The minute one walks into Creative Wellness, there is a sense of peace. Low lights, quiet voices, the gentle sound of water in a small fountain, soft music--all blend to create the feeling that here is a place where we can find the serenity that so often eludes us in our everyday lives.

 

 

Behind the peaceful façade, there's a thriving, growing business. With close to 50 employees and more being added, Creative Wellness is now in the process of relocating in order to provide more space for the services they offer. Within the next year, they should be settled in their new location, close to their current site.

Says Irene Sovoyat, co-owner, "We didn't start with a background in business. We started with a passion, a need, a desire to serve and a commitment to excellence."

Despite the pair's professed "lack of business background," they have been recognized both by The Greater Lansing Business Monthly (Sovoyat received an Entrepreneur of the Year Award in 1997) and the Lansing Regional Chamber of Commerce, who honored them with an Outstanding Small Business Award in 2004. 

Chris Reay says, "We share a philosophy and vision for healthcare that shapes Creative Wellness, and we have never compromised what we believe. We make decisions based on what is best for our clients, not on what is best for our business. And we have continued to grow at a steady pace despite the downturns in the economy."

Sovoyat adds, "Yes, we are thriving even though the local economy has suffered. In uncertain times, people understand the necessity of taking good care of themselves. We have so many clients who tell us what a difference we make in their lives. More and more people have come to understand what we do and how it can help them. In addition, the support of the medical community continues to grow."

As part of their mission, they express their concern for others through outreach efforts; every year Creative Wellness gives over 1,000 hours of free service to the community.

The list of services offered by Creative Wellness is long and includes but is not limited to:
• acupuncture and Chinese medicine
• chiropractic medicine
• massage therapy
• clinical massage
• relaxation massage
• hypnotherapy
• therapeutic touch
• outcall massage
• pregnancy massage
• sports massage

Creative Wellness also offers classes in yoga, NIA (a combination of exercise and dance), meditation, infant massage, tai chi, Pilates and qigong (similar to tai chi) and other disciplines.

They share a building with Full Spectrum Family Medicine, a holistic family practice. More information about this practice is at their website:www.fullspectrumfamilymed.com. Although the two businesses are separate entities, their partnership offers their patients and clients the opportunity to receive both traditional and complementary health services under one roof.

Reay became interested in massage therapy as a high school athlete when her mother would give her massages after Reay finished competing in athletic events. When Reay went to Michigan State University, she took a massage class, and her interest grew.

This was in the early '80s when therapeutic massage was just beginning to gain public awareness. Though Reay earned an undergraduate degree in humanities and a master's degree in social work, she soon realized that her true passion was for massage.

She traveled first to Ohio and then farther afield to learn the art and science of her chosen area. Her goal was to go to the Olympics as a massage therapist, and she realized this dream when she traveled with the American Olympic contingent to Barcelona, Spain in 1992.

For Sovoyat, it was an equally circuitous route. Originally from France, Sovoyat's degree was in special education, a field in which she worked for several years in her native country.

Working in a psychiatric hospital with children, many of whom were autistic or had mental disabilities, she began to see that human touch could often reach these children, and she decided she owed it to herself and to them to learn more.

She traveled to India where she saw firsthand the mental, emotional and physical benefits of therapeutic massage and continued her study in France before coming to America with her husband. Dedicated to her goal of bringing the benefits of massage to others, she took the big step of opening her own therapeutic massage center.

Eventually, Reay and Sovoyat found one another, and Creative Wellness was born. While they are busy with their administrative duties, they both continue with their practice of massage. Both say they would not give up their hands-on (literally) contact with their clients.
Savoyat says, "It was difficult at the beginning, before people understood the benefits of massage and bodywork. But we persevered and succeeded. Business success is important to us, but more important is how we have touched lives.

"Creative Wellness is about people. It's about supporting our clients in keeping or restoring their health and balance. It is about service and caring. It's about teamwork."

The teamwork between Reay and Sovoyat is obvious; they complement and support one another and share a vision for Creative Wellness that has sustained them for 20 years. Together, they have built a staff with the same values.

According to Sovoyat, "We are very picky about who we hire. Good isn't good enough. Chris and I have to agree that someone is exceptional before we choose them to be part of Creative Wellness. We are proud that staff turnover is very low. Sixteen of our staff members have been here over 10 years."
Reay adds, "We listen to our staff and to our customers when they have input about our services and the way we do things. We change in response to their needs. Irene and I are partners, and we feel that our staff and our clients are our partners, too.

"Everyone on our staff is exceptional at what they do; they all have knowledge, skill, professionalism, excellent communication skills and, most of all, heart. We all love what we do, are committed to continual improvement, and we do our very best for our clients."