Bethel Top Business Nominee: Willows Massage & Wellness Center

BETHEL, CT — Most of the owners of businesses in the massage therapy category threw in their warm and crisply-folded towels when the coronavirus pandemic hit in the spring, for all the obvious reasons. The Willows Massage & Wellness Center in Bethel, however, still had another act — or two.

Owner Lori Mikell specializes in medical massages, and many of her clients are athletes who are experiencing chronic pain. Other massage therapists on her staff handle hot stone and other types of relaxing massages, "all the things that, honestly, people probably need a lot right now with all the stresses of life," she said. There is a chiropractor available, and, "a cute little retail shop that does crystals and sage and gift-y type things," Mikell said.

The Willows also caters to clientele looking for all the traditional beauty treatments, including facials, waxes and spray tans. It's a lot to offer under one roof, especially since that roof has gotten significantly smaller in the past month and a half.

As if the pandemic was not a big enough speed bump, The Willows was gutted by a fire in mid-October. Undaunted, Mikell and her staff have moved temporarily up Greenwood Avenue from their now-ravaged 2,000 square foot facility at #276 into an old 1,200 square foot Victorian house at #251 Greenwood. The business currently operates out of just two treatment rooms, which limits slightly what can be offered, Mikell said.

Mikell said COVID forced her to "reimagine her business" and the fire made her focus on "what people really need, what they're looking for."

"What we found out is that people are really looking for ways to be well," Mikell said. She is looking to expand The Willows' wellness offerings, adding a "nutritional aspect" to its slate of services, when her team gets back into bigger digs, "hopefully March."

Mikell hit upon her current career after first studying to become a teacher, and then working as a medical assistant. Following a regimen of massage-based rehabilitation for a neurological illness that left her unable to walk, she had the career epiphany that led to The Willows.

Despite living in an age of armchair epidemiologists and parking lot microbiologists, people have become more open minded towards alternative health sources, especially if they feel like they are "not getting exactly what they need from traditional medicine," Mikell said. "They are looking to something a little more holistic for themselves."

"I believe that there is a good balance between the two, and I encourage people to marry the two together."

Here are some excerpts from the nominations The Willows Massage & Wellness Center received:

"Lori and her staff are the best. Lori cares about each of her clients and is the best massage therapist and an expert in cupping. With her help Lori has kept me off the operating table and help me with my pain. With her help I'm able to move more freely without severe pain. She is a very caring and compassionate person and go above and beyond to help other in the community." ~Ralph Celentano

"The Willows is a great place to go if you are wanting a day of pampering or purchasing one of a kind gifts. The staff is absolutely amazing, and you feel at home immediately upon entering their space. The atmosphere is set up to create a calming, relaxed, and safe feeling. The owner, Lori, is an absolute gem and feeds your soul every time you engage with her." ~Acacia Capuano

"Not only do the women of The Willows and Under the Crystal Moon offer an incredible array of services and goods, they are truly great people. At first a customer, then a neighbor, now a friend, I proudly applaud this group of women entrepreneurs for surviving not only the COVID closure, but also a devastating building fire that forced them to relocate on very short notice. Energetic and full of unique ideas, these women have maintained a customer focused outlook through the roughest year ever - truly an inspiration to new business owners like myself. I don't think there is anyone more deserving." ~Shannon Anderson