Meet Our 2026 Trends Writers

Amy is a writer, editor and digital creator who covers health and wellness. For the past 15 years, she’s led creative teams at Well+Good, SELF, New York Post and The Messenger, and written for the New York Daily News, The Washington Post, LA Times, Cosmopolitan, Glamour, and Allure, among others. During her tenure at SELF, the brand earned multiple Webby Awards, MM+M Awards and several ASME nominations and one win. Amy is the author of the Substack Way Beyond Well, and has appeared as a guest on TODAY, Good Day New York, Access Hollywood, KTLA, and numerous podcasts and panels. She was also the host of the Sweat With SELF YouTube series. She graduated summa cum laude from the University of Florida with a double major in English and Classical Studies before receiving her MA in Journalism from New York University.

Claire McCormack is a senior editor at digital publication Beauty Independent, covering the beauty, wellness and personal care industries. She is a thought leader, writer and speaker on beauty and wellness business, trends and consumer behavior, with a deep expertise in the sexual wellness consumer goods market. Claire’s work has been a featured expert in CNBC, Adweek, The Washington Post, Business of Fashion, WGSN, Stylus, the HBO documentary Not So Pretty and others.

Trent Munday is a seasoned executive in the global wellness industry and currently serves as senior vice president of Mandara Spa, a division of OneSpaWorld (Nasdaq: OSW), a worldwide provider and innovator in the fields of wellness, beauty, rejuvenation and transformation across the globe. With over 30 years of experience across more than 30 countries, Trent’s background spans both wellness and hotel operations, including leadership roles with renowned hospitality brands such as Six Senses and COMO Hotels & Resorts, where he was the opening general manager of Uma Ubud in Bali. Trent has written extensively for numerous hospitality, spa and wellness publications and is also the host of over 1,500 podcast episodes.

Jessica Smith is a trends researcher, strategist and co-founder working at the intersection of beauty, wellness and culture. With over a decade shaping future-facing thinking, she has contributed strategic insight to global brands including LVMH, Estée Lauder, Lululemon, L’Oréal and Remedy Place. She is also the co-founder of MAYAH, a new personal care brand redefining body care across the full motherhood journey, built on clinically backed formulations and a cultural reframe of maternal wellbeing. Formerly a senior Strategic Futures analyst at The Future Laboratory, Jessica is a recognized authority on trends and consumer behavior. Her writing and insights have been featured in Vogue, The Times and Harper’s Bazaar.

Megan Whitby is a freelance journalist specializing in the global spa, wellness and hospitality sectors and brand manager at wellness music brand Myndstream. Based in London, she has spent the past seven years immersed in the wellness industry, developing a deep understanding of the global market, its key players and the dynamics shaping the sector. She began her career as assistant editor at Spa Business magazine, traveling internationally to cover concept launches, investment activity and market developments, gaining a front-row view of the sector from the ground up. This editorial foundation informs her current work in brand strategy and marketing, bringing a strong storytelling lens and commercial awareness to her role at Myndstream. With experience spanning journalism, brand management and wellness communications, Megan brings a 360° perspective on the global wellness industry, seeing how ideas, people and opportunities connect across the sector.