Relâche Spa, Salon & Fitness Center
A spa is the place to go for relaxation and peace -- a getaway designed to revive and renew the body and soul. Behind the serenity and calmness found at Relâche Spa, Salon & Fitness Center at Gaylord Opryland Hotel & Convention Center, is Yolanda Harris-Jackson. As spa director, her decade of experience in spas and salons is leading Relâche into the echelon of greatness.
Harris-Jackson's education -- and crown as a former Miss Black Tennessee -- would have some guessing Broadway or the big screen as her calling. With a degree in communications and theater, Harris-Jackson easily could have slid into the public eye. But it is her love of tranquility -- and providing that to a stressed out, crazed world -- that is her occupation, and it is taking center stage. A natural-born leader, Harris-Jackson has great business prowess. She has worked and trained in many aspects of leadership and knows what it takes to yield exceptional performance and results. "Passion" should be her middle name.
Under her leadership, Relâche continues to attract attention. In 2007, Relâche was voted as "Best Spa" by At Home Tennessee readers. As the largest spa in Tennessee and the most luxurious full-service spa in the Southeast, Relâche offers treatments not found anywhere else, like the "Diamonds & Pearls Collection," "Peppermint Chocolate Experience" and "Champagne Wishes & Caviar Dreams," all containing unique, natural ingredients. Guests of Relâche will enjoy pampering in the 27,000-square-foot facility that boasts 12 exclusive treatment rooms and the best service providers in the industry.
The fervor Harris-Jackson possesses about what she does came about when she was in high school. She styled hair, nails and make-up on a freelance basis, and she fell in love with the ability to make people realize their true beauty and see self-confidence emerge that had not been there previously.
"I have always enjoyed enhancing the physical state of a person," Harris-Jackson said. "Beauty comes from within, and when you're able to pull out something in someone that they have never seen before, you are able to instill a sense of confidence in them. To me, there is no better feeling in the world than seeing someone who did not like what they previously saw in the mirror, come to have a new, strong self-esteem after a bit of assistance."
Thus, a career in the health and beauty industry was the perfect route for Harris-Jackson, allowing her to transform people's lives physically, mentally and spiritually. She found the health and beauty industry to offer "the better things in life," and for Harris-Jackson, working in a spa is a lifestyle, not just a job. She then set out on a path to gain all the experience she could in spas, salons and fitness in the Southeast.
Before joining the Relâche family at Gaylord Opryland Hotel, Harris-Jackson served as the director of spa operations at Athena Health Club & Day Spa in Brentwood, Tennessee. There, she created marketing strategies for their grand opening, worked with the CEO/CFO in planning a budget for a start-up spa, and developed new policies and procedures for more than 50 services offered at that location. She also has worked as a regional salon manager for the Belk Corporation in Columbia, South Carolina, and as a salon / spa manager for Illlusions Salon & Day Spa in Nashville.
In her free time, Harris-Jackson enjoys spending time with her husband and children, reading all she can to build her spiritual power.
