Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in personal care but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Nichole Alarcon, owner of Massage Móvil, located in San Antonio, TX, USA.

What's your business, and who are your customers?

Massage Móvil provides support and empowerment to mothers wherever they are on their motherhood journey by offering skilled therapeutic massage, education, and community. We nurture your physical and emotional well-being and have a passion for helping to support your family!

Tell us about yourself

I've been a massage therapist for almost nine years now, but this is not my first career. I was taking a break from working in the theatre industry and needed some time to figure out my next move. I began working at a massage franchise as a front desk associate, booking appointments and selling memberships. I was in awe and quite intrigued when people went into their session in pain and came out different, better. I created relationships with the massage therapists who worked there to gain more insight and decided that this might be something I could really love doing.

I ​enrolled in a local massage therapy school while still working at the front desk of the massage franchise. During my time in school, I learned so much and would ask questions and learn more techniques from the massage therapists I worked with. By the time I finished school, I was a manager of the massage franchise I worked at, and they offered me a position work in their corporate office. I wouldn't be a massage therapist in their location, but I would be training their franchisees and leadership teams on how to operate their business, help with store openings across the country and create new protocols.

It was an amazing experience, but I still wasn't quite doing what I initially set out to do. So on weekends and the evenings I was in town, I started my small mobile massage therapy practice. Over five years, that practice grew and grew, and I grew less interested in my corporate position. I decided that it was time for me to go out on my own, which was insanely scary, because not only was I taking a major pay cut, but there was no guarantee that I would be able to keep a steady income, but I had drive and ambition. I knew I could work my butt off to make this dream a reality.

Three months into working on my own as a mobile massage therapist, I found out that I was expecting a sweet little boy. This was so exciting for me, but I knew it would come with challenges. I began searching for a massage therapist for myself because I knew in order for me to continue working through my pregnancy, self-care was going to be essential. It took me forever to find someone who wasn't afraid to provide decent pressure or work on the areas that really needed attention.

It seemed like most massage therapists that I saw didn't have the confidence, or training, or both to provide a good therapeutic massage for me until I found someone who specialized in it. She was so amazing, and I attribute having her on my birth team allowed me to work up until my due date. This journey through my own pregnancy, coupled with massage, showed me just how much birthing people need this work. I fell in love with working in the perinatal community and now specialize in prenatal and postpartum massage. It's a beautiful season in-person life, and I'm truly honored to get to work with this demographic of clients and their families.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

I would say my biggest accomplishment is when I quit my corporate position in 2017, I was able to grow my personal massage practice into something that fully sustains my family. I'm also currently in the middle of a complete rebrand, including a name change and niching down specifically into my specialty. I foresee that being another undertaking that I am going to be super excited and proud of.

What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?

Change. It can be hard to change and grow and evolve, but it is completely necessary. Even with the rebrand that I'm currently going through, I have moments where I wonder if I'm making a mistake, but I know this change is something that is needed within my community; it will serve my clients well and will ultimately make me a much more happy and successful business owner.

What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?

  1. Find something you are passionate about. If you love what you do, it's so much easier to do it, and that passion will shine through to your clients or customers.
  2. You don't have to do all the things. This might be easier said than done, especially as someone starts out, but it's important to pace yourself and don't be afraid to ask for help. If there is something you don't love doing or that can be outsourced, if it will make your life just 25% better, get that help, hire it out!
  3. Practice Self Care. Burnout is real, even when you love what you are doing. So strive to find that work-life balance and make time to replenish and nourish your own needs.

Is there anything else you'd like to share?

Just because you start something doesn't mean it can't ever change. Sometimes we start going down one path and find out it might not be for you, or it needs some tweaking and refining. Don't be afraid to do that. Over the past two years, I've dreamed of niching down to working to support mothers, and I've been scared to act on it. This year I've decided to take that leap, and I couldn't be more excited; my only regret is not having done it sooner. My practice has been well known as Massage Móvil for the last eight years, but starting at the end of June 2022, it will be known as Nurture Massage Therapy. Be brave, evolve and change!

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://www.massagemovil.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/themassagemovil
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/massagemovil/

If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solopreneur that you'd like to share, then email community@subkit.com; we'd love to feature your journey on these pages.

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