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

Hi Christine, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
Starting a business, for me, has, at least partially, been about being my own boss. “Be your own boss”–it sounds so cliche and it’s definitely not a unique motivation. It’s undoubtedly is the primary driving factor when most people want to go out on their own. But there is definitely a reason why that goal is so common. Being able to push a business forward yourself, while absolutely being more difficult and prone to failure than simply being an employee, gives you the freedom to mold the business and develop it as you see fit. To grow the business into something that makes you happy. Taking ownership of something that you worked hard to achieve and build comes with great satisfaction. For my industry (recovery training and athletic massage), being a business owner allowed me to fully realize my passion: helping people. I am able to work closely with my clients and give them the training and techniques they need to improve their athletic performance and their lives. I am unencumbered by corporate SOPs or some manager on high demanding that I only sell the most profitable products or therapies. Of course, businesses must be sustainable, but as a business owner, I’m able to be profitable while maintaining the spirit and drive that made me get into my industry in the first place–to really help people. Starting and running my own business has allowed me to fully utilize my skills to get people back to where they want to be, both athletically and in the everyday lives. Being your own boss, while it comes with its own hardships, is as fulfilling as it is challenging.

What should our readers know about your business?
My business, OC Athletic Massage, focuses on improving athletic performance and recovery. We customize training programs and therapies to each of our clients to make sure that they are back to 100% and back to doing what they love. Our core business focuses on recovery training and athletic massage therapy. Many massage businesses tend to mask the problems their clients have by using methods and products that really only act as a band-aid. Those methods are really only meant to deliver temporary relief for pain or discomfort (or even just to provide some brief relaxation). At OC Athletic massage we focus on the root of the problem. We want people to achieve lasting results. After a client’s session, we don’t want them walking out the door, only for their pain to crop up again a week down the road. Our goal isn’t to give people a band-aid, it’s to help people recover and improve so that they can get back to doing the things they love, pain-free. We use targeted techniques and training specific to each client’s body and lifestyle to make sure that they see the improvement they need. After 15+ years in the industry, I am extremely proud that I have been able to build a business that people see real benefit from. It’s incredibly fulfilling to be able to help my clients and to see the smiles on their faces when they see their results.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I would definitely take them for breakfast at either Snooze AM Eatery or Sidecar Doughnuts–while not the most inexpensive of places, they both have delicious eats! The Lotus Bistro would absolutely be one of our stops as well. It’s a small Vietnamese restaurant in Newport Beach with amazing food (especially their pho), super friendly staff and owners, and very reasonable prices. When I lived in the area, Lotus Bistro was a regular stop. We would also take a visit to the lighthouse at Victoria Beach during low tide. The water is crystal clear and offers a nice place to sit and relax with amazing views or to take a little adventure to explore some sea life in the tide pools and collect sea glass. Riding bikes up and down the Newport peninsula is a must as well. It’s incredibly relaxing to take a slow ride along the beach on a couple of cruisers. At the end of the bike ride, we would undoubtedly hit my favorite bar, the Blue Beet. The live music at the Blue Beet is amazing and the drinks aren’t too shabby either!

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
The two little rascals I most want to give a shout-out to would be my little boys. They are the reason I get out of bed every single day and work so hard to make sure that I’m successful in my ventures. Helping people is my passion, but my boys are my love. Building a business from scratch is challenging, stressful, and wrought with hurdles coming at you from every angle. I could not have done it without being able to see the smiling faces of my boys at the end of each day. Their love and support are what drives me in life. I strive to show them that hard work, passion, and determination (paired with direction and know-how) are what bring success and fulfillment in life. I try to be the best example that I can be so that they learn how to be good humans and how to make a difference in this world. My success is their success. I would never have been able to go through this adventure of starting and running my own business without my loving little boys. Oh! And having an incredibly wonderful and supportive boyfriend doesn’t hurt either!

Website: https://ocathleticmassage.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/oc_amt/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ocathleticmassage

Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/oc-athletic-massage-newport-beach

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCghFEBv1HwMpB-AOMthAc9A

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