Auroraflow provides inclusive spa experience in Durham, safe space for LGBTQ+ community
Auroraflow offers a new kind of spa experience in Durham, providing a safe space for people to relax and heal.
Castle Frame and her wife, Lauren McCullough, opened Auroraflow with the goal of helping people live better, happier lives.
The couple wanted to open a spa in Durham that was inclusive, with a focus on promoting the LGBTQ and Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC) communities.
They said they hadn’t planned on staying in Durham forever. But, eight years later, they don’t plan on leaving.
"Durham is definitely our home," Lauren said. "We love it here so much."
Frame was working out of their home as a massage therapist but dreamed of opening her own place.
"I just kind of always had a vision of one day owning a place exactly like this," Frame said.
She said the inspiration came to them during the COVID-19 pandemic, which is also when the duo tied the knot.
Since Covid ruined any hopes of a traditional wedding ceremony, the couple decided to go camping across the country and eloped in Montana.
When they got back, the newlyweds decided to take a risk and open their own business.
"I feel like over Covid we had a lot of time to think, and with Lauren [doing] startup consulting and then me doing massage, we kind of just put our heads and skills together," Frame said.
McCullough was working as a consultant for tech startups, but she knew her wife had something special.
McCullough said she started to notice how, through massage, Frame was literally changing her client’s lives, especially her queer clients. It made her ask: What makes this so unique?
"I think one of the things we realized is that one of the reasons she had a lot of clients that weren't willing to go anywhere else [and] wouldn't go anywhere else, is because, even though it was in our own home, we really dedicated that to being a safe space," McCullough said.
McCullough said she talked with different people and started to realize that people who were a part of marginalized communities had been largely left out and excluded from the massage industry.
"I think what we found is that we felt that the massage industry, it's very whitewashed and it really focused on exclusivity," McCullough said.
So they decided to flip the script.
"We wanted to provide a safe place for people to get treatments no matter where you’re from," McCullough said.
Not only did they want to provide an inclusive experience for clients, but McCullough said they also wanted to provide a prosperous place for people to work.
"Spas can have a little bit of a toxic culture sometimes for people that work there," McCullough said. "And so we felt really strongly about caring for our employees."
They knew if they dedicated themselves to doing the right thing, it would serve them well in the long-run.
"If we care for people, pay them well, treat them well, then we don't have to worry about client retention and employee retention, which is probably one of the biggest things that holds places back," McCullough said.
Although the intention was always to provide a safe space, Castle said they didn’t intentionally seek out clients and employees from the LGBTQ+ community; it just happened.
"I feel like we didn’t even intentionally hire a lot of people from the LGBT community," Frame said. "It's just kind of what [we] attracted."
"Really, I think because it is such a safe space that we’ve created here. It just led those people to us."
Hate crimes against the LGBTQ+ community and the Black community continue to happen on a daily basis across the nation.
In 2021, the DOJ reported that 2,049 hate crimes were committed against people because of their sexual orientation or gender identity. That breaks down to an average of more than five hate crimes being committed everyday against members of these communities.
That same year, there were 6,643 hate crimes committed against people because of their race, ethnicity or ancestry. That averages out to nearly 20 hate crimes being committed daily against people simply because of their skin color.
So, you can understand why members of those communities would seek out a work environment where they feel safe and cared for. That’s exactly what Auroraflow strives to provide.
But it wasn’t easy to get where they are now.
"We were kind of on our own figuring it out," McCullough said. "And it was a journey. It was painful at times, but it was a journey."
It wasn’t an easy process finding the right place, either.
McCullough said they were blown off a lot when they first started looking for a place. She said they'd think it was going to work out with a certain place, then people would stop responding to them.
"It definitely hurt," Frame said. "But, at the same time, we have kind of dealt with that being in the LGBT community for a long time, too."
McCullough said, as a woman, she feels like it's a struggle to be taken seriously.
"As a woman, I find that there's an assumption when you enter the room that you don't know what you're doing," McCullough said. "And so you have to earn that respect."
Despite the setbacks and obstacles in their way, they eventually managed to find the perfect place.
The duo said they hadn’t planned on setting up shop in a house. But when they saw the property, they knew it was right for them.
When contemplating how to design the space in a way that would make everyone feel safe and welcome, the answer was simple: Art.
"Art is what bonds us," McCullough said. "Art is this very inclusive thing."
McCullough said they didn’t want it to look like a doctor’s office or a typical spa. So the couple decided to have individual artists paint murals in each of the rooms.
Although they never planned on starting a business together, they've learned how to make it work.
Lauren said it’s important to remember that they each bring something unique to the table.
"It's actually an asset that we have very different views and skill sets," Lauren said.
But the couple admitted it’s not always easy.
"We just have to really take those moments to try to separate personal and professional," Lauren said.
Castle said work definitely comes home with them sometimes, but they don't let it hurt their relationship.
"We're very aware of the struggles of [working together]," Frame said.
"I'm not gonna lie, it's definitely hard sometimes. But we just work on it and we keep it going."
They plan on continuing to work together and hope to open more locations in the future – possibly in Charlotte, D.C. and Austin.
Castle is one of the massage therapists at Auroraflow, and she's won Best Massage Therapist in the Triangle for three years in a row.
She said all of the massage therapists at Auroraflow are very good at what they do.
"We definitely find that all of the therapists kind of have their own like little knack," McCullough said.
Obviously, I had to see for myself.
I got a massage with the fabulous Izzy Weiser.
I'm not someone who has had a lot of massages, but she was the first massage therapist who asked me if there were any parts of my body I didn't like being touched.
This may not seem like much, but it made me feel so comfortable and safe. Massages for women, especially women who may suffer from PTSD, can be incredibly anxiety inducing. It's supposed to be relaxing, but that's not always the case when a complete stranger is touching your entire body.
I really appreciated the simple gesture.
Massage is a type of therapy that's meant to help people heal. So, if you're curious but have been avoiding this type of therapy because of anxiety, I would suggest giving Auroraflow a try.
In my experience, massage therapists read the form you fill out beforehand and that's it. At Auroraflow I submitted the preliminary form, but my massage therapist also took the time to talk with me.
She took the time to ask me questions about my form and myself, and I never felt rushed.
It definitely made a difference in my massage experience. I feel like I was able to truly relax.
I highly recommend Izzy Weiser. You can learn more about her at auroraflow.com.
Not only is Auroraflow a safe haven for the LGBTQ+ community, but Frame and McCullough are also active supporters of the community.
On June 24, Auroraflow will be hosting a Pride party.
The event will feature local vendors and artists as well as new merchandise to support trans Latinx in the Triangle.
"We try to contribute to the LGBT community all year round, but really wanna double down as much as we can during Pride month," McCullough said.
They especially want to give back in wake of recent legislation that has been passed that has restricted the rights of people within the LGBTQ+ community.
You can RSVP to the event here.
Auroraflow is located at 607 William Vickers Ave. in Durham. You can learn more about Auroraflow and its talented massage therapists at auroraflow.com.
