We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Victoria Peterson a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Victoria, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. What’s the backstory behind how you came up with the idea for your business?
Sure! In 2013, I was a human massage therapist and a veterinary assistant to Dr. Jessica Levy, a local holistic vet. She called me one day to to ask if I could help out on a tough case of hers. It was a lab mix who had CCL repair surgery (ACL in humans) and had done 3 rounds of physical therapy, with no success. Dr. Levy knew that I specialized in chronic pain and injuries in humans and wanted to see if I could lend some advice. After a quick canine anatomy lesson, the young lab mix came in. I watched him walk, saw how he shifted his weight, did some massage, and gave the owners some homework. Within 1 week, the pup started baring weight again. After 2 weeks, the pup was bending his knee again. And every week after, the pup kept improving. That was the moment I realized that I had something unique that worked! I studied for 3 more years under Dr. Levy before officially adding animal massage and bodywork to my business. It has been so successful that I retired from humans in 2019 to focus solely on animals!
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
Hi! I’m Victoria and I’m the owner of The Balanced Orchid Animal Massage and Bodywork based in Ramsey, Minnesota! As an animal massage therapist and bodyworker, I help facilitate healing through different methods that involve a touch or physical manipulation, using a variety of techniques. Some of the benefits are relieving muscle tension, breaking down scar tissue/adhesions/knots, increasing body awareness, injury prevention, pain relief, increased oxygenation of blood, improved immune system, reduces anxiety/stress, improving or relieving certain skin issues, AND MORE! Dogs and cats of any age can benefit from massage. I’ve worked on puppies and kittens as young a 5 weeks and as old as 22 years, and everything in between. Currently, I offer in person and virtual appointments, I also teach classes to help pet owners know how to asses their dog or cat’s needs and how to massage them at home!
Can you tell us about what’s worked well for you in terms of growing your clientele?
Absolutely! The most effective strategy for growing my clientele is being good at what I do. When the owners start to see the results in their pets, it makes them motivated to continue coming for their appointments, even if it’s only for maintenance purposes. When pet parents are happy, they tell other pet parents! The most successful strategies for growing my business are word of mouth and being good at what I do.
Have you ever had to pivot?
Yes, I did have to pivotin my career for a number of years, I worked on both humans and animal patients. I really started to burn out physically, mentally, and emotionally. I realized that I really need to put my focus, attention, and energy into just one aspect of my business. This was going to help me be more successful in the long run. It just so happened that soon after I retired from humans, COVID hit and I was able to take some time, re-brand, and pivot to strictly dog and cat massage. It was the best thing that I could have done for myself and my business.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.thebalancedorchid.com
- Instagram: @the_balanced_orchid
- Facebook: The Balanced Orchid Animal Massage and Bodywork
- Other: Email Address: thebalancedorchid@gmail.com