Today we’d like to introduce you to Starlet Lee.
Hi Starlet, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
Growing up, helping people always came naturally to me. My mother would encourage me to problem solve and think critically as she taught me how to crack eggs and bake cakes. My first career was trimming trees. It was full of problem-solving and adventures. I learned a lot about trees and tree care but somehow, I saw the trees as people; people who needed my help. As I learned more about tree care, I found myself thinking about how to care for people and it didn’t occur to me that I had already been massaging all of my friends and family or that it could be a career option until a friend suggested that I go to school for it, so I did. I completed 1 year of training and felt right at home. (I thought I knew it all before school and I was shocked at what I learned) The only thing left for me to figure out was what direction to take my massage therapy training in. I worked a job at a spa to gain more experience in massage therapy and one day when I went to the grocery store, the answer to my question about what community to serve as a massage therapist was right in my face. It was an employee struggling to help a customer find a product. Why did no one care for the employee that was hobbling and struggling to walk? I set out to help the employees of large corporations because often employees and their physical health are overlooked and downplayed. In 2016 Starlet Therapies was created. I started part-time as a mobile business offering 15-minute chair massage to employees in their workplaces and since then I’ve opened an office and plan to offer more health care solutions such as energizing hands-on workshops and employee day trips.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It has not been a smooth road. My career is not always seen as one with positive tangible evidence for improving people’s lives. Some people (and corporations) believe that massage therapy is “fluffy stuff” made to make people feel soft and nice and while it does have that effect, it also helps to reduce pain, repetitive strain injury, increase flexibility and reduces burnout. I am not only a woman; I am a black woman which makes it a little more difficult to convey what I have to offer with massage therapy.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
My training and license are in massage therapy. I specialize in joint mobility and flexibility. When clients come to me with an issue, I ask them to move their arms, legs, or head in a certain way to see where they have restrictions or limited movement in those joints. I can usually do a quick analysis before their on the table and more assessing when they are on the table. What makes me different in my practice from others is that my services are geared towards employees in their workplaces. My goal is not only to relieve stress and joint pain in each employee, but it’s to boost the morale of the entire workgroup together. I’m most proud that the groups I have worked with are receptive to the need for employee health care in the ways that I offer it and that my work has been very effective in uplifting their employees. I started Starlet Therapies because I know that as Americans, we spend countless hours working to meet deadlines and our bodies are expected to last but even cars need maintenance and so do we!
Can you talk to us a bit about the role of luck?
If I considered anything to be lucky, it would be the location of my office which is right in the heart of my city. downtown Ypsilanti. I have a very loving community of people and business owners who share resources but I do consider these blessings.
Pricing:
- Swedish Massage $70
- Sports Massage $75
- Lymph Drainage $60
- Workshops Starting at $499
Contact Info:
- Email: starletupthesky@gmail.com
- Website: starlettherapies.com
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/starlettherapies
