MOSAIC MASSAGE COLLEGE

Molly Jurgensen, a Casper native, knew early-on that she wanted to work in the massage therapy field. So she left Wyoming, graduated with honors from massage therapy college, earned her accreditations, and grew her work experience with time spent in a variety of settings – chiropractic, spa, salon, physical therapy, oncology and hospice. She also grew her knowledge of the field with training in Thailand and Bali, and then with a year earning her certificate in Medicinal Herbalism. In all, it would be 14 years honing her skills in the field of massage therapy, and 7 years running a very busy and successful private practice, all across 6 states and 6 countries. 

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But she wanted to come back home to Wyoming. 

In 2014 Jurgensen re-open her massage therapy practice in Casper, but the recommendation of a previous college mentor kept coming back to her – an idea to push her passion even further.

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“One of my instructors in North Carolina had suggested that I someday start a massage college of my own,” says Jurgensen. “I knew I wanted to bring my love for natural remedies, meditation, yoga, and personal growth to the classroom and to Wyoming to help inspire others here.”

Wyoming would benefit. Jurgensen began looking into the idea of starting a massage therapy college in her hometown of Casper. She says her biggest obstacle to overcome at the beginning of the idea was writing a business plan to start the college.

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“My ideas for a massage college didn’t fit into a ‘normal’ business plan model here and I didn’t know where to begin,” says Jurgensen. A friend of hers referred her to the Wyoming Women’s Business Center (WWBC), and Jonathan Howdeshell, Business Counselor, walked her through the business plan process using the Dream Builder Program.

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“Jonathan was a godsend,” says Jurgensen. “He was always available to help me with questions, give suggestions, and was one of the most supportive and encouraging people I had on my team during the business plan process. He helped me think about pieces of the business that I wouldn’t have thought of.” 

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Jurgensen says that once she had a solid business plan, she was able to work with Howdeshell to figure out how to finance the college herself without having to take out a loan, and had a clear plan as to how to move forward over the next several years. 

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“I stepped her through the process of the business plan and financials, cash flow, and break-even analysis,” says Howdeshell. “But she is such a go-getter and figured out every step of the business process with grace. It was all accomplished because she was willing to do the work and think outside the box.”

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It took Jurgensen about 18 months to get everything set up to launch the college.

“I locked myself away and just focused on what I needed to do,” she says. “It felt good to do because it is my life’s passion and work, and I want to be here in Wyoming. I’ve lived in so many different places, but I love Wyoming. It’s my home.”

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Jurgensen says she can’t say enough about the WWBC and the support they provided through the process.

“I will be referring my students to take advantage of the [WWBC] when they have business questions that I can’t answer,” says Jurgensen. “They are an incredible resource.”

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Mosaic Massage College opened its doors in mid-2019 in Casper, Wyoming. It is a 6-month, 500-hour professional massage therapist massage program. Jurgensen says her mission is to educate and prepare students to become successful massage therapists right here in our state, and has plans to slowly grow the school, with hopes of possibly adding campuses around Wyoming over time. 

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“I am proud to bring this opportunity for education to our state – the opportunity to be a good therapist and stay home in Wyoming if that’s where people want to be,” says Jurgensen. “And, it’s amazing for me to be part of providing something healing to our community and work lifelong in a field I’m passionate about.”