Creating an ‘oasis’ in Cranberry
This has been an exciting year for Brian and Tiffany Speakman.
In April, the married couple became the new owners of Graham Park Massage in Cranberry Township. A few months later they welcomed Theodore, their second of two sons. Their oldest is 2-year-old Shilah.
And while their life has been hectic, they carve out a calm, relaxed space for their clients.
“Sometimes we call Graham Park Massage ‘The Oasis in the middle of Cranberry,’” Brian said. “We know Cranberry can be a pretty hectic and crazy area. Sometimes people step into Graham Park Massage and the first thing they say is ‘It smells so nice in here,’ and then they’ll say, ‘It’s so peaceful in here.’
“We try to attune to the senses and use those to help bring about a state of peace and calm to our clients.”
The massage therapy business in Cranberry the Speakmans took over in April has been operating for a decade. They purchased the business from the previous owner, who got married and decided to retire.
“(The previous owner) talked to me one day, and we have been just on and on, speculating here and there,” said Brian, who worked at the business for five years. “She always wanted Graham Park to be a place run by a massage therapist and what it takes to take care of a massage therapist, similar to the way that we take care of our clients.”
In addition to his duties as co-owner, Brian still acts as a massage therapist while Lisa handles the administrative tasks. The ownership group is called Direwolf Wellness, a name that is personal to Brian.
The name came to Brian when he and Lisa were in Sedona, Ariz., meditating at one of the vortices in the area. All of Sedona is considered to be a vortex, which is an area of Earth that is thought to be swirling with energy. There are individual areas in Sedona that are their own vortex, as well, and that’s where Brian and Lisa were meditating.
“I kind of had a vision,” Brian said. “I saw a picture of a wolf just staring at me.”
The vision came at a time when Brian was looking to leave his job in human services, where he had worked as an educator for 20 years with at-risk youth. He also was a specialist for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. The message he took from the wolf was to move out of the role as an educator and into the role of a healer.
He started Direwolf Wellness prior to buying Graham Park Massage, but he didn’t change the name of the business, which has an established brand in the community. Brian wanted to recognize his new ownership while still honoring the history of Graham Park Massage.
The business has six therapists who work alongside Brian. It is located in BelleVue Commons, 128 Graham Park Drive in Cranberry Township. Hours vary depending on the day, with some days opening at 10 a.m. and others opening at 9 a.m. The location closes at 8 p.m. on weekdays and 6 p.m. on weekends.
