Today we’d like to introduce you to Kassandra Plambeck.
Hi Kassandra, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today.
I grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area and am now living in Minneapolis. I am a Queer Latinx (Central American, European & African ancestry) Neuromuscular Massage Therapist & Health Educator, and also an Intuitive Jewelry Artist by the name of Wild Roseheart.
My story begins with me growing up in figure skating. When I was 16 years old my mom used to take me to a chiropractor, Dr. Acero, who also did massage. The adjustments and massages I received supported me as a young athlete/and figure skating coach who was constantly jumping, spinning, and falling on the ice. He was one of the first people who introduced me to the beautiful world of healing touch. Aside from my Abuelita (Grandma) who would always rub my back with Vicks Vaporub when I had pain & stomachaches or my mother who would rub my head to calm me. I realized that the power of healing touch has always surrounded me.
When I was living in Portland I really wanted to go to massage school, but it didn’t work out. It felt like the right place, but it wasn’t the right time. So I put this dream on hold. I worked for a bit at an acupuncture clinic where I received massages/acupuncture from my colleagues. Here I learned how each healing practitioner had their own unique way of care & what I connected with. I also started feeling better physically, mentally, and spiritually. Time passed by, and my partner and I moved back to CA. Four months later, the pandemic began. The pandemic was the catalyst for me to think seriously about this dream. I wanted to be in a career that helps others holistically. I came across NHI of Massage & signed up on Jan 21’ for the year program. April 21’ came around and I began a 9-month herbal program with Ancestral Apothecary. I want to thank all of my instructors & mentors but especially want to shout out Michelle Ousset and Chontelle Stapp for believing in me and helping me really hone in on my gifts.
During my ANMT program in 22’, my partner got into U of M. When I graduated we packed up our bags and drove from CA to MN to begin our new life here. I started looking for work in the Twin Cities when I came across Deborah Ramos Massage Therapy in NE Minneapolis who also practices NMT. This space was passed down to her from Mary Bowman another massage therapist. Her officemate was moving to another space at the time I was wanting to begin. It was the perfect timing and the right place. She guided me in how to open up my own practice and shared about the healing energy that this office had been infused with over the years. I then opened up Kassandra Plambeck Massage Therapy this year on February 6th, 2023. You don’t get opportunities like this every day, and I knew it was my time to take the leap on myself when I was given the offering. I’m super grateful for the opportunity from Deborah to serve the community with healing services in the Twin Cities.
With Wild Roseheart, I come from a pretty creative family. My mother is a florist (Semilla & Bloom), and my brothers both are and were really good at drawing. My grandma and great-grandma crocheted blankets and my great-grandma was a seamstress who quilted blankets too. I also have family members who were entrepreneurs and had small businesses. My great-grandma worked at the Mercado (Market) selling chorizos that she made and my great-grandpa bought things and sold them. My other great-grandma made tortillas. My great-great-grandpa was a seamstress and my great-great-grandma was a healer who supported her community with herbs. These things run in my blood. As a kid, I would always create friendship bracelets with yarn and beads and I always loved baking, singing & scrapbooking.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
One of the most difficult things about starting your own business is getting the word out. Since I opened this year, I have been marketing myself on all platforms. I keep saying that it takes time to build clientele and it isn’t going to grow overnight. In building it is not always easy to fill cancellations as well. I know with patience that things will start to become more consistent.
It has certainly not always been a smooth road for me. When I was 19, I lost my oldest brother, Josh to suicide. At a time when everyone around me was going off to college and learning what they wanted to do with life, my world was crumbling. I have battled my own struggles with mental health and autoimmune, but these are my driving factors and this is part of why I am so determined and motivated to help others in my work.
When I lost my brother, I sought out an Energy Healer, Rami Abu-Sitta @ramidreams in PDX to facilitate in releasing the hold that I had felt from this loss. In this session, I heard a whisper from my brother during the cord-cutting, “You no longer have to live life for me, you can now live life for yourself”. From that day on, I was able to focus on working on my own healing path and what I wanted in life. Energy healing became a part of my own journey from others and as a healing practitioner.
Now I feel the call to tell my own story. I want those with mental health struggles to know that you can make your dreams come true and that you are enough. To not allow anyone to dim your light and to always share your gifts with the world. You matter and so does your dream.
As you know, we’re big fans of Massage: Kassandra Plambeck Massage Therapy | Jewelry: Wild Roseheart. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
Massage: I am a Neuromuscular Massage Therapist and an Intuitive Artist. The style of my work draws from a spectrum of traditional and intuitive modalities. I offer NMT and Custom Massage. Massages are unique to each individual, center on each client’s needs, and are grounded in Mind, Body, Heart, and Spirit.
Neuromuscular Massage is a system of massage techniques that re-create neuromuscular health mainly focusing on Trigger Point Therapy. This trains the body into a new way of thinking. Using a holistic approach that encourages your body back into alignment, this massage style is supportive for you if there is anything that you believe in your daily life that has been getting in the way of you living to its fullest potential.
I also offer Custom Massages unique and tailored to each individual. Each session starts with a conversation. By understanding your goal for your session, I will incorporate elements of modalities that I am trained in to address your specific needs. All sessions meet you where you are at. A custom massage may include NMT, Swedish, Energy Work, Deep Tissue, Myofascial Therapies, and Shiatsu.
When a client comes into my office we will do a thorough Health History Intake to understand the goal and intention that my client is coming to see me for. What sets me apart is the NMT that I offer. The special tests that I perform support me in seeing the work that I do in massage to support the client at the moment. Clients may report back to me when we do the tests after the session that they do not feel the same pain that they did in the beginning or at least feel an improvement. If we do not see a change we continue to work on this in the next session and see what we can do to adjust.
Art/Jewelry: Wild Roseheart is a name that came to me in 2018 through meditation/visualization and the unfolding of my inner self. This was a year of blossoming and opening, just as the Rose does. Every petal symbolizes a new piece of me. Roseheart holds deep symbolism for me through the expansion and growth I have overcome. When I was a child I used to wish that my name was Rose and for this Wild Roseheart was Born, and is now being Reborn again.
I create Magical Adornments out of polymer clay, gold accents, and crystals. The main adornments I create are herbal-inspired earrings. My earrings are all handmade so some earrings may look a little different than the ones that I picture. I love the creative process and love making one-of-a-kind pieces. In nature herbs and plants all have their own flow/season. Some are blooming while others may be in the process of decay. This is why I like to play with this in my creations. It feels more natural and organic that way. I am always dreaming something new up – stay tuned for candles, crocheted items, and topical herbal remedies in the future!!
How do you define success?
I’m doing what I have always wanted to do and more. That’s success to me. It doesn’t matter to me if I am making XYZ amount of money for success. What matters to me is that every day I try my best to do the best that I can in my life. Every person who comes to my office gets me showing up with my whole self who is ready to help someone feel better than when they came in. I am living my dream and sometimes I have to take a moment to look back and realize how far I have come, and how much I have done to get to this point. I worked really hard to create this path for me and I have had the support of the Creator, my healed Ancestors, and benevolent Spirit Guides to help me along the way. My spirituality is vital to my success.
My meditation practice is what keeps me grounded. I also believe that work is not the only means to a successful life. I am in the process of building my business from scratch. Building my clientele, my whole practice, and my creative business. These are all parts of my success but I would be nowhere without the loving support from my family and chosen family. Having time for all of this and being able to spend time with my fiance and our Frenchie/snakes is a success. Being able to still have time for sitting with the plants, creating, learning, and everything that goes into what I have made for myself. This is success to me and this is only the beginning.
Pricing:
- New Client | Neuromuscular Massage | 90 min (1 hr msg, 30 min intake) | $75.00
- Return Client | Neuromuscular Massage | 60 min $75.00 | 75 min $90.00 | 90 min $105.00
- New Client | Custom Massage | 90 min (1 hr msg, 30 min intake) | $70.00
- Return Client | Custom Massage | 60 min $70.00 | 75 min $85.00 | 90 min $100.00
- Wild Roseheart Jewelry | Pricing Varies per item from $10-$45
Contact Info:
- Website: https://kassandraplambeck.amtamembers.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kassandramassage/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kassandramassage
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/kassandra-plambeck-massage-therapy-minneapolis
- Other: Jewelry ETSY URL: www.wildroseheart.etsy.com | Jewelry IG URL: https://www.instagram.com/wildroseheart/
Image Credits
Wild Roseheart and Marisol Ramos
