Losing her job in her mid-50s could have been a nightmare, but it turned out to be the best thing that ever happened to Nancy Zetes, owner of one of West Salem’s newest businesses — Touch of Country Therapeutic Massage at 305 W. Jefferson St.
After six years as a forklift operator at the Company Store in La Crosse, Zetes found herself out of a job in 2005 when the distribution center was moved to Virginia.
Understandably, there were some anxious moments. “I’d lost my job and my life insurance,” recalled Zetes. “I was worried. Who would hire me at my age?”
Through Workforce Connections, however, Zetes got funding to go back to school to train for a new career. She chose a new one-year program in massage therapy at Western Technical College and became one of the program’s first graduates in 2006.
She has become a big proponent of changing careers. “If anyone tells you that you can’t change at your age, you send them to me,” she said.
Zetes is clearly delighted with her new career as a massage therapist. “I always wanted to do something that helped people. I wanted more than forklift driving,” Zetes said. “This is the best thing that could have happened to me — now I can do what I love 24-7.”
Business has been good. In fact, it’s been better than Zetes expected. “It’s been wonderful so far — I’ve been very busy,” she said.
Zetes business plan called for her to start her own business within six months of graduation. She did it in three, setting up her first shop at Keyway Leather in Barre Mills. “I want to thank Dave at the leather shop and all who supported me and showed confidence in me,” Zetes said.
Perhaps the person who showed the most confidence in Zetes is Duane Kendhammer of West Salem. “I met him as a client, but he became my public relations man,” recalled Zetes. “He told people about me and took my brochures out to restaurants and businesses. He deserves so much credit.”
In May, Zetes bought a house in West Salem and recently moved her business there. It’s the first house she’s ever owned. “I lived in a trailer park on the south side of La Crosse for 35 years,” she said.
The new house was also part of her business plan. “I gave myself five to 10 years after starting my business to buy a home, but I did it in three,” she said. “My dream was to find a house to serve my needs.”
Zetes, who grew up on a farm in Chipmunk Coulee south of La Crosse, said she specifically looked to buy a house in West Salem because her clients come from all over the Coulee Region and the village is easily accessible.
“I love it here!” she said. “It’s wonderful, everything is in walking distance, the people are so friendly, my neighbors are nice and it’s quiet.”
At first, Zetes thought her house’s proximity to the railroad tracks might bother some of her clients but that hasn’t been the case. “With the soft music playing, some of them have even fallen asleep to the sound of the train passing,” she said.
Putting in a garden will be one of the first priorities in any spare time Zetes has — she’s currently seeing clients from 9 a.m until 6 p.m. on weekdays and 9 a.m to 1 p.m. on Saturdays.
Asked what was the best part of her job, Zetes had a quick reply: “Seeing people walk out of here with relief.”
She noted that one of her daughters recently graduated from Western and is going on for training in autism and speech pathology. Another daughter is a registered nurse, and her son is training to be a pharmacist.
“We all enjoy helping people — it’s the only way to live,” she said. “I’m not here to get rich —I’m here to help people.”
Zetes said once people get beyond the stigma of massage being just for pleasure, they realize how helpful it can be. Chiropractic adjustments, for example, can be made much easier if muscle tension has been relieved.
“Massage therapy helps more people than it’s given credit for,” Zetes said.
Massage is not the only thing Zetes offers at Touch of Country. “I’ve got a Hothouse machine, a Chi machine and an electroflux energizer. They help detoxify and energize bodies,” she said. The Hothouse machine uses infrared heat to get deep into tissue. The Chi machine —sometimes called the “fish machine” — relaxes muscles with a gentle swaying motion.
“People ask ‘What is it?’ I say ‘Try it once,’” Zetes said. “So far, my clients have loved everything I’ve added in.”
Zetes plans an open house soon but doesn’t know the exact date yet. “I want people to come in and see what I have to offer,” she said.
As far as long-range plans as she gets older, she would like to do more fishing and spend more time with her grandchildren. But that doesn’t mean she won’t continue to educate herself on the latest developments in massage therapy.
“I want to do this for the rest of my life,” she said. “I’m the kind of person who, when they want something, they go after it —there’s no stopping me!”
source : http://www.couleenews.com/articles/2009/08/18/features/00massage.txt
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