By Bosten Morehart
Staff writer
Mock business exercise from school ended up becoming a real business for Taylor Jacot with West River Massage.
Jacot came up with the name of her business during a mock business exercise while she was in school. While the name fits geographically that is not the only reason she chose that name.
“I wanted something professional, I didn’t want something weird, I just wanted something straight to the point.”
While she mentioned wanting it to be straight to the point and professional, she also mentioned it being easy to remember.
Jacot started her massage therapist career at day spa Mystique Edge in Rapid City. She worked there for a year right out of school.
While working there, she learned from massage therapists who have been in the business for a while before she went out on her own. “I didn’t want to go on my own right away. I was kind of nervous to do it but then after a year of massaging I felt confident enough, so I wanted to start my own thing,” said Jacot.
On May 22 of this year, she opened shop in Burke where she rents out part of the Deep Healing Salon. So far, business has been going well and she even has some customers who come in once each week to once a month.
She is not where she would like to be for the number of massages each week, but she Is happy with where she’s at. “I’ve been averaging about 10 to 13. So, for just starting out and I am new to Gregory, so no one knows me. It’s a slow start, but I’m pretty happy with how it’s going,” said Jacot.
The challenges she has with being new to the area is not being known but is very happy with how she has been treated. “So, just kind of being unfamiliar with the people, other than that, everyone’s been pretty welcoming, and everything has been going pretty smoothly,” said Jacot.
Some of the types of massages Jacot offers are regular full body, therapeutic, relaxation, deep tissue, she is also just starting to offer two new forms of massage.
“I also offer cupping now; I can do just an area of cupping, or I can do a full body with cupping. I can also do hot bamboo full body or just an area.”
One of Jacot’s goals is to reach 20 massages a week but her other goal comes from motivation of the owner of Deep Healing Salon, Darcy Duerfeldt.
“She’s one of the few that does really deep tissue and really therapeutic and she really knows her stuff. That’s kind of what I’m trying to aim at I kind of want to do the things that she’s doing.”
Jacot’s favorite thing about her job is being able to help people and give them the treatment that they need. “If they come in and they are in pain, I like them leaving better and also progress. If I can actually help fix their issue after a period of time that’s what makes me satisfied with what I do,” said Jacot.
Even though she wants to keep her business on the smaller, simpler side of things, she wants to keep doing education so she can provide more services to clients.
West River Massage is located at 637 Main in Burke. It is located in the Deep Healing Salon which shares the building with the senior center.
You can contact Taylor Jacot by text or call at 1 (605) 517-5030 or email at Taylor.Jacot.lmt@gmail.com.
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