We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Katie Brower. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Katie below.

Katie , looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. How did you come up with the idea for your business?

I was that little girl growing up that always loved being hands on & wanting to feel like I could help someone in some way. I always would give my family members pretend hair cuts and shoulder massages and had so much fun playing. Growing up in an active family meant I was put in a mixture of sports growing up, finding my way. I stuck with volleyball from 9 years old and I went off to college on a volleyball scholarship; majoring in art and photography and minoring in sports science. From the years of rolled ankles, sprawling for hundreds of digs & colliding with players- I knew recovery was important but it was never talked about like it is today. Fast forward to college grad life, as any young adult i wasnt sure what exactly I wanted to do or be when I grew up. All I knew is my passion for sports and helping others remained.

I grabbed any odd job and desk job I could find post college to gain as much money as possible. Like most grads- not using your degree was most common. I had to settle until something good popped up. Years passed & my curiosity for massage was still lingering in my head; honestly, im not sure why. I never even gotten a massage before. I joined a local crossfit gym and started my journey in 2014. I became instantly obsessed with it. The amount of injuries and pain I saw (and experienced) was mind blowing.

One day I finally sat down and contemplated life- “let me just research massage schools in my area”. Not having one single clue what massage was about, the many factors that goes into it or if I would even be good at it. I found an amazing accredited school nearby & finally took the plunge. I signed up for classes, bought my books, bought a massage table, linens & help my breath for the first day back at school. To say I was nervous was an understatement. One of the reasons for getting into this in the first place was because of my life situations at that time; I was in a bad marriage & had no stable finances for myself to make it on my own. I knew I had to go back to school in order to hit the ground running & start over. So walking into that school on day one, I had to make a name for myself. There was no going back now.

Fast forward to 10 months of HARD FUCKING WORK. I took my mblex test and passed on first try. I cried in the bathroom & told myself “I did it!”. From the start I knew exactly the kind of massage therapist I wanted to be and who I didnt want to be. I stayed true to my passion of recovery and athletics. I also knew I wanted my demographic to be in that spotlight. I learned unique approaches to the body & continue to do a mixture of deep tissue, sports, ART, neuromuscular and myofascial modalities. Adding in cupping, IASTM, body tempering and compression therapy to the mix- I knew there wasnt going to be anyone like me, So right after i graduated in 2018, I went to work on getting my LLC and website up and running. Buying business cards, finding a room to rent to start up & of course the hardest part of it all… gaining a client following. I worked in multiple places, said yes to everyone & from my gym life- I gained my first tier of clients. Learning a lot along the way, perfecting my craft and gaining expertise from others catapulted my business from year one to now year 6 as a business owner. I have moved from VA to FL and moved locations in FL a few times already (currently housed in IceYard cold plunge and sauna) right next door to my gym, Brickyard DTSP. Ive worked on numerous kinds of athletes and people; ranging from crossfit athletes, weightlifters, runners, cyclists, yogis to numerous people in active careers like firefighters, pilots, police, nurses, teachers, chefs, tattoo artists, personal trainers and the list goes on. I have seen and worked on almost everything; pregnancy, slap tears, knee pain, plantar fascitis, post hip surgery, tmj pain, car accident victims, herniated discs, and the normal aches and pains of life.

This career always keeps me on my toes and no day is the same. I love being able to be a small part in someones recovery journey & being that light at the end of the tunnel to make them feel a little less tightness and keep them moving pain free. Being an athlete myself, a mom to a 3 year old and training for competitions still- I understand wanting to get rid of any injury as fast as possible to keep me doing what I love to do but pain free. So my goal for not only myself but for when my clients come through my doors is that they leave with better quality of movement, less pain and more knowledge of what to work on to prevent those same issues.

The best part of being a small business owner is the amount of referrals I get, Those kind messages & reviews never go unnoticed and I will never take them for granted. Deep down I knew this was my path in life and what I was made to do and what I will continue to do!

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

I think being in the gym atmosphere for years really helped. I had multiple rooms I rented out in the gym setting for that exact reason alone- all my clients would be right there. There werent many gyms at the time who had their own massage therapist in house and even to this day there isnt many that specialize in athletes and injuries. But being an athlete myself was a huge help because that showed possible clients I understood their lifestyle and could help prevent further injuries from happening with recovery. I wanted to of course stay in shape but I knew getting people to see me face to face in the gym was only going to help them get to know me on a personal level and vice versa. I strive to have a strong client/therapist relationship so I take pride in it when those referrals come pouring in.

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

When starting a business, at least for me I wanted to say yes to everyone and everything to get my name out there, gain as much clientele and money as possible. From working in three different offices at once in my first couple years I knew running all over the place was going to burn me out real quick, I had to take a step back and focus on why i started in the first place and what was going to make me happy and enjoy my career for long term. So i had to learn how to say NO. Still to this day, i am learning this tactic because I am a people pleaser and want everyone to have a good experience from my business; But I will say after having a baby saying no has gotten a lot easier! I know my loyal clients will remain loyal and new clients are always around the corner. As long as I stay true to myself and what I provide my business will continue to blossom.

Contact Info:

• Website: www,recoverwithkatie.com
• Instagram: the.recovery.lab

Image Credits

tim van lear