Today we’d like to introduce you to Evan Reynolds.
Hi Evan, 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?
If there’s one thing my career has taught me, it’s that one person believing in you can completely change your life. Looking back, I realize how many people encouraged me to take chances I never thought I could. Today, whether I’m helping a client or mentoring another professional, I try to pass that same encouragement on to someone else.
Although I was born in Hartford, Connecticut, Memphis has truly become home. After moving here as a child, I grew up in the area, attended Riverdale Elementary and Germantown High School, and later enrolled at Southwest Tennessee Community College with plans to become a film editor. It didn’t take long for me to realize that path wasn’t for me. Around that same time, I was also learning to navigate ADHD and dyslexia, which taught me early that everyone learns differently. Looking back, those experiences helped shape the patience and encouragement I try to offer others today.
Everything changed when I discovered massage therapy. I enrolled at Southern Massage Institute in 2008 and graduated in 2009, just before the Great Recession. I spent the next several years working in different massage practices throughout Memphis, learning from each experience while discovering the kind of therapist and eventually the kind of business owner I wanted to become.
In 2018, I made one of the biggest decisions of my life and opened my own practice. I wouldn’t have taken that step without people who believed in me. Longtime client and community advocate Mike Warr encouraged me to believe I could build something of my own. Dion Welling of Wellhouse Fitness helped give me the confidence to think like a business owner, and Corey Prewitt offered guidance as I prepared to open my first brick-and-mortar location. When the uncertainty of COVID-19 forced me to put those plans on hold, their encouragement and the support of many loyal clients helped me keep moving forward.
During that time, Nathalie Pearce invited me to become part of the Memphis Wellness Collective, giving me my first space that truly felt like home. That opportunity eventually led me to establish 8107 Massage, where I’ve been able to build the kind of environment I always imagined one centered on trust, hospitality, and genuine relationships.
As my business grew, I realized my greatest passion wasn’t just helping clients feel better. It was helping other professionals believe in themselves. Over the past few years, I’ve had the privilege of mentoring massage therapist Billy Hoxie as he built his own successful practice, encouraging hairstylist Sarah Coward as she launched her independent business, and having the opportunity to mentor and welcome another newly licensed massage therapist into our practice.
That therapist also happens to be my husband, Juan, whose decision to pursue massage therapy has become one of the most rewarding chapters of both our personal and professional lives. Watching each of them grow has become one of the greatest rewards of my own journey.
Today, my vision reaches beyond massage therapy. I want to create opportunities where independent professionals can build successful careers, support one another, and provide an experience that goes beyond the service itself. My hope is that every client feels genuinely cared for, and every professional who walks through my doors leaves believing in themselves a little more than when they arrived. After all, that’s exactly what so many people did for me, and I think there’s no greater privilege than passing that belief on to someone else.
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 greatest challenges throughout my career has been earning trust. Massage therapy is built on vulnerability, and clients are placing a tremendous amount of trust in the person caring for them. As a male massage therapist in a profession that is predominantly female, I’ve learned that trust isn’t something you’re automatically given it’s something you earn through professionalism, consistency, clear communication, and respect.
Many clients have experienced physical or emotional trauma, and every person walks into the room with a different comfort level and a different story. My responsibility is to create an environment where they feel safe, heard, and supported without judgment. I believe that’s one of the most important parts of being a healthcare professional.
Another challenge has been helping educate people about what professional massage therapy truly is. On occasion, therapists encounter individuals whose expectations don’t align with ethical massage therapy. Those moments reinforce the importance of maintaining clear professional boundaries, protecting the integrity of the profession, and ensuring every client understands the standards of care they can expect.
Like many small business owners, I also had to navigate the uncertainty of COVID-19 just as I was preparing to grow my business. It forced me to pause, rethink my plans, and adapt to circumstances I couldn’t control. Looking back, that experience taught me resilience and reminded me that growth isn’t always a straight path.
I’ve also learned that running a business means learning how to communicate honestly, even when conversations are difficult. Over the years, I’ve gained wonderful friendships through my work, but I’ve also learned the importance of healthy boundaries. Sometimes relationships change, and not every client relationship lasts forever. That’s okay. Every challenge has helped me become a better therapist, business owner, and person. I’ve learned that growth requires you to be willing to adapt, communicate honestly, and never stop learning.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about 8107 Massage?
8107 Massage is more than a massage practice it’s a place where people can feel genuinely welcomed, cared for, and supported. My goal has always been to create an environment built on trust, professionalism, and hospitality, where every client feels comfortable from the moment they walk through the door.
While I specialize in Swedish massage, I also enjoy therapeutic, sports, medical, prenatal massage, cupping, Gua Sha, and hot stone therapy. Every session is customized because no two clients have the same goals or needs. Whether someone is recovering from physical discomfort, managing stress, or simply looking for an hour to recharge, I want them to leave feeling better than when they arrived.
As a male massage therapist, I understand that trust is something that is earned. I take great pride in creating a safe, respectful, and professional experience for every client. I believe therapeutic touch can have a meaningful impact on both physical and emotional well-being, and I never take that responsibility for granted.
What makes me most proud, however, is that 8107 Massage has also become a place where other professionals can learn and grow. Watching therapists and other service professionals build confidence, develop successful businesses, and discover their own potential has become just as rewarding to me as helping the clients I serve.
My hope is that when people think of 8107 Massage, they don’t just think about massage therapy. They think about exceptional care, genuine hospitality, and a place where people truly want to see one another succeed.
We’d love to hear about how you think about risk taking?
I’ve always believed that meaningful growth requires a willingness to step into the unknown. Some of the biggest decisions in my life have come with uncertainty, but I’ve learned that staying comfortable rarely leads to personal or professional growth.
One of the biggest risks I ever took was leaving the security of working for someone else to start my own massage practice in 2018. It was exciting, but it was also intimidating. There were no guarantees that clients would follow me or that the business would succeed. Looking back, it was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made.
Another defining moment came when COVID-19 forced me to put many of my plans on hold. Instead of giving up, I chose to adapt, rebuild, and keep moving forward. That experience taught me that success isn’t about avoiding setbacks it’s about how you respond to them.
Some of the most rewarding risks I’ve taken haven’t involved money at all. They’ve involved believing in people. Mentoring Billy Hoxie as he built his own business, encouraging Sarah Coward as she launched her independent career, and welcoming another therapist into our practice have all required trust, patience, and a willingness to invest in someone else’s future. Watching those individuals succeed has been far more rewarding than anything I could have accomplished alone.
I don’t ask myself whether something is guaranteed to work. I ask whether it aligns with my values and whether it has the potential to make a positive impact on someone’s life. If the answer is yes, I’m usually willing to take the chance.
Looking back, every meaningful opportunity in my life began because someone believed in me. If my work can do the same for someone else, then I know I’m doing exactly what I was meant to do.
At the heart of everything I do is a simple belief: if there’s genuine care behind the work, people can feel it. Skill, experience, and success all matter, but without compassion and a sincere desire to serve others, something essential is missing. That’s the standard I try to hold myself to every day as a therapist, a business owner, and as a person.
Pricing:
- $65
- $120
- $150
- $280
- $360
Contact Info:
- Website: https://8107Massage.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/8107Massage
- Facebook: https://Www.facebook.com/8107MassageLLC
