MOB Monday - Chelsey from Amethyst Bodywork

Chelsey Craft, owner of Amethyst Bodywork is both a massage therapist and a doula. She offers massage in her home (with childcare!) or at her SE Portland office located within Portland Natural Health.

She grew up in Idaho and learned the value of hard work from an early age, “My early years were spent on a family dairy farm. I had to feed over 50 calves in the morning before I would get on the bus to go to kindergarten,” she says.

When asked why she became a massage therapist she replies, “I was involved in a carjacking and got shot in the middle of my femur with a .38 in 2003. Half an inch of my femur was shattered and I had four operations over the course of the following four years. This started me on my path to become a massage therapist in 2004 and later a Structural Integration Practitioner in 2007.”

Her doula path began when she moved to Portland in 2010 to be with her sister as she had her first child. Although Chelsey was a successful massage therapist with a thriving business in Idaho, being present for the birth of her nephew made her fall in love with the role of a doula.

Portland was supposed to be just a temporary place to call home, but she and her husband have fallen love with Portland and the Pacific Northwest. “Every year we would look for a different place to move and just couldn't find a better suited place for us.”

Her professional role model is Dr. Ida Rolf, the founder of Structural Integration or Rolfing. “She was an amazingly courageous woman that was full of curiosity and followed her heart no matter the adversity she faced,” says Chelsey.

Like many small business owners, her biggest challenge is marketing her business. “In Idaho, I never did any marketing/advertising. I had such a large group of supporters from the beginning, I was getting so many referrals I was staying busy. When I moved to Oregon, I knew my sister and that was it.”

She advises new business owners to join different networking groups to build relationships with other business owners.  Chelsey loves the community the MOB NW provides. “I LOVE meeting new members and supporting all of the awesomeness that the MOB encompasses.”

She says the relationships she has made in the MOB NW over the past year have been remarkable for herself and her business.  “Since I have been a member of the MOB, I have met SO many women that mean so much to me. It would be hard to list them all, but some of them include Selena Maestas (www.loveyoumoreproject.com), Gwen Montoya (www.gwenmontoya.com), Abbi Wood (www.abbiwood.com), Julie Court Jacob (www.travelingjulie.com) , Nedra Rezinas (www.bluedeerforest.com), Tiffany Lange (www.guestonellc.com) and Vanessa Smith (www.facebook.com/lularoevasmith). I have yet to meet Aria (www.artalacartenw.com/mobile) in person- but I have so much gratitude for this amazing woman. This is just the tip of the iceberg!”
 
Her ideal massage referral is someone searching for a way out of pain. “Through massage and Structural Integration, I have many tools I can implement to help get you in a more comfortable space- and stay there!”  

She only accepts one doula client per month to ensure they get the best possible care from her. “I implement a lot of massage with my doula clients and love to build a trusting relationship before we walk through labor and delivery together,” she explains.

When asked what she likes about working for herself, Chelsey replies “There are so many answers to this question! I can create my own schedule, don't have to ask for time off, I know my worth and get paid for it. But above all of those, I can be with my family when I need to without the fear of losing my position at work.”
 
Chelsey’s proudest accomplishment is her daughter, Zenobia. “Seeing her grow and become her own person is SO rewarding,” she says.

When not working, Chelsey is an avid reader and especially enjoys reading self-improvement books and books related to her work. “I love to learn and my husband teases me that I never read for fun!”
 
You can find Chelsey online at:

www.amethystbodywork.com
https://www.facebook.com/AmethystBodywork
 

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