Episode 5: Finding Your Niche in Holistic Health with Elizabeth Skees' Expert Advice

Today's Bestie is Elizabeth Skees of Grounded Massage Therapy.

In this episode we're diving deep into Elizabeth's nearly two-year journey as an entrepreneur, a path influenced by her own father's business experiences. Despite the challenges, Elizabeth found invaluable support through her local small business development center and discovered the power of mentorship and networking within the Lexington community, especially among fellow women business owners.

As small business owners, Elizabeth and I explore the reality that business degrees aren't the be-all-end-all for entrepreneurship—it's about getting out there, asking for help, and building connections. Elizabeth also shares details about an upcoming course on the lymphatic system, highlighting the significant demand for manual lymphatic drainage therapists in the area, and her desire to be a solution!

Elizabeth's story isn't just about her therapeutic touch; it's a testament to the spirit of collaboration, as she actively refers clients to other massage therapists when her schedule is full, embodying the belief that there’s always enough business to go around.

So, as we get comfortable, let's discover how a blend of resilience, networking, and focusing on client needs led Elizabeth to carve out her niche in the holistic health industry. Whether it's swapping anecdotes about quirky spa experiences or discussing the intricacies of spa management, today's conversation is packed with laughs, insights, and a celebration of female entrepreneurship.

Stay tuned as we unfold Elizabeth's entrepreneurial adventure, her passion for post-op care, and her commitment to expanding her business services—all right here on "Small Business Bestie." It's time to get grounded in wellness, so let's jump right in!

Follow Elizabeth on Facebook: www.facebook.com/elizabeth.skees.3
Follow Grounded Massage Therapy on IG: @grounded_massage_lexington

Resources:
Halo Salt Room and Wellness Spa

#SmallBusinessBestie #Entrepreneurship #HolisticHealth #MassageTherapy #WomenEntrepreneurs #LexingtonBusiness #LymphaticWellness #GroundedMassage

Connect with Michelle on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/smallbusinessbesties
Check out the Small Business Bestie Website
Check out Cultivate Accounting

Transcript

0:10

Welcome to the Small Business Bestie podcast where we celebrate the journey of women entrepreneurs in the heart of central Kentucky and beyond. I'm your host, Michelle, and my mission is to create a podcast and community for us each week. Join us as we sit down with a different small business bestie to dive deep into their stories, sharing the highs, the lows, and everything in between. We will meet friends who are brand new in business, veterans in business, and maybe even the occasional dreamer. So grab your favorite coffee or cocktail, get cozy and let's meet this week's small business bestie. Elizabeth Skees has come to grace me with her presence today. I'm super excited about this one because it truly is a conversation with one of my small business besties. So if you would just take a second, tell us who you are and what you do in the name of your business and kind of give us the rundown. I am Elizabeth Skees. I'm a massage therapist. I own grounded massage therapy. I've been in business for almost two years and I've been a massage therapist for almost eleven years. Grounded massage therapy is here in Lexington in the Hamburg area. Yes, right. I operate inside Halo salt room and wellness spa. That is where I rent my room and see my clients, which is on Sir Barton Way close to the Winchester roadside. She has been open for. I think she started just a couple of months before I joined her. It's been a fun collaboration. I didn't know anything about salt therapy. The other things that she has in there is she has a beamer and which is PE MF therapy, pulsed electromagnetic field therapy in a sauna. I've learned a lot about other modalities of health. It's been fun to work there. I am a huge believer in the therapy that you provide for sure. I've been seeing you for, I don't know, probably close to a year at this point or something like that. I love what you do for me and the help that you're able to give me for relief from my neck and back and all of the aches and pains, but also just like my overall mental health and relaxations. What are your favorite modalities to work with? What I offer are customized massage sessions. I take everything that I learned in school, my eleven years of experience and offer them to the client as they tell me what they want to achieve in the hour. So offer the customized sessions and you pick the pressure, you pick what we work on, what we don't work on. That's my spiel. And then I say what would you like to accomplish today? The typical answer usually comes down to, I want to relax, but I also have some tension and it gets confusing. Sometimes you go to places and look at a menu and there's all these options. My clients, not just now, but throughout my whole career, that's the typical answer. I want to relax. That's why I'm here. And I had tension I want to work on. And you look at a menu that's real convoluted and you don't see where I can do both. So I've just made it real simple. We do what you want to do for the hour. And there's just one thing that I offer. Well, I offer a couple of different things, but to your question of what's my favorite thing is one, I like to accomplish what my clients goals are. I want them to leave having gotten what they paid for, having achieved what they wanted to, coming in. And so I ask a lot of questions until I think I understand what they're trying to tell me. My favorite thing. I love providing a very relaxing experience and to relieve tension in the most painless way, not jeopardizing their mental state of relaxation. It's kind of a rule that on my table, that pain is not gain on my massage table. And there are some things that are just inherently painful. There are certain modalities they're going to hurt. Like I would always talk with the client before I start to do those. And then also just, they have choice and voice on the table. And that's not my slogan. I got that from another place that I used to work at. I want them to reflect back to me what I tell them, especially new clients, is the last thing I want is for you to be laying there wishing I would be doing something else. I have gotten massages where I am, like, what are they doing? Yeah, can you move along? Or I'm like hoping. I feel like they'll get to it. Whatever they're trying to do, they'll get there. And I don't even take my own advice. Ray, one of the things that you and I have talked about at great length as a massage therapist myself is that you have to make it very clear that you want your client to verbalize how they're feeling and what they want. Yes. Because even as massage therapists, when we're on the table, it is so hard to say that hurts or I don't like that. Because in our mind as a client, we're thinking I might hurt their feelings. Yes. I might make them uncomfortable if I say, this hurts. Right. But as a therapist, we know that's not the truth. No, we want to know. Yeah. And I think, as a client on your table, I can say there have been many times that I've said, I need you to ease up right there. That's too much. And you make it comfortable and approachable to say those things. I know. I have recognized that sometimes a client might be just really relaxed, and they can't get it out that they want something to be done differently. So just trying to be really aware of checking in, but not checking in too much, because I don't want to interrupt their relaxation. I want people to have an experience of coming away from where they've been in their day or just what they're carrying. And that's kind of where the name grounded came from, is I want them to come back to themselves, come back down to earth, come back to where they are. And that's the experience that I want them to have, is a reset. That's kind of where the name came from. But I don't just do massage. I do regular massage. Of all pressures and modalities, I also do prenatal massage. But recently, within the last year, I have started doing manual lymphatic drainage, which is new to me. Several years ago, I had two clients, regular clients, that asked in the same week, they asked me if I did manual lymphatic drainage. And that's when you said, it's a sigh. I did. I think that this is a thing that I should look into. Yeah. And I did not at the time. And I can only imagine that they found somebody that did that, because after a while, I didn't see them again. I couldn't provide what they wanted. So when the opportunity came that I could pursue that education and certification, I pursued it, and so I'm certified in manual lymphatic drainage. I'm learning all about the lymph system. It is amazing, and I'm still in awe of it. I can talk about it, but then even I get stumped as I talk about it sometimes. I'm like, but wait, that doesn't. Okay, how does that work, then? Yeah. The lymphatic system is crazy. Is it the lymphatic system that they say if you could stretch out the lymph vessels in a human body, it goes around the world, like, two and a half times or so? I don't think it's. Yes. Ish. Yes. Oh, my gosh. And it fits inside our body. It fits inside our body. It's insanity. And it's just part of the built in homeostasis system that regulates our fluid. How lucky are we that these bodies that we reside in function? Because it is so complicated and complex. It is. It's incredible and beautiful and, like, scary. Yeah. You can really mess it up. We were made to fix ourselves to an extent. So you've been in business going on two years now. Is this the first time that you've been an entrepreneur? Yes, a legitimate entrepreneur. Okay. Oh, gosh, that sounds terrible. She's like, I had a lemonade stand. Oh, what I mean by that is the first thing that has actually taken off. I think I've always had this in me, had ideas to do things. My dad owned his own business, and it was just kind of not, say, frowned upon, but it was not secure. There's no security in it. What I'm realizing, there is security in it if you do it right, if you do it well and turns out there's a lot of resources that can help you do that if that's what you want to do. Yeah, let's get into that, because I think that that's super helpful for people to know. What resources did you use to help you get started? Yes. When I was pursuing, looking into doing this, working for myself, I mean, the backstory on that. The owner of Halo and I are old acquaintances, and I reached out to her when she announced that she was opening Halo and just said, hey, it's going to do great. Lexington's a great place to have a business like this. And she asked for a referral for massage therapy. And I was living out of Lexington, but I knew I was moving back to Lexington in about six months. And you said I volunteered as tribute. Yes. I said, it's me. That is me. I had everything I had written down in a journal somewhere, everything. I wanted it to look like the name, the ish of the name was pretty done. The colors that I wanted, everything that I wanted to offer different enhancements that was already written in a book somewhere. And so I had that nailed down. She gave me great advice. She told me about the small business development center, and that is who I reached out to. I had never heard of them before. It is a federally funded entity. We pay for it with our taxes, and they exist to help people start small businesses, grow their small businesses, scale their small businesses, secure loans, find grants. They offer workshops, and they have employees that serve as mentors to the small business owner or small business hopeful to start their business. I reached out to them, and they link you with someone? And so I was linked with a mentor, and he and I had one conversation, and at that time, we did not have anything else to talk about. We kind of got everything that I needed to go forward in one conversation and to just work for yourself. I knew everything I needed because I had been doing this for so long. I know what it takes to do what I do as far as, like, equipment and whatnot. But now, as I'm looking to scale my business, I got back in contact with the same mentor. I told him what's been going on for the last year and a half, and this is where I want to go in the next five yEars, and I need help. I did not major in business. I got a degree in something else. I'm here to tell you, even if you had gotten a degree in business, you would probably still be reaching out for help. Good. Well, that's good to know. I mean, I don't have a degree in business, but Neil and I just had this conversation recently about he has an MBA, and I have an associate's degree in massage therapy and an associate's degree in history. And we each have different strengths and weaknesses in business. But his business degree, his master's in business didn't really prepare him any more for entrepreneurship than just researching on the Internet and figuring it out as you go. WOW. So I'm not saying that getting a business degree is never worth it, but I am saying that you don't have to have one to be a super successful entrepreneur. Yeah. I feel like entrepreneurship is in you or it's not. I think so. Yeah. I think I have it in me. I got ideas, but I just need other people. I need other connections, and I need to hear from other people what they're doing. That then sparks absolutely. What then comes out of me for entrepreneurship. And I think that has been a huge asset in the last year and a half, is getting connected with other people who own businesses. I mean, my goodness, I didn't know what I was getting into as far as being a small business owner in Lexington, Kentucky. I have been shocked and in awe of the. I don't know how the guys do it. I would love to. I would actually like to start networking more with men. This is just all I've had time for, really, because running your own business, a lot of work, it's a time suck, let me tell you. Focus. But I have not encountered another female small business owner in this town that is not eager to connect, wants to know what I do. They want to know what I do because they want to promote me, and it's not like it's genuine. Yeah, there's a lot of genuine people, and I got radar for people who aren't genuine. Right. And I can tell when they aren't. I'm not encountering that too much. I'm just really shocked that there's no nastiness. Everybody wants to succeed in their own stuff. It's like everybody wants everybody to win as well. And it's amazing, I think such a. Strong testament to that. I am also. I'm a transplant to Lexington. I'm a year and a half into my business, and that has been so huge. Like, just the smock of how supportive this community is and how many women are out there spending their time and energy and effort selflessly just to promote other women, just to help other women go further. I've never experienced something so distinct. You would think, like, okay, well, nail technician might support you because you're not in direct competition. Right. Or somebody who owns a clothing boutique might support you. Right. You're not in competition. But I've recently had an experience where I met another woman who owns a bookkeeping company. We are in direct competition. Air quotes here. In competition, right. Yeah. And we saw each other at three events, kind of back to back, and someone sent me a photo that was snapped of she and I. You guys are like. We were laughing hysterically, like, having such a good time together, and I was like, this is exactly what I've been trying to say about Lexington is that there really is no competition between us. We are all just doing this thing. Yeah. It's beautiful. Yeah, it is. And I think, speaking for myself, I know that I, as a massage therapist, I cannot serve this entire town. There's enough for all of us, for sure. And, yes, I want to succeed, and, I mean, I got to fund my present and my future. That's a real thing. We have to fund our lives and beyond the passion of what we do. That's a fact. And I can't see everybody. Other massage therapists are necessary, and there are people that I am not the massage therapist for them. And I want to be able to say, I am not that person for you, but let me tell you who is. And gladly and with confidence, send them to someone else. Then that is gone from my brain. Yeah. And I feel like it's mutual. I think, with other massage therapists, I mean, I can't speak for everybody, but that they can say, yeah, my books are full, but let me tell you who is available or who you might go check out. And it's nice. It is really nice that people don't just go, no, can't help you. Good luck on your search. Whatever you do, don't go to that Elizabeth girl, though. What inspired you to make the choice ten years into your career to go into entrepreneurship? The opportunity is the short answer. I had my ideas, the nuts and bolts of what I wanted everything to look like in a book. But when I, like I said, I was living out of state. I was making plans to move back, but I hadn't really told anybody other than my immediate family. I was just like, well, I think I'll just go back and work where I was working. And it was a fine situation. We had a good relationship, and I knew that that was an option and an option that I was happy to do. And then this opportunity became available and I was ready for it. Even though I wrote what I wrote in my book years ago, I don't know that I was ready for that. I mean, there is a certain maturity that has to happen inside a person to run their own show. And so I think it was just the right place at the right time. And being ready for that to happen is why I pulled the trigger when I did. Real quick circling back to the SBDC, I'm not sure. I haven't asked specifically what type of help can they give someone as far as actually going to the Kentucky business one stop portal and filing for the secretary of state, filing and setting up your tax accounts and all of that, were they able to help you with that? Or did they just kind of say, like, this is what you need to do, and then you're kind of on. Your own for that? If I remember correctly, there was like a webinar that they have everybody attend, and they went through that list of things, and then there was an opportunity for questions. And in this webinar, I didn't know what to expect. And there were people there that had their whole business plan written. There were people there that were just kind of thinking about maybe they might want to do this. If I remember correctly, they just walked through. Here's all the steps that you need to take. And there's checkbox, checklist, checklist, the checklist of things you need to do. When you give me a checklist and I'm like, okay, let's do this step by step. The entrepreneur train takes off. Yeah. You'Re either on it. If you spend too much time looking down and making sure you got all your ducks in a row, that train is going to leave. And I feel like I was on the train before I even had an opportunity to say, do I have everything I need before I even made that decision. So to your question, what they do? Yes, they did go through that. And there's a lot that I can't remember. It was right, it was a while ago. A lot has happened since then. The SBDC or just Kentucky small business state of Kentucky. I don't know if that checklist is which entity that checklist is from, but it's a complete list. Yeah, it's good. That's a good point. I don't know if you were going this direction or not, but one of the things that has evaded me with this all with being a small business owner, is there are like little bitty things that you got to do. Like Fayette county has an occupational fee. You got to pay a fee. I don't even know what I'm occupying. It's something you got to pay to the city. And I didn't pay it my first year, so I had to pay it with a late fee. And because I did it at the end of the year, I knew that in a couple of months I was going to have to turn around and pay the next year's fee. You got to pay it yearly. It's over $100. I believe. It's those little things that I'm like, good night. There's so many things that you got to these little. I'm the doer of the work, but then there's also this whole office that has to exist, this whole back office that has to exist in a small business that makes sure that everything is paid for. And I'm not talking about the bills. I'm talking about just those little bitty fees that'll totally take you out. I am not slamming anybody, but I am saying that as an entrepreneur, it is very important that you do the research to know what has to be done. And if you delegate that to someone else, you have to make sure that you are saying, like, you are going to do all of these things and get that in writing. Because I've seen lots of cases of entrepreneurs who assumed that they have delegated this group of tasks, all of the different filings with the county and the city and the state and the sheriff's office and the, this is, and the that. Then they assume that someone's taking care of it because they're doing their taxes. And so they think, well, all of that falls under taxes, but in fact, they aren't being done because it isn't spelled out in their engagement. So it is something to look out for to make sure that all of that is happening. Because I like to say everything is figureoutable. So if you've missed it for a year or two or ten or whatever, you can figure it out. Right? But, man, it's going to be expensive. Yes. Late fees and penalties and interest and all that can really add up. So, yeah, you bring up a great point about all of the little things that it's really hard to keep it all straight in your head of what needs to be done. When and when I did that, I had gone to the one stop website, which, when I logged on and did all that, I was like, this is great. It's one stop. It's one stop. My business has this file. And look at this. It's my thing. And then when I called to inquire about this fee that I didn't realize that I had, and I think it's. To the city here in Fayette county, there's the Fayette county occupational tax, which is 1.25% profit. Whatever your profit is, it's 1.25% of that. Okay. And then there's also another one to the Fayette county school board. So whatever it was that I was delinquent on, I thought that it was in the one stop, and I'm looking at the one, it says, I'm all good. And when I finally got on the phone with somebody, they're like, yeah, that's not us. And it was just, oh, there's more. There's more. I have a PDF. I'll try to remember to post it on the small business Bestie podcast website that has all of the small filings that are due each year and, like, the due date. And it also has, like, a link to where you can find the forms to file them, because most of them actually have to be either hand delivered or mailed in. You can't e file these. Yeah, I'll try to link that PDF on the website. I think that would be a really valuable resource for all of our besties out there who are listening to this and going, what the heck are you talking about? All two of you? Yeah. All two of you. Yeah, it's a lot. All of those scenes can be very overwhelming. But you're right, there's so much help out there. Like, the SBDC is out there for women specifically. There's the women Business resources center, and their executive director is Devony King. She is an amazing, brilliant woman, the sweetest human you'll ever meet. And she has a passion for women entrepreneurs. Like, it runs deep, you can tell. So that's available to women as well. Both of those two programs are funded by the SBA. So each of them, they're funding from the same federal resources, but one is for women specifically. And then obviously, the small business development center is available for anybody. But if y'all have questions, those should be your first stop. They really should. In Facebook groups, people share and ask a lot of questions, which is fantastic to have that as a resource. But you really want to talk to people who know we can only share our experience and what we had to do for ours, and we don't know. Well, actually, Michelle, you might because of your. Because my business happens to be the business of. Right, right. But if someone comes to me and asks me questions about business, I can only talk about what I did, and I can only talk about what I remember I did for me. I do the thing and I make sure it's done right. And then I move on and I get on to the business of doing massage and offering a great massage experience to people. So I think it's really important if you're on these platforms, when you ask questions, credible sources, y'all, credible sources. I cannot express it enough. And that goes both ways. That's if you're asking business questions, but also if you're asking questions about your human body. You all just learned that you got enough lymph system to wrap around the world two times. So maybe don't listen to the accountant about things to do with your body. Yeah, that's. And I agree, it's amazing that it gives us a platform to come together and support one another and help and collaborate and all of that. But I always direct people just, I don't even answer. I don't even give my answer. My answer is call the small business development center. It is funded. We pay for it already, and they exist to answer the question that you're asking. Can't shout them out enough. I think it's a beautiful, kind of like, symbiotic relationship. There's resources like that that are available that can kind of help start taking the first few steps. But then there comes a point that they have to say, okay, you have to get out now. You've gone through the program. You have to go away. Right. If there's more handholding or mentorship that is needed, then that's when reaching out to people, maybe specifically in your industry, or a trusted business coach or consultant would be a good idea. But use those free resources while you've got them and then see what happens. And then hopefully, you'll get to a point where you've grown the business and you're back to somewhere like Elizabeth is at, where it's like, ok, I did it, now I need help again. And then they can help you with that scaling portion. It's a wonderful resource. I definitely didn't know about it when I was starting my first business, and I really wish I had known that because I think things could have been a lot easier for me. But here we are. So, okay, here we are. Where are we going? How much are you open to discussing? Like, you've already mentioned that you've gone back to get more mentorship about scaling and growing and things like that. Are you open to discussing what your. Future, your dreams, your goals kind of look like? I can say that I've come across gaps in care. Let me just say that you can get manual lymphatic drainage for any reason under the sun, whether you've just had surgery or you just want to give your body a reset. Your lymphatic system is your body's primary mover of your body's natural detoxing system. And so it is what helps to move things out of your body that your body doesn't want to be there anymore. So in that, I've gotten to meet people who are post surgery, various surgeries, and people that just came back from a long weekend where I ate and drank everything under the sun, and I just want to kind of get my body back to normal. Both great reasons to get manual lymphatic drainage. I have come across gaps of care for people who have just undergone surgery, which is a big deal when we go under anesthesia and have things done to our bodies, whether for purely cosmetic reasons or for maintaining your health and your ability to live, sometimes your lymphatic system is involved, and I'm learning that it's something that physicians or the people that exist to make sure that you don't die from this thing, people who are cancer survivors, that their oncologist is there to help them live. And then because of the things that they did to help them live, now they have things like lymphedema. I've just come across gaps in care, and I would like to expand in filling those gaps and offering services that will help a population in Lexington recover from surgery or from injury and just get back to the life that they want to live. That's been my primary goal, even in massage, is I want our time here to assist you in your goals, to live the life that you want to live. I'm not going to fix your life in this hour or in your 1 hour a month. This one thing isn't going to fix your life, but it is going to assist all the other things that you're doing to improve your life so that you can live the life that you want to live. I'm just a part of your wellness protocol that you've come up with yourself or with your health professional or what have you. So in that same vein, that's where I see my business expanding, is still with that motivation of I want to help you get back to your life. I want to help you live the life you want to live. But it will be more with post op care and manual lymphatic drainage. And lymphatic drainage in general. Not just manual lymphatic drainage, but all the things that come with it, compression and other things that I'm going to learn about in about a month and a half. In April, I am going to a very intense certification course. I'll be a certified lymphedema therapist after this course is over, God willing. I mean, I got to actually learn this stuff and take a test on it and pass the test. Those things have to happen. The goal is that at the end of it, I will have done that and I will be a certified lymphedema therapist, which means that I can assess people for their complex lymphedema situations, lymphedema, lipidema, other lymphatic complexities. I will be able to assess and actually make protocols for them and offer here's what you need to do to help your situation. I'll probably be able to talk more about that once I actually go through the training. Yeah. That's so exciting. You and I have a connection through massage, and then we found out even further that we have a connection because I'm also a manual lymphatic drainage therapist. Right. So I just wanted to chime in here to say, like, Elizabeth knows her stuff already because the certified manual lymphatic drainage therapist course is crash course from a place that is not pleasant to teach you, first of all about the lymphatic system because it is so misunderstood. And in massage therapy school, at least back in the day, golly, I went to school a long time ago, but when we went to school, they weren't teaching much about it, and what they were teaching was pretty misinformed. So you go to this certification to become a manual lymphatic drainage therapist, you have to relearn what the lymphatic system is from scratch, basically. And then you also have to learn all of the techniques, and then you also have to learn all of the complications that you may have to deal with as an MLDT. So it's just this, like, crazy intense training. Right. And the test is difficult. So when I say she knows what she's talking about already, I know that for a fact because I've been there and it was difficult and it was very intense. And so she already has to have a really good understanding now, this next course that she's talking about that she's going to go to in a month and a half now that she's, God willing, going to pass. That she's going to pass. We know she's going to pass because she's Elizabeth. But I mean, that thing is a doozy because it then incorporates everything that she learned about the lymphatic system and the complications that may have happened that would cause someone to need MLDT. And then it takes into consideration all of the other modalities that can be used to treat lymphatic system issues. So it is just like next level education. I'm so excited that you're doing that and you're going to bring that knowledge back to Lexington because I agree there is such a need for. Again, we were talking about people who actually have understanding and education around that topic. To be able to speak to it correctly. Yes. And then to be able to offer compassionate care for those people who are experiencing the issues that would bring them in to see a lymphatic therapist. So thank you for taking the initiative to go learn that and bring that back to us. I mean, we've had conversations offline about kind of some of your vision and your goals and things like that. And I'm super excited about what the future holds for you. I know that you're going to be able to achieve anything that you set your mind to because you're wise enough to reach out to people who can help you and you have that desire and that passion. And I think God's probably on your side with this to use your talents in a way that will be beneficial for our community. I'm excited for you. I know it's going to be awesome. Yeah. And I'm already trying to connect Elizabeth constantly. Have you met this person? Do you know about this? Know, I love that. It's not that there are no manual lymphatic drainage therapists we're just hard to find is what I'm finding from clients that when they come to know when they're new clients, I always say, how did you find me? I googled. I found you on the Internet and you guys are hard to find. That is the feedback that I am getting from the people that find me when I talk to different people with more complex issues. That is how I learn that there's a gap in care. I only know this because the people who are in that have told me that they have questions that they're not getting answered and they didn't know that certain things are available and then where to get them. There's always a waitlist. So I'm just going to put this out there. If you are a massage therapist, if you are an RN, if you are a physical therapist, if you are an occupational therapist or anything of the like and you have an interest in lymphatic care, please reach out to me. I would love to connect you with that because let me tell you something, those professions, not just anybody, can sign up for a manual lymphatic drainage certification course. You have to be a certain professional to be able to do it. This modality is needed in Lexington and surrounding areas. If you can imagine that it's hard to find in Lexington, you can only imagine that it's even more hard to find in the surrounding counties. So, yeah, if you are interested in knowing more about how to do that modality, please reach out to me because it is needed in this town and in this area. I'm saying there's work. I'm saying you'll be employed. There is opportunity is what. Absolutely. Yeah. Well, I think we're probably getting close to the end of things here because I always get a kick out of these kinds of stories. What is the funniest thing that has happened in your massage therapy career? I went to massage school in Miami, Florida, and then I worked for two years at a hotel spa in South Beach. I loved it because I met someone from all over the world every hour. And this particular person, I want to say he was from New Jersey. The hotel that I worked in was high end, but it was down to earth people. So it's people that could afford a high end hotel, but they weren't looking for the high end experience. They're just super down to earth people. So what I mean by that is you get people who know how to be hosted. And so I'm sure it's proper etiquette from his region of the country that he's from. So we start our massages face up, and the table does incline at the head, and then we bolster their legs. So after I finished massaging his head and neck, I raised the head of the table up. So he's kind of in, like, a reclining position as opposed to laying flat on his back with his bolster under his legs. He's a large man. He's not tall large. He's broad and he's got a big belly. Okay. He's stocky and he's bald. I remember that about. He's bald and he never crosses the line. I'm going to say that now. This is not a cross the line story. Thank you. Yes. I'm, like, on edge. No, dude. No. But he is a client where I am on guard. I am waiting for him to approach the line so that I can redirect. He does not ever even approach the line. So that's not where I'm going with the story. Okay, so imagine this man is, he's in a reclined position. I have worked on his arms, and now I'm working on his legs. After I worked on his arms, he raises his arms up and they're kind of, like, hanging out in a y over his head. He's, like, relaxing with his arms over his head. He might even be snoozing. I think he has fallen asleep. And I'm just like, man, whatever you need to do to be comfortable. You're not crossing any lines here, but this is a new one. And then he just goes, oh, my God, I blew$15,000 last night. Maybe it was 1500. It was either 1500 or 15,000. But it's like he just remembered that he had done something that he forgot that he had done, and he was, my gosh. Oh, my God. I can't believe I did that. And I just went, oh. Because I don't know if that's a lot of money to him or not a lot of money to him. You can't make assumptions about what things mean to people. Just think about, like, big baby hanging out with his arms over his head, kind of in a y position, and he just comes to, oh, my. So I just blew $1,500 last night. Wow. Yeah, just, oh, my gosh. I would have wanted to hug him, like, it's okay. It's going to be all right. Yeah, but you don't know if that. Was that a bad thing or not. You just can't assume. Maybe that was the preface. He was like, oh, I spent $1,500 I'm not leaving you a tip. You know what? That did cross my mind. So does that mean you have no money, sir? Is your money all gone, or is there more that came? Like, what does this mean for me? It just mean you're not going to be a repeat client. This what? What does that mean? It was an automatic add on. If you ever go to Miami, look at your receipts, because tips are always included. I wonder if he was dreaming. I don't know. I'm easily startled. So I'm sure it startled me because it's quiet in the room. Other than the music, I can't get that image out of my mind, of the way that he was laying back with his arms over his head, and then just all of a sudden, just out of a complete, relaxed, resting state. Oh, my God. I believe so much money. I believe $1,500. So that's a funny story. There's more? Oh, yeah. Of all kinds. So many. But I'm sure. Yeah. Should we talk about how we met, you and I? Go for it, listeners. I think this is a funny story. So Michelle and I, we meet at a networking group meeting, and it's my first time there. She had been there many times because she's a master networker. True story. We just happened to be sitting next to each other, and after the meeting was over, we just start talking about what do we do? And then she lets me know that she's a massage therapist. And I might be getting the order of the conversation incorrect, but this is what I remember. So Michelle, as she said, is not from Lexington. She's from out of town. And what brought her to Lexington was she got a job. The job that she got, I had previously applied for and was not hired for. I took a bullet for did. It's not that I didn't get hired because they hired Michelle listener. They just didn't hire me. They didn't like me enough. They didn't think I was a good fit. So Michelle's telling me about this job. And I went, oh, my gosh, I applied for that job. So then we swapped stories about what our experience was like, interviewing and whatnot. And then I was like, so how was it? And so we talk all about that. And that was our first meeting was, you got the job that I didn't get. Yeah. I think that they hired me because I had ridden my own spa. Right. Yes. On paper, I looked like a great candidate. Yes. It was a management position. I had never been in spa management before. Yeah, that is true. So I looked like, a great candidate. On paper manager now. Yeah. And then. Now if somebody offered me a job like that, now, I'd be, like, not a chief. Yeah. I figured out that, and I'm saying this. The establishment that we're talking about, I have no hard feelings for. Yeah, it was gorgeous. I recommend people go there all the time. Yeah. I've never even. Just. Yesterday, you told somebody to go there. I've been in the space, but I've not been there as a client. I do recommend people to go there. I'll just throw it out there. I'm not ashamed. So it was Woodhouse day spa. Gorgeous, beautiful facility. Yes. They have some amazing practitioners that work there, massage therapists, estheticians, et cetera. The fit for me, the problem for me was that I'm an entrepreneur. Yeah. And I took a position where my role was to enforce someone else's vision and dream and mission, and it wasn't mine. And so that created discontent in my own heart, brain, and everything. And I left there, I hope, with no hard feelings. I think it's a fabulous place, and I actually help some of the practitioners who have now moved into self employment and are now doing their own businesses. And I've helped several of them get started and kind of figure out the nuts and bolts of how to be a business owner. So I still have some connections from there, and I'm grateful for the time that I had there. And honestly, I needed that time to recognize that I can't do that, but I did. I stole the job from you, for sure, but it was probably good experience for me to go through the interview process and just seeing all that. And it did get the wheels turning for me. I had been wanting to make the turn towards not just doing massage, but into the admin management. How does the sausage get made? Part of it. So it was a good experience. I'm glad that we laugh about it. Yeah, me too. I'm also so glad that we just met, and then we created a friendship and all of that. It's been very valuable for me. Likewise. I can't wait to see what we're doing in 20 years sitting on a beach together somewhere. All right, well, before we completely sign off, tell everybody where they can find you, follow you, all of those things. Yes. Instagram is grounded. Underscore massage. Underscore Lexington. Grounded. Underscore massage. Underscore Lexington. On Instagram. Facebook is grounded. Massage Lexington. For booking. I use the same booking platform as a halo salt room where I work out of. We chose that because it just makes the whole experience better for everyone. Client experience is paramount. So for booking and all my services and rates, you would go to www.halosaltroomlex.com. Well, this has been super fun. I got to laugh a lot. I always appreciate that. All right, well, I appreciate you guys all listening. Make sure to go follow Elizabeth book with her. She's amazing. And we will talk to you guys later. Bye. Well, that's it. Friends. Before we go, just a little reminder that I'm your host, Michelle, and I'm the proud co owner of cultivate Accounting, where we help small businesses with accounting. And I hope besties like you go from idea to launch and beyond with personalized small business coaching. No matter what phase of the journey you're in, I'm here to cheer you on every step of the way. Connect with me on Facebook at Michelle Smock. Five 20 new episodes of the Small Business bestie podcast drop each week, so hit that subscribe button so you never miss an episode. Do you want to be a bestie on the show? We'd love to hear from you. Just head over to smallbusinessbestiepod.com to submit your guest request. Until next time, keep dreaming. Keep going. And remember, do it even when you're scared. Thanks for hanging out with us.