How A 23-Year-Old Built Blooming Ember Massage Into A Calming Local Haven

A quiet studio, a steady hand, and a young owner who chose peace over perfection—this is the story of Blooming Ember Massage through the eyes of its founder, Callie Frost. She walked away from nursing, learned the craft of touch, and turned a backyard “shed” into a three-room sanctuary that clients now seek out for its calm. What began as a leap of faith became a blueprint for sustainable small business: start, listen, refine, and let word of mouth do the heavy lifting.

We get into the decisions that mattered: saying yes before everything was polished, then taming the chaos with better bookkeeping and licensing. Callie shares how authenticity outperformed social media, why she treats feedback as a gift, and how she balances modalities—deep tissue, cupping, and lymphatic drainage—to protect her body while improving outcomes. The conversation opens up around boundaries and energy too. From weekend work to daily routines, she now measures success by consistency, low stress, and a client experience that ends in relief and that floaty “massage drunk” glow.

Community plays a starring role. An expo booth with her massage school sparked dozens of loyal clients, and regular trades with seasoned therapists became the best continuing education. We also explore the heart inside the brand: Blooming Ember nods to Callie’s resilience as a burn survivor and her belief that healing can grow from hard heat. If you’re curious about building a service business that lasts—one rooted in presence, clear communication, and smart systems—you’ll find practical takeaways and inspiration in equal measure.

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Transcript

Meet Callie And Blooming Ember

SPEAKER_01 1:05

I'm here with Callie Frost, the owner of Blooming Ember Massage. Tell us a little about yourself.

SPEAKER_03 1:12

Um my name's Callie Frost. I'm just kidding, um I uh have been a massage therapist for uh a year and a half um and started my own business and uh just kind of uh moved here three years ago but grew up here before that. Um I lived in Colorado Springs for 10 years.

SPEAKER_01 1:33

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 1:34

And then um yeah.

SPEAKER_01 1:36

Awesome. Yeah, yeah, we were just discussing off off mic that uh actually know your grandpa.

SPEAKER_03 1:42

Yeah, yeah. I think he knows everybody.

SPEAKER_01 1:47

I meet a lot of people that know him. Awesome.

From Nursing Dreams To Massage School

SPEAKER_03 1:50

Um, so so uh what did you start your business before you moved back here or uh no uh so I I graduated 2021 from high school um in tried uh a college, I tried nursing school, and then I um just it wasn't for me. And so I um dropped out of college and then moved back here to be closer to family. And um the house that I live in um was actually my mom's house. Yeah. And so uh I m I lived here alone for like six months, and then they followed me. So yeah, so I I got to like experience a little bit out on my own. But nice, um, yeah, it I worked at City Market in Durango for about um, it was I think it was almost two years, and then uh a bunch of people in town that I knew growing up, growing up were like, hey, there's a massage school, you should do massage. And I was like, no, you guys are crazy. But then I was like, yeah, why not? And so I I went to Infinite Healing Institute of Massage uh down by the hospital. And so yeah, I I graduated June of 2023. Okay. I I can't remember, 24? I don't know. But yeah, so I it was it was uh I didn't think at all that I was gonna do massage and I wanted to do something medical growing up, but I I couldn't handle blood and like vomit and stuff. So I was like, yeah, this is still helping, but more externally, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 3:24

So yeah, it's getting closer to it, but you don't have to deal with all the body fluids, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 3:29

And especially in the hospital, it's very stressful, and so I was like, Yeah, this isn't for me. So yeah, but nice.

SPEAKER_01 3:37

So so did you start the business right after graduation, or did you look around for like a job as a massage person, or you just decided no, I'm gonna do my own business?

SPEAKER_03 3:48

So I I was going to go work for or try to apply for a a position with a chiropractor to kind of learn a little bit more and get into that world. And then my mom was like, we should just buy a shed together and I can work out of it, you can work out of it, and then uh just start your own business. At first I was like, You're crazy, but I uh I it just slowly like started making more sense in the the position that I kind of was talking about with people, just like it fell through no matter what, and I was like, ah, yeah, I'm just gonna go out on my own. And it's it's really worked out for the best. It's been really cool working for myself.

SPEAKER_01 4:27

Awesome. Yeah. So was there a point in there? Like, what was the deciding point where this became like owning the business as opposed to working as an employee became real for you?

The “Shed” Becomes A Studio

SPEAKER_03 4:39

Um, it was probably a month before I graduated um from Vassage School. Uh, we ordered the shed and then um I splashed my chain of thought. But I um we ordered the shed and then that's like really when it became real. Like I was like, because we it did it just came in the shell, so it took about three months for us to finish it out and get it ready for um people to come in. But yeah, it I think as soon as the shed was ordered, I was like, well, we're doing this.

SPEAKER_01 5:14

Like something tangible, yeah. It's okay, well, this is happening.

SPEAKER_03 5:18

It was huge, yeah. This is yeah, it's one, it's like a debt now, and it's like it's gonna work out. I'm gonna make it work.

SPEAKER_01 5:28

But and you say shed, so it's on your property um at your at your your home. Yes. Um, but it's not a shed. No, no, it's a building. Yeah, it's it's huge. You walk into a really cute, super cute waiting room, yeah, and everything, and then you've got a different room for where you're doing the massages.

SPEAKER_03 5:52

Yeah, yeah. And then yeah, it's three separate rooms and a building, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 5:56

There's an office room, so it's more than a shed.

SPEAKER_03 6:00

Yes, it's I I just say shed, but I I've been trying to use office, but yeah, it's a building on my property.

SPEAKER_01 6:06

Yeah, very cool. So um, so you you you get the shed here and you start working out, all right. Um, this is a business. I gotta tell people that I'm doing this. Yeah. Was there a point when you thought, all right, this might actually work?

SPEAKER_03 6:25

Um, I think I'm a very optimistic person. And so I immediately was like, yeah, this is gonna work. As soon as the shed showed up, like, yes, yeah. Well, and I I was working out of um the school, um, the the owner of the school lets you uh like rent a room for like ten dollars. Uh and so I was I was doing that and uh was still massaging while this was getting prepped. Right. Uh but yeah, it I just like walked in and I was like, this is great. This is it's so nice having my own space. And and and when you share a space with other people, it becomes like kind of hard. And so this being like completely my space is really cool.

SPEAKER_01 7:04

Did that allow you to kind of pick up a a starting client base? Um yeah, did they follow you over?

SPEAKER_03 7:11

Yeah, some of them didn't because it's down by the hospital, so some people don't want to drive to uh like more florvista, right? But a lot of people like the quiet that it's quiet out here. They like that um it's kind of secluded where it's not a lot of traffic and stuff. So yeah, it's a lot of them almost prefer over here, even if they have to drive a lot farther.

SPEAKER_01 7:34

Yeah, yeah. I mean, I live on the west side of town, so it would be easy, it's easy, much easier for me to come here than it is to get to the hospital. Super aggravated through all the traffic and the lights and the exactly for sure and stuff. So um if you could if you could go back to day one and whisper like one sentence to yourself, what would it be?

SPEAKER_03 8:00

Um keep track of taxes better. Uh keep track of numbers and receipts better, but that's really I think it all really fell into place. Like everything that happened was truly meant to be, but yeah, I would just keep track maybe a little bit better. I just kind of was gung-ho, like, yeah, let's get it done.

SPEAKER_01 8:26

Yeah, but there's there's value in that though, right? Um, some people I tend to be more on the other side. I'm a planner. Oh yeah, and so I like to plan. Um, I've had to train myself to just get over the planning and move forward. Yeah. Because uh I got a piece of advice from the Altel CEO and Altel was still thing. Um uh equipment was being rolled out and and whatnot at a high level, and they kept rolling it out before it was ready. And all the IT guys, and I'm an ex-IT guy, where you know, computer, we need everything right. Yeah. Because if everything isn't right, everything's gonna fall apart. Yeah. So um we uh we were going to actually my brother-in-law was going to him and and saying, dude, you you're killing us, man. You can't keep rolling this out. Yeah. And uh he said, look, time to market is more important than having it right. And so um stepping back and looking at other business models where it used to be the thing, you know, I don't know if you remember Windows, where a new Windows update or new version of Windows would come out and blue screen of death, like constant crashing everything. And then they would roll out patches, patches, patches to fix those things.

SPEAKER_00 9:46

And I thought, all right, well, that's I mean, they're making mega millions, so that's kind of a thing, so might as well just embrace the mistakes and just move forward. That's all you can do, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 9:58

Yeah, so there is value in that. I think I have a paralyzed in the planning of it.

SPEAKER_03 10:03

I had a lot more stress like first starting. I think my first year, I was in like a constant state of like, ah, but after I think I got all of my licensing and stuff figured out, like we got all of the more legal stuff figured out. Like now it's now it's I don't have a lot that I worry about.

SPEAKER_05 10:22

Right.

SPEAKER_03 10:22

But I like I would talk to my friends and stuff, I'd be like, I'm just oacious all the time. But it just it and then you get used to it and you grow out of it, but yeah.

SPEAKER_01 10:34

There are muscles that a business owner builds that someone who's never owned a business doesn't know that you must work against.

SPEAKER_00 10:41

Yeah. I was like, yeah, this will be easy.

SPEAKER_01 10:44

Talking to your friends, they're just looking at you with their head tilted, like, what are you talking about? Yeah. Why is it that big of a deal? It's my baby. Yeah. So what what part of your work feels the most meaningful to you? Like even on the hard days?

SPEAKER_03 11:01

Um, I just I love people getting off my table and being like, I feel so much better. Yeah that's really what I I live for and what I work for. Like sometimes it's um like days are hard, it's still work, but I just I absolutely love my job. And it's it's really nice having a job where I can make people feel better and help them.

Lessons From Launch: Taxes And Timing

SPEAKER_01 11:24

Yeah, you have your business, you get kind of instant feedback. I do, yeah. They're not even out the door yet before they're telling you, oh never. This is so good.

SPEAKER_03 11:36

Yeah, exactly. It's it's they they walk out feeling better or like the um they uh get massage drunk, like where they get all like, Woo, I feel great. Just flying. Like, go take a nap. So I I know I've succeeded if I if I've done that. And I just I have so many amazing clients that I talk to and that I I get feedback on life about. Like it's it's a therapy session for both of us. It's it's really cool.

SPEAKER_01 12:07

Yeah. But there's your next little add-on service, just another therapy side. Another shed that's partitioned in like two or three little spaces that have a shower and a bed. Yeah. Just like, there you go, go sleep it off. Yep. It's gonna be people all the time.

SPEAKER_03 12:25

I think I'm just gonna just sleep here. Can you wake me up in a little bit? Yeah, go ahead.

SPEAKER_01 12:32

So, what's something that this business has given you that you didn't expect?

SPEAKER_03 12:38

Um, I think a more peaceful life. I have like three to five clients a day. Um, sometimes like during some parts of the year are a lot more busy than other parts of the year. Like January is usually a little bit slow, but I think an overall, like, it's given me freedom to do a lot more in my life. Like, I when I was working eight-hour shifts like five, six days a week, like I just I did not have a life, and I've just felt very just uh claustrophobic in my in my schedule. And so now that I have this very, very open schedule where I can do a bunch of different things in the same day that I massage for five people, that's it's just uh so awesome to have that.

SPEAKER_01 13:33

Yeah, yeah. When your business is running well, um it you you start to you'll eventually start to take that a little bit for granted. It's I totally have before and think, oh man, this is okay, this is so much better because I need to run to the grocery store real quick. Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 13:51

I need to do this thing or exactly, especially working out of my home, like where it's attached to my house. Like I that's uh I can just like walk between I totally take it for granted our time, and I'm like, quit. Like, I'll have a hard day and be like, I should go get a real another job. I'm like, no, I shouldn't.

SPEAKER_01 14:09

Take a break and watch an episode of Scrubs.

SPEAKER_03 14:12

Exactly. I just need a pretty numbing time, okay?

SPEAKER_00 14:16

Yeah. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 14:19

Is there a customer interaction that you'll never forget?

SPEAKER_03 14:25

Um I don't I don't know if I have a specific one. Actually, this is like one of my first clients. I'd see like her whole family now, but um like another one of my uh clients, she'll like hum when something hurts or something. And I I told her about this, and so she started she started singing Christmas songs to me. She or she I was like in the middle of massaging after she like we laughed about this for a while. In the middle of massaging, she goes, Oh, sick. I think she's like one of my funniest diets. I love her so much. I think like that's that's the first one that popped in my head. But I have a lot of interactions with so many different people that the singing massage. Yeah, we haven't talked about it in a while. I'm gonna have to bring it up to her.

Meaningful Work And “Massage Drunk”

SPEAKER_01 15:25

That's great. So um is there you you have a process, your process is gonna be different from m most other businesses and their processes that they have. And so, but you you still have processes, so is there is there a small decision that you've made in running the business that that ended up having a big impact?

SPEAKER_02 15:57

I uh I can't think of any like off the top of my head.

SPEAKER_01 16:08

Kind of planned everything out ahead of time, like I d I totally wing it.

SPEAKER_03 16:12

Like it was just like it's all off the seat of my pants. Like it's it's uh I just went with what felt good. Like it's I think um I'm I'm pretty uh like I believe in God and I think that like God has led me through like in all of my decisions. And I think in the beginning it was a lot more of decisions, but I'm like, that's behind me.

SPEAKER_01 16:42

Um maybe something with like client acquisition or you know what I mean? Like you made a little tweak and you noticed that all of a sudden people started calling or oh yeah.

SPEAKER_03 17:01

Um I have an amazing client that they all kind of um give I think I just I try to be like genuinely myself and a lot of the time people are very attracted to that. Like they um they like the the I can't think of the right word, but it's just I I try to be all there. Um and like I've I've made like small uh like massage decisions where like I've tr like changed things that I do kind of that have maybe like people are attracted to that or yeah, but I think it's just I and with every client I try to go in and help them based on what they need. Um I think a lot of the time my um I I've had like a lot of pain in my body before, um, and so I can s most of the time relate with like sure what's going on, and so it almost helps them in that way where I'm like, oh I totally understand, let me hit that spot for you. Um but I I think it's just yeah. Okay, trying to maybe be myself with everybody. Yeah. I especially like on the hard days where I'm I am exhausted or something, like I still want to be present and fully there with that person and make sure that they're getting everything that they need from the session.

SPEAKER_01 18:37

That's that's valuable as well, the being being present always then um uh what some people don't get is the authenticity, just being authentic, being exactly who you are. Yeah, instead of trying to mold yourself into something that you believe would bring you the more most to business.

SPEAKER_03 19:00

Yeah. I've tried like the social medias and stuff, I've tried all of that, and I'm like, that's not me though, like I don't post things. Right. So I've I've gotten so much word of mouth like with uh so many of my clients, and so that's been awesome.

SPEAKER_01 19:17

Yeah, yeah, yeah. Very cool. Um, is there something that people assume is easy for you in the business, but definitely isn't?

SPEAKER_03 19:28

Um I think I don't know if it's really an assumed thing, but like the toll on my body sometimes.

SPEAKER_05 19:36

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 19:37

Um I think it's I I think a lot of people I'm I'm 23, and so a lot of people are like, oh, you're young. Like you're like, you can handle whatever. And I'm like, you're funny. So I think sometimes they get a little bit tired quick more quickly than your own massage surface. I go I trade with a bunch of different people. Yeah. Yeah. I think that's maybe like the biggest thing is is just maybe uh or being underestimated, like where um like just because I'm 23, it's like it's that's just like an age is a number, like kind of, and that's sometimes I am taken for granted for that. But but also people are like, you're running a business at 23? And I'm like, I guess so, yeah. I ended up here.

SPEAKER_01 20:32

So I'll never let anybody underestimate.

SPEAKER_03 20:35

No, no, I tried not too hard.

SPEAKER_01 20:37

I dealt with that as well. I was so aggravated all the time, I was always called the kid because I was usually the youngest guy around. Yep, and so I was always the kid, and it frustrated me because I was the one making all the decisions.

unknown 20:48

Right.

SPEAKER_03 20:49

Who do you think you are? And it's like, uh, I'm running it.

SPEAKER_01 20:54

Yeah, yes, I get it. Oh is there is there a part of the business that finally clicked? Like it like one day the light bulb just came on um after uh trial and error and then just finally clicked.

SPEAKER_03 21:11

I think um the massage part of my business, like that was almost like immediate. Like I just had um passion for what I was doing, and that that made it so much easier. I think what really clicked was the more like legal side of it and like bookkeeping and stuff, like that took a while and it's still happening, yeah. But it's I think having my books taken care of the right way, like that has taken so much stress off of me more than anything else, and so it's it's gives me the ability to um massage without like stress of other things, right?

SPEAKER_01 21:53

So yeah, because I mean just the nature of your business, you're not in you're not buried in spreadsheets.

SPEAKER_03 21:59

No, no, I really don't have that much. I'm just like it's a long for someone that hates it. Yeah, but yeah. So it's it's uh just just maybe that.

SPEAKER_01 22:13

And what's what's the the hardest lesson um the business taught you that you're now grateful for?

Stories From The Table And Community

SPEAKER_03 22:23

Um taking care of my body, yeah. Um taking care of uh I for the first three months after graduating, I well in school we trade um or you learn on each other, and so you're getting like massage two times a week for five months. Like it's it's just so much massage, and you're like, wow, I feel amazing. Yeah. The first three months of graduating, I didn't get any massages, any body work. Like I wasn't taking like insanely good care of myself. I have a really hard time drinking water. So, like that, I reached a point that I was like, I'm not okay, like my body hurts. And so I think the biggest learning curve with that has been learning to take care of myself and like giving my body what it needs. Right. And what um like having a good diet, having um or exercising or how to start working out like at least two times a week and stuff. So yeah.

SPEAKER_01 23:24

I mean, because on a surface, maybe a person wouldn't look at a massage therapist and think, oh, that's physically taxing work, but you're not doing a massage, you're doing several massages on your feet and you're using your muscles and you're bending and you're you know really well when I was exclusively deep tissue for a really long time.

SPEAKER_03 23:45

Now I get some different kinds of stuff in there. Like I can do cupping and it's not as hard on my hands. Um I've been trying to learn lymphatic drainage, and so that's that's really light touch, and but like majority of my first year I was only doing like deep tissue, and all of my people left like elbow like deep. And so that yeah, it it definitely is hard on you after a while.

SPEAKER_01 24:12

So construction projects, you're like, I don't need a hammer in there.

SPEAKER_00 24:18

Just push on it with your thumb, like I got this.

SPEAKER_03 24:21

I certainly try.

SPEAKER_00 24:25

Exactly, yep.

SPEAKER_01 24:27

Is there is there an obstacle that you didn't expect to face um in the past year?

SPEAKER_02 24:33

Um I not really not business wise, no.

SPEAKER_03 24:54

I don't not that I can like think out of the top of my head. I'm sure there's stuff that's hit me that was like, yeah, I didn't expect that.

SPEAKER_01 25:02

Is there something in you? It would be a problem, but it turned out it wasn't a problem. You just rolling around rolling along on all cylinders.

SPEAKER_03 25:28

I'm trying to think what's in it. I'm such a like insanely optimistic person that I'm like I just block everything out, but like it's like, oh yeah, that bad time? Yeah, I don't know.

SPEAKER_01 25:39

Bad time. Well what was the question again? Something that you thought would be a problem, but it turned out not to be.

SPEAKER_02 25:49

Uh no, I don't know.

SPEAKER_01 25:51

You just went in with full optimism and just ran it.

SPEAKER_03 25:55

I again like it's like that like that immediate or like that initial like getting licensing done stuff. I think anything with licensing or that kind of realm of stuff, I overthink so hard. Right. And then it ends up being completely fine. Sure. Um, and I just it's uh more just stuff that's unknown to me. Like it's it's facing things for the first time is really I tend to overthink so hard about stuff like that, and then it ends up being amazing or working out completely okay. But I just I sit in my little like bubble and freak out for a minute, and I'm like, okay, let's go.

SPEAKER_01 26:37

I think that's kind of normal, especially things like legalese, and for some people the accounting portions of it to where it's it can seem really daunting if you spend too much time thinking about it beforehand. It seems like you just jumped in. I did. And just was like, oh man, I have to do this. Okay, and they became tasks instead of roadblocks.

Authenticity Over Social Media

SPEAKER_03 26:57

Exactly. Which I I like I maybe going back to like an earlier question, I maybe would have planned just a little bit better, like before starting out, because I didn't even like do a business plan or anything. Like I everybody was like, Oh, you should do this, you should do this. And I was like, Well, it's already working out. I already got it, like it's okay. And so, like, having it all written down may have been like a good idea, but I I just had no idea what I wanted in the beginning, and I was kind of just like, let it fall where it may. Yeah, and so that was really a a cool uh thing that just kind of came together, but yeah.

SPEAKER_01 27:38

So you had people, I like analogies. You had people telling you you really should change your tires before you take that trip, and you're like, You mean the trip I just took?

unknown 27:46

Yeah, exactly.

SPEAKER_03 27:47

So I'm already here. We have arrived. Yeah. It's okay. It's like, have you seen that thing where it's like a the dog and then the like the uh house burning but behind it? And it's like it this is fine. That's kind of how it was.

SPEAKER_01 28:06

Is there an area where you feel stretch the thinnest right now?

SPEAKER_03 28:11

Um uh not really. I I've really been trying to focus on like my health and uh and like uh doing I'm doing like detoxes and stuff right now. And so uh with that uh and trying to be like food conscious and stuff, it's it's sometimes a little bit hard um, especially uh when like I come in for work and I'm like I don't want to be uh like I I tend to get like more angry if I'm hungry or like stuff like that, like more irritable stuff. And so um keeping um keeping still present with all of my clients and um trying to still be here while like figuring out personal stuff like that that kind of maybe a little bit, but it's it's kind of been really, really good recently.

SPEAKER_01 29:07

So there hasn't been anything save your deep tissues for the end of the day and work out your frustration.

SPEAKER_03 29:14

Usually well, luckily I have a table that like raises up and down, so I just like lower it really far and like some wrestling ring uh ropes on one side of your room.

SPEAKER_05 29:30

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 29:35

Just the piles over deep tissue, you got it, man.

SPEAKER_03 29:41

Would you tell me how deep? I think you should be specific.

SPEAKER_01 29:48

Oh man. Is there something that you're you're building now or working on now that customers are definitely gonna notice later?

Physical Toll And Protecting The Body

SPEAKER_03 29:56

Um I I've been thinking about going back to school for something or going and doing a continued education of some sort. Um, I haven't there's so many different options. I haven't quite figured out what yet, but I I've been working on lymphatic um and learning lymphatic more. So I think that would definitely be something eventually people will notice. Because especially like you have to you have to stay conscious of the lymph system and where it is, because you have uh spots where like I would be pushing hard before, and now I'm like, oh, maybe like just a little, a little uh nice uh efflarage is what it's called, would be nice there. And so like and so it it kind of it just the more I learn always I'm like I I just love learning and yeah and growing. And so I I uh had a massage therapist that I trade with. She like last month was like, Wow, you've like grown a lot in your um in your uh flow since we first started, and I've been trading with her for like a year. I was like, that's so cool. Like, thank you for saying that because I haven't noticed that was good, but I I just like get in the zone and I'm in it. So right, yeah, yeah, it's it's it's pretty cool. I think um, especially because I'm so um like young in my business, I guess. Like I I've only been open for a year and a half and and doing massage uh uh two years uh since including school. And so I think um there's just so much to learn and grow with, and uh especially trading with other massage therapists, you always like learn off of other people too. Yeah, so it's I think I I want to continue in education and try to just be better for my clients, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 31:43

Cool. I never really thought about that. About you know, one trading services with other people and oh, bartering is a favorite thing. Oh yeah, it's in this area. Man, I've traded marketing services for so many things. Oh really? I love that. But but um doing it with with people in your same field are supposed to be competitors, yeah, you know, but there's plenty of business for everybody, so they're not really competitors, yeah. So you're in a way working with each other because they get to see what you do, you get to see what they do, and you both learn from that.

SPEAKER_03 32:23

Every I think every massage therapist that I've met has been so willing to teach. Yeah, like uh, especially because um there was a massage therapy school here like 20 something years ago, and then there was nothing for years, and so they all all the massage therapists dwindled. And then when the new massage therapist school uh opened, that's we have so many more people now, but they're all like really uh they're all new to the trade, so it's they just grow and grow. Uh, and having those massage therapists that I've been practicing for like 12 to 20 years, those are like where to go because they totally will help you out in so many ways.

SPEAKER_01 33:10

Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 33:11

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 33:12

The master. The masters, yes. Yeah, exactly. Um if you could like remove one responsibility tomorrow, what would that free you up to do? Remove like just in my day-to-day, or like um obviously can't remove you from the massage part.

SPEAKER_03 33:32

Yeah, but yeah. Will you repeat the question?

SPEAKER_01 33:37

Um if you could remove one responsibility tomorrow, what would that free you up to do?

SPEAKER_03 33:43

That's a very interesting question.

SPEAKER_01 33:45

Like, are you work you're not you have help.

Bookkeeping Clicks And Stress Drops

SPEAKER_03 33:49

So you're you're not doing your books yourself or um I I do like my daily daily books, like who I massage and stuff, but I um like if I could remove taxes, that would be amazing. But that's really the only thing right now that would be a huge treasure. I mean like dishes, like I don't know, like just chores, but it's just uh figure out how to remove the words. But that's like I I don't maybe sheets, like uh I have to clean a lot of sheets. Yes, fold a lot of sheets. So that would free up at least like 30 minutes a day.

SPEAKER_00 34:30

Yeah, that's another thing.

SPEAKER_01 34:31

Like I'm just you know, I'm regular person. I try to approach things like a regular person, so that's another thing that that um I wouldn't have thought of, just the amount of linens that you have to do with.

SPEAKER_03 34:44

At least like I could probably get a whole load in a day, like and that's like three uh three sheets at least, but I sometimes procrastinate, so I think I try not to really hard, but sometimes it just doesn't happen.

SPEAKER_01 34:58

But just hang them out in the rain. There we go. So what is what is um you're you're still new in this, but you've you a lot can happen, and you and you've you've progressed and grown a lot in the last year and a half. So you might have had um some version of success, what that looked like when you first got started, what does that look like now and how's that changed over time?

SPEAKER_03 35:26

Um like how I like view my success, or yeah.

SPEAKER_01 35:31

Like if you're have to decide if someone asked you, are um, are you successful and what does that look like? What does that look like now compared to what it used to? Um how's that changed for you?

SPEAKER_03 35:46

Um I think when I first started, it was more the like I have a really hard time like delegating with my life and just doing tasks as habits, and so I think my version of success when I first started was very all over the place. Like it was just very scattered, and I was like, the more knowledge I have, the more money, like the the more like just everything that I had, and now more it's more so um like the smoothness and the less stress I have is the more successful I am.

SPEAKER_05 36:36

Right.

SPEAKER_03 36:36

And it's which there's always gonna be stress with life, like that's life, but I think um uh owning my own business and then just having the ability to like have my own space and stuff has just created kind of a peace within me. And so I think maybe I I want to grow on a basis where I'm okay, if that makes sense. Kind of um not stress myself out to the point where I was like last year, but do everything in steps where I don't feel like I have to have it all right now. Like I I have like you know, the five-year plan, ten-year plan, twenty-year plan kind of thing where it's like it's if I don't get that done within this year, that's okay because there's next year, you know, kind of kind of mindset.

SPEAKER_01 37:29

Okay.

SPEAKER_03 37:29

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 37:30

Yeah. Awesome. Um what's one thing that you hope your business is known for five years from now?

SPEAKER_03 37:42

Um I would love to be known as a good massage therapist. Um I think consistency would be my most important trait that I would like to be known for. Um I know that a lot of massage therapists get tired and then um they kind of have a hard time keeping the pace that they had. Um, or and then like clients start to leave, or like there's just a lot that comes to massaging for a long time. Like a uh 12 years is the is the um what is the word that I'm looking for? Uh the amount of time that like most m deep tissue therapists last for. And so like I would like to just be be known that like I have only gotten better, not that I've like lacked every way.

SPEAKER_01 38:38

Yeah, I don't I don't want to age and time in the business.

SPEAKER_03 38:41

Exactly, exactly. Like I I and I I want to be known for having good communication with my clients. Like I I want them to be able to come to me and be like, actually, like this massage was a little light, or like this was um a little too deep, or uh like this was just different, and I think that we should try it the old way or something along those lines. Like, I just want to be able to have open communication and and not degrade.

SPEAKER_01 39:05

Yeah, cool. Yeah, and you have that now, I'm sure.

SPEAKER_03 39:08

I I try really hard, yeah. Sometimes uh people are a little scared to communicate uh like how they're feeling, but I'm I'm like, this is about you. You're on my table, and I'm I'm here to um make you happy.

SPEAKER_01 39:22

So that's kind of you find that some people feel um in this environment a little uncomfortable with maybe negative feedback. I think where you have to drag that out of them.

SPEAKER_03 39:35

Like say them saying negative feedback.

SPEAKER_01 39:38

Right, like maybe they don't want to hurt your feelings.

SPEAKER_03 39:40

Yeah, yeah. It's I think especially because I'm so like just me, I think a lot of the time like people don't want to like crush my spirit or do kind of stuff like that where it's like oh actually like that didn't help or something. Like I'm I would rather know and then like take that hit hit into my ego or whatever, than to them like me continue do something that they don't like, yeah, or something that um would wasn't beneficial to them when we could have done something that was.

SPEAKER_01 40:10

Yeah. So yeah, and that's good. Some um uh that's why I'm kind of focusing in on that because some people don't ever like to hear negative feedback, but negative feedback allows you to grow, yeah. So you're already just kind of glazing over that like that's not a big deal.

SPEAKER_02 40:28

Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 40:29

But it is, it is you're asking for the feedback, whether it's positive or negative, and then you're growing from that feedback, and that's yeah.

SPEAKER_03 40:36

I mean, I'm nobody ever likes to hear bad things about themselves, but if I can grow and then I'm sure that they have also complimented me in a positive way, too. Where it's like I've I have had very, very few clients that have ever been like, I didn't like your massage, and then I go and introduce them to somebody else where I think they would.

SPEAKER_01 40:58

Right. So it's it's really but if it's something that you could make an adjustment to, absolutely, absolutely, you know, what you do, yeah, you could just make an adjustment, like, okay, I didn't realize and make an adjustment, then you're more likely to keep them as well. Exactly, exactly. Yeah, you need that feedback.

SPEAKER_03 41:15

Yeah, yeah. I or it could help me with somebody else too. Sure. It's just and then practice makes progress. Like it's just if if I can practice on you in a way that I haven't massaged before, then I would love to do that.

SPEAKER_01 41:28

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 41:29

Yeah.

Barter, Mentors, And Local Support

SPEAKER_01 41:29

That's really healthy mind frame.

SPEAKER_03 41:32

I try. Some days it's a little bit harder, but yeah, for the most part, I I really love feedback.

SPEAKER_01 41:39

Cool. Speaking of feedback, is there something that this community has done for you that you'll never forget?

SPEAKER_03 41:48

Um I have I did uh like the community in like Farmington and stuff.

SPEAKER_01 41:58

Yeah, like just random community or um I or even the massage community or or whatever.

SPEAKER_03 42:03

Oh, that's a good one too. Um I we did a um a booth at McGee Home Garden Expo in that. Um I we did it with the school, so Infinite Healing Institute of Massage. We she let us come and massage and get clients from uh that that booth. And so that was just so cool. And I gained uh that was last April, and I gained like majority of my clients that I had for the rest of the year from that. And I haven't had to do another um another event like that since then. Yeah so yeah, it's been fantastic. It's been so cool. But this I people love massage. I I I gained probably like 20 people from that, from that one, and then word of mouth, they had more people coming to me too. So I was it was really turns into 30 and 40. Anything like Wiki Park I love, but uh the uh her name is Tori Tori Doolin, she runs the school, and she is amazing. She'll she just helps in so many different ways, and she makes sure like her students are taken care of.

SPEAKER_01 43:14

Very cool, yeah. Okay, that's awesome. If your business were a person, how would you describe its personality?

SPEAKER_03 43:23

Well, actually, I um I have a backstory to the name.

SPEAKER_05 43:30

Okay.

SPEAKER_03 43:30

Um, so it's blooming ember, and so it's uh burn survivor. And so when I was little, I was burned. Um and I was in a grease accident with my mom. Yeah. And so I uh named it after blooming ember because I wanted to do something like must uh like burn survivor, and so um that's kind of I I think it's like survivor spirit, like where I it's uh what is I can't think of words today, um but it's resilience. Okay, maybe, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 44:13

That I yeah, I was just thinking, like that's that's brilliant. I didn't know what the name was. Yeah, most people don't, yeah. It sounds way better than Burn Survivor. Yeah, it does.

unknown 44:23

It does.

SPEAKER_03 44:24

Yeah, I sat at my kitchen table for like two hours figuring out that name because because I was doing my iress stuff and I was like, you need a name. And I was like, ah, I didn't think about this. So yeah, me and my mom brainstormed and made up blooming things. So now this is anywhere. Yeah, well, it was like most of like the simple ones would be like Callie's mass Callie massage therapist or whatever, but yeah. I blooming ember.

SPEAKER_01 44:54

Is there like a tradition or ritual or value, whatever it is that kind of keeps you grounded?

Linens, Chores, And What To Outsource

SPEAKER_03 45:01

Um I think uh I try, I've been trying. To uh like more prey and before I go into massage and just like kind of keep my per myself protected that way. And um, I I believe in like any energy like transfer and stuff, so it's you can sometimes get what other people have if you have that physical contact. It's it's a pretty intimate situation, and so um I try to just like uh keep myself guarded in that way, and um, and then I sometimes will pray for people too.

SPEAKER_01 45:34

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 45:35

But yeah. Cool. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 45:37

I like it.

SPEAKER_03 45:38

Thank you.

SPEAKER_01 45:39

Is there a belief that you you held on um early, like when you first got started, that you you don't really hold that belief anymore?

SPEAKER_02 45:49

I don't, I'm not sure. Um make me like think back. Right. And it's only been like a year and a half.

SPEAKER_03 45:59

Like maybe that's why it's so hard to like think of stuff, because it's so it's still so fresh. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 46:05

Um, which is still in the forest of the beginning.

SPEAKER_03 46:08

Yeah, I think um maybe uh I had a lot less boundaries with people before, and so I I more so believe in like boundaries now. Yeah, they're helpful. Like it's uh I think that's probably my biggest my biggest thing is maintaining um boundaries and my own opinions. Like I I see so many different people and so many different avenues of life. And so it's really cool to hear about people's lives, but it's kind of like, oh, I have to still maintain still maintain my own uh opinions.

SPEAKER_01 46:49

Sure.

SPEAKER_03 46:50

But yeah, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 46:52

And um young people are more susceptible to that, oh yeah. Of hearing other people's things and like taking it in themselves, like, yeah, I totally agree.

SPEAKER_03 47:05

It's been a whole learning process.

SPEAKER_01 47:10

Oh so what do you want other business owners, especially massage people, to hear today? If you had any advice, um these are hard questions.

Redefining Success And Pace

SPEAKER_03 47:24

I'm just curious. Um I think just remain true to yourself. Like it's uh it becomes hard to have those boundaries, especially especially like new massage therapists. You you want to have people booked, have people um like I I used to work weekends and now I I don't for that reason, like where I just was like, oh yeah, I'll get you booked. And I think I I kind of um I uh took away from myself and uh to give to other people a lot, and especially in the beginning. And so I think that is one thing that I advise is don't give up yourself for other people. Right. And and like have boundaries and set them and don't don't uh fold on them.

SPEAKER_01 48:30

Yeah, but yeah, yeah, perfect. Um is there anything you're celebrating right now, big or small? Celebrating. Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 48:43

I am always celebrating Do I even know who I am? Just kidding. Um nothing. Oh, all of my friends are uh having babies, and that's something that I have been celebrating. They're all they're all pregnant, and we're so so excited. Uh all of us. But yeah, I I think that's like really the only thing that's going on that I'm super celebrating in my life. So uh going to celebrate when taxes are over. Um I I don't really have anything. It's kind of January is such a like January to February is such a weird, sure, weird time, but yeah, it differs for everybody.

SPEAKER_01 49:25

January and February are like insane for me. Oh, really? Oh, because I mean business owners, I deal with business owners. So that beginning of the year thing when they're like, oh, okay, I have these plans. I need to do this this Christmas year.

SPEAKER_03 49:38

Yeah, yeah. That's mm-hmm. That was me like December. I was like, oh, Christmas and business time. Like you can't make me. So yeah. I think the beginning of this month was a little bit more stressful, but yeah, it's it's leading into the and I have um I've had a couple massage therapist friends more recently close their business, and so I've been getting more more clientele and stuff. So I I that's takes a lot of stress off of you when you have like a a good regular income. A regular income. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 50:17

Exactly. So he's like things that fix it.

SPEAKER_01 50:24

I had a guy that I used to know. He he his motto was there's nothing a sale can't fix.

SPEAKER_03 50:29

Yeah. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 50:30

There's some truth to that.

SPEAKER_03 50:31

Yeah, a little bit. Well, that's January's last year. Like you look at my calendar compared to this year, and it was completely bare. Like, and I I was stressed that it was gonna be the same. Yeah, and so when I this month it wasn't as bad as I thought it was gonna be. Right. And so I was like, I was just excited and like, I'm okay, like everything's good.

Consistency, Communication, And Longevity

SPEAKER_00 50:57

So yeah, nice.

SPEAKER_01 51:00

Well, it's been awesome chatting with you, and I love your place, it's so cute. Thank you. Very comfortable and very, very cute. Thank you. So I like it.

SPEAKER_03 51:10

Quiet, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 51:11

So if somebody wants to come visit you, check check you out. Um, how did they get a hold of you? How do they figure it out?

SPEAKER_03 51:17

I have a Facebook uh blooming ember massage, or you can call my number uh or call or text. Uh sometimes texting, you'll get a better answer out of me. But uh 719 208 1482. Awesome. Yeah. All right. Thank you so much.

SPEAKER_01 51:33

We'll have to check in again, like another year from now and see how things have changed.

SPEAKER_03 51:37

I'll probably be like completely different answers.

SPEAKER_01 51:41

But I love it. Very cool. Well, thank you, Callie.

SPEAKER_03 51:45

Thank you.