30 Jun Member Spotlight – Heather Graeme 6/30/20
Member Spotlight
My name is Heather Graeme and I am a licensed massage therapist, educator, writer, and creator of good ideas. Before I went to massage school, I earned a BA in Classics at UF in Gainesville and a MA in Classics from CU in Boulder, Colorado. What many of you might not know about me is that I spent a year studying in Athens, Greece while working on my Master’s degree and that my thesis topic was the architectural depictions on seals, sealings, and seal stones from the Minoan civilization circa 1500 BC! Although I loved studying ancient Greek history, I didn’t want to join academia so I taught middle school for four years before finally finding my purpose and passion with a career in massage therapy. Upon graduating in 2003, I started Indigo Spirit Massage Therapy and taught myself all things business. One of the best things I did was to join BPW. I have used many resources our members offer to grow my business over the last two decades.
I taught massage at the Cortiva Institute for eight years and loved it so much that I developed continuing education classes for licensed massage therapists. I work with Tricia Curry, another BPW member and LMT, to offer CEUs to therapists not just in Florida but also in beautiful Los Cabos, Mexico, where she and her family live.
In 2015 I opened the Therapeutic Massage Center at 235 31st Street North where I have a small team of therapists who offer tailored therapeutic massage sessions. We are soft tissue specialists and we work to release and lengthen tight muscles through a variety of modalities. My passion is sharing my love of massage.
About a year and a half ago, I began writing a blog (www.tmcstpete.com/blog) and fell in love with the writing process so this year the quarantine motivated me to start writing my memoir, Transcending Chaos. I also have a huge project in the works with details coming later in the year!
Why I became a member? And why do I continue to be one?
I began my journey with BPW in 2003, the year I started my massage therapy business Indigo Spirit, initially for the networking. What appealed to me immediately was the buzz of energy in a roomful of women whose single mission is lifting one another up. I’ve enjoyed so many aspects of my membership but probably one of the best side effects has been the friends I’ve made. We are a diverse group and I have learned so much from our members, our luncheon speakers, and our various programs throughout the years.
The reason I rejoined BPW, after a lapse of about five years, was because I missed my friends and I missed being involved in my community. BPW offers a venue for involvement that is for and about women. Times are changing and our community needs are changing and as such, we are presented with a unique opportunity to help co-create a new vision for our communities to thrive.