t factored into the price.  Definitely a negative that can turn into a positive next go around.
  • (+) She brought lavender aromatherapy scent to help clear my sinuses and make the experience more enjoyable.  This was used when face up and my nose was congested.  It really helped and felt super relaxing.
  • (+) She asked if I wanted my eyes covered when face up.  It is a small thing, but definitely makes the experience more spa-y for me, and it was nice that this was an option.
  • (-) She used cream versus oil.  For some this might be better, but I prefer oil massages.
  • (-) She brought her own music, but it was playing on her phone or something which would ding when she got a message.  She noticed that and said she needed to figure out how to turn that off.  It was a bit distracting, but thankfully didn’t happen that much that it affected my experience.
  • (n/a) Apparently there is an option where they give you a table for free, in exchange for a regular service at a discounted rate.  This seems to be a monthly subscription program.  Not for me but might be appealing to people who have space for a table and are having regular treatments.

Anyway, I’m not super wild about the higher price, but I wouldn’t rule them out because the quality of my massage was really good.  If I can request the same massage therapist, and I can take advantage of promotions, I might consider doing this 2x yearly.  If they were cheaper, I’d be likely to use it more frequently.  I’m glad I tried something new – it was a good learning experience and a good experience in general 🙂

Spaaaaaaaaahhhhhhh!

Bullet Journal

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One of the best note taking tools I have started using recently is the the bullet journal.  It’s a nice way to manage my life events and tasks in monthly blocks.  I use it primarily for work, and I love that I am not limited by pages.  If one day’s worth of notes takes up to four pages, then so be it.  Also, I think this system is great because you can customize it to how you take notes.

For me, the bullet journal helps me use the Getting things Done framework because it provides a home for my tasks.  I fell off the wagon a bit with that process, and this is helping me get back into it.  I am still working on how to sync up the bullet journal with Toodledo, which I previously used for managing all my tasks.

The best idea I got from the bullet journal is the concept of an index – it’s such a simple idea but it’s super useful and I’m planning on using it other notebooks as well.

I encourage you to give bullet journaling a try if you are interested in experimenting with a new note taking system.

Presence in Meetings

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Photo Credit: Craig Garner, Unsplash

Photo Credit: Craig Garner, Unsplash

Early on in my professional career, I was very fortunate to have a great manager who taught me the ropes of our specific business and more generally how to work effectively.  One of the most important things I learned from him was to shut my laptop, turn off the email notifications on my phone, and to pay attention when I was in a meeting.

There is a reason why you are supposed to be in this meeting.  If you are in a meeting, then be there.  If you have something else you have to get done, then excuse yourself and go do that thing.

Now, I know this isn’t always the case.  We’re often called into any number of meetings that probably don’t require our presence, and its up to us to decide what the most effective use of our time is.

However, if we’re supposed to be in a meeting because the topic needs our input, then close the laptop, put the phone down, turn the email dings off, so you can truly focus on the topic at hand and get it done.  It will make for less distraction for you and the other people in the meeting AND most likely shorten your meetings altogether because you aren’t constantly diverting your focus to other topics.