Meet Tammy Paine

We were lucky to catch up with Tammy Paine recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Tammy, really happy you were able to join us today and we’re looking forward to sharing your story and insights with our readers. Let’s start with the heart of it all – purpose. How did you find your purpose?

I’ve had a natural gift for massage since I was a teenager. Growing up, I was always giving my dad massages—he regularly asked me to work out the knots in his shoulders and help ease his pain. I also found myself doing the same for classmates in school.

From early on, I knew I wanted to pursue a career focused on helping others. After spending time volunteering at a local physical therapy clinic, I realized that path wasn’t the right fit for me. Instead, I decided to become a certified athletic trainer.

At Old Dominion University, part of our training involved volunteering with local athletes. During that time, I discovered that I was much more drawn to the rehabilitation side of athletic training than the on-the-field injury assessments. I especially enjoyed the hands-on work—stretching, strengthening, and massaging athletes back to health.

My journey as a certified athletic trainer began at an outpatient physical therapy clinic where I worked for more than 7 years. There, I had the privilege of collaborating closely with physical therapists, gaining invaluable insight into injury recovery and rehabilitation.

Seeking to deepen my skillset in massage, I joined Hands on Health in Cary, NC after completing massage school. There, I was trained in Integrative Neuromuscular Massage Therapy, participating in hands-on learning sessions every two weeks for nearly two years. For 15 years, I thrived in a supportive and inspiring work culture, honing my skills to expand my expertise in neuromuscular massage before moving to Florida in 2022.

I’m excited to bring my knowledge and passion for massage therapy to Daytona Beach, Florida, and continue helping others on their journey to health and wellness.

Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?

Paine Massage Therapy was born in October 2023, shortly after I relocated to Daytona Beach, Florida. Here, I’m able to share my first passion—healing through healthy, intentional touch—to help clients move out of pain and into a state of true wellness.

I specialize in neuromuscular massage, a form of medical massage that is slow, specific, and uniquely tailored to the individual. The goal is to help retrain the mind, body, and tissues to understand that it’s safe to relax—that the threat of injury has passed—allowing the nervous system to shift from constant “go-go-go” into “rest and digest.”

This is a niche many overlook, yet it can bring profound relief to those suffering from chronic tension and long-term pain.

Lately, I’ve felt called to embrace my second passion: gut health. With nearly 25 years of hands-on experience, I’ve consistently seen the strong connection between gut wellness and physical pain. The gut houses around 70% of the immune system, and the health of the microbiome plays a major role in whether the body thrives or struggles with dysfunction.

To support this essential aspect of healing, I’ve partnered with two wellness companies that align with my holistic approach:
1. Olive Tree People – Their waterless beauty and internal wellness products support both skin and gut health by eliminating the need for preservatives and emulsifiers, which can disrupt the microbiome. Their formulas are designed to boost antioxidant levels and strengthen the immune system.
2. Melaleuca – This online wellness store offers a patented delivery system for its supplements, making it easier for the body to absorb nutrients at the cellular level. These products help reduce oxidative stress and support the gut, immune system, and overall microbiome health.

I’m excited to now offer these resources to clients who want to take their wellness journey to the next level—both on and off the massage table.

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?

Trust your gut—it really is key.
Our bodies often sense things before our minds can make sense of them. Think about the butterflies in your stomach, the racing heart during anxiety, or that subtle gut feeling when something just isn’t right. Our intuition speaks through the body first.

Be open to mentorship.
There’s no need to reinvent the wheel. Learn from those who’ve walked the path before you. Listen to their stories—their struggles, their successes—and take note of what worked and what didn’t. Let their experience guide you so you can avoid unnecessary setbacks on your own journey.

Discipline goes beyond physical effort.
It’s a mental commitment to keep moving forward, even when the initial excitement fades. Rest when you need to—self-care matters—but also show up and do the hard work. Progress is built by balancing recovery with the discipline to tackle what needs to get done.

What has been your biggest area of growth or improvement in the past 12 months?

Relocating to a new city and state comes with its fair share of challenges.
To build a new foundation, I made it a point to consistently attend weekly networking meetings and intentionally surround myself with other entrepreneurs. I knew that connection and visibility were key.

Shifting from an employee mindset to an entrepreneurial one has required determination, clear goals, and a strong vision of the bigger picture. Fortunately, the years I’ve spent overcoming personal and professional obstacles—and being open to mentorship—prepared me to embrace this transition with confidence.

As an employee, my role was straightforward: show up, do the work, clock out, and go home.
But as a business owner, the responsibility shifted. I had to step out of my comfort zone, initiate connections, and learn to be vulnerable—sharing who I am, what I offer, and what I stand for. It meant allowing strangers to decide if I had a place in this new community.

To earn that trust, I leaned on what I’ve always brought to the table: integrity, reliability, follow-through, and genuine compassion. Through those values, I’ve been able to show not just what I do, but the heart behind it.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://PaineMassageTherapy.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tammy.paine.14
• Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/PaineMassageTherapy?
• Linkedin: http://linkedin.com/in/tammy-paine-2986a6
• Other: Olive Tree People
  https://tammypaine.olivetreepeople.shop/