Meet Tyler Shafer | Licensed Massage Therapist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Tyler Shafer and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Tyler, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
When I decided to start my own business, it came from two things: a drive to help my clients more effectively, and the realization that I couldn’t do that while working under someone else’s system. I had developed a specific modality through years of hands-on work and observation, and I wanted to build a space where that method could be practiced without compromise.

Working for others, I often felt boxed in—like I had to mute what I knew worked in order to follow someone else’s flowchart. I wanted to think clinically, work practically, and be fully myself in a session. Opening my own studio gave me that freedom. More importantly, it gave my clients a place where the goal is real relief—not just relaxation—and it gave my team a structure they can grow within, not burn out in.

The current structure of this industry encourages overwork and burnout. I wanted to show that it doesn’t have to be that way. We can help clients find relief and still respect ourselves in the process.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
My career has always been rooted in the work itself. I’ve spent years refining how I approach the body, how I understand pain, and how I connect that to what I do with my hands. What sets me apart is the mindset. I don’t treat massage like a routine. I treat it like a clinical puzzle. Every client walks in with a history, and it’s my job to figure out how structure, tension, and alignment are interacting with that story.

That said, I’ve had a slightly checkered history with massage. When I started, it wasn’t a focus. It was a part-time job while I lived the rest of my life. When the 2008 recession hit, I lost my first private practice. It took years of other jobs, and the occasional session here or there, before I realized how much massage was actually my calling. That’s when I started taking it seriously.

What I’m most proud of is the modality I’ve developed over time. It didn’t come from a single idea. It came from showing up, session after session, and asking what could be better. What wasn’t working. And what could be simplified. I took everything I had learned over the years about the body and its responses and built that into the work we do now.

It definitely wasn’t easy. Most of the early years were trial and error. I had to learn how to balance what I knew instinctively with what I could actually teach to others. That took time. And patience. And failure. But that process is what made it real.

The biggest lesson I’ve learned is that skill isn’t just technical. It’s structural. If the environment doesn’t support the work, then even the best therapist will hit a wall. That’s why I’ve spent the last few years not just refining what I do, but building the framework that allows others to do it too.

What I want people to know is that none of this was handed to me. It was built session by session, client by client, challenge by challenge. And it’s still evolving

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
If we were staying in Greeley, where I’m based, I’d take them to the local spots I actually care about. We’d start with Margie’s Coffee, walk up the Poudre River Trail, eat authentic Italian at Pellegrini’s, and maybe catch a show at the Union Colony Civic Center or see a student performance at the University of Northern Colorado. Then end the night with a drink at one of the cozy local bars like The Jaeger.

The next day, I’d take them to debate the minutiae of good coffee with the staff at Atlas Coffee, grab some delicious Mexican food at Palomino’s, and finish the night with one of the unique cocktails at After Hours.

If we were traveling the state, I’d take them camping. Colorado has some of the best spots for that. Red Feather Lakes, Estes Park, and the Rocky Mountain National Park. If they were up for it, the hike through the Hanging Lake trailhead is one of the best you’ll find anywhere.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I’ve had some great clients over the years, people who didn’t just show up for appointments, but who trusted me enough to let the work evolve. Many of them were the first real proof that what I was developing actually mattered.

I’d also give credit to the therapists I’ve worked alongside, especially Emily and Aliya, who asked tough questions and challenged assumptions. They made me articulate what I was doing instead of just relying on intuition. Teaching them forced me to confront my own weaknesses and showed me exactly where I needed to improve.

It’s easy to think you build something alone, but really, it only takes shape through the people who push you, test you, and trust you along the way.

Website: https://www.coloradoconnectivemassage.com

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