We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Jane Hurley a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Jane, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. We’d love to hear the story behind how you got your first job in field that you currently practice in.

The majority of my work experience, from age 14 to almost 40, was in the hospitality industry. I worked in restaurants, bars, retail, catering, music venues, sales and imports. Through a combination of feeling I had plateaued and exhausted nearly every avenue of hospitality service, and a world halting global pandemic, I knew a welcomed change was imminent. I graduated with a BA in Sociology from UCSC in 2005 and later in 2018, fulfilled a certificate in Nutrition and Healthy Living through Cornell. I always enjoyed physiology, biology, health sciences and food-as-medicine, so that program was initially for fun and some brain exercise. During lockdown, I started to focus on ways I might pivot into a career in Health and Wellness; the caveats being that I also feared massive student loan debt since I spent my 20’s working doubles 6-7 days a week to pay off the debt from my undergrad loans.
Fast forward to January of 2022, I had tried a few jobs, like recruiting, where my skillset would be transferable (working with people, management, etc), but nothing quite fit. I was back behind a bar, helping out a friend at his restaurant while his regular bartender was away. Ever heard the expression, “a falling knife has no handle”? Well, neither does a falling wine glass- on a busy Friday night, I saw a glass sliding off the edge of the bar top, instinctively went to catch it, and instead it shattered, cutting a little slice right through a tendon on my knuckle, completely severing it. The injury required surgery and put me back out of work for a few months. Turns out this was the definition of blessing in disguise.
In my physical therapy, amongst the expected hand strengthening exercises, they used Red Light Therapy. The practitioners told me it was to help the wound to heal faster, to minimize the pain, and that it would make the scar much less perceptible. I was astonished by the results. I started researching more and more about Red Light Therapy and its efficacy. There were a lot of articles online in health and beauty, and then I learned of “scholar.google.com”, where the information is only peer-reviewed scientific articles. Meaning, just facts, not opinions.
I told my then chiropractor, Dr. Melissa Crago, all about this one day when I was seeing her for an adjustment. She smiled and said to me that she was in fact opening a second business that would be focusing on whole body Red Light Therapy, and she was looking for someone to be her business manager since she was still busy at her practice. The stars aligned, the rest is history, whichever cliche you want; but truthfully, I was able to find the perfect fit in health and wellness, in a field I personally am passionate about.

Jane, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

Vitality Sol primarily focuses on whole body Red Light Therapy; we are also a Wellness Collective, offering massage, chiropractic, and other natural healing modalities. What sets Vitality Sol apart from any other RLT in the Bay Area is that we have the latest model of customizable beds that penetrate the entire body at close range, into the body’s cells, rather than panels, pads, masks or infrared saunas, more typically available in gyms or for home use. We program the frequency of each the Red and the Near Infrared Lights to target specifically where our clients want to focus, inside and out. Our full-body treatments, combined with short vibration sessions, offer proven benefits for pain management, weight loss, performance enhancement, muscle recovery, inflammation relief, skin rejuvenation, stress management, and many other health challenges. Our clientele spans people of all ages, athletes, those recovering from surgery, folks with chronic pain, and anyone who enjoys relaxing self-care, uplifted mood and a great night’s sleep.
As Red Light Therapy is continuing to gain in popularity in the realms of health & beauty, sports, and medicine, we also appreciate knowing that it is safe and completely backed by science. There is no shortage of peer-reviewed scientific articles available to anyone who loves some research.
We love our Vitality Sol community; it is a warm and inviting space where all are welcome.

What’s been the most effective strategy for growing your clientele?

Word of mouth, in particular for a brick and mortar business, is paramount. As they say, you never know who you are talking to- be kind and treat everyone equally. People notice energy and remember the feeling they received from a person or place, if not the specific words.

What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?

Again, word of mouth, positive feedback and social media. In many ways, we live in a digital world – reviews and succinct reels go a long way for initial engagement. Consistency and genuine care for each client are our top priority and an undeniable part of our success. As we like to say: health care, self care, we care.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.vitalityRLT.com
• Instagram: @vitalitysol
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/vitalitysolrlt
• Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/vitality-sol-oakland
• Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@vitalitysol

Image Credits
Jennifer Graham Photography Jane Hurley