The Root Wellness Center 7 questions

Sarah Bodary, owner of Root Wellness Center operating in Caro, is loving every step she’s taking in helping people with their health and wellness.
Root Wellness Center has been in the making for the last 10 years, starting back when Bodary was in school. When she was younger, she had no idea what her future held. During her time at Delta College, pursued a degree in business management, but after time found out it was boring. While in school, she had her first taste of fitness with a kickboxing class and proceeded to take one fitness class each semester.
Courtesy Photo/ Sarah Bodary
Shortly after finishing her business courses online, she earned her certification in personal training and group fitness and immediately got to work. She started training and working with individuals at State Street Fitness in Caro. Sometime after, she went back to school to become a licensed massage therapist. Fast forward to today, Bodary has a total of eight different credentials and certifications in weightlifting, CrossFit, powerlifting, natural health, Olympic weight, and holistic birth doula.
In addition, Bodary has racked up a number of accolades, including breaking the Michigan record for powerlifting, is a nationally ranked NPC fitness bodybuilding competitor and USAPL powerlifter, and has also been named Tuscola County’s best massage therapist and best personal trainer. Just a few weeks ago, Sarah completed her first year in natural medicine and will be pursuing her doctorate over the next three years.
Just last year, Bodary moved into a new and bigger building, allowing her to expand her services and give people a space where they can unwind and relax. The Root Wellness Center offers many services, including massage therapy, reflexology, cupping, yoga, group fitness, vitamin and mineral testing, and much more. The center is open for appointments six days a week, Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Most services are $80 for 60 minutes service and $110 for a 90 minutes.
Courtesy Photo/ Sarah Bodary
Q: What made you become an entrepreneur?
A: It didn’t make sense to me to have a boss. I saw my friends working for someone else and just really not being able to make a living. I went to Delta and I have a two-year degree then I saw my friends getting master’s degrees and they were working at GNC because they pay more than the gym. There is this really huge problem in the United States of so many people not being fit, they don’t understand how to work out and they don’t want to pay someone for no reason. There’s no standard certification for personal trainers, so the average public doesn’t know what questions to ask. Since I had worked for myself for so long, it was just sort of a natural progression just to add in the massage.
Q: What do you enjoy the most about the exercise part of the business?
A: Just getting people able to live their lives again. I have trained top-of-the-line athletes, which is awesome and rewarding, but I feel personally that just getting someone who was in a wheelchair to walk again is powerful. I think that’s where the joy and power come from, being able to just get people to live their life and gain that life back.
Q: What does health and wellness mean to you?
A: The health and wellness is an industry, it’s a multibillion-dollar industry that’s trying to take your money, not to teach you anything. I try to teach people what is food, and what is it made up of, and trying to debunk some of these myths. I try to educate people about how their bodies work, electrically with voltage, and trying to teach people you don’t need to go to the gym seven days a week. I want to teach people and simplify it, you don’t need to come to me every week. That’s always been my goal, to try to teach people to be self-sufficient.
Courtesy Photo/ Sarah Bodary
Q: What is a typical session at Root Wellness?
A: I don’t charge differently for different modalities, I charge time. I’ll have them get on a table, and I kind of see how they’re laying, before that watch how they walk. I just go with the flow, and see what they need, whether it’s a massage or reflexology on their feet. Afterward, I’ll ask them what their experience is, and a few days after I’ll follow up to see how they are.
Q: What is the activity you enjoy the most and one you see people connect more with?
A: I’ve been on a journey of what my favorite thing is and I’m constantly learning and seeing how things affect people differently. Right now, it’s bringing people’s health together. Most people don’t understand that their emotions are causing these physical illnesses, so I’m enjoying bridging that gap and teaching people it’s okay to have emotions. The baby thing is pretty magical too.
Q: What methods do you use to figure out how to help a client?
A: It depends on the person, there are so many different ways that I try and figure out what to do, but part of it is listening to your intuition and going with the flow, listening to your body. I’m trying to work backward, that’s why it’s called the Root Wellness Center, to find the root of your problem and address that and move forward. I do try to combine all the different certification classes I’ve had throughout the years and try to build the best program for people.
Q: Are there any other short- or long-term goals that you have for either you or the business?
A: I would currently like to build some of my exercise classes. There’s been a lot of people in the community asking but it’s hard for me because I have to have enough people to make it worth my while and not book a massage. Just continuing to grow and have a space where people can come relax. I would like to continue to do more things for the community, group classes where it’s more affordable for people.