Kelsey Byers and Marissa Tisdale are best friends who have decided to open businesses of their own, in the same building, in an effort to help others.
They had the grand opening for their businesses Saturday morning, with friends and family in attendance. Byers operates Hometown Healing while Tisdale runs Wandering Wellness and Harmony. The businesses opened back in June.
Both are graduates of the Estevan Comprehensive School who then went to the Western College of Remedial Massage Therapies in Regina.
鈥淚t started out that we both wanted to plant roots in our community, and this opportunity came up during the pandemic, so we decided there鈥檚 no time like now,鈥� Byers told the Mercury.
They鈥檙e also friends with John Breakey, who owns the building, a structure that is more than 100 years old and located in the 200-block of 12th Avenue. Byers and Tisdale worked hard to remodel the building and to improve the landscaping, creating what Tisdale called 鈥渁 healing sanctuary.鈥�
鈥淚t was easier to do two separate businesses,鈥� said Tisdale. 鈥淲e have two separate entrances, we share the building, we鈥檙e on two separate sides of the building.鈥�
Wandering Wellness offers multi-person yoga classes, private yoga sessions, tai and remedial massage, and reiki and tai reflexology, and is moving into virtual classes.
Hometown Healing鈥檚 services include remedial massage therapy, myofascial release, tai foot reflexology, reiki healing sessions and grounding meditations.
Tisdale said they want to support the next generation of practitioners as they go to school, become registered massage therapists and look for future opportunities. Both look forward to supporting local businesses.
It takes two years to become a registered massage therapist, and those services have been in demand.
鈥淚 would teach yoga in high school and teach them about other opportunities of education,鈥� said Tisdale. 鈥淚f you鈥檙e not wanting to do university, we鈥檇 talk about all the post-secondary options that you have.鈥�
Their motto is 鈥淵our dreams don鈥檛 work unless you do.鈥�
Clients have responded very favourably to the services at both businesses.
鈥淒espite overwhelming circumstances, we鈥檝e done really well,鈥� said Byers. 鈥淭he community is really craving healing at a time like this. And so I鈥檓 just so happy we can offer that to our community. They trust us and support us as well.鈥�
They believe this wouldn鈥檛 have been possible without each other, their goals and vision, and the support of their loved ones.
鈥淲e both grew up here as well,鈥� said Byers. 鈥淭his is our hometown community. We鈥檙e both two local women who went to high school here, graduated here and we even stayed here while we did distance college. Our families are here. So to support local means a lot to us, and helping clients who are family, and friends who have become family is important.鈥�
