Melissa is a local gal who grew up in Kanata, Ontario, near Ottawa. Melissa began her career in massage therapy in 2000. Starting out in a small space at a local community centre (where she was also a lifeguard), she opened her first 2 room clinic in 2004. It was motherhood that made her more resilient and resourceful, and therefore mustered up the courage to try business ownership! Fast forward to all kinds of adventures, such as raising 2 daughters, moving to a larger clinic, and opening a new clinic in Almonte (2011).
In October 2017, after juggling so many hats for so many years, she decided it was time to retire her massage therapy licence so that she could devote her energy to what has become her passion; advancing the massage therapy industry and supporting her exceptional team grow in their careers. This change brought some wonderful opportunities. In September 2018, relax. Greenbank (at Hunt Club) opened (2 days before a tornado that shut us down for a week), then in October, Melissa expanded to 4 clinics with the purchase of relax. Ottawa (Kent St). She enjoyed a great year before the pandemic threw the biggest curveball. This challenge gave rise to new ideas and iterations, which provided the lifeboat to forge ahead. Since then, she has launched “relax.U”, a place for RMTs to learn, teach, collaborate and grow. She has also opened 2 locations under a “Luxe” banner at the Westin Health Club (2021) and the Chateau Laurier (2023)
When not at one of the relax. clinics Melissa can be found closer to the equator scuba diving, waterskiing on Christie Lake, playing ball hockey, or doing CrossFit.