Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in health and wellness but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Mandie Dufour, owner of Transcend Wellness Studio, located in Saint John, NB, Canada.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
I believe in a holistic approach to health. It is important to address the person as a whole rather than look only at the condition or concern presented. This is why I work to understand what may be the root of a client's pain or discomfort, so we may work together to reach a long-term solution. I also strive to educate myself on how the nuances of trauma, mental and physical, may impact the healing process. As a registered massage therapist, I provide a massage that can range from relaxation to deep tissue designed to address stress, as well as many other conditions, including the rehabilitation of injuries.
To enhance your treatment, you can add hot stones, cupping, gua sha, or acupressure. Reiki, Crystal healing, and gua sha facials are also provided as thirty-minute add-ons or stand-alone appointments. The mind, body, soul package is designed to be a two-hour long, complete experience. It includes a full-body acupressure massage with a thirty-minute gua sha facial, finished with an additional thirty minutes of crystal healing.
Massage therapy is recommended for everyone of all ages or gender identities. It is important not just to be reactive to our bodies but proactive in the prevention of pain or discomfort. Massage and other alternative healing methods such as reiki or crystal healing are wonderful modalities for decreasing stress, pain, or discomfort and increasing flexibility, sleep quality, and range of motion.
Tell us about yourself
I became a massage therapist because I wanted to help people in a way that could include the entire person rather than taking a formulaic approach of condition X requires solution Y, as I find healing is rarely that simple. I want my clients to feel seen and heard throughout the entire process of their treatment. Kind, non-judgmental touch is so necessary to our experience as a human but tends to be undervalued, and I wanted to provide a service that could help people feel connected and grounded again.
I went into business because I wanted the freedom to fully express myself and add the modalities I've learned and intend to learn into my treatments to serve my clients better. I am motivated by the progress I have seen many of my clients make throughout our time together. It is amazing to see someone who maybe could not move their neck, or was limited by chronic pain, be able to carry on with their daily activities once again or no longer have to take heavy medication to manage their pain on a daily basis.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
My biggest accomplishment as a business owner is maintaining consistent, high-quality service to my clients.
What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?
I would say one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner is all the hats I end up wearing. Outside of providing my services, I also do all of my own marketing and graphic design and manage my social media and office administration.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
- Don't let anyone tell you that you can't. If you have a vision and a passion for what you do, it is never futile to pursue it.
- Research. Make sure you look into what laws or by-laws are required, what the market is like, and what the competition is doing and charging for similar products or services. It also helps to know a bit about taxes and what you are required to do as a business owner or contact someone who is able to help you plan.
- Begin as you mean to continue. Make sure to set a price range, schedule, and personal boundaries that work for you right from the start.
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://bit.ly/3w0avbw
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TranscendWellnessStudio
Instagram: https://instagram.com/transcend_wellness_studio
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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