January 2025

At YXE Smash Therapy, catharsis takes on a whole new meaning. At most businesses, smashing an annoying printer with a baseball bat might get you in trouble, but at Magen Mercer’s business YXE Smash Therapy, it’s not just allowed, its encouraged.

Mercer graduated from Saskatchewan Polytechnic in 2009 with a certificate as an educational assistant. She started working right away and even spent time as a member of faculty.

But after more than a decade in her career Mercer started looking for something new. She was originally planning to return to Sask Polytech to train for a position in the medical industry but then COVID hit, and Mercer’s career pivot took a more interesting turn.

“Shifting from education to the ‘rage industry’ was quite a paradigm shift,” Mercer laughs. “One day, after a frustrating experience, I found myself smashing an old mug in the dumpster and thought there must be a place for this in Saskatoon. But there wasn’t.”

From that moment the idea to open her own business stuck and five months later she opened the doors to YXE Smash Therapy in November 2020.

Opening during the pandemic turned out to be perfect timing.

“We started rolling in customers right away,” Mercer explained. “People couldn’t travel or even get into groups with their friends, so my low capacity and unique offering just resulted in the perfect storm. Our team is there to meet people where they are at, whether it’s a grief session or a birthday party,” she said.

YXE Smash Therapy partners with therapists, offering discounts to clients who want to try a more physical approach to their healing journey.

And for those worried about the environmental impact of smashing old electronics and dinnerware, Mercer is quick to point out that everything that hits the floor is already at the end of its useful life and is donated.

“The first partnership I made was with the Electronic Recycle Association. I wasn’t going to invest time or money into something unless it could be handled in an eco-friendly manner,” Mercer said.

“The donations come in from a lot of different sources and we take all the items out of the electronics, like the ink, toner, circuit boards, and we recycle them separately. Only items that can be recycled are used, ensuring nothing goes to waste.

Mercer also mentions that the other donations that come in from thrift shops or disaster services would already be headed for the trash, so YXE Smash Therapy is giving the items one more use before they hit the landfill. She is also open to receiving donations from the public and offers monthly the chance to win a free session to anyone who drops off items during business hours. She says that everything they accept as donations can be found on the website.

In the four years since opening, YXE Smash Therapy has earned Mercer nominations for a number of awards, including a Woman of Distinction award and an ABEX Best New Business award. However, she says the best feeling is being able to help people no matter why they are visiting.

When Mercer is asked what she enjoys smashing the most she laughs and admits she doesn’t use the rooms often, but there are definitely a few items at the top of her list for a smash session.

“The phone made me laugh the hardest because you hit it and it just bounces up and flies across the room,” she said. “And of course, glassware is fun because it’s just so satisfying to throw a wineglass at the floor and watch it shatter or to grab some golf clubs and put a bunch of glassware on the floor and tee off.”