Good Work Needs Good Systems | CanvasRebel

I used to think being excellent at the work was enough.

After more than twenty years as a massage therapist and educator, and thirteen years building Grounded, I have come to believe something else: good work needs good systems around it.

In a recent conversation with CanvasRebel, I talked about that shift—from building a full appointment book to building a business where talented people have what they need to do excellent work sustainably.

I don’t think exhaustion should be a business model.

At Grounded, that means continuing to work toward living wages, flexible schedules, education, clear standards, and enough time in the day to eat lunch. It also means accountability. Supporting the team and taking the work seriously belong together.

We talked about knowing our professional scope, choosing practitioners for their training and ability rather than their gender, and creating services for actual human bodies instead of dividing everything into “men’s” and “women’s” menus.

We also talked about relationships: the guests who return, the hotels that trust us with their visitors, and the team and Palm Springs community helping Grounded grow. Thirteen years in, those lasting relationships matter more to me than one successful promotion.

For our guests, most of this work should be invisible. They should simply feel welcome exactly as they are, receive thoughtful care from someone who knows what they are doing, and leave feeling better than when they arrived.

Thank you to CanvasRebel for making space for this conversation—and to everyone who has been part of building Grounded.

Read the full CanvasRebel interview →

— Jenn
Founder, Grounded Bodyworks