Teri Cothren and Angie Warnke started Odyssey Massage in 2003. Both Teri and Angie are licensed in massage therapy, however their education has not stopped there. Since their arrival, they have taken full advantage of classes, trainings, network and grant opportunities available through the TVCC BizCenter.
Within two weeks of starting Odyssey Massage, Teri and Angie began meeting with BizCenter business advisor, Debi DeBord. She helped to educate them on creating a business plan; government rules, regulations and licensing procedures; business financing options to include the U.S. Small Business Administration loan programs; and brainstorming ideas for business success.

Angie and Teri are massage therapists, college educated in Alaska and trained in massage therapy in Portland. After their training, they sought out a quieter lifestyle of a small, rural town closer to family. Each brings to the “table” and chair their own specialties with massage therapy. Teri specializes in craniosacral therapy and Angie in deep tissue massage. There are several other types of massage therapy used by these two licensed massage therapists such as ‘Mother-to-Be’ massage and ‘Swedish’ massage. They offer these services at their place of business located at Salon Salon.

Have Chair Will Travel is a slogan they came up with to highlight a mobile facet of their business where they go onsite to businesses and offices in the local community. Bringing chair massage to the workplace is an excellent way to improve productivity, decrease sick days, reward employees, and improve morale.

Teri recently obtained her Esthetician’s License by applying for and using training grant funds from the Region 14 Workforce Investment Board. Teri found that within three months she was able to create an income equal to the income from her massage business that had taken over two years to achieve. Since the skin care facet of her business is not as physically demanding as the massage therapy, blending both types of services into her daily routine enables Teri to work in a full schedule of clients, while balancing the physical demands.

Why massage and why Odyssey Massage? They decided to name their business Odyssey Massage because massage is a journey on many levels. They opened for business on September 19, 2003 and began to educate people about the necessity of massage therapy. Although massage can be relaxing, it is much more than a treat to yourself. If received on a regular basis, an individual can increase their body awareness and decrease stress and tension. Massage therapy can enhance joint and muscle function and increase circulation. Think of your regular scheduled maintenance on your car, you should also regularly maintain your health and one way is through regular massage therapy treatments.

Teri and Angie believe that maintaining one’s health should not stop at the end of the hour massage treatment. Both are wellness consultants who are happy to talk to the clients about nutritional supplements one can take to help counteract the toxicity we receive on a daily basis from the air we breathe and food we ingest. Not only are they able to provide information on nutritional supplements but they also guide the client to informational resources regarding their health.

Teri and Angie are both Independent Associates of USANA Health Sciences, a network marketing business who’s mission is to develop and provide the highest quality, science-based health products. This portion of their business provides residual income and gives them a feeling of freedom, more stability and less pressure on their financial future.

Teri and Angie also believe that starting, developing, growing and expanding a successful small business doesn’t have to be something an entrepreneur tackles alone. They sought out the assistance, knowledge and mentoring of the TVCC BizCenter team three years ago, prior to starting their business. They maintain that client-advisory relationship, meeting with Debi on a regular basis to ensure the health and success of their small businesses.

Odyssey Massage is also a firm believer in collaborative marketing. They work with many local businesses bundling and packaging their products and services and actively referring customers. Teri and Angie firmly believe that a strong local economy benefits everyone. The more each business owner and their employees know about the niche products and services available in our community, the more effective the local customer referral network system will be.

You can contact Teri and Angie at Salon Salon, 158 SW First St., Ontario, OR 97914.