Meet Collin Adams | Spa Director/ Philanthropist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Collin Adams and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Collin, what is the most important factor behind your success?

Paul Labrecque Salon and Skincare Spa was founded in 1988. The 80’s and 90’s were a time when beauty professionals were rockstars, and we are bringing that back. The business rose in fame with a business model of “Simple, Sexy, and Sophisticated”. We specialize in ensuring that you wake up just as fabulous as when you walked out of our door.

There are so many facets in my work and I take pride in everything that I do. Besides discipline and creative thinking, I’d say what stands out the most is my role in the community. I have always been passionate about helping others and making them feel their best (hence why I thrive in this industry). I work with a myriad of local non-profits serving on boards, committees, volunteering, and helping fund raise.

5 years ago, my close friend Taylor Materio and I created an annual event with Paul Labrecque called the “Night of Giving”. Each year we partner with a different organization that we feel (depending on what’s going on in our community at that time) needs to have light shed upon it. The event costs absolutely nothing for the cause so the organization gets to take every dollar raised home. We have partnered with Family Promise NCPBC, Simply from the Heart, Habitat for Humanity of Greater Palm Beach County, etc. This year we will be partnering with Family Promise of Southeast Florida on February 24th, 2024 to help put an end to child and family homelessness.

We are a full-service salon and spa offering hair, nails, makeup, skincare and massage services. We have locations in New York City, Palm Beach, and Philadelphia. We have accolades in a variety of publications including Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar, the New York Post, the New York Times, Vanity Fair, In Style, Allure, Cosmopolitan, W, Elle, Town & Country, GQ, and MANY more pertaining to our services and apothecary of luxury products.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.

My role is all over the place because I’m the type of person who likes to have his hands in everything, but you could say it’s operational. Formulating new treatments, creating effective marketing strategies, promoting company culture, helping strategize the long-term goals and growth of the business, engaging with the community, as well as scouting the best talent that our industry has to offer. In business I’m driven by what I call “Profit and Passion” most people separate the two but I prefer both.

Prior to this, my careers have always been a mix of both the fashion and beauty industries. I was an internationally published fashion stylist for most of my adult life. It was a wonderful time in my life and I still creatively direct sometimes but I was ready for something new. When I moved to Manhattan I was introduced to Paul Labrecque and Brian Cantor who recognized my passion for all things chic. Fashion, beauty, lifestyle, etc. which later catapulted me into my current role as Spa Director working between New York City and Palm Beach.

Lessons I’ve learned along the way are:
-Don’t take everything so seriously. The growth aspect is supposed to be the fun part.
-Don’t feed into the naysayers. Use them as motivation.
-Work/life balance is IMPORTANT! (Hopefully I’ll learn it someday)
-The only thing better than having or running a business is making that business directly impact your community.
-Say “Yes” to absolutely everything whether it’s a meeting or a task. If it’s a task and you don’t know how to do it, we always have Google (it’s my secret weapon)
-15 minutes early is “on time”
-Dress well. It’s a sign of respect.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
There are SO many fantastic places to go here, so this is a tough question. I will always recommend The Colony Hotel in Palm Beach. I could spend the whole day there lounging by the pool and being served by Swifty’s. The Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens is an immersive Japanese cultural experience and they have wonderful sushi and sake. Nomad by Sean Rush is an uber-sexy place for a fabulous glass of wine and a bite to eat. All of the art and décor is available for purchase also!

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I would really like to give a shoutout to Paul Labrecque and Brian Cantor not only for their mentorship and recognizing my potential but for being daring enough to trust (at that time) a 26 year-old with their business of almost 30 years, hit the ground running, and allow me implement my own strategies without limitations. Throughout the years, I’ve learned so much from them. Their mentorship and that freedom most definitely created who I am today in business.

Website: www.paullabrecque.com

Instagram: @xoxosantini

Image Credits
Image 1: Capehart Photography Image 3: Sabrina Steck/BFA.com Image 6: MasterWing Creative