Meet Venassa Sandoval: Licence Massage Therapist, FRC mobility specialist.

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

Hi Venassa, looking back, what do you think was the most difficult decision you’ve had to make?
One of the most difficult decisions I’ve ever had to make was moving my business location and adapting my brand to accommodate the new image. Like many other business owners, I have been affected by the pandemic. I have been fortunate to be able to operate my business out of a gym for almost 10 years. During this time, the owners became like family to me. When the business shutdowns began, I was impacted early because my massage practice was operating out of the gym. Not knowing what to do, I was able to call on a wonderful friend and fellow massage therapist for guidance. She happened to have a vacant room with a massage table at her office, that she suggested I use until we got more information about the direction of our industry. When my sector was shut down, I wrestled with the idea of moving my business permanently to this new office location. If I made this move, I would be able to follow my industry standards, not the affiliate business like the gym. I was also considering the daily changes I would face moving to a new location. The relationships that I built at the gym would be affected, I wouldn’t be seeing my husband and friends throughout my workday anymore. The commute was also going to look different, as well as my office environment. I was going from a gym environment to a spa-like atmosphere, which I felt unsure of as it was almost opposite to my branding. It was a very difficult decision that brought on many emotions. In the end with blessings and encouragement from the gym owners, I decided this business move was a good opportunity. I have changed my brand to align with this move, and constantly adapt to the industry guidelines, as we go through this pandemic. 

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
In the last 10 years, I’ve invested a lot of time and money into continuing education, even though Colorado law does not require it. I work mostly with the active fitness community and sometimes injury occurs. When this happens, I do everything within my practice to inform myself to be able to help them. I want my clients not only to feel comfortable, but to feel like I care about them, and in turn, care about my business. It is important to me to be able to offer a variety of services. What sets me apart from others, is that I make it a part of my practice to offer any of these services at no extra charge. This allows for clients to try different elements with their massage. I really try to treat people the way I would want to be treated. Perhaps a client would like to try cupping but can’t justify spending the time or money on something they are unsure of, or maybe while a client is stressed out, I like to offer a little more pampering to bring in relaxation elements. I have the ability to provide a heated table, heated towels, and also heated mittens and booties. I offer services like hot stones, salt scrub, scraping, dry brushing, cupping, bamboo fusion and even an ozone steam treatment is available. As I have been developing my practice and my brand, I have made it a priority to add a variety of services for each of my clients. No experience is the same! I also offer mobility training being certified in FRC and as a Human Movement Specialist.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
A week with me would include everything from snowboarding my favorite mountain Keystone (where I got married), watching a local Rockies baseball game, and spending time at live music venues. I would take my friend hiking around Dinosaur Ridge and watching a concert at Red Rocks. I would entertain the idea of having some casual drinks while visiting Denver Zoo or spend a day climbing the hills and feeding the giraffes at the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo. One of the days would have to be spent at the Colorado Wolf and Wildlife Center in Divide for a feeding tour. If we had time, I would do a day at 16th Street Mall, as it is very lively during the day, and is beautifully lit in the evening. I require a dairy and gluten free diet, so I enjoy eating at local restaurants that have these options for me. We would definitely have breakfast at Urban Egg, and do some dinner at the Milk Market in Denver and COATI in CO Springs. As time would fly with my best friend, I would need to make time to stop at Shugas for some live music and good food. I really enjoy Colorado, and I would try to make sure my friend sees a little bit of everything.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
My husband, of course, has been one of my biggest supporters. He was willing to support us financially, while I started my business. He also introduced me to the Hoppe family, who owned the gym I was operating out of. Without the Hoppes’ it would have been too difficult for me to have my business. “Ma” has been one of my biggest cheerleaders. I’d also like to acknowledge my mentors and friends, Jaime Larson and Sarah Grondin. Jaime Larson who is an experienced massage therapist and owns Muscles in Motion Day Spa, and Sarah Grondin who is an exceptional facialist at Premier Medi Spa. They have been imperative to my success. I am also very fortunate to have many supportive friends and family on my side.

Website: progressivemassagemobility.com
Instagram: progressive.massage.mobility
Linkedin: Venassa Sandoval
Facebook: Progressive Massage and Mobility
Yelp: Progressive Massage and Mobility
Youtube: Progressive Mobility

Image Credits
with love mindy branding