Meet Isabel Kelly | Certified Rolfer & Founder of OneSoma Bodywork

We had the good fortune of connecting with Isabel Kelly and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Isabel, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
The ultimate reason I created my business OneSoma was to help people heal and feel better in their bodies. I wanted to offer not just one-size-fits-all massages, but rather therapeutic bodywork sessions that genuinely recognized the ispecific needs of each client. I got certified in Rolfing Structural Integration just over three years ago because over many years of exploring various bodywork modalities, I found that Rolfing truly stood above the rest in its ability to dive deep into clients’ specific injuries, pains, and overall therapeutic goals.

As Rolfers, we’re trained to see what’s out of alignment in people’s bodies, how to provide lasting relief for chronic muscle and fascia tension, and how to treat even the most complex of aches and pains, especially when other approaches have fallen short. Rather than being a one-size-fits-all full body massage, Rolfing sessions are slow, deep, and specific. I regularly spend a whole hour just in someone’s back, or neck, or shoulders, depending on the issue they’re struggling with. The other day, I spent only 10 minutes in a client’s neck and she said “you just got rid of more knots in my neck in ten minutes than what most people can do in two hours!” I’ve had clients finally get back in the gym pain free after months long hiatuses due to back pain. I’ve also had clients cancel surgery consultations because of the pain relief they experienced from our sessions.

I believe we see these kinds of benefits from Rolfing because of how slow, deep, and specific our quality of touch is. Whenever I visit a generic massage parlor, I’m almost always left feeling like they gave me the same treatment as everyone else who walks in the door. But the truth is every body is different, and so we all need a unique approach to healing.

OneSoma is here to offer an individualized approach to massage and bodywork that recognizes the uniqueness of each client, which in my opinion, is still a huge gap in the massage and bodywork space. I work with truly anyone who is looking to feel better and move better in their bodies: from NFL players, professional bodybuilders, touring musicians, postpartum mothers, post surgery patients, working parents, stay-at-home parents, fitness enthusiasts, and everyone in between.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
In my Rolfing practice, I see about 20 clients per week These sessions involve therapeutic deep tissue bodywork that is catered towards my clients specific injuries, pains, and overall therapeutic goals. I mostly do home visits between the Pacific Palisades and Palos Verdes, but also have offices in the Palisades and Redondo beach. I work with top athletes, fitness enthusiasts, mothers, fathers, and everyone. in between; really anyone looking to feel better in their bodies!

Im most proud of having built up a strong private practice in under a year of being in Los Angeles. The first six months were very slow; I even took a job at a physical therapy office during this time which paid me just over 10% of what I make now. I remember asking myself during this time: “do I need to pursue another career?” However, as soon as 2024 hit, it felt like everything in my business came together. I had been very active on social media, networking at gyms and yoga studios, teaching workshops, and improving my website’s SEO, and it feels like everything came together in January of this year. I’m so happy I stuck with growing this private practice!

One thing this process has taught me is to be patient as you watch your business grow. As long as you are making progress every day, working to the best of your ability, and are confident that your skill and expertise are there, the right people WILL find you. I’ve found that the best clients are found organically, through word of mouth, and through other connections. And the truth is that these take time to build and will not happen over night!

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I would take my friends to all the fun active things to do around Los Angeles! I would take them to the beach in Malibu or Palos Verdes to swim, to hike up in the Palisades, and to Golds Gym for an epic workout.. I would also take them to some of the farmers markets around Los Angeles.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I’m forever grateful for my teachers at the Rolf Institute. They cared so much about not only teaching us the art of Rolfing, but also how to be present for our clients, how to start our businesses, and so much more. Education at the Rolf Institute is really like no other; we get to learn about the human body in such a unique way and these lessons are as personally significant to me as they are professional.

I’m also incredibly grateful for my boyfriend who encouraged me to build my private practice rather than work for other established massage businesses. I’ve truly been able to find the best clientele, and am creating the business of my dreams. He helped me strategize how to find new clients how to grow on social media, and how to brand myself.

Finally, I’m grateful for my clients! They’re the ones who have made this all possible, and their commitment to healing and feeling better in their bodies gets me excited to work with them every day.

Website: https://OneSoma.co

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/one.soma/

Other: Google Business Page:

https://g.co/kgs/eMwzbNX