Today we’d like to introduce you to Lin Chandler.
Lin, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I was raised in an army family and we moved around a lot. This would wreak havoc on a healthy adjusted family, which wasn’t what we were. I wasn’t raised behind a white picket fence and had very little of what other children grew up with…but did endure much of what most children would thankfully never know. From lack, comes a drive in a person. You now get to choose what your future life will look like. A choice becomes clear: mine was to overcome, improve and change directions entirely.
At 20 I was married and raising my 2 beautiful daughters. They were reminded every day how fabulous they were and that they could be anything they chose if they worked hard enough and believed they could. Today they are 33 and 36, successful as people and successful in their careers. We are very close and they are my closest friends. My journey to “now” began a bit later in life…I had a feeling in my heart and soul that the next part of my journey was to really be all I could be. This also gave me the courage to end what was fast becoming a dead-end marriage. My “husband” preferred to travel on business and my girls and I grew up together. While there were downsides to this, the upside was that I got pretty good with power tools and figuring out how to fix things. The girls and I were going to be just fine.
I had always worked in the medical arena. I was a candy striper as a teenager, which provided me with a chance to care for people and help them feel better…and that’s where the real I began to emerge. Through bed baths and applying lotion afterwards, it became clear that I had some “gifts” to share. I was actually using massage techniques, which I wouldn’t figure out for a bit. I later worked in the radiology department where my curiosity about anatomy and how the body worked really hit high gear.
I attended massage school in Cambridge and began the next leg of my journey. After graduating, I moved to Gloucester although I didn’t yet know why. It was a place I had never lived although I brought the girls to the beaches from time to time. I started looking for places to do my massage work and decided to check in with the local Chamber. I was directed to Cape Ann Business Incubator where I could ask about what was available. I was told about a wellness center on the other side of town. I was trying to find a place where I could massage folks but under the intention of “body, mind and spirit” type work…a holistic practice. I said “Oh good, I’ll just work with them then”. I was then told “Well, actually the building is up for sale”.
The next part of the story points out the divinity aspects in my journey. It took a bit of time, but the banks decided that it was a great idea to give a $500,000 building to a fledgling part time massage therapist with a 15-year old car and no assets to her name. This was in 2008, when the economy was crashing all around us. How was I going to survive this? (Remember the divinity reference?) After the shock of what just happened began to wear off, I set to work to honor the opportunity that this now presented. I had never owned or managed anything like this…ever. There were only 6 of us in the building…a 115 year old building with very old…everything. No sign hung out front, no websites let folks know we were here. We had our little meetings and started to create a plan.
We made mistakes but also grew and found out what we were made of. We held huge community yard sales, etc. to raise some funds, but I will tell you honestly, I have no idea how the many thousands of dollars in bills got paid each and every month back then…no idea. Many repairs and replacements needed to happen with little or no money with which to make them happen. I learned that we had a Cape Ann Time Bank and I could barter for some help in trade for my massage work. I also somehow had the nerve to barter with local retailers for windows, doors and plumbing parts. Having become proficient with paint and power tools, a lot of sweat equity was also invested. Even better, folks started offering to do things…just to be nice. Our wellness community was born.
So, I networked and put out FB ads for practitioners and used the Incubator model as a basis for rental fees. Low rents were offered for new practitioners to get their start. We would share rooms and work together referring back and forth. We held some fabulous events, like hosting Aspidistra, a 9-piece parlor orchestra from the UK, and inviting ‘The Art of Living” programs that Chuck Foster still teaches here. We had finally begun to make our mark and folks were starting to take notice. We were now a C.A.M. complementary and alternative medicine…and all under one roof. Forbes and Bloomberg, among others, were predicting that this would be a wave of the future
Well, here we are 9.5 years later. 32 of us now have formed a very close family of C.A.M. practitioners here at “222”. The next challenge would be the amount of technology that would be required to make our next big leap. To my surprise and delight my oldest daughter (a computer genius in her own right) sat on the hearth last Christmas and with child-like glee said “Mom, when do I get to own a building and do my own business?” This young lady is a huge success in a major corporate setting…and she seemed actually proud of her ole Ma. (Yes, I am sitting here with tears in my eyes at remembering that moment) She grabbed my computer and started asking questions about all the aspects of running this place. Google docs were generated and to-do lists were created. Today she is the technical force behind our website maintenance, online payment methods and our soon-to-be-born online scheduler. She has personally designed and scheduled 3 quarterly tenant meetings and is the sweetheart that everyone wants to support and work with. I’m so very proud and grateful to say the least.
I wasn’t raised with a functional family, so I created my own family that includes my children and cousin and my wellness family here in Gloucester. I never lived in any place long enough to experience community but here I was actually able to build our own community with like- minded people. I was never told as a child that I was worth a hill of beans, but the indomitable human spirit wills out and I am grateful to have been able to have this experience so perhaps I can help others to be empowered and self-realized. Maybe this isn’t the end of my story. After all?
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
It has by no means been a smooth road. It has been ultimately a huge Blessing, but had I known the hardships and all that I would have to summon up to get through it…I’m not sure I would have signed up. But they were all necessary for me to heal and grow and to help others do the same…and to create what we have all created for the benefit of so many.
We are not a showy circus side show of flashy events and high profile speakers. That can be hard to accept and embrace. We are more of a home-spun group of very caring highly-skilled practitioners that pride ourselves on being present for each and every person that comes in and trusts us with their care.
So, as you know, we’re impressed with 222 Community Wellness Center – tell our readers more, for example what you’re most proud of as a company and what sets you apart from others.
We are 222 Community Wellness Center. We stand by that every day. We all have a variety of spiritual beliefs and diverse backgrounds and skills. That brings us even closer because we care about each other and embrace that uniqueness. There are 32 of us providing services such as Massage, Yoga, Stretch classes, Qoya, “The Art of Living”, “A Course in Miracles” Nutrition/Lifestyle Coaching, Psychotherapy, Reiki, Polarity, Crystals and Sound Healings, Grief Counseling, Buddhist teachings, Labyrinth walks, Herbal classes, Reconnective Healing and Structural Integration and the energy in the building stays light and bright with the help of our Psychic medium and spirit guides. We say that folks are on their own healing and wellness paths, but they don’t have to do it alone. We are here for them and with them for all parts of that journey.
So, what’s next? Any big plans?
Our plans are constantly being created and implemented. I personally have always managed the center with more of an “allowing” attitude. If someone feels they are ready and willing to bring something new and fabulous to the community, then I allow and support that intention. So, some plans we aren’t even aware of yet.
I look forward to adding more of an outreach teaching component to our programs here. Folks aren’t always ready to go to a new building when they need help…especially when they aren’t sure of what help they need. I have since volunteered to start and “chair” the Health and Wellness Community at our Cape Ann Chamber of Commerce. Through that I hope to get more outreach underway.
For the center, our next project is to add informative videos to our site to make it easier for folks to see who calls this place home and what it is we are willing and able to do to support their health and wellness journey.
Pricing:
- Therapeutic and Medical Massages are available for $80 per hour. Massages at your home or business are available.
Contact Info:
- Address: 222 Eastern Avenue,
Gloucester, MA - Website: www.222CommunityWellness.com
- Phone: 978-281-6222
- Email: chandler.ld@gmail.com
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/222CommunityWellness/?ref=aymt_homepage_panel
- Other: HydrateForHealth.info
Getting in touch: BostonVoyager is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
