Meet Gretchen Popp

Today we’d like to introduce you to Gretchen Popp.

Gretchen, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I began massaging when I was three, sitting on the back of the couch to massage my mother’s head and shoulders. It was supposed to be in exchange for a foot massage, but that rarely worked out. I like to joke that she trained me early in life to be her personal massage therapist.

 When I was thirteen, I developed a dream to own my own spa and make my own products. I don’t know what inspired that dream, only that it was the first organic idea that was completely mine, rather than anything I thought I “should” do to please or impress others. Unfortunately, that dream took the back burner when I told some extended family about it. “You’ll never make any money doing that, you need a college degree to do anything of significance”. I was still so impressionable when I heard that, that my plans then shifted to going to college, though that never interested me.

So, I tried the college thing, and I failed miserably. I was so young when I graduated high school that it was difficult for me to assimilate into the college life and none of the classes I needed to take interested me. Honestly, I felt like a failure because this thing I was “supposed” to be doing to be successful was so unenjoyable for me.

I decided to take a break from classes and got a job at a spa as a receptionist. This is where I was reminded of my actual dream. I loved the environment! I loved customer service, and seeing people be treated so well that they leave in a totally blissed-out state! After a few weeks of working there, I went online and did some research for massage schools. And lucky me, the Harvard of Massage Schools was right here in Boulder! It seemed like it all worked out that way on purpose.

I hastily applied for the next school year and when I was there I found my calling. I immediately became an anatomy nerd, and the type-a side of me loved the fact that this school was so academic in their approach to massage. I previously had no idea that massage was anything more than rubbing a muscle. I’ve always had a very scientific mind, so when I learned that there were complex physiological responses going on with certain massage techniques, I became obsessed!

Upon graduating, I wanted to get as much experience as I possibly could, so I began working for a large franchise where I knew I would be booked and get that experience in a short amount of time.

After a year of working there, I got promoted to Therapist Manager and quickly saw the dark side of the corporate massage world. Managing over 40 therapists was difficult enough, however doing it with the corporate model was more difficult for me. The best thing about this experience, however, was that I learned exactly what I didn’t want to do when I owned my own place. And I took note.

When I did start my own practice, it was slow going. I had a part-time job at a spa to make ends meet while I built my personal clientele. Again, I learned many things that I didn’t like management-wise and kept that in my pocket.

After several years of practicing on my own, I discovered Cupping Therapy. I had been working with some complex injuries and athletes, so adding Cupping to my toolbox was huge for me. It made all of my clients achieve results I never would have been able to reproduce on my own. I quickly took every training I could find, and the rest is history! I changed my business name to Boulder Cupping Therapy, for the ease of the google-search, and I hired my husband (who is also a massage therapist). Together we developed a style of Cupping Massage which has blossomed into a complex protocol and has helped so many clients.

Now, we are practicing this unique technique in a three-room clinic, have another employee, and plan on hiring again soon. At thirteen I never would have envisioned working on injuries, or being a pain-relief specialist, but the beauty of my childhood dream is that in the midst of all the pain relief, as the owner I still have the ability to add-in those juicy spa treatments. I often joke that I am tricking people into believing they’re at the spa, while they receive their pain-relief work. And it’s working!

Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It has absolutely not been a smooth road! When I quit my management job at the massage franchise, I spent all of my savings to open my own practice. I had been saving to a trip to Europe, but I knew that my independence was more important at that time.

I’ve experienced the same struggles as every small business owner – what if everyone cancels this month and I can’t pay rent? What if I get a terrible review and no one books with me anymore?

We’ve also recently had a lot of issues with our neighbors causing major damage to our clinic – repeatedly! But luckily we have made it through, I’ve learned a lesson with every difficult time, and am mentally prepared for whatever new lesson may arise. For me, the joy of having this practice and being able to help so many people outweighs the stresses that come along with business ownership.

We’d love to hear more about your practice.
Our clinic specializes in Cupping Massage, which is a Deep-Tissue massage with the addition of Cupping Therapy. The cups allow us to pull the muscles in a totally different direction than massage pressure can, and creates a more dynamic session. Often people find that the relief they get with our work lasts 10x longer than a regular massage! There’s lots of practitioners who utilize Cupping Therapy in their practices, but we have developed a protocol based in neuromuscular re-education which is totally different from what anyone else out there is teaching or practicing.

Basically, we are working with how the muscles communicate with the brain and override the pain response to allow less-limited movement and break the pain cycle for those who have suffered from chronic pain. It’s pretty incredible stuff, and we love being able to share it with others!

Do you look back particularly fondly on any memories from childhood?
Picking a favorite memory is quite difficult because I seem to have a lot of different “albums” to choose from. I feel like I have had multiple childhoods. I grew up moving overseas and back to the states every two to three years. So each place that I lived has a special “album” in my mind. Since I have to choose – I would say that my very first memory is my favorite. That is when I asked my parents, at the age of two, for a pet dog. Specifically, the type that was on the back of those “little golden” children’s books – a springer spaniel.

Pricing:

• Massages with Licensed Practitoners start at $85/hr
• Massages with Advanced Practitoners start at $95/hr
• Massages with Master Practitoners start at $110/hr
• We do not accept tips, and offer package pricing

Contact Info:

• Address: 4665 Nautilus Ct S #700
  Boulder CO 80301
• Website: Www.BoulderCuppingTherapy.com
• Phone: 7204999228
• Email: gretchen@bouldercuppingtherapy.com
• Instagram: @bouldercuppingtherapy
• Facebook: Www.facebook.com/bouldercuppingtherapy

Image Credit:
Be Boulder Photography

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