Get to know Adam Ross, CEO of Heyday
If you live in NYC or pay attention to the spa industry, you have heard of Heyday, perhaps even experienced one of the facials. Don’t call Heyday a spa – they are a facial shop, and focus on education – so that you don’t only come in to treat your skin, but can continue to do so successfully at home, every day.
Behind this concept and the amazing team of therapists and front of the house that make every experience perfect, is Adam Ross, CEO of Heyday. He doesn’t come from the spa industry. He has an intriguing and lovely accent. He doesn’t use a lot of skin care products. Yet he is credited as building the most interesting concept in today’s spa industry.
Adam Ross
Read more to learn more about him.
(Answers by Adam Ross, as told to Ada Polla).
Name: Adam Gordon Ross
Title: CEO, Heyday
Age: 41
Zodiac sign: Sagittarius.
Where were you born? As if the accent couldn’t give it away, I was born Sydney, Australia. My parents had a mid-life change of pace and bought a winery. I was thus raised on winery, in Hunter Valley, two hours north of Sydney. We since have sold the winery and my parents are back in Sydney –and I moved to the US early 2001.
Family: I have a younger brother and sister, they both live in Sydney.
Pets? I don’t have any pets. I want to change that, I would love to have a dog, but it’s tough with an apartment in NY city. I can’t right now give a dog the life I would like to give it.
Education: I did my Undegrad in economics / ecommerce at the University of Sydney and then got my MBA at Wharton. I am alsoa CFA charter holder.
Pervious career (prior to Heyday): I had two prior careers. Immediately before Heyday, I was one of the founders of a retail company called Soludos. We founded it in 2010 and it still exists, I am on the board of the company. Prior to that I worked for 15 years as an investment banker in M&A.
Then I turned my attention to Heyday in 2013.
Current career (Heyday): I got involved in Heyday through my M&A work. I did work in the beauty sector (Revlon, Avon, L’Oreal, ELC, Gillette, etc). so I saw how interesting this sector is, and I also saw the opportunity to bring the spa industry into the 21st century, witnessing friends complain about the lack of options in the market.
Number of current Heyday locations: 3, all in Manhattan (Tribeca, Nomad, Upper East Side). We are opening 2 new locations this fall, also in Manhattan – one will be on the Upper West Side, and one will be in NoHo.
Adam and Michael at Heyday
Beard or no beard? Scruff, I like the in between.
Beauty routine:
Morning: cleanser in the shower, moisturizer, SPF to get me through the day.
Evening: wipes to cleanse, moisturizer before I go to bed.
My winter grooming routine is a bit more involved, I usually add an eye cream.
As you can tell, I am quite a minimalist despite all of the amazing products we recommend at Heyday. I am one of the few people that says I have sensitive skin and actually do – so less is more is definitely my motto.
Mani/pedis: Nope.
Hair: I love the place in SoHo called New York Shaving Company – for hair only, not for shaving (per scruff comment above).
Describe your every day style:
Pretty minimalist. Jeans or jean-like pants, with a slim fitted shirt or t-shirt, and casual shoes.
My girlfriend is a celebrity stylist. She gave my wardrobe a 3 out of 10 when we met – I am now an 8 out of 10 thanks to her advice. She is the one who has gotten me to wear skinny jeans. Once after she “dressed and style me,” I was stopped by a photographer working for NYFW; he wanted to take my photo for a piece he was doing on NY style.
(My wardrobe pre-Heday was a tad more conservative).
Travel: I am an avid and intrepid traveler and I am a passionate photographer. I love to go to 2nd and 3rd world countries and to discover the more uncharted territories of the world. I’ve done all of South East Asia, most of Central and South America, and every Eastern African country and most of the Middle East.
I love experiences with the locals, in local markets, really discovering the flavors of these places – to immerse myself and learn what else is going on in the world. I particularly love safaris. It is so humbling to be in the wild and see these animals in their natural habitat.
What I love most about travel however is that it lets me get out of my daily grind and focus much more on my life and what I am really doing. For example, I read a lot more when I travel.
Exercise routine: I probably exercise 6 or 7 times per week. A few cardio type sessions (I love Peloton), and two or three times in the gym. I go to a private training studio in the Flatiron, I love the boutiqu-y feel and that it is not as crowded as the usual gyms.
Pet peeve(s):
People that are not on time is certainly a pet peeve.
I also am not into people who are all talk and no action. In my mind, you ultimately speak through your actions, and I don’t like it when there is a disconnect between the two.
Currently reading (book or e-book):
I am a big reader – I probably read 7-10 books a month. I most recently finished The Movie Goers by Walker Percy (American classic from the 60s), Magellan by Stefan Zweig (a profile of Magellan), and The History of the Kelly Gang by Peter Carey. I read both fiction and non-fiction, and I usually have two books going at any one time. Depending on the day I have had I will reach for my fiction book or my non-fiction book, based on my mood. My fiction reading comes mostly from recommendations from friends that I trust. I have a strong preference for paper books, but my iPad is a no brainer when I travel.
How do you unplug?
In daily life I do it through golf. I am a passionate golfer – it is an incredibly frustrating sport, but it forces you to be in the present. I can’t be thinking about work when I am plying golf, and I am not checking emails. It is like a 4-hour movie but more physical. It is truly physically demanding and simultaneously mentally relaxing. I feel the same with the travel that I do. My girlfriend and I recently did the Inca trail. It is a beautiful country, but such a strenuous process – and there is no cell phone reception. Usually on a beach when I am chilling out, I end up thinking about all of the things I should be doing. I need the hard physical work to get the mental break that I need.
Favorite cocktail. I love a nice cold beer in the warmer moths of the year (good Australian tradition), and my cocktail go-to is vodka soda.
Most useful app on your phone.
I love WorkFlowy. I am a big list guy, and this app is the best one for me to manage my various lists. It’s simple – and that’s what I like it. I don’t need anything more complicated.