It is bittersweet as we bid Body Well’s most prolific and dedicated massage therapist ever, Linda Wilson, M.D., LMT, farewell, as she formally retires in a few days.
Linda, who turned 65 this year, will return to her home state of Michigan where she will share a house with a friend on a 100 + acre wooded ranch and her several cherished dogs.
Linda has been at the bedrock of the company for many years. Her reliability and loyalty over the years cannot be overstated. Yet there’s more to this interesting individual and our story!
Learn a little about my friend and the hardest working massage therapist I’ve ever seen, Dr. Linda Wilson….
Mobile Massage Therapist Wanted
In 2005 when I was just getting the company going, Linda responded to a classified ad I had placed in the Palm Beach Post help wanted section (if you can believe that people still used an actual newspaper for such things).
It was surprising to have an applicant who was formerly an emergency room physician!
The first question people always ask when I mention that Linda is a medical doctor (and frankly the first question on my mind when I met her) is why she would have left her medical career to become a massage therapist.
“I didn’t like all the politics” she once told me. Those who know Linda are not surprised to hear this from her. Linda is one down-to-earth lady and she is one of the most genuine people you’ll ever meet. “Salt of the Earth” as one of her early regular customers told me.
Linda didn’t want to worry about promoting this new pharmaceutical drug or that one, and didn’t want to worry about insurance complications or medical bills.
She just wanted to help people the best way she knew how. Ultimately, she found that simply working with her hands mostly on her own, doing what she could do to help people feel better to the best of her ability was what gave her the greatest pleasure.
One of a Kind
Linda left a high-paying job to pursue her passion for massage in South Florida. She lived simply, cared for her mother until her passing, went through multiple cars, and never took a vacation during her time with us.
The only time she took off each week was for her Tuesday night choir rehearsal and her mother’s Thursday afternoon doctor appointments.
From her first few clients we were already getting requests for her to come back. This quickly demonstrated two things that told me I had found a winner: clients love her work, and she is honoring our professional relationship by keeping the clients in the Body Well family. When Linda gave her word, she kept it.
I requested Linda a number of times myself! Why do so many people love her work?
Linda’s technique is definitely not typical. First off, she specializes in deep tissue work. It is generally vigorous.
It can be uncomfortable at times, like a painful foot massage, but she also adds soothing strokes.
It’s one of those massages where afterwards, you can literally feel it over your entire body “Wow I just had a serious massage!” and you quickly realize you feel great!
I’ve never met a more reliable therapist thank Linda. In 12 years I cannot remember her ever missing an appointment. And she would make the best of any situation even if the client was a creep, drunk, or 400 pounds and sweaty. Linda showed up with a job to do and she got it done.
Linda faced skepticism at clients’ doors. Who is this older woman with the salt and pepper hair, large glasses and wearing medical scrubs on my doorstep? Will she have the stamina to do two deep tissue massages in a row?
We even had people call to ask that very question upon her arrival! I had to laugh and told them Linda has more energy than our youngest three therapists combined!
She consistently won over skeptics who ended up booking her again after having “the best massage of their life.”
Linda is a huge college sports fan, especially Michigan football!
Up until just a few years ago she would still tape games on her VCR if she had an appointment to run out to. She disliked being called on New Year’s Day to watch college bowl games.
If her client was a sports lover, she would play a game on the TV while working.
Linda is certainly one of a kind and that’s why so many clients were so loyal with her for years and years.
Not everyone loved her, but those who did knew she was special. She will be impossible to replace (although we are going to do our best)!.
Farewell Linda!
Linda mentioned she will miss working with Body Well and their clients the most when she retires from Florida.
Linda will be missed by our office staff and clients. Thinking of her in Michigan, enjoying tea on the porch while watching her dogs run around makes me happy. You’ve earned it Linda!
On behalf of everyone at Body Well, we will miss you Linda and wish you a long, happy and healthy retirement! Thank you for your many years of dedicated service. We could not ask for more and wouldn’t have had it any other way!
With Greatest Gratitude and Best Wishes,
Dan Melmed, LMT
Owner & Founder, Body Well
