Josh and I chose this community intentionally. We both grew up in Maple Grove (yep, high school sweethearts-Osseo, 2002), and after college and graduate school we moved away to Ladysmith, WI. We planned to be there for three to four years. We ended up staying for nine. While in Ladysmith, we experienced community in the truest sense of the word. Everyone knew everyone else and, for the most part, everyone supported everyone else. We once went out for a walk in our new neighborhood. I was about 3 months pregnant with our first son, and you couldn’t tell quite yet. We ran into some neighbors on the walk, and they told us all about ourselves, “You’re the physical therapist at the hospital. And don’t you work there as a social worker too? We heard you are expecting a baby! I hope it has that red hair! We are so glad to have young families like you in town.” To some this might be intrusive. To us, it was comforting and comfortable. We knew we wanted to live in a community with neighbors like this.
We started our family in Ladysmith, and we made some of our best friends there. Still, we always planned to move closer to home at some point. When our oldest son was getting ready to begin school, we made the decision to move back to Minnesota. We did A LOT of research, and had many discussions about where to raise our kids and where to start a business. We both had the privilege of growing up in the same town where our parents still live, and it is something we want to provide for our children.
With a motto like “Small Town Living, Big City Life”, how could we choose anywhere else? STMA feels like Ladysmith sometimes. The people are kind, welcoming and encouraging, and local people want to support local small businesses, which is something we really believe in. Within this small town are big ideas, great sports programs, an awesome educational system, and a Target so close by! As soon as we began to consider STMA as our destination after Ladysmith, it started to feel like home. Two and a half years later, we are settled in to the place that our kids will make their lifelong friends and graduate from high school.
We are a part of this community, and we are committed to serving STMA by using our skills as helpers and healers. We know that our patients and clients could include our neighbors, our kids’ teachers, or a local soccer coach. Honestly, we LOVE that this is the case. Our goal is to empower as many people in our community to take control of their whole-body health. Getting to see those results when we spot you at a football game or a choir concert is rewarding and essential to our growth as practitioners. Also, it’s just fun getting to know people.
Obviously, community is important to us, so this spring you will see us at a few events meeting more of our neighbors and showing off our new brand. On Friday, May 17th, we will be at Linwood Park (11260 Laketowne Drive NE, Albertville) for Albertville Parks Night Out. Come join us from 6:00pm to 8:00pm. The next day, Saturday, May 18th, Josh and I will be at Open Streets STMA Bike Rodeo (11800 Town Center Drive NE, Saint Michael) from 10:00am to 2:00pm. We will have giveaways, information, and delightful conversation at both events. We hope to see you there!
Wishing you all peace, love, happiness, and the health to enjoy it,
GC