We were lucky to catch up with Jill Kornowski recently and have shared our conversation below.

Jill, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. If you had a defining moment that you feel really changed the trajectory of your career, we’d love to hear the story and details.

I had this series of moments working for a major spa where I just felt like I wasn’t able to connect with the clients as much as I would like. This ranged from the limited time I was able to spend with each client, to the fact that is was a bit more high scale and touristy and there were not a ton of local repeat clients. I felt like if I was able connect further with my clients that we would ultimately be able to work better together and achieve the wellness they were seeking. I also recognized that I wanted to have more of a hand in the products we were using on people’s skin, so I could more effectively aid and ground them. Being present with these emotions and experiences really pushed me to create my own space so I could offer these things that I felt I was lacking. It was something I didn’t have to think much about, I just knew it was the natural next step.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I am a licensed massage therapist who handmakes all of my products that I use in my space, from plants directly. I work primarily with local plants that I harvest, beeswax, tallow, and olive oils to create a variety of products that range from simply just being lovely to more of a topical medicinal purpose. I love being able to combine the craft of making these simple body products with the manual work of massage!

I went into the massage therapy realm when I was deciding what I wanted to do next with my time. I had been working in scratch kitchens for almost a decade – and loved it – but knew that I needed to do a little more. I had dreams of entering the medical field with a herbal/naturopathic approach to midwifery but was nervous about the length of schooling and time that I would need to take. I knew I wanted to work intimately with people to support their bodies and wellbeing in all phases of life. Massage therapy came up as a potential option while I was talking with a LMT of many years, a few months before I dove in. I figured it would be a good fit after talking with them. A way to still use my hands a lot but also a bit of a more shallow dive into the medical system and health/wellness. This was the beginning for me!

I have the most amazing clients. I am so lucky to be able to serve such a caring group of people so intuitively almost every single day. They are what I am most proud of! We have created relationships that are trusting and allow them to heal and rest while I am the medium to that happening. A lot of people have also never experienced having products applied to their skin that are from plants directly, in these simple folk traditional ways. They are almost always surprised with the how pleasant and truly grounding it can be. It is certainly gratifying.

I also love being able to serve such a wide variety of people. Getting to work with individuals who have a touch aversion, trauma, don’t feel safe or are nervous in some standard massage spaces, is really what I’m here for. Offering up the opportunity to relax and know that you are not being judged and that you are fully in control is important. Being a fully inclusive space is something I’m very proud of.

The time while I’m not massaging looks like myself at home in my kitchen, whipping up the different creams, tallows, oils and tinctures that I use in massage and sell on the side, This is, of course, when I’m not with my sweet pets and partner enjoying our cozy old home or the outdoors. It is a dream come true!

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

I believe that it was a strong foundation of community networking. There are some pretty stellar people in the Green Bay community who endlessly support the people and businesses that they love. I think having genuine connections and interactions sent things flowing in a way where naturally trust was built and support was given. Word of mouth and social media have been super amazing tools to spread business and build my reputation of a trustworthy massage therapist, herbal body product crafter and overall person in my community.

Training and knowledge matter of course, but beyond that what do you think matters most in terms of succeeding in your field?

I believe being transparent and genuine are key components to running a business that is successful. Remembering that humans are human and that they will forget about an appointment, arrive late or have an emergency. They will need a shoulder to lean on occasionally, they will need someone to celebrate with occasionally, and this is normal and the beauty of humans. I believe forgetting this and thinking of everything as a major transaction are where troubles can begin. That being said, also outlining your boundaries and vouching for yourself IS necessary and will help you understand how to maneuver these moments.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.vagaro.com/us04/meadowsweetmassagellc
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/meadowsweet_massage/?hl=en
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/meadowsweetmassagellc/

Image Credits
Lindsey Norgard Photography took the first image that is just of me, the professional headshot. Otherwise everything else is mine.