Hello, and welcome to Moonee Ponds Wellness Centre! I’m Matilda Shaw, and I’ve been taking care of Moonee Ponds’ residents’ wellness since December 2022. 

Watching people transform their health is such a gift, especially when they’ve tried so many medicines and doctors in the past that haven’t helped to move them along in their health journey. This is something I’ve seen time and time again, so it brings me great joy to make this my life’s work! 

It’s always been my aim to help people achieve their health goals and to live healthier and happier lives, and I couldn’t think of a better place to do it. Moonee Ponds is the best-hidden secret Melbourne has to offer, with everything you could need including great parks (with friendly people walking cute dogs!), delicious food and restaurants, beautiful houses, convenient transport, and a fantastic shopping precinct. When it comes to my role in amongst all of this, I chose the name Moonee Ponds Wellness Centre as it encapsulates where we are, what we aim to do, and where we hope to go as we incorporate more things into our business as we grow. 

As a regular attendee of salt therapy sessions at Salts of the Earth, I recognised how these sessions were so beneficial in helping with my autoimmune condition. Eventually, I got a casual job, and now I manage the business! It’s a great way to showcase my love for empowering people to take control of their health and to show people lots of different ways they can live a healthier life. 

It’s fair to say I’m very passionate about what I do, both in terms of the wellness aspect and the customer service aspect. I love to have a chat and get to know my clients, and I always take the time to build those all-important relationships. It’s a great thing I’m so passionate about my role in the community because it took some effort to get here! It takes a lot of energy to run a small business, but thankfully I have supportive friends and family who have been here for me since day one. 

I come from an Italian background, which means I love the power of connection— and food! Family is so important to me that I add family members wherever I go. My ‘adopted’ grandmother— one of my amazing clients— brings me homemade tomato pasta sauce from her veggie garden, which fuels me for a day of creating bonds with others. Since I spend my days connecting with beautiful and kind souls, it feels more like my family is dropping in for a visit than it does a day of work! As my biological grandmother passed away 10 years ago, the bonds like these that I form truly mean the world to me. 

One of my favourite aspects of what I do is something I didn’t anticipate, and it fell into place so organically. Following sessions where I help people to improve their health and enjoy their lives again, I see a little spark come back into their eyes— and this often leads to them opening up to welcoming new people into their lives. 

And Moonee Ponds Wellness Centre seems to be just the hub to do so! I’ve seen so many clients become friends with each other and bond over their experiences, giving my small business the big impact I always hoped it would.

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