I got into massage therapy in a pretty peculiar way.

Most massage therapists have some beautifully inspiring story like:
“I just wanted to help people feel better,”
or
“I worked in healthcare and wanted something more holistic.”

Mine was… less poetic.

I had very little exposure to wellness growing up outside of one family member who happened to be a massage therapist. I had seen them a handful of times in high school after an injury, but honestly, between completing a BA in Theatre Performance with a minor in Dance, teaching dance, waitressing, and working bank jobs, massage therapy was nowhere near my radar.

Until I needed a career change.

So I called that family member and asked two very important questions:

“Do you actually like what you do?”
“Yes.”

“Can you pay your bills doing it?”
“Yes.”

And with that incredibly scientific career-planning strategy, I enrolled in massage school.

For the next year, I endured what I considered a grueling program — not because of the time spent in class, but because of the sheer amount of completely new information I was learning all at once. Anatomy, physiology, pathology, techniques, contraindications, body mechanics… my brain felt like mashed potatoes most days.

In 2015, I graduated from Pittsburgh School of Massage Therapy and started what would become one of the most chaotic, rewarding, exhausting, and fulfilling adventures of my life.

The Early Years: Controlled Chaos

Like most small business owners, I floated around a bit in the beginning.

I worked inside a chiropractic office for my first two years while slowly building clientele and trying to understand how on earth anyone runs a business without spontaneously combusting from stress.

Eventually I opened in Wexford, then worked my way down the coast of McKnight Road before settling into our current office in McCandless.

Those first 7 years were hectic.

I was building websites, answering calls and texts, managing booking systems, creating forms, trying to understand marketing, teaching dance, and giving massages whenever my body could physically handle it.

I genuinely felt like I barely slept.

At the time, my business and teaching dance were basically my entire life. Every spare minute went into trying to make this thing work. (I was often choreographing dances during massage breaks-time management and multi-tasking being what it is…)

And honestly?

Groupon helped tremendously back then.

Most of the regular clients still on my schedule today originally found me through Groupon during those early years. Back then, it helped small businesses get visibility. Ten years later… after running the numbers for a decade… let’s just say my relationship with Groupon has evolved.

From “Deep Tissue Therapist” to “Whatever Actually Helps”

Early in my career, I established myself as a deep tissue therapist.

To this day, I still consider myself one — but my definition of effective work has changed dramatically over the years. It does for most professionals.

Back then, I thought intensity automatically meant effectiveness.

Now, after years of experience and continuing education, I’ve learned that some of the gentlest modalities can create massive change in the body.

So these days, one session may feel like what I lovingly refer to as “my version of a deep Swedish massage,” while the next month I’m cranking on your scapular attachments like there’s hidden treasure buried under your shoulder blade.

(Somehow, some of my clients still sleep through this.)

Over the years I’ve incorporated cupping therapy, hot stones, hot towels, stretching, movement work, and a variety of techniques depending on what each person actually needs that day.

I try to provide as much “ahhhhh” as humanly possible because once you walk back out into the real world, silence and stillness are hard to come by.

Building a Business by Trial and Error

Between 2017 and 2025, Inner Roots went through approximately 7,000 versions of:
“Ooo maybe we should add this.”
Followed shortly by:
“Never mind, absolutely not.”

That’s honestly just part of being a growing business owner.

Sometimes you try things because you genuinely think they’ll help people.
Sometimes you try things because the industry tells you you’re supposed to.
Sometimes things work beautifully.
Sometimes they flop immediately.

The only way to know if something fits your business is to try it and see if it sticks.

Over time though, Inner Roots slowly evolved into something really unique.

And I say that carefully because I know there are many wonderful massage practices out there. But what we’ve created here feels different in a way that’s difficult to fully explain unless you’ve experienced it.

If you’ve been with us long enough to survive multiple waiting room furniture rearranges, you already know:
we do things a little differently.

When I first graduated, my only goal was survival. I just wanted enough people walking through the door to pay my bills.

Then unfortunately for me, I went and actually fell in love with what I do.

And then somehow I ended up surrounding myself with other people who also genuinely love what they do.

That changes everything.

The Reality of Massage Therapy

Massage therapy is not lazy work.

People sometimes picture soft music and relaxing rooms and assume we spend all day peacefully rubbing lotion on people while floating through eucalyptus-scented air like woodland fairies.

Absolutely not.

This job is physically demanding, mentally demanding, emotionally demanding, and requires constant attention. We are continuously assessing pressure, muscle tone, movement patterns, breathing, nervous system responses, positioning, comfort levels, and communication all at once.

We are on our toes constantly. Our hands are constantly receiving feedback.

There were absolutely moments where I went home thinking:
“Well… that was not my best performance.”

There were years the business struggled.
Thank you, COVID.

There were years where it flourished.

But every low point I hit as a business owner, I somehow knew I would figure a way out. I didn’t always know how — I just knew I would.

And truthfully, the backbone of this business has always been our clients and the professional connections we've made.

I genuinely believe we have one of the best client communities on the planet. These people supported me through stressful seasons, difficult years, growing pains, schedule changes, room changes, policy changes, and life changes.

Without them, none of this exists.

What Inner Roots Has Become

Now, years later, Inner Roots has grown into a team of independent contractors with different specialties, personalities, and modalities.

And somehow, it all came together organically.

No corporate strategy.
No “mastermind business blueprint.”
Just good people finding each other at the right time.

At this point, what matters most to us is helping people understand why bodywork matters — and also when certain approaches might not be the best fit.

Sometimes aggressive pressure is helpful.
Sometimes it isn’t.
Sometimes cupping is more effective than deep tissue.
Sometimes the nervous system needs quiet before the muscles are willing to let go.

Your mind gets in the way of healing more often than most people realize.

That’s why we try to create a space where you can temporarily shut the world out.

I want people to walk into our office feeling like they’re entering someone’s home and leave feeling like they just took a vacation.

And if that’s not your vibe?
That’s okay too.

We are genuinely happy to recommend another therapist or practice that may fit your personality and goals better.

Our clientele ranges from:
“I just want to take a nap for an hour,”
to
“I had surgery, my back locked up, my neck is stuck to the left, and I can no longer rotate like a normal human.”

We work with athletes, exhausted parents, stressed professionals, chronic pain clients, surgical recovery clients, and kids carrying backpacks heavy enough to qualify as military training equipment.

And we love working with youth.

Seriously.

Your calves hurt because you’re walking a marathon every day carrying a backpack that weighs as much as a small sedan.

The Values Behind the Business

A few values I hold very close as a business owner are:
transparency, communication, and ethics.

And honestly?
I’m probably the least flashy millennial business owner imaginable.

The idea of filming trendy social media reels makes my brain immediately start calculating editing time, setup time, posting schedules, algorithm strategy, and whether I have enough emotional energy for any of it.

I like reminder texts because they’re practical.
That’s about it.

I prefer text communication because:

1. There’s a written record.
2. It’s the fastest way to get something directly in front of my eyeballs.

My voicemail inbox and email situation look just as chaotic as yours probably do.

I was raised on texting.
I accept my fate.

That said, if you prefer phone calls, we’ll absolutely call you. You just have to tell us.

At Inner Roots, we also try very hard to keep things simple and straightforward:

Our pricing is all-inclusive.
We offer memberships.

And we don’t believe clients should have to perfectly choose the “correct” modality before walking through the door.

You might book cupping therapy and then arrive only for us to say:
“Actually… based on what’s going on today, I don’t think cupping is your best option.”

That’s not us bait-and-switching you.
That’s us trying to create the best session possible for your actual needs that day.

Teamwork makes the dream work.

The Truth About Small Business Ownership

I’m also very transparent about the realities of owning a small massage business when concerns arise.

I want clients to understand why cancellation policies exist.
Why discounts can only go so far.
Why our pricing reflects not only education, but physical labor and time.

Our hands.
Our bodies.
Our energy.
Our time.

When a small business owner sets aside time for an appointment and that appointment disappears-for any reason- last minute, it affects far more than people realize.

We also put our bodies into repetitive positions all day long. This work requires physical longevity and careful pacing.

Most solo practitioners are also not secretly swimming in piles of money like cartoon villains.

In reality, we reinvest heavily back into our business:
better oils,
better equipment,
better tools,
better continuing education,
better experiences for clients.

Success for our business happens quietly and gradually.

It’s not about luxury spa furniture or giant profit margins.

It’s seeing clients I care about succeed.
It’s watching clients finally feel relief.
It’s seeing someone walk out standing straighter than they walked in.

With how chaotic the world feels lately, I just want our little nook on Cumberland Road to be a quiet space where people can simply exist, breathe, and feel cared for for a little while.

Sometimes your massage session may feel more like a therapy appointment than a bodywork session.

That’s okay too.

Let it out.

Final Thoughts from an Old Soul with Tattoos

At the end of all of this, I honestly think part of me belongs in the 90s-maybe even earlier.

I feel like an old soul with a lot of tattoos who would happily trade half of modern social media culture for loose leaf tea on a porch and T9 texting.

Our practice is still heavily referral-based.
People find us through Google, Vagaro, and word of mouth.

That’s honestly how I like it.

Simple.
Personal.
Human.

Inner Roots was never built to be the fanciest place in town.
It was built to be a genuine one.

A warm table.
A quiet room.
A few laughs.
A place to breathe.

And people who truly care about what they do.

That’s really it.

Stay well,

Jeanette