Stoic Bodywork News Letter - November 2025:

Dear Honorable Fellow of the Human Genome,

I write to you this month with a renewed sense of purpose and gratitude. Recent interactions with clients and the cultivation of our culture here at Stoic have provided me with a clear perspective on its future. Thank you for engaging with these reflections and for trusting them as a resource. I would be less without you and your support.

As we approach the end of the year, I have some important changes and exciting news to share that heavily focus on the future of the Stoic Bodywork brand.

Stoic has always embodied the principles encapsulated in our motto: "Balance the Body, Open the Mind, Awaken the Spirit." This focus on the triad of the human system—Body, Mind, and Spirit—is the foundation of our protocols and research. It is essential that this mission remains clear and central moving forward.

This focus leads me to an important announcement. As Stoic Bodywork continues to grow and evolve, I have decided to create some much needed separation. I’ve created my own personal brand (more details below) and will be stepping back to allow Stoic to develop into its own distinct brand and business, which it has been doing for some time now.

This newsletter will now continue more exclusively under the Stoic Bodywork brand, dedicated solely to therapeutic work and research centered on health and wellness.

I'm immensely grateful to you for reading my reflections, and I promise they will continue to be a part of newsletters, just more refined and focused.

As for Stoic and the month of November? We have some significant announcements and this letter will be focused in explaining all of the changes. We’ll be launching the new format starting next month.

Information in the news section below will detail these transitions and others that pertain directly to our services. The last newsletter mentioned an exciting announcement was on the horizon once details were finalized. Well, everything has been sorted out, and we're ready to share.

We look forward to growing as a brand, a business, and a place you can continue to trust.

There's a lot below, so let's get started.

Always remember our ad nauseum disclaimer: We are not doctors, medical, legal or financial professionals, and none of this is medical, financial, legal or professional advice of any kind. Also, any affiliate links below will be noted with an asterisk ‘*’. Enjoy.

News:

• THE BIG NEWS:
  We are pleased to introduce Phil’s new apprentice, Morgan, the owner of Ascend Bodywork. She will be working closely with Phil to enhance her skills and achieve her goals as a therapeutic bodyworker and competitive bodybuilder. Details about apprenticeship training appointments will be available soon. In the meantime, you can learn more about Morgan and her story here. Be sure to stay updated on our social media for further information.

• New Services:
  We’ve been diligently developing new ways to help you achieve your health and wellness goals. In addition to the apprenticeship appointments, we will soon introduce new physical training packages and fascial reprogramming sessions. Stay tuned for more information on that.

• Stoic Sleep:

  We’ve started talks with a manufacturer to produce and distribute Stoic Sleep. In the interim we’ll be taking orders and producing as needed. If you need a jar just let us know and we’ll mix it for you.

• Pricing Update:
  We like to be transparent with our increases. An explanation of these changes can be found in the section below and further details will be published before year end. These increases will start January 1st, 2026:

  • Therapeutic Bodywork Appointments:
    30 Mins - $60
    60 Mins - $115
    90 Mins - $170

  • Physical Training Sessions:
    60 Mins - $85

  There will also be packages and some changes to the way we offer appointments. Our aim is to streamline everything and provide a higher level of service. If you have concerns please reach out to Phil to discuss (phil@stoicbodywork.com).

Current work / Research / Recommendations:

As we enter this new phase of dedicated focus for Stoic Bodywork, our current work revolves around applying the philosophical concepts we often discuss in-house. Above all, we emphasize a rational well researched approach.

For some time, I have dedicated a significant portion of my creative effort to endeavors outside of the Stoic Bodywork business. This has been part of my personal "churn," as mentioned in the last letter. That stage is now coming to an end, necessitating some changes.

The decision to separate my personal brand from Stoic was straightforward once the need became clear. Stoic is now much more than just myself. With the addition of Stacey, Morgan’s apprenticeship, and Kayla’s before hers. It was no longer solely a personal business and demands to be treated as such. My hesitation to do this sooner stemmed from uncertainty about how to proceed.

I often discuss mental health and self-awareness. A personal struggle of mine has been lacking an outlet for my personal identity. Growing up in an abusive home has led me to loathe my surname, which contributed to my aversion to having it associated with my businesses beyond legal requirements. Consequently, I used Stoic to share personal or business endeavors, such as the manuscript I'm working on (which I will keep you updated on), or anything I do with my creative venture business.

I previously addressed this creative issue by publishing under a pen name. It only recently occurred to me to turn that into a fictitious name and register a d/b/a (doing business as) to market myself publicly. Having done that, I can finally step back from consolidating everything into one outlet, something I was never truly comfortable with and shouldn’t have attempted.

This personal move aims to acknowledge that pushing limits sometimes requires redefining boundaries. I get to be Phil Gabranth, and Stoic Bodywork can become its own entity.

This separation allows the Stoic platform to exist more exclusively as the dedicated brand it is meant to be, focused solely on therapeutic work, functional fitness, research, and education framed by its tenets: "Balance the Body, Open the Mind, Awaken the Spirit."

This evolution also necessitates a change in our financial structure. We have debated a price increase for the past few months. This decision is not only about addressing rising operational costs (such as thousands spent annually on credit card processing fees) but is fundamentally linked to our professional mission: stepping into a leadership role in the industry.

Stoic Bodywork is now dedicating resources to set the standard for professional practice. We have developed a set of protocols, which includes hours of research and the creation of white papers. This culminated in a recently submitted proposal to the State Board of Massage Therapy regarding mentorship as a CEU outlet, as well as the soon-to-be-published Stoic Bodywork Methods for Functional Training that we use internally. The goal is to ensure there are qualified professionals to assist the public. As well as provide room for those professionals to grow and charge appropriately for their services.

Especially now, when people still tell us they never knew about therapeutic bodywork. Or never heard that physical training should be goal and individual-specific, a one-size-fits-all mentality is not only outdated but harmful.

To solidify our position as a leader in defining these methods (which include their development and teaching), we must invest in new and improved services. This commitment to professional education and research inherently raises operating costs but also elevates the value of all our services.

The adjustment reflects our commitment to continuously refine our methods and set a high standard, participating in the industry not just as providers but as educators and innovators. Also, if we’re being honest, we want to grow, a bigger space, more services, more Stoic.

If you want to know how I personally feel about topics, you'll find those insights on my personal brand Phil Gabranth, which influences my creative venture, Norse Panda.

If you're interested in the most effective, realistic, and beneficial methods to achieve your health and wellness goals, you'll find them right here at Stoic Bodywork.

In closing, I am truly grateful to you for trusting me with your care, your family's care, and the many referrals you send our way. I will always strive to uphold nearly impossible standards here at Stoic. I've just learned that I don't need to do it alone. Thank you, and we look forward to seeing you at your next appointment.

Product recommendations:

Grab some merch on our online store!
Use code HOLIDAYS25 to get 10% OFF ANY ORDER from now till the end of the year.

Purebulk.com* is always our go to for supplements. As we are part of their practitioner program we are able to offer two different discount codes:
stoicbodywork15 - Get 15% off your first order.
STOICBODYWORK - Get 10% off any order (reusable)

Unrelated:

Stoic and Chan/Zen ponderings:

Sometimes you just have to go for it. Get up after you fall. Come up with a new plan. Then execute, knowing that is all going to happen 10 more times till you get it right.

You can read previous letters here

Thanks for reading. We look forward to seeing you at your next appointment.

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