You know, there's a lot of that, am I going to fail? Am I going to do this? And if you don't do it, yeah, you're going to because you'll never give yourself the chance that opportunity to thrive. If you if any individual has that passion to start their own company, just take that passion and roll with it. You know, we're as human beings we're so hard on ourselves or we second guess ourselves and I am so grateful that you know, I did have a sense of community that pushed me Nope, you can do it. I know you can, you know, so much support. So I definitely wouldn't have been able to do it without them. But I am so grateful that I did.
Hello, radical massage therapists and welcome to another episode of the radical massage therapist podcast. My name is Krista. I am a massage therapist in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, and I'm also a fairly new clinic owner. Our guest today is not sue me. She has been with the true Lux day spa for over 10 years now and she is dual licenced in massage therapy and cosmetology. While practising aesthetics, she is recently married to her soulmate, and they have a two and a half year old together named Poppy and two French bulldogs, Ziggy and Zeus. She is a radical massage therapist, and I'm so grateful to have her on the podcast today. It is her very first podcast experience. Not Sunni. Welcome.
Hello, thank you for having me.
Thank you so much for being here. What is your favourite part of being a massage therapist?
Oh, that's such a loaded answer. I think I'm meeting all of the people that I have. I've been practising for 12 years now. I'm just meeting all the different types of people that I have and getting their responses as small as you know, I remember I had this, she was 75 had just had our first massage. And she grabbed my hand after and she just said, you know, you really changed my life. And she left and I'm just, it's those types of things that you're making a difference. So that's kind of, I think one of my my favourite things about being a massage therapist is just the helping aspect. Yeah,
absolutely. So a bit of background about how I discovered you was through one of the Facebook, you know, community groups there, where we're all sharing ideas or asking questions, because as much as they teach us in school, or as much as they think we think we know, once we get out there, we all have more questions and do a you know, asking for different advice. And I saw this wonderful post of the EU in 2019. So this is going a while back, that you had posted a picture in front of your your spa. But you said that you were you just bought it. So you had worked at this spa for six years at the time. And then you had just bought it and there was this beaming picture of you in front of the spot and you've loved you said you were over the moon. So I was at you inspired me I didn't own a clinic at that time I do now, it was really an inspiring moment. For me, I was really curious to see how that transition went from becoming like an employee or part of this spot and then becoming an owner and just what the dynamic was there. So I'll go all the way back maybe to why you decided you wanted to become a massage therapist. And also you have your cosmetology as well. So what inspired you to become a massage therapist?
That's a weird question to answer only because I can remember as far back as seven years old, you know, what do you want to be when you grow up? And like I want to massage people what seven year old knows that? Don't know. So it's such a weird question because it wasn't just this you know, epiphany when I was a teenager. I knew I wanted to go to massage school and want to be a massage therapist. even way back in my high school yearbook it says become a massage therapist. And so it's just always been a dream of mine. So I went to massage school. I think I was 22 when I decided to go and I went to a vocational high school so I actually before I graduated my senior year, I did the whole cosmetology programme. So I was licenced before I graduated I went back and got my massage licence to okay exciting it's
similar to my my beginnings as a massage therapist from a young age. My grandmother would always make me give her massage But and she started saying I had magic hands now whether that was just to get more massages, right, or whether that was the truth, I will never know. But she did inspire me when when it came time to deciding what you wanted to do with the rest of your life, I was very lucky that I already had knew that I had something special to offer. I had a skill that I wanted to do as my career. Whereas I'm sure as you experienced, you know, many of our peers when you're in high school, nobody knows really what they want to do. So it was very, I was very fortunate. Just just like you didn't know, at a young age. So that's really exciting.
Yeah, it can be a little easier. Yeah, absolutely.
And so you've been you've been doing it for 12 years now. Yes, I
graduated 2011. Actually. So coming up on 13. Yeah.
Exciting. And just as well, you're in the United States. And we're you're in Drake it Massachusetts. Is that how you pronounce it? Yep. Yeah. Okay. Awesome. So for your, for your transition into becoming a clinic owner, or a spa owner, I should say, what do you what did that look like for you? How did you know? You wanted to own your own business and then take over the business that you were working at.
I as far as owning my own business, that was another one that was in my yearbook of i at the time it said salon because I was I did practice hair for quite probably about five or six years, too. So I've always wanted to own I've always kind of known what I wanted my goals to work towards. So when I went to massage school, my mom, just as a little backstory, true Lux has been a part of my life, probably since I was 10. And I'm turning 35 this year. My mom has been had been coming here for years and years. Until I think she was I was 22. So she had been coming here for over a decade. By the time I went to massage school. And when I graduated, I knew I was going to work here. So I had kind of known the owner just coming in getting gift certificates from my mom. So when I started working here, towards the end of my close to six years, she was just ready to move on to something different. She had owned the business for 25 years. And I felt like I was at a standstill in my career of well, now what I did my goal, I was a massage therapist, and it was just I knew I had so much more in me. So I chatted with her she was ready to sell, I was ready to buy. And it just it worked out seamlessly. She sold and now here I am.
That's awesome. It's a really nice reminder that you just you never know what the other person's situation is. And that open communication can can be really beneficial because I think a lot of potential, like you wanted to own the clinic. I think some people might be nervous to bring that up with the the owner and some might just start their own thing on the side. And then one day just like, you know, say hey, well, I'm done here, I've opened my own, like down the streets kind of kind of thing. So it's nice that you had that open communication with her. And you just never like you never know what what the other person is, is thinking. Exactly. So do you still do massage therapy? Like just as many hours do you focus more on the business?
I am a very, I don't know how to sit still. So I do still work. When I bought it, I still work full time doing both facials, massages and waxing. And then of course COVID happened but I'm sure we'll get into that. But ever since I had my daughter of June 2021 So I had to pull back. It really was a reality check for me of you know, that's not my main focus, so to speak in daycare is super expensive. So I'm with her three days a week. I work part time, two days a week during the week and then I work like trying to do two Saturdays a month. So I'm still hands on but because owning the business I work a lot at home. You I mean as you know, now it's wearing a lot of hats doing the, you know, the social media and then you know trying to still have a life and still trying to make sure all your clients are in and it's a lot of balancing and juggling.
Yep. And then you have employees as well that now you're trying to manage and keep you know, keep happy and make sure they have clients and the comings and goings and and the representation of your your business as well as as their skill set, as well. So yeah, it is it is a lot but that's good to hear. Do you feel that owning the clinic was that I know you said you were ready for something you write like a standstill, you're like, hey, well now what when you decided to own it, when you look back and now that you've had your daughter? Do you feel like the timing couldn't be more perfectly? Do you feel like you have a sense of some security? Because you have the business and you are able to step back and spend more time with your daughter?
Absolutely. Um, that because it was such a turnkey type of situation of course you still have to keep people happy it's not just you know, well she did successful so I'm going to be successful you know it's still I'm so sorry I forgot your question.
So like basically if it was if you had your if you have your business like was it a nice like kind of buffer space where you're like, Oh, thank goodness I have this you know, kind of like safety net because now I can focus on on my daughter whereas maybe if you were just an employee, would that transition Do you feel be harder for you to step back from the hands on work
it it is a little bit easier trying to make sure everybody across the board and my personal and my professional life are still happy but I did feel security in okay, this business is going to be okay if I take a step back I have employees that I trust you know, because especially after having her I physically could not come in for I think I took almost four months off. And of course I had my partner who is able to kind of he was able to support us to while I took that time off but it is a it is a comforting feeling to know that everything is still here when I get back a lot of it is trusting someone to love and care for you're in this is my baby essentially. While you are you know either having a baby or or even if you need to take a few weeks off. I did feel it was a little bit easier.
That's good. Yeah, it is very challenging. I don't think I think any business owner would say that there's probably nobody who cares about the business as much as you do. As much trust as you have in the people you work with as much as you know, they care about the business because it is a place where they can work. Ultimately, they there's you're just they're just not going to care about it the way that that you do exactly but it's great to have that trust when you know you can you can step away What do you still so your hands on training do you have another massage therapist in your in your business as well? I
do. She actually is dual licenced she graduated massage globally. Almost a year ago from the same school I went to she did her internship here. So she is able on the days that I am not here pick up the extra people have facials waxing and the massages so it is just it worked out perfectly
perfect. And did your regulars have a challenging time Trent? Like, do they see your your new massage therapist as well? Or do they do you find that people are just really stuck with you?
Um, it's it's hard, right? Because it's you want your you want your client, you're kind of overflow to go. But it's been hard in some aspects because I've worked with the same people for 10 years. So it's kind of like well, I don't work Wednesdays anymore. This is you know, but it's a lot of you know, getting your clients to trust you on top of everything to you know, really, I've trained her. I've really worked with her. She does great. She does this great. And then it's just, you know, the deliverance of that she'll do on her massage. So it it is it can be difficult. By no means but you know, I wouldn't go to any other hairdresser and it's hard to Okay, I'll take your word for it. But there's still anxiety.
Yes, yeah, of course. Definitely. But it is nice to have that extra person to take on that overflow. Low and if you're ever away for like long periods of time, then your clients can go to that therapist. And like you said, you you train them, they went to the same school, but at the end of the day, it really is how she, she delivers that massage. And you know that she has to have her own style as well. That's that's separate from from you. And she's going to develop her own her own clientele. Great House. Yeah. So you bought the business in November of 2019, after working there for six years. And now we can talk about what happened in March of 2020. Yeah. So COVID happened and a lot of businesses. You know, I know in the US things were hit very hard. And you know, healthcare here, we were definitely shut down for three months. What did it look like for you?
So I like to just joke make light about it. I said, you know, I bought it was end of March, excuse me, it was end of November, when I bought made it through Christmas, all that crazy time, the beginning of the year. And I worked so hard, I decided to I took four months off. Because COVID hit and I remember closing the doors like what did I do? Why did I buy a company and this happens and it's such, you know, I had never been laid off. I had never been unemployed. I've been working since I was 14. So I'm like, I'm gonna just do my due diligence. And, and I'll shut down for two weeks. And just the the naive mind that we had that somehow it was just going to go away in two weeks. That, you know, it's such a crazy, I look back, I'm like, this was a worldwide thing. I don't, but anywho Yep. So I shut down. And I remember going home and I bawled my eyes out, because I couldn't believe that this is like, you know, happening. And, of course, sadly, things got worse. During the whole situation, we I can't remember exactly sometime in maybe, like, within a few days. You know, we were shut down legally, we have all had to shut down and we didn't open back up, I think until almost the end of June. Um, so it was close to four months that I and I'm sure much like you we didn't know, we no one knows when we're gonna reopen. And everyone is, you know, scrambling and I needed answers. But there were no answers. And I was, you know, I was a grown adult, but I felt like I needed an adult. To Yes. So it took a lot. But I tried to think of it in a positive way. Many, many, many clients, although I had been here for six years, and I had my own established clientele. Many clients, and and myself, I still looked at it. Well, this is Chris's business that was the previous owner, who started true looks, this is true looks as Chris's business, because it was literally a signature on a paper one day it says and the next day, it's mine. So we shut down and I was able to come back with fresh ideas. And, and I'm like, Nope, okay, I needed that break, I'm gonna look at it like that, in order to really get in the mindset of like, No, this is yours. I had to figure out by myself, you know, essentially, how do you run this business after pandemic? No one knows, you know? So it was interesting, but it was definitely one door shut. And I had to open another one somehow, some way. And we've been pretty good. So yeah,
I think you've done really well. I do have, like, I have notes about this for later. But it's kind of a good segue. So yes, you have done really well. I had some notes about sort of your RE rebranding, because you know, I had followed some of your regular your posts in the same group. And looking back from when you you were just working there and tree, we're trying to do different, like social media like engagement, and you were like, does anybody have any ideas? The owner doesn't really like this, but like, I like this, but you have a compromise. And then you get to come in and create your own thing. And so it really sounds like you did that after COVID and I've seen some of the new like the new furniture and the new like the new setup. You've got a cool selfie wall in your business. And you had that vision which I love. You said you had that vision when you were working there before. Can you describe a little bit about what you what really what some of the key things you wanted to bring up, bring into the business now that it was yours. Sure,
um, a lot of it, you know, I had these ideas I came here, I worked Tuesday through Saturday, for seven years, you know, even after looking at the same walls and looking in, she had a different style. And that's totally fine. And I just needed, especially after COVID, I needed that this is mine, this is the vision that I have, this is what I want to do. And granted, it took a little while just in 2020. I got pregnant at the end of the year. So it was a lot of like, again, that juggling. But it's been so fun. And my brain doesn't stop where I'm like, Huh, that's been like to plane like, let's let's buy something else, let's throw something else in there. Now I have a lot of live greenery. Where, you know, growing it along the walls. And so it's been a lot of fun to just, it's, it's, you don't have to ask for permission, so to speak to be like, You know what, this is my idea. And I'm gonna roll with it. If I don't like it, I can change it. You know, but so far, it's been a lot of positive feedback. So it's, it's nice. Yeah,
that's great. And in addition to you, you know, coming back and doing so well after COVID. I mean, you you've had quite a bit of recognition in your community as well. Like the Spa has been open for 25 years. And you've now owned it. So like since 2019. You're on almost on your fire, like you're going into.
Yeah, we'll be 30 This year, the spa. Wow. So that's really exciting.
And I so like, I see that you get a lot of recognition in the community. You won some awards. It's a small community, but like You're like a big deal in
is ah, it's that's I try and just keep trying to manifest that. We actually we haven't gotten on new awards yet. There was a hiccup we in the mail, but we did. We won. Best day spa, best massage therapy, best facials and waxing in the area two for 2023. So it's been awesome. Just to like, you know, sometimes everybody gets that impostor syndrome type. I'm like, Oh, my gosh, and then you win these things. And like, oh, okay, like, we're pretty cool. You know? Yeah. So I'm really very grateful, very, very humbled by the community in in Drake it.
Yeah, amazing. And it's also seems like you really celebrate and support local business as well, especially if they're kind of, you know, in your in your reach, like, from where your business is, you're really supportive of the of the new businesses. And that probably comes from a sense of, Well, I was that new girl on the block, too. So I, you know, I'm only going to reach out and support these new businesses. And it sounds like you really celebrate your employees as well as I think a business should. But there really seems to be a nice sense of like family there too. Yeah. And
so in speaking about the, the small businesses we are in, I mean, a long Plaza, there's 100 some odd businesses between upstairs and downstairs, and people come and go people have been here for you know, we're coming up on 30 years. So it's, it's really nice to have that sense of, when you you know, like when you move into a new neighbourhood or you buy a house or an apartment or someone you want to know your neighbours, you know, because people will ask you, oh, how food next door, which is excellent, I have to say and then, you know, so it's nice to to be able to click Oh, hi, how are you? How are the holidays and be friendly, a lot of our lives are spent at work. You don't want to you know, have that awful neighbour or that awful thought about your employee or your your business or your you know, your your business neighbour. So, it's really, it's a nice feeling to be able to come in and just enjoy everything that's around. Yeah,
exactly. And you know, when you do have that communication with your neighbours, if there's ever the day that they're playing like the music a little bit too loud, or there's a little bit extra noise on the other side of the wall and you're trying to have this nice calm massage. It's it's an it's a nicer opening, you could just kind of be like, hey, like, you know, can you keep it down like this is what we do over here versus you know, what you're doing instead of just kind of grumbling and never never addressing right issue. Yeah, so that's really important as well to have have that that connection, but it's a good point to also it's so wonderful that you you're in a space that has so much it sounds like it's a busy like there's a lot of people moving around that Plaza, like both like customers, and then you have those businesses looking at your business as well, that so that's nice a nice feature potentially say for anybody listening to who wants to own their own business, like, did you take it take that into consideration? Like the location? I mean, I know you kind of, you know, where you were fortunate to just, you know, you knew it for so long, because your mom went there, and then you worked there, and then you took it over. But did that ever cross your mind like that? Location, location, location kind of thing that they say? It
absolutely does. Because you know, before I was a massage therapist, you work in like, these small little nooks and crannies. And if there's not a lot of foot traffic, it's kind of hard to be noticed, especially if you don't run social media or, but people will walk by there's a pizza shop next door, a hairdresser next door, and then a bakery. So a lot of people just crossing right over us on the walk in, like, how long have you been here? I'm like, Well, we're gonna be here 30 years, and then they'll take our cards, and they we have online booking now. And so it's been awesome. For foot traffic. The location is perfect. I don't I don't think I could move.
Right? Yeah, no, that's great. And when you decided to own the business, I assume you discuss that, like maybe with your partner did it? Did anybody else outside of your partner or anybody that you discussed it with? Did they have any reservations about you starting your own business? Or did they did you get any negativity? No,
I've just had a great support from kind of everyone because I was scared, you know, am I ready for this? Can I handle this? It? Am I able to do this by myself? And you know, my, my partner had been pushing me. Way before then, and my family and friends, they were all pushing like, you can do it. I know you can. And a major person that I really chose to talk to was my mom. You know, I asked her I said, What do you love about this place? And she said, it always just feels like home. And my mom, I love her. This is not a complaint. She just, she'll be brutally honest, she with me? And I said, Well, good. Those are the things that I want to hold on to I don't want to, you know, you go to some of these big, big franchises, Walmart or so on etc. And they don't know who you are. I love I've watched so many kids grow up here. It's a me I mean, I mean, and vice versa. They've watched me grow up from 22 years old to getting married and having my family and so yeah,
that that is great. I love how you asked your mom. Like, what do you love about about this space? And that that answer of Yeah, like it feels like home and I think that that's a key piece as well as to you know, ask ask those questions and like to like what what does this space feel like even like with my colleagues, you know, that I'm, I'm working with I'm always trying to get feedback about also being a massage therapist who's worked in many different environments. What did I love about those spaces? And What didn't I love about those spaces? What was the operation behind the scenes that I loved and didn't love and how can I create this now in in my space, but also be attractive to massage therapists who also you know, want want those same things because of issues that they've had in the past and I don't want to bring those same things into the clinic.
Yep. A lot of that I will have to say because this was this the six years was the longest I'd been with any company and my boss that I had Chris the previous owner, she had open communication. I was very close with her we were together almost every day and I took a lot of what I learned from her into especially owning employees when I have two employees and they you know, come on board I talked to them. Do not ever be afraid to come to me. I care about your mental well being your physical especially because we have such a physical job. You know, I will never put seven eight people in your column. If you need a you know when you have a lot of massages in one day and the next day it's just like a physical hangover. You know, I always instilled in them just talk to me have open communication like we were just talking about, because I want you to be happy. I don't want you to feel overwhelmed and that feeling of like great. I gotta go got to work today. And I hate that place. Yeah, that's never what I want for anybody. Yeah,
no, I agree. And yeah, it's it's just it's so great that you had that open communication. And I forgot where I was going with this anyway. Yeah, yeah. Yeah. Yeah, with like the therapists that you're working with, while I mean, not not related to the question that escaped my mind. But how did that look for you when you became the owner? Because I assume many of these, you know, practitioners that and the esthetician you were working with before? Now you're their boss? I say no, right. So what did that look like? Did everybody kind of move move into their roles comfortably? Or even for you? How was that?
So we actually were super, super, super small. Um, so it was my boss, who was a licenced esthetician and myself, for the most part, and we had one girl who was super part time, um, who had she had just started maybe two months before, so I was already her manager, so to speak. So there wasn't too much of a transition from, you know, I'm your, um, your colleague to, um, your boss. So I can't really speak too much on that. Except for it's, it was hard for me, I'd never been in a position of like, well, I need you to this, this system, this, this this. This is how it should be. It's been a lot of growth of, no, this is how it should be. And you don't have to, you don't have to approach people of like, I'm your boss now. And that's not how, you know, I try and run things. But it's been a lot of growth of finding my voice. You are a boss, you want this to survive. You want this to continue. So you just got to do it. It's all about the approach and the communication of everything. Really.
Yeah, yeah. And going back to you working like it was a small, small business before and you were working side by side with Chris and then knowing now, how you don't want to overload anybody's day. I think that comes from also you being hands on still in the business. I think that when business owners are not active in the business anymore, it can make a difference on how you forget, maybe or if you've never some of the franchises are not owned by anybody that's ever had any hands on work with anybody. So they have no idea like What do you mean, you can't do eight massages in one day, like with no break? Like that? What? Like they don't understand. So I think that a business owner who's still hands on in the business, but but also understands what our bodies and mentally physically like Miss physically what we're going through, makes a big difference as JULIE
Oh, yeah, absolutely. You know, I remember going but a year and a half ago, we went on a cruise and like, I'm gonna, I'm gonna get a massage now. And this, she did 75 minutes. That's it? sessions. And she told me I was her eighth or ninth of the day. And this was three o'clock in the afternoon. And she had great pressure that it was I like a good, you know, like, a good beating. And she said, this is I usually do this pressure on eight 910 people a day. I'm like, That's not it's not feasible. Not at all sustainable.
For sure. No, she's probably getting one day off a week and they'll have to probably be on the boat for that one. One day. That's exactly it. Yeah, yeah. It's a it's a lifestyle choice for sure. I, I had a, you know, side story when I very first started as a massage therapist, I had called one of like, the SPAS out in, out west to they were hiring and it would have been a pretty good like position as a massage therapist at that particular spa. But the owner was very honest with me, thankfully, that you know, she said, listen, like you're brand new. We are going to give you a massages a day. And I was like, Well, I don't mind anymore. But also she was like But like she was like you need you need to get some more experience and build up your stamina. We can't I would I wouldn't feel it was fair to throw you into eight and I mean, so it was a nice like, understanding that like that is that is definitely a world where they they will just throw you into eight massages a day. Yeah, wild
in I've never done that many I will never do that.
I mean, it's certainly happened, maybe maybe a couple of 30 minute appointments, maybe get slid in there. I've definitely gotten like, into the higher digits, you know, during December when people are, you know, if I if I had less fewer boundaries back in my earlier days, and you're just kind of like people are just like, Well, can you see me this day? And like I could like, do but yeah, and then you just slide them in. And then by the end of the day, you've got like eight to 10. But yeah, it's pretty, pretty bananas, I certainly wouldn't be able to do that anymore. for sustainability. That's, that's for sure.
I did you know that.
We talked a little bit about when you were thinking of owning the business, how you went to your mom, and you kind of always wanted to be a business owner as well, as you said it was written in your yearbook. What other pieces of advice? Would you offer somebody who was looking to become a clinic owner or to start their own business? I saw you ask a lot of questions in the group, which I thought was wonderful. And now I understand that it also stems from just you not not sure if you were ready, and I think you were just reaching out to the community. So what kind of advice would you give to those who, who might be looking to to go move into their own practice space?
I, if you can just take the jump? You don't know, you know, there's a lot of that, am I going to fail? Am I going to do this? And if you don't do it, yeah, you're going to because you'll never give yourself the chance that opportunity to thrive. If you if any individual has that passion to start their own company, just take that passion and roll with it. You know, we're as human beings, we're so hard on ourselves, or we second guess ourselves, and I am so grateful that, you know, I did have a sense of community that pushed me. Nope, you can do it. I know, you can, you know, so much support. So I definitely wouldn't have been able to do it without them. But I am so grateful that I did. So just take the jump because if you don't like it, close up shop. Something else.
I appreciate you saying that. Because yeah. Do you feel like after surviving COVID and coming back strong and coming back with your own vision? taking that leap? That satisfaction is so much better than not knowing so if you did need to, to close? Would that would you feel like you could you could close on a positive note. You've been like, well, at least I gave it my best shot.
Yeah, I definitely feel that way. You know, if I as business owners, too, it's it's not like, oh, it's all positive. It's all happy. There are some days I'm like, still, what am I doing? Could be doing something else? Because there's this there's that. But um, I do if I ever had to shut the doors, I know that I gave it everything that I had a lot of where I think I would just feel guilty for clients. You love your clients do you love you know, getting to check in on them? You know, once a month every format, however often they come in. I think that would be the hardest is no sorry, guys. I'm not here, but I definitely feel like I could you know, shut the doors with a sense of peace. Have no you did the best you could and that's okay. Yeah,
yeah, absolutely. That's great. What was the last thing you baked because I've learned that you love to bake as well.
The last thing I baked? Um, what did i What did I bake? Oh, I think around Christmas was chocolate chip cookies. Okay. My daughter likes the chocolate. So trying to get her into it. But she's afraid of the stand up mixer. So she doesn't help often, but I try and bake as often with her as I can. Yeah.
Lovely, amazing. Anything else that you'd like to cover in our conversation about your transition from like, you know, going there as a little girl with your mom getting your hair done then to you know, being a massage therapist in a business and then owning the business. Any closing thoughts?
It's just been such a wild ride. You know, when you're 10 you don't think of your future too. I thought 35 was old and I bite my tongue so hard now I'm not. But um, you know, when you're 1011 years old, you don't really think about these things. So to think back of coming in and getting your gift certificates and to wait Where I come in and now I'm doing a podcast at the company that I own. It's just such a mind trip. That I can't really that's, that's I think that's the best description that I can give. It's just a it's an awesome feeling. It's a wild ride. But I don't regret any of it at all.
No, it's pretty awesome. Do you have any, like, thoughts on manifestation? You know, like, Yeah, you had that vision of your of the selfie wall while you were working there? Do you recall any other kind of like Flash forwards? Like, if you were like 10 or 14 in that space, and then just having like, a moment where you're like, I'm gonna work here one day, do you remember anything like that?
Not as much as a teenager. Because you still you don't know what you want to do at 14 1516. But as soon as I went to massage school, I actually the massage therapist that my mom used to come see, she told me about the school, the massage therapy school. And I saw I applied I got in. And as soon as I went to school and graduated, I knew the whole time where I was gonna work. So it's just, like, don't I'm gonna do it. I'm a very, I'm determined. My husband likes to call me strong willed. Person of like, this is something that I really want. And it is something that I can get that I can work hard to get. And so it's kind of just so worked out that way. Yeah,
I love that. I definitely see that that in you as well. And I think that probably helps a lot when you are going through school that you just knew you knew where the outcome was going to be. Right? in massage school is no joke. Oh, and yeah, like set, you need that vision at the end of the of some days to know that you're gonna make it through. And there's going to be a place for you to work at the at the you know, when it's all over with I think that that probably helped, you know, on top of you being already a determined person. Yeah, there's no doubt that you were not going to make it. But I think it helps when you have that that vision at the end of the line as well.
Oh, yeah. Yeah. It's definitely it helps you push because academically I'm is academics are hard for me, which is why I chose a hands on career. And I went to a vocational high school. I, for anyone that does listen, that is thinking of going to massage school, it is not just a walk in the park, the things that we've had to learn. It's a lot and I'm so grateful that I do know these things, because I can help clients. But yeah, if you hit the nail on the head, it's a lot. It
is a lot. I mean, part of why I started this podcast was to remind our existing massage community that it is such a great profession on so many levels, and to hopefully encourage more people to become massage therapists because I think more people are looking for more freedom and flexibility in a career. Like more more of that like immediate it's like an immediate like feedback, right? You're not just sitting in an office like punching in a numbers like you immediately know whether you effected some some change or not. And which is really nice. So yeah, we I it's not it's not easy, but it's can be can be worth it. Absolutely. Absolutely. With your your your cosmetology and your massage therapy. I know in the States, there's going to be a lot more flexibility than there wouldn't be here. But do you find because I feel like I'm really interested in some of the new crossover that's kind of happening with like facial massage and facial rejuvenation techniques. Are you finding Are you able to crossover a little bit like that? Do you integrate some of your techniques? Do you find people now asking during your massage for more more work that you might have done as a cosmetologist in some ways?
I'm not per se as a cosmetologist, because we don't do hair here, okay. But in the aesthetics, especially when I first started doing facials, I had never thankfully my boss Chris, she was an instructor at an aesthetic school down here. So she really taught me from book end to book and everything I needed to know, which was so helpful. So when I started doing the facials, I was able to bring in my massage. So it was such a nice transition. And then they're like, oh, that massage was nice and like well actually So what opened the door? Yeah. Which was nice. The only thing I had to really hone in on was, you know, with massage, you can get away with doing more pressure on the back and you can't really do that pressure on someone's cheek. Yeah. So that was kind of the only difference. But it really being dual licenced and has it has opened so many more doors. Because I haven't had what to do, you know, I while I have done four back to back or had a full day of massage, I'll have to massage, then a waxing, then a facial, then another massage. So it's a nice break of in between everything. Yeah,
that is really nice. Like I like I like because I think the variety can really help as well. In a day.
Yeah. Yeah, that's burnout. Yeah, less
burnout. For sure. Yeah. And I think that's what massage therapists could also learn as well that like, we don't have to just be massage therapists. We can learn lots of other skills that are somewhat related, and then open up a lot more doors, as you say channels referrals. And and then you'd still you at the end of the day that's providing that work, but it's just a different, different way. Yeah. So it helps prevent burnout. I love it.
Yeah, I definitely think massage therapists deserve doctorate degrees in therapy. You know, just some of them like, Wow, I feel good. I got you know, cuz I won't tell anybody. You know, everything's just kept in the room. But people just unload and they leave happier. I'm like, that's, that's what we aim for.
Yeah. Yeah. It really is an honour to to be in the room sometimes with with individuals. Yeah. And we we have we have we seen we've seen a lot of change and transition. And clients, I'm sure. Going through hard times and coming out on the other side. And it's really it's really rewarding to be in that space. For sure. Yeah, absolutely. Yeah. Amazing. Well, thank you so much for chatting with me today. I hope your first podcast experience was positive.
Oh, it was so fun. Yeah, it was awesome. Thank you so much for reaching out. That was that was a really fun experience for me to do. So. Yeah.
And I'm glad it took me this long to reach out to you to be honest. Because you've, you know, there's been so much growth, there's been so much change, do you have a family now you have the business you went through? COVID. So I feel like there was a much richer experience than maybe just at the time when maybe you wouldn't have been ready even for me to like bombard you in 2019. Like, wow, you just don't show up in this. You want to be on a cot like a podcast as well. Right? It would have been quite overwhelming.
Okay, what do I talk about? I don't know what I'm doing. Yeah,
I get it. But you are inspiring. I had that screenshot since 2019. And I've just been very humbling than trying to go through everything. And so yeah, I'm really really supportive of you. And I'm super happy for your success as well. And did you want to just share where you're like the spot contact information, if anybody did want to get in touch with you? Sure. Absolutely.
Especially anyone who was thinking of going to massage school if you're in if you just need someone in the community to to talk to because we all get it. The website is www dot true Lux day spa.com. On Instagram and Facebook, or on Instagram, it's at true Lux Day Spa and on Facebook. It's just true Lux day spa. I don't know if in other countries or in other parts of the state. I'm in other states. There is similar names. So we are in Drake in mass. Right.
Okay, awesome. Thanks again, not see me. It was awesome to speak with you.
