Artical for Relaxation Works
Courtney wrote a cool article on Relaxation Works. Here is hoping it gets published some where awesome!!
By: Courtney Towson
September 18, 2006
Front-of-the-Book Article
Organic Inspirations A few years ago Kristen Tammaro could be found fetching chocolate milks and buttermilk pancakes until midnight at the classically tacky and outdated Bickford's restaurant in Massachusetts. Somehow, working her way up to assistant manager for the New England chain just wasn't cutting it for her. She tried her hand in the professional world and wore power pantsuits as she dealt with stocks and bonds. But it was at home in her kitchen that Tammaro's true passions lay.
Although Tammaro had been creating concoctions in her kitchen sink for five years, it was not until about two and half years ago that she began to turn her hobby of making all natural skin care products into a bona fide company.
"I was so sick of the everyday, go to work, drive home, go to bed, get up and do it all over again," Tammaro says. "I just needed a change."
The change came in the form of enrollment at The Bancroft School of Massage Therapy located in Worcester, Massachusetts and the decision to market her skin and body care products to the general public.
Tammaro's business, Relaxation Works, is a creative and all-natural approach to skin and general well-being. Her ability to incorporate her skill as a massage therapist, along with the products she has created, makes her a veritable "one-woman-spa," and she makes house calls. She is proficient in polarity treatments, deep tissue, sports and regional massage as well as scrubs and body wraps. And although she is by no means claiming to be a doctor, she has done comprehensive research in herbal medicine.
Her business is small, and Tammaro seems to like it that way. "Being so small allows me to be more creative with advertising and how to make the business grow," she says. "I do it all myself, so I get to choose how and where I get the name of the company advertised." Tammaro serves as creator, producer, packager and distributor of her products.
Right now Relaxation Works products and services are only available at The Peacock Shoppe in Lakeville, Massachusetts and The Bancroft School. Customers living elsewhere can access the products on the web from Relaxation Works' MySpace page and their website, relaxationworks.net.
Utilizing her massage skills, Tammaro has grown her business by advertising as she works. Free samples are furnished in abundance to those she massages. She also takes part in many charity events like Children's Friend, which helps underprivileged kids, and she participates in events for the Shriners Hospital in Boston, which aids young burn victims.
Relaxation Works prides itself on being all-natural and organic. All ingredients are fresh and unrefined. Most products do not contain preservatives, which means most products will last only six to 12 months and will stay fresh longer when stored in the refrigerator. The few items that require preservatives are made from a natural additive that does not irritate the skin like those in most commercial products.
Tammaro is now setting up home spa parties where women of all ages can create and test products themselves using high-quality ingredients. "Unlike most home parties, where they just let you test the products and everything is based around purchasing something, these parties are meant to be more interactive," Tammaro says. "You pay in advance and then actually get to create something and take it home to use."
Having a full time job in the world of finances, working part time as a masseuse and what Tammaro describes as being more than full-time job of running Relaxation Works leaves her with little time for relaxing. A Cranberry Cocktail body scrub twice a week and then back to work. "I love doing this even though it's hard work," she says. "But for me, getting to do what I love is relaxing and extremely rewarding."
