Today we’d like to introduce you to Jamie DeVoe.
Hi Jamie, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
I always tell everyone that I took the “long route” to get to where I am today. I graduated with my Bachelors of Animal Science from the University of Tennessee knowing I wanted to work with people in the medical field in some capacity, but I wasn’t sure what career path I wanted to take to get there. While working at UT Medical, I started massage school with the intent to use this as a place holder while I figured out what graduate school I wanted to pursue but once I was licensed and practicing, I realized I had stumbled into the perfect fit. I loved working with people, being in their lives on a personal level and having a direct impact on their quality of life. I am a fairly active person so having a job where I am constantly moving really played to my strengths. I quickly found that within the massage world, I gravitated toward the more deep tissue and therapeutic side of things leading me to mostly work with athletes and anyone who just wanted to move a little better in their day to day. I started contracting with UT Athletics in 2020, which really boosted my confidence in my abilities and let me know that I was headed in the right direction specialty wise. In 2021, I left the spa I was working at to focus on building a clientele that better matched my skills through Brown Dog Bodywork and Sports Massage. Today I am so fortunate to have a thriving schedule between Brown Dog Bodywork and UT Athletics and could not imagine a job that would suit me as well as my once “place holder” career.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Every road has its speed bumps but I have been fortunate that mine have been minimal. While in massage school, I was adamant that I would never own my own business, in fact, I remember repeatedly saying that I would rather cut off my own arm than work for myself. I come from a family run business and I’ve seen how much work it takes and how much of yourself you have to pour into it. When I first ventured out on my own, I began in the loft space of my local Crossfit gym while also working full time at a spa and contracting with UT. It was a lot to balance but once I realized that I would have to fully commit to working for myself, things became more manageable and I was able to expand to a building in Fountain City that allowed me to be in more control of my space as well as provide spaces for other local massage therapists to rent and grow their clientele.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Brown Dog Bodywork and Sports Massage?
I am a licensed massage therapist and I use a range of modalities to specialize in deep tissue and sports massage. I have a solid base in anatomy and physiology from my time as a student at UT and being an athlete for the majority of my life helps me to relate to my clientele. Something that I pride myself on that may seem counterintuitive, I know the limitations of what I can offer massage wise. I have built a community of other local health professionals that I feel confident in referring to to make sure that my clients are able to achieve their goals and feel their best because that is always my number one goal. Of course, something silly that I am proud of is how much my business name and logo stands out. You can never go wrong when you put your cute puppy at the center of your brand and it really sticks in someone’s mind.
We all have a different way of looking at and defining success. How do you define success?
How I define success in my life is finding something that lets me feel fulfilled while being able to provide a decent quality of life for myself and the ones I love.
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