Julie Cech is helping West Michigan relax, one massage at a time. And the best part? She'll come to you. As owner of Mobile Massage, Julie specializes in working out the stress of day-to-day life and getting women and men on the right track to healthfulness, via therapeutic practice. Don't add to your stress by having to drive to get a massage, Julie said. When Mobile Massage comes to you, there is zero effort necessary on your part.
Julie is a Northview High School graduate, but she's lived in Grand Haven for twenty years. Physical therapy has always interested her. "I was always the one to give shoulder massages when I was a kid. Everyone told me I had a really good touch and that I should do this professionally." Julie worked full time and went to school at night. "I didn't see my husband much." But the dedication and effort was worth it. In 2005, Julie graduated from the Michigan Institute of Therapeutic Massage & Applied Sciences. From there, she did a five-year stint as as a massage therapist at Grand Haven Chiropractic before following her dream—to be her own boss. Now, Julie is as flexible as her clients want her to be. She does between five and ten massages per week, and is aiming for more. This leaves time for her to take care of her family, her home, and herself.
But what Julie loves most about her company is that she works closely with clients—close enough to see the visible and emotional change in them over time. "When I first started with one client, I didn't know that she'd recently lost her husband to cancer," Julie said. "She had twin sons, and she was just devastated. I got to see her progression through depression and help keep her endorphins and good hormones going through her system. It helped her keep depression at bay. It was really profound."
On the medical side of things, Julie says massage clients are more healthy, experience fewer colds and flus during the winter months, and are overall more limber. Massages work toxins out of the body, she said, and they help reduce immune system-crushing stress. "You don't realize how much stress you're under until it's gone, and you feel the weight lifted off your shoulders," Julie said.
Julie is a member of the Grand Haven Chamber of Commerce. Through the organization, she has had opportunities to network and practice public speaking—something that initially put her outside of her comfort zone. But Julie has found that being the owner of a small business requires her to explore new avenues of development, whether professional or personal. She's becoming more comfortable in her self-induced environment in the same way she makes clients feel as ease in their own homes during a massage.
Ready to reduce your stress levels and get on the path to a healthier life? Want to do that in your own home? Click here to learn more about Mobile Massage!\
Written by: Erika Fifelski is West Michigan Woman magazine's staff writer. She graduated from Michigan State University with a degree in journalism. Erika was born and raised in West Michigan, and after a brief stint on the sunrise side, she's home and loving it.
