Jeanette Lamonde

So nice to meet you! To start, could you please share your name and tell our readers a little about yourself, including where you’re originally from and where you’re based now?

My name is Jeanette Lamonde (though many folks still know me by my maiden name, Jeanette Lundell). I was born and raised in Pittsburgh, PA, and I currently live in Greenfield. Our massage practice, Inner Roots Wellness, is located in McCandless Township in the North Hills area outside of Pittsburgh. Growing up, the North Hills were my stomping grounds, so it only made sense to set up shop in the area I knew best!

Tell us one thing you love about where you live now.

There is so much to love about the McCandless Township area where Inner Roots Wellness is established. It’s an incredibly community-centered area, with local businesses always willing to network and support one another, and the local Facebook groups are fantastic for small business owners. Our office location makes it very easy for new clients to find us, as we are located right across the street from the landmark Northland Public Library. Being in our specific office building provides a cozy and quiet retreat away from the hustle and bustle of storefront shops. Safely stowed off the main drag, and nestled in between neighborhoods, we love our “home away from home” when we’re working.

Tell us a little more about what you do and how it started. How does it help the people you reach?

Inner Roots Wellness provides customized massage therapy sessions for clients 16 and older. We started as a one-woman show in 2016. Today, I am still managing the bulk of operations and administration, but I now have three amazing licensed therapists practicing right alongside me. We provide specialized massage therapy—including cupping therapy, manual lymph drainage, and prenatal massage—with a strict all-inclusive pricing model and membership so clients never have to worry about upcharges for the techniques they need.

Since the pandemic, people have experienced more isolation and a lack of what our industry refers to as “therapeutic touch.” Now more than ever, folks are feeling disconnected from their own bodies, minds, and lifestyles for a variety of reasons. While many of our clients come to us for chronic pain or acute flare-ups, the overall nature of massage supports the balance of the body, mind, and soul. What we do as therapists not only relieves everyday physical discomfort but also provides a grounding space for those dealing with anxiety, depression, or loneliness. In a world consumed by the bright screens in front of our faces, our services give people an hour or more of absolute silence to unplug, reconnect with themselves, and truly relax.

If someone wants to start a business, what advice would you give them?

First, having a dependable support system—either within your industry or closely related to it—makes a world of difference. As a solo practitioner for most of my business's life, I would have never made it to this point without my colleagues. There will always be a “first” for every challenge: firing a client, closing your books, or navigating a disgruntled customer. Having the support of people who have navigated those waters is tremendously helpful. You cannot do it alone, even if you’re the only one actually doing the work.

Second, and probably more importantly: carefully consider the operational programs you think you “need” before handing over your money. The tech world constantly pushes automation, but you should only pay for what your business can comfortably afford—not what you think you need just because everyone else uses it. If that means pushing paper for the first year until you can afford a digital booking system or a bookkeeper, do it. Call me old-school, but in the years I managed aspects of my business manually, I learned so much more about my numbers, marketing, and daily operations. Doing it manually also gave me a glimpse into the lives of the professionals I now trust with my social media and bookkeeping. Because I know what they go through, I make it a point to do what is required of me on time, so I don’t make their jobs harder!

What is one piece of feedback from a happy customer or client that you won't forget?

Honestly, our most valued feedback comes in the form of recurring bookings from our monthly members. Many clients have been with me personally for nearly ten years. They have stuck with me through every trial, error, email, and business pivot—and there have been a plethora of offerings I have tried.

I can say that we have had many compliments on how easy our pricing structure is, even for new clients. We do not, and never will, upcharge for hot stones, towels, or essential oils. Where other facilities have several session options with fancy names (no judgment, as I think some of them are cute!), all you have to do at Inner Roots is choose the length of time you want. Our first-time visit rates and our membership rates are exactly the same, so there is zero financial pressure to join. Clients stay because they truly value the care they receive, not because they were pushed into a sales pitch. Clients have repeatedly told us, “It’s just easy to keep coming back.” That silent but powerful feedback is what I will never forget—it keeps me going, especially on the days when being a business owner feels overwhelming.

Where do you see your company in the future?

While we have always operated under a “less is more” philosophy, I see Inner Roots Wellness growing into a broader hub for self-care. We are currently in the beginning stages of adding essential oil and self-massage classes to help your body in between visits. We’re also offering fun seasonal craft workshops. Because we are a self-care space, these “fun” classes are designed to provide a stress-free creative outlet where folks can keep what they make or gift it to someone. We also plan to incorporate mindfulness talks and group discussions around popular healthcare treatments and devices. Our goal is always to make wellness feel less intimidating and much more accessible. Massage therapy will always be the root of what we do, but that doesn’t mean we can’t help our community explore other practical ways to care for themselves!

What is the biggest misconception about your industry?

The biggest misconception in our industry is that massage therapy must involve very firm pressure to be effective. Marketing has unfortunately coined the term “deep tissue” as a synonym for “heavy pressure,” but that’s far from the truth. True deep tissue work simply means targeting the muscles beneath the superficial layers of the skin—and we can achieve that using a variety of techniques that are actually very comfortable to receive. If a muscle is guarding (pushing back) or the client is holding their breath to push through the pain, going deeper won't help. The “no pain, no gain” theory does not apply in our sessions at all.

Each session at Inner Roots is designed to match what your body needs, taking into consideration the best pressure and tools for the work being done. This ties right into another truth: no two bodies, and no two sessions, are ever the same. For example, two clients may come in with the exact same shoulder pain. One might tell us, “I need a full-body massage for my mental relaxation,” even if that means spending less time on the shoulder. For the other client, the therapist might suggest skipping the full-body routine entirely to really make a structural difference in that specific shoulder. Why is this important for consumers to understand? Because true therapy is about customizing the work to your specific goals on that specific day.

What has been one of your biggest struggles building your business, and how did you deal with it?

Currently, one of our biggest challenges is modern digital marketing. After the pandemic, the marketing world pivoted heavily toward short-form video content. Between shifting algorithms, shrinking attention spans, and the hours it takes to produce just one reel, it’s tough to find a sustainable balance. Getting tangled up in content creation can easily distract from our main goal: providing affordable, focused self-care time for our clients.

I am fiercely protective of my schedule and my clients' time in our office. Adding the burden of video planning, recording, and editing would exhaust me and take away from the massage itself. But more importantly, I view our lack of in-session filming as a badge of honor. In a digital age where everything is filmed for “content,” my refusal to put a camera in my treatment room is a deliberate choice. A client's massage time is their absolute safe space to unplug, and I never want them worrying about being part of a marketing reel. Your massage time at Inner Roots Wellness is reserved for one thing, and one thing only: your health and wellness.

Any shoutouts you want to make?

Major gratitude goes out to my bookkeeper, Zachary Erbrecht of ZAE Bookkeeping. He is an irreplaceable and integral part of our operations. I wouldn't have been able to grow Inner Roots to what it is today without him. He's had my back for more than 6 years, providing realistic support that jives with our business model. I'd also like to give a huge shoutout to every single client that has walked through our doors. Your choice to make your health and wellness a priority keeps us in business, doing what we love to do.

Where can our readers learn more about you and your company?

You can visit our website, https://www.innerrootspgh.com. Our social media links and other behind-the-scenes information can be found through our Linktree: https://linktr.ee/innerrootswellness