Janae Quick: Solely Massage and Yoga

Queen City Review: As always, let's start with you. Are you from the local area?

Solely Massage: [00:00:30] Well, I actually am from Connecticut originally, but we moved to Hickory, North Carolina, when I was only nine years old. So I basically grew up in North Carolina. I moved and traveled here and there and everywhere and was in Las Vegas the last 10 years. I've been back in Cornelius for about two years. 

Queen City Review: Why did you choose this line of business? 

Solely Massage [00:00:55] Oh, it's not anything that I thought I was going to be doing. I changed careers a few times. I was an x-ray tech in North Carolina, and I loved working closely with people. I was comfortable with injury, but it just wasn't quite right. I couldn't figure out what it was that I was missing. And I found that in massage I had a girlfriend that was in Vegas doing massage. So I moved out there, went to school, and I have kept up with my registry with x-ray for the last ten years. So I'm able to incorporate helping people kind of from a medical side, but also with a more holistic approach. 

Queen City Review: Weren’t you featured in the World Series of Poker?!

Solely Massage [00:01:40] Ha! I don't know if featured, but yes, it was a great honor that I got to be on TV when I was doing a massage for one of the World Series of poker events. It was amazing. I got to work with a lot of different people in Vegas doing massage, so I enjoyed helping people keep their poker face on. 

Queen City Review: So what made you decide to start your own business versus working for somebody else? And when did you begin your business? 

Solely Massage [00:02:09] I have been a massage therapist for over ten years and have worked as an independent contractor and in different spas and things like that. And during this time I've taken lots of different classes about different modalities and ways that you can help people. What I really like is being able to connect with my clients on a more regular basis and build a session that works for them. And it's a little trickier to do that sometimes when you're working for a spa, things have to be organized a certain way with payments and things like that. This way I can set it up. All right. Today we need a half hour. Next time we need two hours and modify it so it works right for the person. So hopefully they can keep coming back again and again. 

Queen City Review: Starting a business... Tough thing to do! What really inspired you to keep going as you were starting to get this off the ground? 

Solely Massage [00:03:32] Oh, I had a lot of supportive friends that made a big difference. I had people that offered to mentor me. I wish that I had taken them up on that offer a little sooner than later, that I think that made a difference, trying to let go of the idea that I had to know everything and get comfortable with the idea, even though I know my industry, I don't know, learning and building a business. So that was some rough bumps at the beginning, but we got through it. 

Queen City Review: When would you say that your business went from a concept to actually being functional? 

Solely Massage [00:04:16] Oh, I gosh, it was a concept years ago, even before I moved to North Carolina. I think I remember when I first got the ashiatsu bars I was sitting in the room and I just felt so comfortable like I was home, I think that really shifted the things for me, knowing that I was going to be growing, that it wasn't a job And it wasn't just a career. This is what I'm supposed to be doing in life. And I'm building this practice. It's just incredible. Gives me goosebumps. 

Queen City Review: So looking back, what would you say is the most difficult challenge that you had to face?

Solely Massage [00:05:11] Getting over my ego, would have to be the one? And as someone that believes in the love of yoga, I could tell you that yoga is a constant practice, not a constant perfect. And the more I'm able to not worry about what others think and not focus on unnecessary pressures and just let who I am come out, the more relaxed I feel, the easier things flow. So that's why I'm into yoga, too. 

Queen City Review: What do you enjoy the most about the communities that your business currently takes care of? 

Solely Massage [00:05:56] Cornelius is really beautiful. I like that I'm able to take care of lots of different demographics. We have a lot of people in Cornelius that are out golfing and very athletic. I also have people that are very mindful right now during and taking as many precautions as they can. I have worked with people post cancer. I have worked with people post surgery. And I think one of the cool things about massage therapy is the longer you're in it, the more tools and skills you develop, the more ways you can modify to help each person. 

Queen City Review: What would you say that makes you stand out from the competition? 

Solely Massage [00:07:11] Well, I think I'm very comfortable with referring out. So if someone said they had a back injury, well, let's talk about that. Is it more appropriate to go to a chiropractor? Is it more appropriate to go to a doctor? I want the clients to come see me to know that their health and wellness comes first. All modalities that I have and I offer such as ashiatsu which are the bars are on the ceiling, this is really great for people that have low back pain and things like that. I also offer Himalayan hot stone massage, which is great for relaxation. A lot of people have seen hot stone over the years, or Himalayan hot stones. That's something a little bit new and exciting. And then lymphatic massage, they don't even call it really massage. It's lymphatic drainage. And it is something that I think is going to become more and more popular. It really has only been around since the 70s. It's great for people pre and post surgery. It's great for people that have had cancer or just anyone trying to improve their immune system and health. And there's really not a lot of massage there in this area that offer it. So excited to be helping with that. 

Queen City Review: So where do you see your business going in 2021?

Solely Massage [00:09:14] Oh, I think it's going to keep growing. I think as we come through the pandemic, I believe that people have had a lot of stress through this last year especially. And I love the idea of being able to support people as they come out of that. 

Queen City Review: Thinking back to day one, can you think of anything that you may have done differently to overcome the challenges that you mentioned before, to meet your business goals in a more efficient amount of time? 

Solely Massage [00:09:42] I think I would have been more open to getting mentors and being honest about what I didn't know and being OK with that. I think I spent hours of my life trying to figure out font on Instagram and who cares? That hasn't really done anything for me that utilized my time differently. And so maybe that's what I would encourage other small business people not to give up just to to look out for the people that are offering help and support. 

Queen City Review: What else do you want people to know about you, about your business, about what you do? 

Solely Massage [00:10:34] Sure. So I have a brick and mortar here in Cornelius where I'm able to offer massages, I have my own room. So if you are doing social distancing, such as I, this is a good option. We all wear masks, we do temperature checks. So everything we can do to put your health and my health and our communities health, number one. That would be the first thing I would share. You can reach out to me if you have any questions. Some people think that they need deep tissue. That's not always the right way to go. There's questions about how many massages you should get or should you be working out before you get a massage, all these different things like that. And I am happy to answer questions. I think that taking care of your health can look a lot of different ways, and I think massage therapy is a big part of it!

Phone: 704-508-9770
Website: solelymassageandyoga.com
Email: janae@solelymassageandyoga.com
Facebook: @SolelyMassageAndYoga
Instagram: @solely_massage_and_yoga