Check Out Melissa Rackliff’s Story

Today we’d like to introduce you to Melissa Rackliff.

Hi Melissa, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I graduated from Ohio University with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in 1995. I studied dance and painting and always had a passion for kinesiology, wellness, and the human condition. In conjunction with creating and showing my art, and dancing/performing when I could, I began my journey with TallGrass Spa in 1999. TallGrass Spa and Salon was in its 4th year at that point, and I unequivocally fell in love with not only the spa and salon industry, but TallGrass itself. The location. The energy. The healers and dreamers. All of it. TallGrass just celebrated its 28th anniversary on November 6th!

In 1999 I started as a guest relations attendant and worked my way into running what was the beautiful group booking space – the Sage Room. I soon moved into management, and then, in 2004…I got a wild hair. I decided that I wanted to spend more time on my art, so I resigned. I spent the next 7 years painting and showing my work. And I had the great pleasure of working at The Evergreen Gallery for a few years, too! I also gave birth to my first son, Noah.

As it often does, in 2011, life threw a wrench into our world, and my husband and I had to make some changes. I was pregnant with our second son, Jaxon, I ended up out of work, and the one place I knew I’d love to return to was TallGrass. So, I made that call, and they hired me right away. After 7 years! I started once again at the front desk, big as life, pregnant with Jaxon. Soon after I became the Assistant Spa Director, and in 2014 I became the Spa Director. I’ve been loving it ever since.

TallGrass is unlike any other company I’ve worked for. The level of heart, growth, healing, and purpose I’ve experienced there continues to astonish me every day. My passion for creativity, the human condition, the body, and wellness all converge at TallGrass in a truly magical intersection unlike any other. Each day, challenges and all, I am overwhelmingly grateful to be a part of the TallGrass team and family. It is part of a rhythm of my life and I hope it always will be.

My family – hubs, Jason, two sons, Noah and Jax, our dog Rosa, and our kitty, Duci – they’re my heart and soul. And because my work is so aligned with our values, energy, and the lifestyle we want to live, it’s like a dream! I also love to garden, play the guitar, hike, and enjoy in nature, binge-watch my favorite shows, and play board games with my family.

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?

Those are interesting choices. I chose Artist/Creative because being an artist is the foundation, the driving force, and the inspiration for all that I do professionally… and personally, too! Professionally, one might assume that I am a “businessperson.” Or that I studied business management and/or dreamed of running a spa. That is not the case.

My passion for living life through movement, art, music, and my deep love for and curiosity about the human spirit and condition led me organically to the spa industry and TallGrass. And it is now, as I mentioned before, a part of the rhythm of my life! My right brain is perpetually satisfied with financials, spreadsheets, and organizational tasks. My left brain is filled and energized with design work, creative writing, and the joy of being a medium, a sounding board, a guide, a listener, and hopefully an inspiration to my team of intrinsically tuned-in and exceptional human healers.

I’ve worked at TallGrass for a total of 17 years, and I’ve been the spa director for 11 of them. Becoming the spa director rates up there on the “most proud of” list. But truly it’s the culture that I’ve been able to perpetuate and the connections that have grown from that culture for which I am most proud. What sets me apart? I’m a goofball. I want people to speak their truth. I’ll dance and sing at the drop of a note. So, there’s all that! But truly I think it’s this – I decided years ago that I would always keep an open-door policy. I wholeheartedly believe that connection, understanding each other’s humanity, talking through our struggles and triumphs, collaborating to bring each other to the next level…evolving together…that’s the good stuff and how we find ways to thrive.

Whatever the job, there will always be stress, conflict, and a little chaos in the mix. Work takes up space in our lives. So, what makes it worthwhile? How do we measure that? Even when we don’t “live to work” (which no one should do long term), work still takes up space and ideally will fill our hearts, souls, and pockets! For me, ensuring that my team and I have a stellar, unmatched professional environment, filled with heart, healing, and amazing humans is a huge part of my mission and such a gift. We relish the mini-moments and make sure in the midst of it all we share mountains of laughter, love, and connection with each other and our guests!

What does success mean to you?

Professionally – forging lasting connections, lifting people, listening, laughing, growing, giving back to the community, and providing exceptional, healing, services.

Personally – I want to build a home and a life filled with love, laughter, music (so much music), ridiculousness, time in nature, and lots of good food.

My kids are kind, hilarious, and wicked musical which fills my heart! My youngest plays the Baritone, the Trombone, the Ukulele, the guitar, and the piano. And my oldest is a killer percussionist and plays the piano, too. My hubs is my bestie and the love of my life. I am ridiculously blessed!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.tallgrassspa.com/
• Instagram: Professional: https://www.instagram.com/tallgrass_spa_evergreen/; Personal: https://www.instagram.com/crimson5813/
• Facebook: Professional: https://www.facebook.com/TallGrassSpa; Personal: https://www.facebook.com/melissa.rackliff/