THE BUZZ

Massage renovation Massage Associates opened in the former DaySpring Spa space in the Th ird Street Lifestyle Center

▲ Kristy Medo moved her massage business, Massage Associates, to the space formerly home to DaySpring Spa.

(Note: Last week’s Buzz was writen by Gina Cornell, but her name was left o due to an editing error. City Pages regrets the error.)

In 2009 massage therapist and

fi tness instructor Kristy Medo had started the Salon Spa and Fitness Studio at 530 McClellan Street in Wausau. She sold it in 2015. During the pandemic the owner of Apex Wellness (who had renamed at that address) struggled to maintain staff and asked Medo for help, she says.

“I was already at capacity myself because unlike many other massage therapists I chose to continue working the entire time through the pandemic,” she says. Th e exact opposite happened of what one might think would. “In our industry instead of massage collapsing, since it’s therapeutic touch, it actually exploded,” says Medo. “We were serving people who were really starting to feel very disconnected and, with the stresses of all the new adaptations, like kids at home, working from home, those sorts of things.”

Th en recently the space opened up in Washington Square in downtown Wausau where DaySpring spa once resided. “I took on that energy once again to grow.” Medo, who likes to go with the ebb and fl ow of things, saw this as an opportunity coming to light. “If you’re too forward-thinking then you might miss what is really meant to be, so I just went with it.”

Medo moved Massage Associates from the McClellan address and on Sept. 1 opened the luxe Washington Square spot. Th e location has seven treatment rooms, six for massage, and one room for Verve, who is using the space to expand their growing clientele needs. Verve off ers esthetic services such as lashes, facials, brows, and more.

Medo is already exceptionally busy. “I’m doing probably three times the amount of sessions I’ve ever done in my life and it doesn’t seem to be slowing down.” When people who were regularly getting massages lost their practitioners in the pandemic they sought out Medo. “So most of my clients will typically book out one year or more, at a time with me,” she says. According to Medo, she’s been booked before she even opened the new facility. “To get on my calendar now could take close to three months.”

Medo renovated the current space into a calming, ethereal surrounding with the help of Evolutions in Design and EchoScapes Wausau. “We involved Randy from Evolutions in Design and he was pretty much a catalyst for the color choices, in the common areas, as well as our exterior. He chose a lot of the pieces that you see around here,” says Medo.

One thing that catches the eye is the bright and vivid murals on the backs of the treatment room walls. “Th ere’s a lot of scientifi c studies done on the importance of exposure to diff erent colors for a healthy mindset and brain stimulation and whatnot,” says Medo. “In a typical environment, massage therapists are usually working out of rooms that are brown, they’re all dimly lit, they’re very, very muted tones,” she says. “So there’s not a lot of peripheral stimuli for the therapist.” In other words, therapists like Medo who are working nine to 11 hour days in rooms with all the calming sedation fi nd it’s hard to keep their energy up. Th e mural is for the therapist, she says. Th e guests most of the time are going to have their eyes closed, or they’re going to be face down so they’re not really going to experience the wall. What the guests do experience is the soothing front lobby and the atrium with the massive and unique metal tree sculpture by EcoScapes Wausau.

Price-per-session, as well as monthly memberships, are off ered and Medo found that during the pandemic many clients were coming in religiously every month. “Rather than paying $90 for deep tissue massage, with the membership it’s $77,” she says. Massage Associates off ers Swedish, Deep Tissue and Sports massage. Th ey also include Cupping, Hot Stone, Myofascial release, Couples and Pregnancy massage.

For more information see their website at: massageassociate.com or reach them by phone at 715-849-3000. Th ey are located at 300 N. 3rd Street, Suite 109 in Washington Square. Services for Verve at Massage Associates are also listed on the website.

From the Attorney’s Desk

by Jason Krautkramer, J.D.

ECKERT & KRAUTKRAMER, LLC

325 N. 1st Ave., Suite 1 • Wausau,630 N. 4th St., Wausau, WI 54403 WI 715-842-0907 • jason@eckertlawllc.com

Common Questions of Senior Citizens

Although creating or updating your estate plan may seem like a daunting task, a proper estate plan can help address the concerns you may face as a senior citizen.

As you get older, it is more likely that you may need assistance in handling your financial and medical affairs. A financial power of attorney allows you to choose a trusted person to handle your financial matters. It can also allow your agent to handle financial matters on your behalf while you are out of town. A power of attorney for health care allows you to appoint a trusted person as your decision maker to communicate or make healthcare decisions on your behalf if you cannot do so. A trust is a great tool to hold the property you want to give to your loved ones.

We want you to enjoy your golden years to the fullest. One way to do that is to address your concerns with a proper estate plan.