Balanced Tree Reflexology
Worthington, Ohio
IG: @balancedtree
I had the pleasure of having an in-depth conversation with Riann Taylor, owner of Balanced Tree Reflexology. Riann is poised, heart-centered and a lovely human being. At Balanced Tree Reflexology, Riann uses Reflexology (a science that is based on the principle that there are reflex areas in the feet and hands that correspond to all of the organs, glands and parts of the body) to alleviate pain, stress, anxiety and manages the lymphatic system, headaches and sleep.
Who is the before person? What was he/she doing and feeling?
In 1999, Riann married her high school sweetheart and moved to Columbus from Illinois. In 2000, Riann began her work as a Physical Therapist at Ohio State University. At first, she was happy to be practicing alongside her small, tight knit-team… but over the years that team had gotten much larger. This larger team continued to be managed by just one person, and Riann began to feel that she could no longer treat her patients in the way she wanted and was accustomed to.
Like many in the field of Physical Therapy, Riann felt she was becoming a productivity number. She missed taking time and connecting with her patients and did not like the new pressures and philosophy. Riann recalls, “Unless you were on fire, you weren’t getting any support.”
In 2006, her son was born with a heart defect. He required extra care and surgery, so Riann went part-time at OSU. After hanging on at OSU for the health insurance benefits, she finally went contingent so she could be a more present mother and work around her husband’s travel schedule. She found this to be more enjoyable and loved having her weekends back… but began to long for something more to further her skills.
How did this opportunity present itself?
In 2015, Riann started exploring what she could get into that enhanced her current Physical Therapist toolkit. She landed on Reflexology, as it just felt like a natural add-on and progression for her. Riann adds: “I even used to work on my co-worker’s hands as I spoke to them as another way to connect to them.”
After 4 weekends of add-on training, she received her certification. She is still one of just a few people that hold this combination of skills (PT + Reflexology) in the US. She felt like she could finally get to the root cause of discomfort and pain for her patients, and it was her own little niche.
She started seeing a few clients out of her home, then began practicing out of a literal broom closet in a related professional’s office. She chuckled as she reminisced how she could barely fit her massage table in the room.
Within 6 months, she knew she had to look for a roomier location in order to grow. She wound up in a Chiropractor’s office, which she loved, but could not continue to expect her clients in pain to always make it up to that second floor office.
When did you know you were going to jump in?
Riann began looking for a new office, and at the same time, a friend was getting ready to list an office in her business space that had come available. She had inquired with Riann how much she was paying for hers, so she’d know how to list it. The conversation felt serendipitous.
While Riann had slowly dipped her toes in the water with Reflexology, when 2015 came around, she just “knew.” She lessened her hours as a Physical Therapist and started adding hours as a Reflexologist. The scale started to tip. She is now on year 7 with Balanced Tree Reflexology.
What went into the decision-making process?
Riann’s decisions mainly revolved around family and how we could make it work within theirs. “There was going to be less stress, and in turn, more I could give my family. Time goes so fast, and I just wanted to be present for them. Now, when it is baseball season, I just shut down at 2:00. Better work life balance was my goal.”
What were some roadblocks or obstacles?
“All the things I do not enjoy about running a business are hired out.” (SMART GAL!) Things are actually quite smooth for Riann. She feels this is because “I am willing to be creative and flexible in the process. I don’t need to make a ton of money, I just need to have flexibility in my world. I always just want to connect with people, and I feel good I am able to do that.”
What would you have done differently if you could? Any regrets?
“I would have taken a business class in high school or college.” I don’t remember having learned anything about business or accounting in those stages.
What advice do you have for current and aspiring entrepreneurs?
“Surround yourself with like-minded people; people who understand you and business.”
Riann feels lucky to have a circle of people that is full of small business owners. She always feels supported and that she had ideas to bounce people off of and give her a “jump.”
“ Know your limits.”
“Put it out there. If it flies, it flies. If it fails, it fails. But you’ve got to put it out there.”
(At this point in our conversation, Riann mentioned the book “Big Magic.” I realized that was the book title I had very recently written down to check out after having heard about it somewhere. The gist of the book as I understand it, was to start your idea before it goes to another person. To me (and I’m totally straying from the point of this blog) but it felt like yet another serendipitous event occurred, and I was meant to chat with Riann that day… pushing me- serial entrepreneur and idea person- to finally get started on a business idea I had been sitting on for years… stay tuned. 😉
What are your goals for the business now?
“Continued Growth. I feel if I did not have the 2 year COVID lull, I would be on a nicer trajectory, but I wouldn’t change the family time. And, to me, growth does not mean financial!”
How things are going currently?
Currently, Riann is getting back to “pre-pandemic style” with more face to face (mask to mask), in-office visits. Her months ebb and flow. Riann has recently completed meditation training and now offers Guided Meditation during her Reflexology sessions.
She is doing breath work training currently, and she loves helping her chronic pain management clients. She also helps patients with anxiety and migraines and such and loves to hear them say “you changed things for me.”
Who were the most instrumental people in your team or in your start up process?
Riann credits her entrepreneurial circle and the other small business owners she knew. She always felt she had someone to bounce ideas off of.
Where do you see the business going/ accomplishing in the future?
“I think I may be there now.” (This is so refreshing to hear from a fellow entrepreneur, and I know from experience, even more refreshing to say). Riann does not want a team or even a satellite facility. She wants to stay flexible and true to herself.
“The goal is to continue to do what I am already doing. I am happy here.”
Is there anything else you’d like me to know? Are there any other big pieces to the story we have not discussed?
Riann reiterated that Reflexology is truly for everyone. She currently works with patients aged 0-95 years old. She went on to describe reflexology as a “beautiful modality” that can be incorporated in so many ways.
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Check out Balanced Tree Reflexology and Riann Taylor in all her glory; helping people “change things for themselves.” You won’t be disappointed.
Know another inspiring small business story? Tell us about it!