Cleveland West Side Moms next Meet-A-Mom is Alesha from Mother Nurture Massage.
Tell me a little bit about yourself & family:
Hi! I’m Alesha, owner of Mother Nurture Massage. I am a mom to 4 amazingly crazy kids and a wife to a man I met while serving in the Navy. I graduated Cuyahoga Community College with an Associates in Massage in 2012 and was licensed shortly after. I was pregnant with my first child while going to school and I fell in love with motherhood. That’s why I decided early on in my practice to focus on moms.
Where are you originally from & how long have you lived in town? Children/Ages?
I grew up in Vermilion, Ohio. After moving away for the Navy, I moved back to Ohio in 2009. I have 4 kids ages 10, 7, 5 and 3.
What are your favorite things to do with your family?
We love exploring different playgrounds and parks. We also love fishing, well…my kids and husband love fishing and I just go for the snacks.
I love that!
What’s one thing people would be surprised to know about you?
I am really a very awkward introvert. Just this week I bought coffee for the workers who are putting in our concrete patio but then couldn’t actually give it to them because I overthought it and couldn’t figure out the right time to walk it out. I also once told a potential networking professional that her work building seemed like a place someone would get murdered. I have no idea why I said that, it was funnier in my head. I pretend to be an extrovert just so I can function in society.
I am seriously the same way. I appreciate your honesty, I’m sure lots of moms can relate to that.
What are some of your favorite things about NE Ohio?
I love Fall MOST OF ALL. Cider, Apples, Hay Rides, Pumpkin Patches, give me all of it.
YES! Same here!
What’s your favorite family friendly restaurant in our area?
We love to go to The Foundry in Elyria. But also Boss Chick N’ Beer in Bay Village is amazing.
Please tell us about Mother Nurture Massage! Why/when did you start it and how did you know this is what you wanted to do?
I started in 2012, worked for a bit then decided to take some time off to have babies. I got back into the working world in 2019, perfect timing of course because the pandemic hit just a few months later. I always knew I wanted to focus my practice on moms. I added Fertility Massage in 2020 because there are a lot of women who are struggling with fertility that need help in addition to what the traditional medical routes offer. I want my space to be a place where you can check all of your life stresses at the door and just have a pocket of time solely devoted to you. Especially since the year we have all had (and are still having), we all need that. I am also a motherhood geek. My husband has heard me talk to a client on the phone in the middle of Target about her cervical mucus, and I’ve given placenta encapsulation advice to strangers at get – togethers. It’s truly my passion.
How has your community been instrumental in getting you to where you are now?
I think the Motherhood and Women – Owned business community has been very helpful in growing my business. Especially during Covid, we all struggled with how to be able to market ourselves without actually being able to be in the same space and talking face to face. Social Media and the accounts that are geared towards my potential clients have really been my lifeline.
What’s your favorite part about what you do?
I love being able to help women who are in pain or uncomfortable find a little pocket of relief. Women tend to just think that pregnancy aches and pains are just something to endure. It doesn’t have to be that way. Women ARE amazing, but we aren’t super human. It’s ok to ask for help and to find some relief. I also love seeing women postpartum. I think that is so vital to their healing from pregnancy. You see your OB or Midwife so often during pregnancy, and only once or twice after the baby is born. Women are just left to blow in the breeze and figure it out. I am here to help, and to facilitate healing. I also just love seeing any woman walk out my door happier and more comfortable than when they walked in.
Do you have any advice for someone wanting to start their own business?
To set aside money for things like a Pandemic or illness or injury. Also to be patient, super super patient. Have a support system. And coffee. That helps too.
What’s your proudest accomplishment?
My family. Hands down.
Is there anything you would have changed or done differently with your business thus far?
I don’t think so. I am one of those people that learns best from mistakes, so I think even the wrong turns I might have made, I’m still on the road to where I want to go.
That statement is so powerful. Love that.
How do you juggle being a working mom?
Coffee, a paper planner with color coded notes, Google Calender so my husband knows where I am, a smart watch that reminds me to pick up my preschooler from school, and a monthly mental breakdown.
Where do you hope to be in 10 years?
I hope to be in a bigger house, maybe 5 acres of land, with a few goats and chickens. To still be doing what I love to do. Also, ideally I’d like to be a snowbird because Ohio winters are my least favorite thing ever.
Who has most influenced you the most to be the mom you are today?
I’ve been really lucky to have an amazing mom who is a support system for my family. Also my mother in law is someone that I look up to. I see the way her boys love her and I want that from my kids. My husband, who always balances me out. He is my lighthouse in the storm. Also, my oldest son has been a huge influence on me as a mother. I never knew how strong I was until he was diagnosed with Leukemia at age 4. After 3 and a half years of chemo, I was challenged in ways I never could have imagined. He is now 2 years out of treatment and doing amazing. But I look back on those years and see how quickly I grew as a Mom. I wouldn’t wish that path on anyone, but I truly feel like I can get through any challenges or obstacles now. I might not be super- human, but I definitely am pretty strong and capable.
For more information on Mother Nurture Massage, please visit: https://themothernurturemassage.com/
