Memphis entrepreneur builds national wellness empire
Sam Nelson’s Massage on the Go started in Memphis and evolved into MOTG Wellbeing, a nationwide wellness provider serving corporate clients. (Mark Weber/The Daily Memphian)
Growing up in Memphis’ Bethel Grove neighborhood, Sam Nelson’s entrepreneurial spark was undeniable from an early age.
“I was always the kid cutting yards or selling candy or whatever to make some money, and I just got addicted to being an entrepreneur,” he said. “I knew I just didn’t want to work for nobody. I felt good making my own money.”
Nelson said he found inspiration in his community’s small business owners.
“Mr. Harville had a construction business, Mr. Hill across the street did gravel, and there was another guy who had his own automotive business,” he said.
As a young adult, Nelson enrolled at the University of Memphis with a major in biochemical engineering and a minor in business, with a plan to be his own boss by securing government contracts.
But near the end of his sophomore year, Nelson found himself inspired by a television segment about a massage therapist who’d become a successful entrepreneur. He paused his undergraduate studies to pursue a massage therapy license, followed by certification as a personal trainer.
Nelson quickly secured a contract with a large manufacturing company, which made him $600 in a day. He realized he could build a business by securing contracts with more large businesses that provided employee wellness programming.
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Sam Nelson corporate wellness entrepreneurship Subscriber Only MOTG Wellbeing Massage therapy Bethel Grove Health & WellnessAre you enjoying your subscription?
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Aisling Mäki
Aisling Mäki covers health care, banking and finance, technology and professions. After launching her career in news two decades ago, she worked in public relations for almost a decade before returning to journalism in 2022.
As a health care reporter, she’s collaborated with The Carter Center, earned awards from the Associated Press and Society of Professional Journalists and won a 2024 Tennessee Press Association first-place prize for her series on discrepancies in Shelby County life expectancy by ZIP code.
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