We were lucky to catch up with Christina Meucci recently and have shared our conversation below.
Christina, we’re thrilled to have you sharing your thoughts and lessons with our community. So, for folks who are at a stage in their life or career where they are trying to be more resilient, can you share where you get your resilience from?
My resilience comes from trying to prove I can be the best version of myself possible. Whether that was playing a sport and studying all angles of the game, dancing and putting in extra hours at home, diligently studying and immersing myself within the Athletic Training Room when getting my sports medicine degree, or searching deeply within my passion to give me strength to keep moving forward, I have always continued to push myself to make my dreams I have come to fruition. Resiliency and grit are what allowed me to figure out a way to open a private practice, even when the pandemic made it difficult. My resiliency and grit keep me striving to make operations better and expansion possible. There’s a fire and passion in my heart that reminds me when things become difficult, it doesn’t mean no, it just means “not this way, let’s find a way to make it happen.”
Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?
As the Founder/Owner of The Recovery Room, I wanted to bridge the gap between the type of sports medicine care offer to our professional athletes versus what is offered at the local level. We have everyday athletes everywhere we turn, from runners, CrossFitters, and yogis, to dog walkers, hikers, and gardeners. We specialize in providing top-notch sports medicine services tailored to the unique needs of our community’s active individuals. From personalized recovery plans to cutting-edge therapies, we strive to be the go-to destination for anyone who gets hurt, those striving to achieve their fitness goals and maintain peak performance.
With every new patient, the first appointment is a deep dive into a person’s history, a thorough physical exam, finished with an explanation of what the issue is, how we recover, and what do to prevent it from occurring again. During treatments, modalities like shockwave, dry needling, therapeutic cupping and graston techique are used to alleviate pain, speed tissue healing, and then paired with rehab exercises to improve mechanics and prevent injury. Our passion for sports medicine extends past athletes, it’s showing that everyone is an athlete, and should have a recovery plan to surpassing just being able to do acts of daily living. We want to get you back to what you love to do whether that is running, exercising, playing a sport, or enjoying nature.
With wellness being a well rounded approach, we also offer a unique, curated wellness experience, where a group can privately unwind in the sauna, embrace the invigorating cold plunge, and enjoy the rejuvenating effects of NormaTec compression—all in an exclusive setting. It’s not just about relaxation; it’s an immersive journey into resiliency and connection, tailor-made for their well-being with add-ons like yoga, reiki, sound bath, tarot card reading, chair massage, catering, and mindset reset. It’s a chance for them to relax, recharge, and discover the power of resilience together.
Our passion is our brand. The Recovery Room is about support, transparency, and top-tier care from the moment each person walks through the door. We do what is best for our community, one athlete and community member at a time.
Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
1) Willingness to learn/grow – accepting mistakes will be made, but those mistakes are lessons that allow you to grow and develop new and wiser beliefs and perspectives; staying stagnant leads to mediocrity, not greatness, and we’re looking to grow into greatness and success, whatever that may look like for you.
2.) Finding joy and passion in your work – I encourage everyone on a new journey to keep the door open for all requests, to gain experiences on a broad spectrum, to then reflect on what you liked and disliked about that experience . You aren’t able to remove opportunities as an option without knowing or experiencing it in some capacity first. As you learn what you brings you joy and what drains your spirit, you can prioritize your energy into the experiences that bring you joy, allowing you to say no to services or requests that don’t.
3.) Ability to receive feedback gracefully – This takes practice through experience. Even when conversations are hard, and emotions are strong, taking a step back to look at the big picture. How does this feedback impact the bigger picture? How can you learn or grow from this feedback? What did you do well versus what needs improvement? Is this feedback productive or given from a reactive place, to then cope with it appropriately. Receiving feedback gracefully allows you to grow, and hopefully brings you more joy/passion to the work you are doing.
We’ve all got limited resources, time, energy, focus etc – so if you had to choose between going all in on your strengths or working on areas where you aren’t as strong, what would you choose?
Leaning into your strengths helps develop a solid foundation in whatever journey you are pursuing. However, investing time into areas that need improvement makes for a more versatile and dynamic experience. When I started my small business, my strengths were my passion and skills as a Sports Medicine Specialist, looking at the body as an entire unit, assessing injuries from a holistic perspective, and expertise with modalities used at the elite level. I had no formal training in accounting, marketing, sales, or financial planning. Leaning into those weaker areas to find mentors, classes, and consultants that could support and educate me has allowed me to expand my business from a self-employed provider, into a small business owner with employees, contractors, and interns. My ability to receive feedback from those teachers has shifted my perspective on how we look at our finances, how we market serves differently, and how we finanically plan for expansion. The Recovery Room would not be the business it is today if I continued doing some of our practices or held the same beliefs I did even 1 year ago.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.therecoveryroom.biz/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/therecoveryroom_atc/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christina-meucci-746181125/
- Twitter: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100068385714968
Image Credits
Christina Meucci, Christina Michelle Photography
