We recently connected with Sierra Werner Rachael Reid and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Sierra Werner thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Was there a defining moment in your professional career? A moment that changed the trajectory of your career?

The year was 2020 and nothing major was going on in the world… Rachael and I were working together at a 20 year OG massage studio in Nashville, locally owned, well known, very busy and fully staffed with a close knit team. During those first few months when the world was closed, I think we were all contemplating life, priorities, and trajectory. With that came the opportunity for the business owner we worked for to retire after 20 years, like what great timing to close that chapter after so long. So Rachael and I have this team of phenomenal therapists, a long list of clients that are in desperate need of bodywork, and this demand for a safe space in our community for human touch, healing, and peace. We really had this like bursting compassion for our people that we cared about so much in a time where everything was so uncertain and unknown. So we joked one day, “What is we opened our own studio?” and that was a laugh that lit the spark. Things just ignited from there, we realized why WOULDN’T we open our own studio?! We have a team of therapists who want to continue their careers, we have clients who need us, and we both have combined talents to run a business on the front and back end. This moment, this opportunity for us to make a huge difference in others lives and in each others was just like the obvious path. It was very clear this was what we were meant to do!

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

Hi friends! First thing to know is there’s two of us, Rachael and Sierra (the one answering), we’re both co-owners of Simply Therapeutic Massage, our hidden gem in Nashville, if you will. We’re two best friends running a studio for not only our clients and community, but also for our team. We specialize in offering therapeutic bodywork for all types of folks by all types of folks! Our therapists offer different types of bodywork that they feel passionate about so there is something for everyone: every need, every body, every mind, comfort level, condition, experience, sensory needs, etc.

Our original, founding reason we opened our studio was to create a safe space for our team and our community. We want our studio to be a place that is not one size fits all, especially in a world where we are all so different – and that should be celebrated and honored. Human touch is a basic human need, and safety and comfort in that is imperative. Operating with that foundation gives our therapists the tools and approach to bodywork that comes from compassion and understanding of each individual, each time they see that person. This creates the space for any person to be able to receive the bodywork they need, customized how they need, tailored to them how they come in that day. Sometimes you just wake up with a kink in your neck, sometimes you’re battling chronic pain, sometimes you’re dealing with grief or growing a baby or celebrating your wedding – whatever the current reason is, we want to be a space where we can give you what you need!

Empowering our therapists to be themselves, offer what types of bodywork they want to offer, and encourage them to explore their passions has really been a huge part of our success. Which seems so wild right? Rachael and I are flabbergasted with how often we see therapists just absolutely bloom by being offered the freedom and space to do so – and how lucky are we to get to witness that and experience their impact that has on our clients healing journeys! We are so proud to have a space that is so freeing for our therapists and therefore our clients. I probably cry once a week, I swear. Almost five years later and Rachael and I are still just in awe of what we get to be a part of every day at STM.

Can you tell us the story behind how you met your business partner?

You know how they say “we just met and clicked!” or it’s like “I hated you at first” – I don’t think the slow burn friendship gets enough credit! Rachael and I come from very different backgrounds and we’re pretty different people on first impression: I’m loud, super talkative, I love making friends with everyone, I could probably make friends with a tree. Rachael just exudes calm, cool, and collected. She’s grounded, friendly, and easy to talk to without being over the top. We met and started working together in 2018, I was the Studio Manager and she was an LMT who also did reception one day a week, so we worked closer together than any of the other team. We got along, easy enough to work together, but really over the next few months we slowly began to gravitate towards each other among the chaos. We started developing this yin and yang balance, two different perspectives that were able to come together and create a solution. We learned to understand each other beneath the surface, to trust each other, and respect each other. The more time we spent together, the more we each came out of our respective shells, and I do believe we brought that out in each other. So when the idea came to randomly become business owners during the pandemic, take on a huge client list and team of career therapists, we both knew there was no one else we could do this with. We’re not afraid to disagree or challenge each others thoughts, there’s no egos or “mine or yours”. We balance each other so well, we listen to each other, we HEAR each other, we value each other. We’ve brought out the best in each other!

Any advice for growing your clientele? What’s been most effective for you?

Love what you do! How cliché, right? Honestly though, be in your field for the right reasons, love what you do, have passion for what you do and growing your clientele will come with that in many ways. Our top referral method is word of mouth, hands down (massage pun?). I believe that’s because when folks come in, they are having a genuinely good experience from the moment they find our studio. We make our website easy and clear, our reception is always happy to help and answer any questions, our studio is comfortable and cozy as soon as you come in, and then your therapist is happy to see you. So before you’ve even received your actual bodywork, you can already see the care we put into our studio. Clients can tell we love what we do, they can feel it in their bodywork and beyond. That’s a reason to send in your loved ones and rave about what an amazing experience you had. Building relationships with your clients not only shows you actual care and that they’re not just a dollar sign, but also helps you to get involved in your community! Partner with your clients businesses, donate to their charity auctions, attend open houses, show your support to your community and they’ll show it right back to you. Build a reputation for yourself that is genuinely good because you are genuinely good. Give a sh*t (can I curse?) about others, love what you do, and trust yourself. Seems more of a basic decency than an effective growth strategy but it’s worked for us this long so we must be doing something right!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.stmnashville.com
• Instagram: STMnashville

Image Credits

We do all of our own photos in house!