Your Body’s ReTreat Celebrates it’s 11th Year in Business

Your Body’s ReTreat celebrates it’s 11th year in Business

Here is a little history for you. I attended Massage Therapy training during the year of 1998 and graduated January 1999. Finding work in Massage Therapy was challenging, there were not many chain places that you see today. I stopped working in the restaurant industry and began doing clerical work for a temporary agency. I had been on one assignment for about eight months I was notified I would have one week left before I would be out of a job. It was August of 2000, I was 24 years old and I knew it was time to put the Massage Therapy to use. To make a long story shorter, after two interviews, I was offered a position at a massage clinic located in Bedford, Texas. The manager was super nice and all of the therapists were very friendly. I always knew I wanted to one day “run my own show”, I simply never knew where to begin. In March of 2003 I stopped working for this company and began doing some graduate intern work for the Massage Therapy institution in order to pay for continuing education. I met an individual who offered to rent me a room at an affordable rate until I built up my clientele. On April 1, 2003, I began Doing Business As, Your Body’s ReTreat. Whooo Hoooo!

By December 2003, in order to keep my overhead low, I began working from home. Massage Therapy has really served me well. I cannot describe in words how much I really benefit from each client who allows me to work with them. By the end of 2008, due to the financial turmoil the nation was in and the fact I wanted to begin transitioning my business outside of my home, I began to look into my fall-back plan. I had always been interested in Skincare and thought it would be a fantastic way to open up my demographic. I made the decision to give up my apartment, move in with my father and go back to school full-time, 40 hours a week! Needless to say, I lost much of my massage therapy clientele. I graduated Ogle School in Hurst with a License in Esthetics December 2009. It was time to hit the ground running. Advertising was now much different than it used to be. I was hearing terminology like content management systems, SEO, metadata and HTML. Social Media for businesses was beginning to rise. If you are not computer savvy, running a small business is more challenging. Most of us who graduate from vocational training are not taught how to advertise and market very well. We do not spend many hours on topics such as networking. I spent numerous hours in front of my computer, watched instructional videos and read plenty of articles. This enabled me to build a search friendly website. People were beginning to find me now.

A client had sent me in a direction about sugaring and after so many clients asked about hair removal, I realized this was a huge area of interest and the Hurst, Euless, Bedford area did not have ANY professionals being found for intimate hair removal such as Brazilians. LIGHTBULB! (in my Gru Voice). I began taking as many workshops and seminars on Brazilian waxing as well as becoming certified in the Art of Body Sugaring Hair Removal. It truly took off. By 2011, I was needing help. My classmate from Ogle and friend, Pamela Adams, began working with me. Pam developed her skill in Sugaring quickly and built a loyal clientele base who continues to follow her today. I am so thankful for Pam, she has a charming personality and her laugh will make you smile. She maintains professionalism, offers me invaluable advice and represents Your Body’s ReTreat as if the business were her own. From the bottom of my heart, Thank you Pam!

I have had a few ladies come to assist Your Body’s ReTreat (and ME) in growth. Though I am confident Your Body’s ReTreat would always thrive, I still acknowledge the skill and personality that these ladies brought forth and I will appreciate each and everyone of them. Rhonda, Jennifer, Julie and Andrea…Thank You.

My father has been something else during this journey of mine. He has been supportive and at times, my Devil’s Advocate, but then the latter is actually a form of support. He has been my handy man, doing the painting, flooring and cabinet installing for each of my locations. He is truly super and I so blessed to have him in my life and a part of my success. I love you, Dad…Thank you.

Last, but never least, the most important, have been YOU! My wonderful clients. I enjoy sharing, learning and laughing with you (sometimes a cry). I consider many of you as friends. Your Body’s ReTreat would not be the successful entity it is, 11 years later, if it were not for the loyal clients we have. Thank you!

It is difficult to imagine where Your Body’s ReTreat will be two, five and ten years from now. There is still so much I would like to do and offer. Whatever it is and however it is done, I look forward to sharing the journey with my friends, my family, my associates and clients! Thank you for celebrating Your Body’s ReTreat’s 11th Year in Business with us!

Jamie Renee
Licensed Massage Therapist, Licensed Esthetician, Sugaring Educator