Meet Celeste O’Brien | Co-Owner, Chief Visionary, LMT for Symmetry360 Massage, Symmetry Collective, Elixir Mind Body Massage and Symmetry Education and Training

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We had the good fortune of connecting with Celeste O’Brien and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Celeste, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
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Myself and my business partner and best friend worked at the same spa and salon together. We saw the ways that we wanted to be able to improve the massage service we provided to our clients, along with wanting more freedom and autonomy within our craft. We were motivated and excited by the results that we could provide to our clients and we have a desire to see that grow and expand. We took the leap and rented our very first massage room in the back of a pilates studio in the Highlands neighbourhood.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
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Well, this could almost be an entire book, so hopefully, I can pull out the key points. We decided to grow our business from that single massage room to now a multi-location massage therapy company that employs over 80 people. We saw what an impact massage can make on people’s bodies and life and we were inspired to continue to expand our reach and mission, helping people feel good in their bodies so they can be the best version of themselves. We also were inspired to create a company and workplace that truly took care of its “People”, staff, and clients, like family. A place where people can feel at peace and relaxed. We wanted to be able to be a platform for massage therapists to have a career with good wages, health benefits, and retirement. We learned early on that building a strong community and culture is imperative. We have been through so many challenges and made tons of mistakes as a growing business, the most recent was during COVID. It was terrifying to close down our business, and when we sent notice to our clients over 90% of them agreed to keep paying on their massage memberships, and were right there for us the second we could reopen. This showed us how much massage meant to our clients and it re-inspired us during that tough time.

If I could share a message to the world about us and our brand it would be that prioritizing your self-care and wellbeing isn’t a luxury but a necessity to a life of health and happiness. And that supporting small businesses helps to support the very people in your community and neighborhood.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?

‍My first and favorite would be Red Rocks Amphitheater. The view is worth a million dollars! The stairs are a fun challenge, and the hikes are not so difficult or long, making them perfect for any ability. Just down the road is Golden. The best little lunch place is D’s Deli, and a walk from there is the Golden Mill with tons of drinks right off the creek.

‍Who else deserves some credit and recognition?

‍Some so many people have contributed to our successes. At the top of my list are all of the people within our company, we have been blessed with working with some of the most talented women, Debralee Letchford and Rebecca Mancuso. These women have been on our journey since almost the beginning. They are the glue that holds our company together and we could not do it without them. The second shout-out has to go to our business mentor and friend Rick Flannagin with Red Chair Realty, he has helped mentor us as business owners, seeing us through our growth and challenging times. The Small Business Development Center was an instrumental part of our growth and development, providing free business counseling, classes, and training to us when it was needed most. Dale Clack was an advisor there for many years, who helped save our company. Last but not least are all of our dedicated and loyal clients. Through the years they have stuck with us and believed in us. Some of the core books that we contribute our sucess to; 7 habbits of highly effective people, Stephen Covey, Good to Great, and First Break all the Rules, to name a few. We are always learning and growing so I could go on and on.

Website: www.symmetry-360.com, www.symmetrycollective.com

Instagram: @symmetry360massage, @symmetry.collective

Facebook: Symmetry360Massage, Symmetrycollective

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