April 3, 2017

Meet Melissa Fargas of Massage Smart in Glenwood Park

Local Stories

Today we’d like to introduce you to Melissa Fargas.

Melissa, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I was born in Bayamon Puerto Rico, and raised in Gwinnett County making Atlanta my home for the last 20+ years. Since the age of 3, I have always been very active in sports and dance. Throughout years of competition and training I saw many injuries accompany my fellow team mates and learned to value a proper recovery regimen to keep up with my active lifestyle. In 2008, I enrolled in the massage therapy program at Everest Institute of Norcross. I was eager to learn how to treat injuries and help others maintain their bodies in their active lifestyles. I completed my training and certification as a Licensed Massage Therapist in 2009.

Over the next several years, I cultivated and owned my craft and in 2013 I took a position as a lead therapist at a major franchise to grow and build a team of over twenty therapists. I was able to share my knowledge and passion for massage therapy and techniques to help my team grow and build their individual book of business. I fell in love with the education process, not just with my staff but my clients as well, watching them grow in and outside the treatment room. I learned a lot in the franchise industry and found it was a very fast paced environment, causing me to miss many opportunities with clients to educate them on proper stretching techniques, sleeping habits, etc. that would greatly improve their quality of life and pain management. I found other alternatives for massage therapy services consisted of cold clinic like facilities lacking the spa relaxing environment and left clients feeling intimidated or having to choose between relaxing and therapeutic massage services. I saw a gap in the market for what individuals are looking for in massage therapy treatment and services and so in 2015 Massage Smart was born.

We change lives with the focus on the individual looking to create a culture where relaxation works in unison with therapeutic body work and education. I strive to give my clients the best of both worlds in a relaxed and calming environment focused on the individual’s health above all. I continue to add therapists to the mobile team to reach and change even more lives though out the Metro Atlanta area through in home massage and corporate chair massage events putting you back together one piece at a time. As we grow I hope to offer multiple locations across the metro Atlanta area expanding our reach to change lives through massage and bodywork.

Has it been a smooth road?
If there aren’t growing pains then you aren’t growing. Starting a business with zero experience, zero clients, and zero clue as to what I was doing (as many new entrepreneurs start out) left every obstacle in the way you could imagine. Luckily, in today’s age of social media and using the internet there are endless options to help new entrepreneurs find and receive the knowledge they need to grow. The three things I wish I had learned and taken action sooner would be advertising, client/guest reviews, and not hesitating or waiting for the “right time”. When there isn’t any income from your business, the right time is right then. Any money spent is a HUGE investment so you have to use every dollar wisely, but waiting for more income without taking action to get it is an endless loop hole you will surely drown in. By making a small investment with online advertisement, I was able to reach more potential clients, which in turn left me more reviews and helps bring in even more business in a highly competitive market like Atlanta. In major cities there are endless options for individuals to receive a service. By keeping a 5 star google rating and having multiple reviews shared from clients, I am able to continue to grow and build my business taking the upper hand as I find potential new clients feel more comfortable trying my services for the first time seeing many others before them have had exceptional experiences at my fingertips. 🙂

We’d love to hear more about your business.
Massage Smart offers massage therapy and body work services in studio, in home, or at the office. Services may be received as full body treatments or chair massage. I personally specialize in hot stone treatments, trigger point therapy, and deep tissue massage.

Massage Smart also offers Swedish, sports, and prenatal, as well as incorporated stretching. In studio services such as hot stone treatments, foot scrubs, and face massage provide therapeutic spa like upgrades incorporated into any session.

I am most proud of the lives changed through our massage services. Although massages are great for relaxation there are many who take away so much more when suffering from chronic pain, some even to the point of debilitation. Working with my clients so closely and watching them progress touches my heart in a profound way. Giving back mothers and fathers the opportunities to play and pick up their children with no physical pain is a priceless joy to give. Some clients have shared the reduction of stress from receiving regular massage has even helped improve their marriages.

It is the ability to truly help change and improve an individual’s life that is a gift I am blessed to be able to share every day. Massage Smart stands out from the rest by offering therapeutic services in a relaxing environment. It is the best of both the Spa and a clinic to receive massage therapy services. Always professional and only using the most talented and passionate therapists, we work from the heart not from the paycheck to cultivate an individual session for each guest every time.

Is our city a good place to do what you do?
Atlanta is a wonderful city to practice massage therapy. As our city continues to develop even more individuals are moving here. Atlanta is not very pedestrian friendly, but is now growing smaller greener communities offering amenities to its residence within walking distance. This is PERFECT for small business owners as clients become loyal to the community and your business because it is a part of their home. These smaller communities emphasize a small town feel in a large city and attracts individuals who enjoy using services of small businesses instead of large corporations and/or franchises. Atlanta has always been a city filled with hidden gems and treasures aka: “hole in the walls” and I am thrilled to see more platforms being built to help support the small business owner.

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