We recently connected with Sarah Littlejohn and have shared our conversation below.

Sarah, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today. Let’s kick things off with talking about how you serve the underserved, because in our view this is one of the most important things the small business community does for society – by serving those who the giant corporations ignore, small business helps create a more inclusive and just world for all of us.

This topic is vital to our business mission. There’s a two fold response. We serve two underserved populations, though they overlap. First, those seeking all natural methods of dealing with pain and anxiety/stress. Second, those who want that, but also need to feel supported just as they are. We’re not a fancy spa or intimidating yoga studio. We are real people who have been in the shoes of someone who may not have felt fully at home in a more traditional spa or studio. We bring acceptance and love as well as effective and inclusive yoga, movement, meditation, and bodywork to people in bigger bodies, physical limitations or disability, those in the LGBTQI+ community who may feel uncomfortable or unsure of acceptance, all ethnicities, all religions, every single person deserves acceptance and love. We pride ourselves in creating space for that. Healing isn’t simple. It takes being able to be authentic and truthful, supported, heard, and celebrated. We are more than a wellness center. We are a community and respite from the judgement of the world.

Sarah, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

My name is Sarah Littlejohn and I’m Co-Owner of TerraMar Wellness Center in Carrollton, GA. I’ve been a massage therapist since 2010 and a yoga teacher since 2019. TerraMar is an all natural pain and stress management center with a float tank, infrared sauna, oxygen therapy chamber, and more. We are a collective of independent holistic wellness practitioners who provide: a variety of massage therapy modalities, reiki, hypnosis, and reflexology. We even have a resident artist. We believe that art is a necessary part of any healing journey. Much of the art on the walls was made by one of us. We offer inclusive yoga for all bodies, shapes, and abilities. I’ve been passionate about making movement practices that fit as many as possible. Every person deserves to benefit from yoga, movement, and meditation. Each of our teachers have that mind set. We offer a variety of classes including: yin yoga, restorative yoga, Ayurvedic yoga, mindfulness meditation, journaling, and Sound Bath. We are here to fill a void in the wellness market. Having a holistic healing center is a wonderful complement to anyone’s medical treatment. We are not a replacement for traditional medicine. We’re more than just a wellness center with a plethora of services. We strive to be the place that makes you feel loved and included. Part of healing is knowing that you are supported just as you are. Both my business partner and myself are overweight. I like to call myself “abundant through the middle” inspired by my Yoga For All teacher, Dianne Bondy. We don’t look like the poster women for “wellness center owners”. We know first hand what it’s like to feel awkward and not included in this community at times. I knew that I wanted a place for those like me to go and start feeling better. We all start somewhere. We strive to be there for others who have maybe felt like they didn’t belong because we have been there personally.

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

How did I meet Janine Willey? 5 and a half years ago we met up just to network and chat about being a massage therapist. I know it’s been 5 years because when I met her I was pregnant with my 5 year old. Kids make measuring time easier. We were each renting space at nearby counseling centers and had common aspirations. Many times someone would come and ask me to rent space from them or take a job here and there and I said no way. Janine came into my office very shortly after we’d known each other and excitedly told me about a property her real estate agent had found. I think I said something like “when do we move?” We have a very rare and thriving business relationship that was built early on based on a shared dream. What’s better is our friendship and connection personally has really deepened that business partnership. We are open and honest because we genuinely care for each other. One of the strongest things about us is our complementary differences and how we’ve learned so much from each other and have grown individually due to our partnership.

Alright – let’s talk about marketing or sales – do you have any fun stories about a risk you’ve taken or something else exciting on the sales and marketing side?

We aren’t traditional business owners. We didn’t major in business or finance. We’re scrappy and creative though. What gives us the most engagement online and recognition in our community has been our videos. For example, each holiday season we feature a character known as Cookie the Elf voiced by yours truly. Cookie is a knock off elf on the shelf with an invested interest in TerraMar. He’s done the equipment, has a little robe, he’s recorded a Christmas album, and this year he’s going to explore our town to find magic. Having a silly streak in your marketing really humanizes you’re business. That’s always been our goal to be whimsical and fun and throw perfection out the window.

Contact Info:

• Website: Terramarwellness.com
• Instagram: @terramarwellnesscenter
• Facebook: @terramarwellnesscenter
• Youtube: @terramarwellnesscenter