Woman leaves job in Rochester to run her Albert Lea massage business full-time - Albert Lea Tribune

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Woman leaves job in Rochester to run her Albert Lea massage business full-time​

Published 3:46 pm Thursday, March 6, 2025




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Originally from Texas, Ashlee Taylor and her family moved to Albert Lea in 2018. She runs her business, "Taylor Made Massage" in a space on Clark Street. Ayanna Eckblad/Albert Lea Tribune

Massage therapist Ashlee Taylor recently began running her own business full-time after years of splitting her time between Albert Lea and a massage job in Rochester. Ayanna Eckblad/Albert Lea Tribune

For about two years, Taylor Made Massage in downtown Albert Lea has been open on a part-time basis. However, owner Ashlee Taylor recently decided to open the business full time.

Originally from the Houston, Texas, area, Taylor learned her craft at Texas School of Massage Therapy. She said she chose the career because her mother-in-law, sister-in-law and a nephew all work in massage therapy, and it was something she wanted to pursue as well. She has now been a licensed massage therapist for over 14 years.

“It’s very rewarding,” Taylor said. “I love what I do; I love my clients.”

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In 2018, Taylor, her husband and their children moved to Albert Lea.

“We traded hurricanes for snowstorms,” Taylor said. She also explained they chose the location because her husband has relatives in the area.

Taylor got a job at Massage Envy in Rochester and commuted back and forth five days a week. In 2022 Taylor decided to open her own massage business and found a space on Clark Street. She continued to also work at her job in Rochester, splitting her time between that job and her new business in Albert Lea.

The decision to pursue Taylor Made Massage full time, she said, came when her car broke down just outside of Rochester after work one night. Taylor said she had to wait on the side of the freeway until a tow truck arrived. This gave her time to think and made her reevaluate if the commute was how she wanted to continue spending her time.

In the end, she said, she knew what decision she wanted to make.

“I felt like it was time to finally leave,” she said about her Rochester job. She had already been cutting back her hours there to grow her Albert Lea business.

Taylor began running Taylor Made Massage as her full-time job in November.

Growing a client base, Taylor said, has been a bit of a challenge, especially because she is not originally from the area.

“Massage therapy is really based on word of mouth,” she said. “So having your clients refer you other clients … does take time, but it’s definitely getting there.”

Having a job she loves makes it worthwhile. Taylor said she does a little bit of everything. This includes different types of massage such as deep tissue, Swedish, trigger point and prenatal. She also does cupping and hot stone therapy.

Deep tissue massage, Taylor said, is her specialty. Clients have told her she gives the deepest massages they have ever had, and it was something often requested when she worked at Massage Envy.

But Taylor said she also likes doing a relaxing Swedish massage, which works the body’s muscles in a way that uses less pressure than deep tissue.

Taylor said her favorite part of her job is helping people feel better. Whether they need help with pain management, stress relief or other issues, she enjoys helping them on their wellness journeys.

“I just love everything about it,” she said.

Taylor Made Massage is at 218 W. Clark St. People can book appointments by calling or texting 507-318-1802. Information can also be found on the Taylor Made Massage Facebook page.

Taylor said she will be doing chair massages at a Mother’s Day event downtown with more information to be released at a later time.