Melanie Jamieson is a leader within the wellness community. Prior to founding Kier 48, Melanie served 20 years with the Anne Arundel County Police Department, most notably as a Negotiator with the Conflict Negotiation Team. She is client-focused, nurturing, and empathic. Her mission is simple: "Give my clients the wellness education, tools and resources that they need to feel happy, healthy, and capable of managing life’s pressures."
Melanie Jamieson, Wellness Professional
What inspired you to start Kier 48 Holistic Therapy and Wellness, and what sets it apart from other similar businesses in your industry?
The inspiration to create Kier 48 started with my journey into mindfulness. During my previous career in law enforcement, I found that various mindfulness modalities assisted me in dealing with the stress and pressures of work, especially with processing the internal impact of witnessing various traumas. I found that guided mediation, yoga and Reiki were especially helpful during this period. Three years prior to my retirement, I was thinking of career plans for post-retirement life. I wanted to find a way to spread awareness of the importance of mindfulness while still helping the community. During the first part of the pandemic, when things came to a halt, I got the inspiration to take a leap of faith and start my own practice in the holistic therapy field. Kier 48 is set apart from similar business in my industry is that we are more than just service providers, our priority is our clients well-being and growth.
What strategies do you employ to maintain customer satisfaction and loyalty in such a competitive market?
Our clients absolutely come first. We get to know each client on a personal level to create a safe space for them to release emotional, mental and physical imbalances. That’s why our slogan is “This Is Your Safe Space.” We are one of the few Women Of Color owned holistic therapy practices in Maryland and we are proud to provide a safe, proven, and familiar haven for our clients, especially where they may not have had such experiences in other practices..
Looking towards the future, what are your goals and aspirations for Kier 48 Holistic Therapy and Wellness? Are there any upcoming projects or expansions you can share with us?
The future goals and aspirations for Kier 48 include moving to a larger space in Columbia, MD to facilitate regular yoga classes and offer more services including acupuncture, sound bath therapy, massage and hijama services that our clients can benefit and become apart of. So far, we have added regular yoga classes off-site which has been extremely successful and popular in the Maryland, Virginia and DC area
Tell us about your greatest career achievement so far.
My greatest achievement is sustaining and growing the business. Most small businesses fail within the first 2 years. Although Kier 48 has faced it’s challenges, it is growing at a consistent pace.
If you could change one thing about your industry, what would it be and why?
If I could change one thing about the industry, I believe holistic modalities like mine should more accessible and affordable to areas of lower socioeconomic status. Although making a profit is a goal of a small business, if my clients can’t afford the service, I’m doing my community a great disservice.
Read more from Melanie Jamieson
Photo credits:
Sarah Ashburn, Lilli Photography
