Meet Elisa Satin

Today, we’d like to introduce you to Elisa Satin. Elisa was introduced to us by the brilliant and talented Jillian Fuleky.

Hi Elisa, we’re so thrilled to have you sharing your story with us today. Maybe we can kick things off by having you introduce yourself to our readers? We’d love to have you go into your story and how you got to where you are today.
I am an Ann Arbor native. I left for college and went abroad after but have been back in Ann Arbor since 2006. I met my (French) husband in Italy, where I also got into the wine business. I’ve been selling great wine ever since and love my job! We have 2 kids and love to travel (and wish we could more but work and money get in the way…)

Let’s talk about your work and career – what else should we know?
I have been working in the wine industry practically my whole professional career. I moved to Italy directly after graduating from college and after a few menial jobs I decided I wanted to explore the wine business, so I did a course to become a Sommelier. That was it for me, I was hooked. I worked my way into a Sommelier job at a 3-star Michelin restaurant in Florence, Italy where I met my future (French) husband, who was also working there. By this point I was ready to return to the US, and my (future) husband was ready to go back to France, so we took a two-year side trip to France where I did a Masters program in international wine business. We moved back to Michigan after getting married, in 2006. The wine industry in Michigan was quite different than Europe, but I ended up meeting a wine wholesaler who had an idea to start a specialized fine wine division within a large family-owned distributor and thus Little Guy Wine Company was born. I have been running LGWC since 2007, bringing yummy, small production, European (and beyond) wines to the Michigan market ever since.

Jamhands bodywork has been a great friend to us and I know you’ve got a great relationship as well. Maybe you can tell our audience a bit about Jamhands bodywork and your experience with them.
I met Jill through my husband who worked with her at Zingerman’s Roadhouse. I was in a significant amount of pain from a pulled muscle in my ribs and my husband told me – “Go see Jill, she can help”. And so I did! Even though I got massages semi-regularly, my first visit with Jill was unlike any massage I had had before. She intuitively knew where my pain was and how to access it without hurting me. She never once asked if “the pressure was ok” because she didn’t need to. She has magical hands! I have been seeing her consistently since (for 8 years). My husband also sees her regularly, and about 2017/2018 he had a lot of unexplained pain that he would see her for. At a certain point while working on his shoulder she noticed something seemed off and suggested he see a doctor. One thing led to another, and this ended up in a bone marrow cancer diagnosis. Luckily everything is under control now, but we are so thankful to Jill for her recognition of what should be taken more seriously than simple muscle pain.

At this point we trust Jill implicitly with our bodies–recently when I pulled a muscle (again in my side!) I tried to pretend it would get better on its’ own but finally gave in and went to see Jill who completely fixed it in one session. Have I said she is magic?

My 12 year old son also sees her and helps him to relax and be more centered in his body (he has anxiety and sensory issues).
I recommend Jill to everyone I possibly can as she is simply the best.