In business as in life, aligned values work, they just work.
And it was an alignment of values that saw Synthesis Organics, a relative minnow in the skin care industry, partner with one of Australia’s largest spas, which recently took out the title for best Luxury Mineral Spring Spa in the world thanks, in part, to the uniquely Australian treatments this skin care minnow helped create.
A few years ago, Peninsula Hot Springs, nestled in the Mornington Peninsula in Victoria was on the lookout for a new skin care product house with whom they could partner. But it couldn’t be just any skin care range found in most other places. What the Hot Springs were seeking was a company that was as connected with Mother Earth as they were, and a range of products that celebrated their organic origins.
In a serendipitous meeting with Neal Hoptman, one of the forerunners of wellness retreats in Australia, Theme Rains, founder and creator of Synthesis Organics was introduced to Peninsula Hot Springs as Neal believed their values and philosophy were so aligned.
Theme was able to explore this collaboration with Neal’s assistance as he arranged for her to give a Synthesis spa treatment to the owner of Peninsula Hot Springs, Charles Davidson, his General Manager, Brook Ramage and the Spa Director at the Hot Springs, Amber Genevieve.
Not surprisingly, the team at the Hot Springs fell in love with the treatments and Theme left them with some products to trial.
Fast forward a few months and Theme was invited to present the Synthesis Organics product and treatment range to their whole executive and spa team.
Theme not only explained what the products did, but perhaps more importantly, she elaborated on her values and what drove her to create a distinctive, organic range of products that are deeply connected with Australia’s flora family, and which are imbued with the energy of the plants used in their formulas.
For Charles, the owner of Peninsula Hot Springs, the Australian native connection was important, and Theme’s holistic approach to her products and how people use them really aligned with what the whole Spa team was committed to.
With many established local and international skin care brands pitching for the coveted role as Peninsula Hot Springs’ preferred product, Theme says it was a real honour to be chosen, and testament to the Hot Springs to take a chance on a small relatively unknown brand because their values were a perfect fit.
The collaboration continues with new treatments being developed, in fact it was a conversation Theme had with Charles that sparked the creation of the Dreamtime stone journey, embraced by their Spa Director – and collaboration with elements of indigenous culture, that has become one of the Peninsula Hot Springs most sought-after treatments amongst the tens of thousands it delivers each year.
Since celebrating the collaboration with the Peninsula Hot Springs, Theme and her team have gone on to design unique spa treatments for a new hotel spa in Zanzibar, Africa opening later this year, they are co-facilitating wellness retreats with Professor Marc Cohen in Bali in November and chakra balance treatments with Gymea Eco Spa in Byron Bay Shire.
Other collaborations are with local organic growers and distillers, and with aboriginal communities sourcing their Sandalwood oil and Kakadu plum.
So, it would seem this ‘minnow’ is now swimming with the big fish and doing it whilst fully aligned with its values and origins.
This latest award is sure to be the sign of things to come.
