Marlo Wahbeh has long been a devotee of pampering, as well as a connoisseur of bath and body products. She lives for her weekly at-home pampering sessions, and whenever possible, treats herself to a trip to the spa. "This kind of self-indulgence has always been a wonderful way for me to relax, refresh, and feel good about myself," she explains. "I firmly believe that women need to slow down long enough to treat themselves to such simple pleasures."

Until a couple of years ago, Marlo['s pampering was just her own restorative ritual. Then, she had a revelation, and her life began to change.

As Marlo tells it: "In my early twenties, I began to feel that there was something big, something different and special I was supposed to be doing with my life. It was like a restlessness inside me, but I didn't know what it was. Then, in the spring of 2002, I was planning a spa trip with some girlfriends. And, as we were making arrangements, the idea of home spa parties kept popping into my mind. I had been intending to invite my girlfriends over for a "spa" night, but never gotten around to it. Then, as we were planning this trip, it really hit me'women don't need to go away for a spa experience; they can stay right where they are and have a great time pampering themselves at home. What a business concept! I immediately knew this was the "something big" I had been waiting for for so many years. I could combine my two passions " pampering products and nurturing others " into a business focused on women having fun de-stressing and enjoying spa treatments in the comfort of a home setting surrounded by friends."

And so, SpaDiDah, the concept, was born. After one year of planning and research, SpaDiDah, the company, was formed.

As SpaDiDah's inspiration and driving force, Marlo Wahbeh is a creative thinker, a strong leader, and a motivating example for other women. A native of Kansas City, Missouri, with a bachelor's degree in nursing, Marlo feels that her seven-year stint as a pediatric trauma nurse enhanced her innate nurturing spirit, which she has now instilled in SpaDiDah.

Marlo is also a wife and mother. She and her pediatrician-husband, David, have two young children -- son, Ashton, who is seven, and daughter, Waverly, four. Wanting to escape the Midwest winters, the Wahbehs moved from Kansas City to Albany, Georgia, in 1998, when David joined a pediatric practice there. In 2000, with a two-year-old son and a new baby on the way, Marlo gave up nursing. But, she says, "I wanted to do some kind of part-time work that I could comfortably balance with family."

Marlo discovered the perfect solution when she attended a home party at a friend's house. She says, "I had such a good time, and I thought, "Now this is something that is fun and flexible." I knew I could really enjoy the home-party business even though I had never sold anything in my life." The following day, Marlo signed on as a consultant for a relatively new and tremendously successful gourmet foods home-party enterprise.

Despite having no previous direct sales experience, Marlo quickly climbed the leadership ladder, becoming one of the company's top sales consultants in its southern region. And, shortly after attending a motivating leadership conference, she decided to put her passion for pampering, her nurturing touch, and her newfound sales talent into starting a business of her own.

Inspired by her success, drawing on all she had learned, and seeking encouragement and advice from her family and people she met during her three rewarding years as a consultant, Marlo began planning her new venture. After registering the trademark for the charming and whimsical name of her new business " SpaDiDah, the stay-at-home spa" -- she focused on fine-tuning her "wish list" of products and essential ingredients she wanted to present in her product line.

"I wanted to offer our consultants and customers the finest, purest, most deliciously scented products that would cleanse, soothe, purify, soften, and rejuvenate the body and mind," says Marlo. "Each product had to be formulated to actually do something for the skin. I wanted our products to be a delightful experience with results we could actually see and feel."

Marlo set out on a quest to find companies that would private label her "dream" products. Relating her mission, she says: "On a trip to New York, I visited with a lot of vendors. It seemed nobody had just what I was looking for, and I wasn't about to settle for less. Miraculously, before I left to go home, I found the ideal company. Unfortunately, however, they didn't private label, and, as a start-up company, I couldn't possibly afford the minimum quantity they required for contract manufacturing. Then, one week later, I received a phone call from the president of that company telling me they had discussed my business concept, were intrigued with the possibilities, and were willing to take me under their wing."

Marlo and the manufacturer immediately began to develop an introductory collection of our standard bath and body products that would be equal to -- or better than -- those sold in the most luxurious spas. Custom-blended from botanical extracts exclusively for SpaDiDah, Marlo says the products "give the calming, beautifying benefits of visiting a spa in the comfort and privacy of one's own home." And, she adds, "While our products are high quality and upscale, the prices are affordably set between $8 and $30."

Marlo meticulously planned the SpaDiDah operation. Working from rented office space, she hires contractors for help in bookkeeping, graphic design, marketing, and other specialized needs. She helps design the trendy product packaging that features her sassy SpaDiDah girl, eye-catching colors, and carefree fonts, and she also develops and directs consultant training materials and marketing collaterals, including the www.spadidah.com Web site.

With two independent consultants on board, SpaDiDah was officially launched in June 2003, when the three women started holding home spa parties in Albany.

SpaDiDah parties follow Marlo's casual approach to life. "The parties are initiated and organized by our consultants, and held at a host's home," Marlo explains. "The host invites her friends to a fun-filled girls' night out where our consultants share with them, in a relaxed but informative way, how to perform their own pedicures, manicures, or mini-facials. The consultant brings everything needed for the guests to participate in their own spa treatment using the SpaDiDah products, explains how to use each product, demonstrates skin-care techniques, and takes the orders. I fill the orders from our warehouse inventory, and ship the products to the consultants who deliver them to their customers."

Today, SpaDiDah is thriving. After just one year in business, Marlo has signed on 32 consultants (four times as many as she anticipated by this time) who are successfully growing their businesses in 10 states. She is even getting requests to expand internationally. "I am particularly excited about making a difference in women's lives by encouraging them to take time out of their hectic everyday routines to relax, refresh, and pamper themselves in their own home," she says. "I also am thrilled about the career opportunities SpaDiDah brings to women by offering them a flexible, lucrative, and enjoyable occupation, as well as an outlet for personal growth, increased confidence, and success."

About her vision for the future, Marlo declares, "I see great promise-----