006: Work Ethic, Staying Hopeful, and Faith Led Business with Paris Cousins

Running a business isn’t just about strategy—it’s about resilience, faith, and trusting the process even when things don’t go as planned. In this episode, we’re diving into the mindset behind a strong work ethic, how to stay hopeful in seasons of uncertainty, and what it really looks like to build a business with faith at the center. Whether you’re navigating setbacks, feeling stuck, or simply looking for encouragement, this conversation will remind you that you’re not alone. Tune in for a heart-to-heart on perseverance, purpose, and trusting that what’s meant for you won’t miss you.

Connect with Paris:

Facebook | Instagram

Oak Wellness

🫶🏻 Stay updated with all things Flourish Foundry:

Follow on Instagram

View our website

Take the quiz 📣

Music: "Great podcast intro (both short and long version included)" by Lundstroem. Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Transcript

SPEAKER_01 0:00

Beyond anything, whether you are an employee or an employer or the business owner, if you don't have work ethic, it's not gonna it's not gonna happen.

SPEAKER_02 0:13

Right.

SPEAKER_01 0:13

It doesn't matter.

SPEAKER_00 0:20

Hi Paris, I'm so excited to do this episode with you. Thank you for coming on the show and happy one year. Thank you for oak wellness. Today is the actual one year anniversary.

SPEAKER_01 0:32

Yes, it is. One year of oak wellness. I am absolutely amazed and I'm pleased to be here with you.

SPEAKER_00 0:39

That is so exciting. Congratulations. Thank you. I'm honored to do this on your grand opening anniversary. Thank you. Such a nice little It is.

SPEAKER_01 0:48

It's a great way to celebrate.

SPEAKER_00 0:49

Yeah, that's awesome. So tell us a little bit about who you are, Oak Wellness, um, yeah, all the things.

SPEAKER_01 0:56

All right. Well, um, my story starts 25 years ago, uh, right after I graduated high school. I went into um massage therapy this summer after I graduated and so went through that program and I practiced massage therapy for a few years. And shortly after that I got married and got pregnant with twins. So that kind of derailed my career path uh for a little while, um, in in the most blessed way ever. Sure. And I was able to stay home with them for a couple of years. And then um, unfortunately, through a series of events, I got divorced and was a single mom, and I needed to find a way to pay the bills again. Right. So I was like, well, go back into massage therapy. So I checked into everything, and unfortunately, during that time of staying home with my children, I let my license lapse. Oh no. So I called the board, the Florida State Board of Massage Therapy, and was like, hey, what can I do? Oh, you have to go through school all over again.

SPEAKER_00 2:05

How long is the school in?

SPEAKER_01 2:06

It's an 800-hour program.

SPEAKER_00 2:07

Oh my goodness.

SPEAKER_01 2:08

So I said, Okay, well, this is what I need to do. So I went back through the program and got my license and went back into massage therapy, and I have been doing that basically ever since, and that was around 2008. Um, so working for chiropractors mainly, so more medical massage than relaxation and spa stuff, which really intrigues me because every massage is a different problem to find a solution to. So I really enjoy that aspect. Um, and so working with a chiropractor for off and on 12 years, I believe. And then I had an opportunity to go independent and you know be my own boss, which was a little scary, but um it sounded like a little more freedom. So I wanted to venture out and do that, so I became um my own LLC, Harris Cousins Vassage Therapy, and split my week between the chiropractor and a little private space um in Bartow where we are today.

SPEAKER_02 3:21

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 3:22

And so that was really neat. I noticed that um a lot of my clients from Lakeland followed me to Bartow. It's not that far of a drive, it's about 12, 15 minutes. So I said, well, I can I can do this. So I did that for a couple years, and unfortunately, my lovely little space in Bartow was sitting vacant half of the week. So I reached out and I found another massage therapist to come in and join me. And she and I really worked well together, kind of bounced ideas off of each other, and I just felt like it was time to go fully independent and leave the chiropractor's office. Um, and so I talked with my parents who are my sounding board, and said, Hey, I think I want to grow my massage business into something bigger.

SPEAKER_03 4:17

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 4:17

Um, I think massage isn't for everyone, but I really believe in holistic modalities. So I wanted to create a space where there were multiple different modalities that would meet a broader spectrum of the community and have them all under one roof. So kind of a one-stop shop for health and wellness kind of space. And so where I was, it wouldn't accommodate that. There wasn't enough parking to have multiple clients come in at one time. And so I found the business or the the building that we're sitting in now and um found it in August, September, found it in September of 2023. Yeah, closed October of 2023, and opened March 4th, 2024. So within just a couple of months, it all just kind of came together organically. And so I had already had two massage therapists, which was great. So I had two rooms filled, and I had been working out with a personal trainer at my gym, and he wasn't real happy where he was, and he agreed to come on board with me. And then I reached out to a couple of people that I had gone to high school with who were teaching yoga, and was like, Hey, do you want to open your own yoga studio on Bartow? Yeah, and they were like, I don't know, give us some time to think. 24 hours later, they were on board, and then I grabbed a couple of other pieces of equipment, a red light therapy cabin and a cold plunge tub, and that's kind of how oak wellness came to be. Yeah. So it came together pretty organically, and that's how I knew it was kind of meant to be.

SPEAKER_00 6:20

So did you go straight from working part-time with the chiropractor, part-time massage therapy, to owning oak wellness?

SPEAKER_01 6:28

Yes.

SPEAKER_00 6:28

So they're okay, I did not realize that because I thought that you owned your own massage therapy full-time and then evolved into so that's interesting.

SPEAKER_01 6:39

So yeah, I mean, I I was working for the chiropractor like I said for about 10, 12 years. Yeah. And in 2019, I became independent. So I I rented my room from the chiropractor for a couple of years. Okay. So yeah, so I was I was uh just self-employee for so you had more experience of right, because that's a big difference, like depending on someone else for half of your income.

SPEAKER_00 7:08

Right. That stability, even if it's only 50%, is a lot different than than taking on ownership for a whole building, and I mean you have multiple different businesses within your building.

SPEAKER_01 7:18

Right.

SPEAKER_00 7:19

It's a very different path. So that makes sense. Okay. Yeah. Cool. How has your first year of business been? Do you think it's gone as you expected? Has it been better or worse?

SPEAKER_01 7:32

So I will um I actually had somebody else ask me this question earlier earlier today. Yeah. And um, I will say that surprisingly, I am where I thought we were going to be. Okay. Um as a business owner, one of the rules of thumb across the board for almost every um genre of business is you don't open before summer or you don't open at the beginning of summer. Because people are on vacation. Yeah, nobody's nobody's around. They're right, not in their regular routine.

SPEAKER_00 8:10

Right, for like a brick and mortar business, that's not the time. Unless I guess you're in like a tourist whatever.

SPEAKER_01 8:17

But we are not in small town Bartow, Polk County, Florida, right.

SPEAKER_00 8:26

No.

SPEAKER_01 8:26

And I opened in in March.

SPEAKER_00 8:28

Mm-hmm. You know, spring break, spring break, end of year testing, summer vacation.

SPEAKER_01 8:35

I yeah, yeah. So I will say those first few months, Jordan, the other massage therapist here with me really talked me off the ledge. Yeah. Because those first couple months I really was doubting, doubting myself.

SPEAKER_02 8:51

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 8:52

Um, so but I really do think that those hard times, those valleys that we go through really made those mountain peaks of excitement and celebration that much more exciting and celebratory. Absolutely. So um going through, you know, that those first few months during the summer where it it was it was tough. It was and I really did second guess myself. But after school started back in session in, you know, August, um, things started picking up, and I started noticing that um, you know, people were more routine in coming in. So instead of just the sporadic client coming in, yeah, they were more in their set schedule. And having that definitely did, you know, boost revenue, obviously. And so that was really good. Um, the yoga studio is doing fantastic, right?

SPEAKER_00 9:55

And and that took a little bit of time to. I mean, I was here, I mean, I live in South Lake my whole family's here, so I'm here off and on, and I've seen you know a few months in between when I pop in. So I don't know, maybe for that reason I might be able to see success a little bit di more clear because there's some time in between, if that makes sense. So I've seen Jen's classes go from literally just me and my mom or me and my aunt to it's packed and Jen has to just stand in the middle of the room because there's not even room for her mat. Right. Which is awesome.

SPEAKER_01 10:34

It is, yeah, it's fantastic. And so, you know, seeing it the the aspect of of me being the the business owner of Oak Wellness as the umbrella of this, you know, environment or you know, this kind of business model with Ngeti Yoga being a tenant, basically, and then Vert with Freedom Fitness being a tenant, if they're doing well, then the rent's gonna come in, and they're bringing more people to the space to see the other things that are offered. So the foot traffic that they provide helps boost the massage therapy and then the red light therapy and cold plunge and all those modalities. So seeing their growth and their success has definitely bolstered not only my confidence and validation that I'm doing what I'm supposed to do, but they're also friends. So seeing your friends succeed is just is joyous in its own right as well. Right. So yeah, I I think when in these types of holistic modalities, when people are in the routine, they're more likely to show up. And I mean, just like everything, you know, when when you get in the routine of working out three times a week and that's what you do every week, then you show up.

SPEAKER_00 11:58

Right, when that's your norm.

SPEAKER_01 12:00

When that's your norm. Yeah. So um, I I do expect, you know, there are going to be some ebb and flows in the months and whatnot, but the routine during the school year, I guess, is gonna be, you know, our big boost of you know, just the routine clients. Yeah. And um, and so far it's going going really well. So yeah. And and obviously we've only been here a year.

SPEAKER_00 12:29

So yeah, it takes time for things to grow. It does. Do you think you were I guess what was the standard for yourself, or how did because you said that you are in the spot that you thought you would be in a year later, what guided you to that idea of what oak wellness would look like a year from opening?

SPEAKER_01 12:50

So my mind doesn't work like everybody else's.

SPEAKER_00 12:58

I'll be completely honest with you. But now I'm in trick.

SPEAKER_01 13:02

I I I have to be honest. So um, you know, I I did it if you look back at how it started, I dreamed it up in August and started looking in September, and then I bought the building in October.

SPEAKER_02 13:13

Yeah, moved quick.

SPEAKER_01 13:15

It it's not like I sat down and wrote out a business plan and you know, had all the numbers figured out of you know the projections, the projections, and you know, here's where three years is gonna be, here's five years. Like, yeah, yeah, but my mind doesn't work like that. Right. My mind goes, okay, I see this, I know it's needed, so I'm gonna do it. So it's kind of like that baseball movie, build it, they will come. Yes, and so that's my mentality. Yes, and so I literally jumped off the ledge into a pool, not knowing that there was water in it.

SPEAKER_00 13:56

Right. So um I think that's something interesting about female entrepreneurship versus male entrepreneurship. Sure. And I was just talking about this in the episode prior to this run, recording schedule-wise, right, with my mom, who we do a lot of work with. Yeah. Um, but we were talking about the same thing. She had a similar approach and a similar timeline, really, with uh a foundation mindset of just here's this idea, this is what's on my heart, I've prayed about it, the right people are in the right space at the right time, and we're gonna go for it. And then you get a little bit of momentum going, and then it just kind of snowballs. Versus I think the traditional approach is to do what you are seeing of the research and the planning, and right. I I think there is a time and a place for those things. You can't just go into it willy-nilly with right numbers, and I mean you'll run yourself into the ground doing that because it's if you don't know what you can afford. Right, right, yeah. I I love that about women, specifically and the types of women that I work with where they just have such large vision for the future, and it's so empowering and so exciting because I think we kind of all feed off each other in that when it's like of course you can do that. Like if anyone can do it, it's you, and I just love that about the female business owners that I get to work with, and a lot I mean you are a large part of that too, of just like no, like you really can do that. So we see the small we see like the small talents in each other, definitely, and can root for each other in that. And then I mean it's what you're saying, like Jordan, was that for you? Of like, no, Paris, like you are in the right space, and like you are, but it's hard when you're in the middle of it.

SPEAKER_03 15:47

It is.

SPEAKER_00 15:47

So I guess a question for you would be I mean, you you and I have a similar level of faith-based approach, I think, in our business, where it's not like in your face, but it's there, like it's it's hard to separate yourself from your business, which I mean that's a whole conversation in itself, and we can go down that, but just with your faith and also being a business owner, how does that apply? Like, how do you know that you're walking in the right trajectory or sure how much of an impact does that have?

SPEAKER_01 16:25

Sure. Well, uh definitely, I mean, I I you know grew grew up in the church and um I have very strong um you know faith-based roots and morals and values, and one of the the big things for me with faith is if I if I have an an issue or or a struggle or even even a question of am I doing the right thing, the first thing I'm gonna do is pray about it.

SPEAKER_02 16:51

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 16:52

And when you you when I pray about something and I feel a sense of calm or a sense of peace come over me, I I know that's the Holy Spirit telling me, okay, sure, you're you're going in the right space.

SPEAKER_02 17:07

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 17:08

Um, if after praying about it and praying about it, and praying about it, yes, and I still don't have that good feeling in my gut, or I have an apprehension or a sense of anxiety about something, I know it's not right.

SPEAKER_00 17:26

Yeah, like that that's saying because that's not from God, because that's not from God, he doesn't answer with confusion.

SPEAKER_01 17:31

No, right, no, he gives you peace and understanding. I mean, that's what he says, you know. Pray and I will open doors. And um, and the way the doors open for Oak Wellness to come together and and thrive in its first year and pay its bills, and you know, it's I I know that I'm I'm where I need to be. And again, how everything just everyone that is a part of Oak Wellness, I didn't have to fight to find tenants. I didn't have to fight or or wait or struggle to you know find people to be a part of of Oak Wellness. I mean like you, you know, when I was looking for branding and and a website, I I had no idea where to go. And then your mom was like, hey, well, Abby's doing. I was like, what's your number? Like this is perfect, you know, and then how everything came together. I mean, it was a questionnaire and you sent me a couple things, so I was like, Yeah, I like that, and okay, we're on with it. Like, and I saw it's perfect. I don't need to change it. And everything has just been, you know, pretty, pretty spot on and very short timeline. And I'm turning around going, it's been a year. Wow.

SPEAKER_00 18:58

How in the world has it been a year?

SPEAKER_01 19:00

Yeah, where where's it been? You know, but and so I I guess to circle back to the whole, you know, faith and business, I I truly believe that if you are doing the work of that God has put in your heart, be it web design and being a podcast host, be it massage therapy, be it, you know, a doctor, an attorney, what whatever it is, if you're doing and using the gifts that God gave you, he's gonna open the doors for you and show favor on what you're doing. And so that that's how my business and faith kind of go together.

SPEAKER_00 19:45

So I know that's beautiful.

SPEAKER_01 19:47

Just trust in him and do what he what he's gifted me to do.

SPEAKER_00 19:53

Yeah. What's interesting too about what you've built here is as I believe Vert is also a Christian.

SPEAKER_03 20:03

Yes.

SPEAKER_00 20:03

Is you have multiple Christian business owners all in one space, but it doesn't feel uninviting to someone who isn't a Christian. And that's something that's really interesting is I mean, often we think of church as like the traditional worship and a pastor and a sermon and all those things, but in a way, you've almost built like a little church here because when people come in, there's no way that they couldn't experience like the presence of the Holy Spirit when you have three Christian business owners, right? And I believe Jordan as well. Like all everyone in a space of leadership is a Christian. So it's really interesting when you think about it, yeah. Like that, that in a way you've like made a little church.

SPEAKER_01 20:54

It is, it it is, and and that's another thing, you know, the all of these different holistic modalities, you know, they are of God. You know, um touch is a gift from God. Yeah. So massage therapy to me, and that's was my tagline when I first graduated, you know, um, helping through the gift of touch. And um, you know, with Scott and Jen, you know, I I believe Scott was a pastor at one point.

SPEAKER_00 21:25

Yeah, I think so.

SPEAKER_01 21:28

Yeah, so you know, I mean, I I know that they're rooted in faith. Um, Jordan's rooted in faith, very involved with her church. Bert's very involved with his church, and um I I don't think church has to be in your face to have an effect because it I believe that we plant seeds as you know faith-based people, you know, I and and God will get the increase. Right. And I don't know if any of my clients who get on my table know this, but I pray over every single one of them.

SPEAKER_02 22:12

Yeah. Sounds beautiful.

SPEAKER_01 22:16

I know. But um, you know, and and it's a way for me to know that my hands are going to help and not hurt.

SPEAKER_02 22:29

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 22:31

Wow. Yeah. That is so beautiful. I mean, the talk within church right now, on like the more I don't want to say political side, but structurally, is okay, like, how is this gonna change? And historically speaking, the church has reinvented itself every 200 years, I want to say. I heard this in like a leadership conference I was in. I want to say it's 200 years, it might be 500, which I know that's a big difference. But I want to say the number was every 200 years, and we are at your 500. Something like that. Like it was an extreme difference. So it's like, no wonder we're feeling this wrestle with the structure of the lowercase C church, like the actual building. And so this is not something I've thought about before this conversation for the record. Okay.

SPEAKER_01 23:26

I told you it could be forgetting. We're good. We're good.

SPEAKER_00 23:30

But in a way, it's really interesting to think about what you've built and how God has been the one to again, like you said, bring the increase, bring it all together, and it's makes you wonder like he can, I mean, he can use your gifting in any way. Like who's to say this isn't?

unknown 23:48

Sure.

SPEAKER_00 23:49

Not saying that this is gonna replace the modern-day church, not that, just like what you're saying of this is a space where you do pray over people and people do get to experience the Holy Spirit, and who's to say yoga can't be used as worship if you have your heart in that posture. And Jen does a great job of leaving that very open and it's not really leaning one way or the other.

SPEAKER_03 24:12

Right.

SPEAKER_00 24:12

Um with what you offer, those are typically more secular things. Yoga is obviously not rooted in Christianity. Right. Red light and cold plunge, I think, have started to lean a little bit into um it's like the crunchy space where you can almost worship your health or like your biohacking, whatever. Like it can become unhealthy in that capacity too.

SPEAKER_03 24:41

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 24:41

Massage as well can have a correlation outside of how you view it. Sure. And something that's really interesting that you said of like the gift of touch and the church that I go to around Christmas time, they often have dance performances. Okay. And it really caught me off guard the first time I saw it because I was like, this is not okay. Like, dance should not be in church. Right. Yeah. Dance is weird, and that's for the world. And what if this was someone's first time in church and then they see these girls dancing on stage? Like, that is just not okay.

SPEAKER_03 25:18

Sure.

SPEAKER_00 25:19

And then our pastor came on stage and he's like, you know, dance has been something that the world has taken and skewed and misused and made to be sinful or wrong, however you want to say it. But biblically speaking, like they did use dance as worship. Yeah. And this is a gifting from the Lord. And who's to say we can't use that as worship? Which I think applies to exactly what you're saying of the gift of touch and massage therapy, like that is what he's given you, and you're using that gift, and he's steering you and giving the increase, and there's nothing you can do to change that.

SPEAKER_01 25:56

Right, definitely, definitely. And yeah, it it is funny because speaking to what you were just saying, you know, King David danced in the streets basically in his underwear, you know, I mean, and and worship to the Lord. And I mean, to the point where he embarrassed his wife, and she was like, What are you doing? He was like, I'm worshiping my Lord. Right. And so, you know, I I do think that the world and societal views and political views have skewed so many gifts from God. Um, uh, you know, red light therapy, you can do that for free. Get outside in the morning in the first 20 minutes, you know, and let the sun hit your skin. That's a gift from God.

SPEAKER_00 26:45

Right, he created the sun.

SPEAKER_01 26:47

The sun helps give life to you know our world.

SPEAKER_00 26:50

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 26:51

Um, cold water can be found just about anywhere. Go to the Gulf right now. It's pretty darn chilly. And you know, and so a lot of these things, you know, the the in the biohacking sphere, they are of the Lord.

SPEAKER_02 27:06

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 27:06

And just like anything, you can idolize.

SPEAKER_02 27:10

Yeah. That's a better thing.

SPEAKER_01 27:12

You can idolize your your own personal health. You can, you know, um, idolize, you know, different spiritual practices. And so I do think it is your heart posture. You know, if you're if you want, if you're doing things to be healthy and to take care of yourself, we're we're supposed to treat our bodies as temples. Right. We're gonna take care of a temple. But if you begin to idolize it, yeah, I think it becomes an issue. And when that becomes more important than worshiping God.

SPEAKER_00 27:46

Right. Yeah. I love that you touched on that balance of taking care of the body that he's given you and not idolizing it. And it's it's tough to stay to stay in that balance, especially the more you educate yourself and the more you know. It's hard to not fall into that loop of being scared, either, or like scared of the world. But again, it tells us to not be scared. Like he has us in his hands. So it all it all ties together. It really does.

SPEAKER_01 28:22

It really does.

SPEAKER_00 28:23

So did you feel did you always feel called to be a business owner? Did you because you went into massage therapy right out of high school? What I guess walk us through what guided that decision, uh, and how you when did you know it was time to be a business owner, I guess. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 28:44

Yeah. So um actually the going into massage therapy it was nowhere on my radar when I was in high school. Like I had no idea when I wanted to be when I grew up. And I'll be honest, I still don't know what I want to be when I grow up. Um, but uh my mom and dad were uh business owners. Okay. So my mom owned a hair salon, a very prominent hair salon here in Bartow for many years when I was growing up. And when, you know, standing behind the chair, and especially in the 80s, um, perms were huge. So standing behind the chair, mind you, in stiletto heels, rolling perms all day long. Um, she would come home, her neck would be sore, her shoulders would hurt, arms would hurt. And so she would ask me, you know, hey Paris, can you run my neck for a little bit? And I would. And she, oh, I feel so much better, thank you. So I had practiced on her. Um, and then graduation, high school graduation was looming, and I had no plans. And so my parents said, What do you want to do? And at that point in my young life, I told my parents, don't send me away to college because I will party your money away.

SPEAKER_02 30:04

Right.

SPEAKER_01 30:04

So I knew that traditional college four-year degree that wasn't my that wasn't where I needed to be. Um and so they said, well, you have to do something. So get a job or go to trade school. I was already working, I'd been working since, well, in their hair salon, since I was probably eight years old, and um don't come after them for child labor. Um but um, you know, I I had had a job, you know, since I was 16, you know, working.

SPEAKER_00 30:38

I grew up on a concrete plant. That has to be worse than a hair salon. More unethical. That's true, but um I don't know, hair dyes, concrete dust, it's probably comfortable.

SPEAKER_01 30:52

Yeah, probably, probably. Crumb solution, and all the chatty catty comments.

SPEAKER_00 30:58

Yeah, yeah. I learned from shop guys, you learn from women, yeah, uh, you know the town gossip. I'm yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 31:06

So I don't know, six one, half dozen the other. They both sound pretty pretty bad. Um but I had seen you know my parents own a successful business. Yeah. And so um, but I didn't know that going into massage therapy, you know, off the bat. I I felt like I was gonna be a really good worker bee, you know, and follow follow the directions, you know, show up, do my job, be ethical, be professional, go home and forget about it, you know. Um, so I think going into business ownership was more in as I matured, as I grew. And I wanted a little more freedom to create my own schedule, still be available for my kids, um, be available, you know, for my husband, yeah, um, be available for my parents um as as you know they were beginning to age and there were some health issues, and I I wanted to I wouldn't have control of my time.

SPEAKER_00 32:15

Yeah, have a better balance between Yes, uh a work-life balance. Um like your priorities in the larger picture of your life.

SPEAKER_01 32:23

Yes, yeah, exactly, exactly. I mean, obviously money does make the world go round, but I I think family and relationships are number one.

SPEAKER_00 32:36

Right.

SPEAKER_01 32:37

And especially when, you know, there are the people that you love and the people who love and support you back, you want to be available for them. Right. And so that's that's where entrepreneurship came in. Um freedom of time mainly to be available for my family.

SPEAKER_00 32:54

Yeah. Do you think seeing your parents their success in entrepreneurship gave you more confidence to do that yourself?

SPEAKER_01 33:02

Definitely, yeah, it definitely did. And um watching them learning from their mistakes, you know, um, and learning from their successes, yeah, definitely gave me a a a front row seat growing up.

SPEAKER_00 33:21

And to ask the little questions and because I feel that way in my business and in my life where I feel very fortunate to I I worked at an advertising agency for a year, but I pretty much went straight from college to being a business owner.

SPEAKER_03 33:37

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 33:37

And I don't think that would be possible without seeing both both of my parents, similar to your story, both of my parents own businesses. And I've seen that I mean, I saw my dad's business fail for one, and kind of outside of his circumstance, but just because of the housing market crash in 2008, and he was in construction, so it wasn't like he was a bad business owner, just circumstances I've watched him overcome things, right? And have that resilience, and that was something they really instilled in me and has given me a huge advantage. Do you think because now your daughters are they're graduating high school or have graduated high school?

SPEAKER_01 34:17

They have graduated.

SPEAKER_00 34:18

They've graduated. Seeing you as a business owner and kind of taking ownership of your story and your time, how do you think that's impacted them?

SPEAKER_01 34:28

Um well, I know that they are both still figuring out what they want to do, like what direction do they want to go in. Fortunately, they are both at um large companies that offer tuition assistance should they decide that they want to go into college, um, or they could make long-term careers at both of the places that they're working. Okay. So that is one thing that I I do feel like I have um instilled in them is work ethic. Show up, do the job.

SPEAKER_02 35:06

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 35:07

You know, um I don't want to say submit to authority, but you know, be be professional. Yeah. You know, do do your own.

SPEAKER_00 35:17

There's a time and a place.

SPEAKER_01 35:18

Right.

SPEAKER_00 35:19

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 35:19

That there when you have higher-ups, you know, either a shift lead or a manager or you know, the president of the company, whoever it is, have respect. That that's what I'm looking for. Have respect for the authority figures in your you know, line of work, whatever that may be. And uh so I I know that they have really good work ethic. And I think beyond anything, whether you are an employee or an employer or the business owner, if you don't have work ethic, it's not gonna, it's not gonna happen. Right. It doesn't matter, right? I mean, you're you're not setting yourself up for success. Right. You know, if you're not gonna show up and do the job.

SPEAKER_02 36:06

Right.

SPEAKER_01 36:06

Um, so I know that the work ethic is has been implemented in both of them because I've heard from you know their employers that they're yeah, great employees, especially they're 20. You know, I I've been around a lot of 20 somethings, and unfortunately, there's not a lot of work ethic.

SPEAKER_00 36:26

Right.

SPEAKER_01 36:27

Um and again, we can go down that societal route. That might be another podcast, but um, but as far as um, you know, where they want to be, I I don't know. I don't know if they want to be a business owner, like they've seen their mom. Yeah, but um, but I hope they know that if they decide to, I'll be their number one cheerleader and support them and hopefully they can learn from my successes and my failures, and you know, I can be a sounding board for them if that's something that they choose.

SPEAKER_00 37:00

Yeah, that's awesome. Yeah, I think that um work ethic is a very important value for one, and two goes right along with what we were talking about earlier of yes, God gives the increase, but you still gotta show up. That doesn't mean you're just sitting sitting idly by. No. So I'm glad that we kind of brought that up too, because I think sometimes in a in the like Christian business ownership world, I guess, it can kind of sound like everything was handed to me. Like everything and I kind of feel that way in my own business where I'm like, both my parents are entrepreneurs and I got a college education and I was like very set up for success, and then on top of that, raising a Christian home where I had great community and uh people leading me in the right direction, people praying over for me my whole life. I mean my my grandparents are also you know, like all of these people that are really truly amazing. Yeah. And that's not to say there's like dark times in my story too, but it's like the larger story is really fortunate and privileged.

SPEAKER_02 38:18

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 38:19

And so I think sometimes that can it's a weird balance of how much you share uh of your story, I guess, because it's right. I don't want it to come across as I was handed literally everything and I have done nothing to get to this spot. Right. But a lot of days, if I'm honest, it feels like that.

SPEAKER_03 38:38

Sure.

SPEAKER_00 38:39

And I don't know if that's a bad way to feel, but most of the time, like it really does what you're saying, where it's just people come in the right time and it's the right person at the right time. And I have been just so fortunate to have clients who I know them on such a personal level, and even if I don't know them personally in the beginning, like it becomes that, and then they refer me to someone else because they know me, and that's in the in what I do in branding and web design. I mean, you're you're paying a lot of money up front. It's not a cheap investment for your business by any means. And I don't really take that lightly either. Like, I don't want to come off as salesy or push somebody to buy like when they're not ready. Like, I want them to know me and know that I'm gonna do a good job. And I just had a client on the phone the other day, and he's like, you know, I was really nervous, I didn't know where to look, kind of like what you're saying. It's like, where do you even go to find somebody? Right. He's like, I'm so glad that so and so recommended you because it's been awesome working with you, and that's like the peak for me when someone says that, when they're like, Oh, I'm glad, like it's like a relief almost to have like a human relationship.

SPEAKER_01 39:51

So well, and I think that's one of the blessings of working with you is you do make it a human relationship, it's not it's not just web design, yeah. It is relational, right? You you get to know the person so that you can provide them their dream, like their their vision, you know. I mean, I kind of told you a few things and then you brought my vision to life because you listened to me, yeah. Making it relational, you make the outcome more personal, you know, for for your clients. So yeah.

SPEAKER_00 40:28

Yeah, it's really a a fun job for me because I wanted to be so many different things when I grew up. Sure. I grew up with an entrepreneur father. So I really did believe I could do anything.

unknown 40:40

Of course.

SPEAKER_00 40:41

Of course. I wanted to be a florist, I wanted to be a wedding planner, I wanted to be an interior designer, like all these different things. Yeah. And then now I feel like I get to be all of those in one because I get to be behind somebody's vision and dream and be a part of that. I also was a cheerleader. So that part comes natural. I'm just like, yeah, you do what you're doing. Exactly. I don't understand football at all. But I was like, you're doing so good. Whatever it is you're doing with that ball.

SPEAKER_01 41:09

I think we're supposed to run.

SPEAKER_00 41:13

It really does feel like that a lot of days where it's like, I'm just happy that someone else is being so touchful, and I'm glad that they fell into my hands to like take care of them for a short time, and then you know, most of the people I do have a relationship with after it's not like just high and dry. Sure. Then I mean we're sitting here a year later, and I'm like, it's just awesome to it is to, you know, still be connected with you. Um, yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Looking forward a little bit with this next year, we're starting to get back into that season where people are traveling and may not be in their regular wellness routine. Do you and the team have any ideas for how to handle that season or even if it's just mental? Like, how are you feeling knowing that that lull might be on the horizon?

SPEAKER_01 42:09

Sure. Um, so during the summer, I encourage everyone to um, especially during the main vacation months, which is typically July. Um, I encourage everyone to take your vacation this month. The the few people that might want to get on the table or you know, get on the mat or you know, pick up the weights, they're still gonna be there. Yeah, you know, you now is a time to take a step back for yourself and your family and take your vacation or just take a few days off to get caught up at home or whatever it is that you're gonna be. Be with your kids while they're out. Be with your kids while they're out of school, you know, whatever it is. And um, so knowing knowing that it's you know coming up, go ahead and start making plans. Yeah, you know, that's awesome. Enjoy, enjoy the quiet, enjoy the the calm and the peace.

SPEAKER_00 43:05

And um, because I mean they're people too, yes, they have things they want to do just the same, just the same.

SPEAKER_01 43:13

So and and that's part of where that you know health and wellness and holistic vibe isn't the you know idol or the obsession that it can be. It's this is a time to take to rejuvenate so that we can be providers, pour into yourself, you know, you gotta have something to give.

SPEAKER_00 43:33

Yeah, yeah. Totally.

SPEAKER_01 43:35

You know, and and during the busy seasons we do find ourselves tired. And you know, I I can see it after, you know, the peak um, you know, times of you know, massage or whatever, like you know, the Valentine's thing. You know, we did a lot of couples' massages. That weekend it was like, you're tired. I need to take a few minutes for myself. And so knowing that it's slower in the summer, take your vacation, take that time so that we can rest and rejuvenate and be be prepared, be ready when the season picks back up.

SPEAKER_00 44:12

Yeah. One last thing I want to ask you is with it being so personal, I mean, it's impossible not to. Like you know the ins and outs of your co-worker, whatever. Yeah. The other business owners in the space.

SPEAKER_02 44:29

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 44:30

Of their life, how do you balance that with expectations of excellence, right? Like at the end of the day, they still do need to provide a service. So and I don't have something in mind, like an example, but just I'm sure things have come up where it's like, you know, this is going on in Jordan's life or Jen's life, and then you also know that they need to pay the rent. Right.

SPEAKER_01 44:52

How do you balance that? Sure. Well, for me, no matter what, I mean, finances are an a necessity. But for me personally, as you know, the the building slash the business owner, my compassion for you as an individual is more important than the financial income. Personally, that that's just my mentality. But um if somebody has something going on, if they're not at their best because of that personal situation, they're not gonna be their best giving a massage, they're not gonna be their best leading the class, they're not gonna be their best training someone. So if there's a personal situation, take care of it. Yeah, family first, my philosophy, family first. Take care of that, take care of your people, take care of yourself, and then come back and be excellent at what you do. Yeah, that that's my my go-to. Yeah, that's it.

SPEAKER_00 46:05

And I mean that's why you started the whole thing in the first place. So it's for your family.

SPEAKER_01 46:09

So it is, it makes sense, yeah. You know, and so yeah, it if if there's something going on, take take care of yourself, take care of your business. And one, keep it out of this space because this space needs to be a holistic sanctuary for our clients, for our customers, for our students. Um, so take take care of it, and then when you're ready, come back. But fortunately, everyone here is 100% professional, and they all have a level of excellence that they expect of themselves. Yeah. So we haven't had any of those issues, truthfully, you know. Yeah. Um, but um, but again, I think that comes from basically being a faith-based environment.

SPEAKER_00 46:54

And everyone being on those same values, yeah. What we all have the same values, having grace for each other, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 46:59

Yes, yeah, and and and that's it, you know, have have grace, grace for each other, grace for yourself. Right. There's days I show up, you know. Yeah, I'm sure there's days you show up. It's like I really don't want to be here today, but I need to show up for my clients.

SPEAKER_00 47:13

Right.

SPEAKER_01 47:14

So sometimes you do have to just kind of put it away. Yeah, for show up and then pick it back up when you go home and deal with it.

SPEAKER_00 47:21

Yeah, yeah. I said that was my last question. You're good. I have another one. You're good. With you, you know, being able to compartmentalize things. Have you found that easier to do now that you're under the name of Oak Wellness rather rather than Paris Cousins Massage LLC? Because before it was like just your name and just you, now it's kind of larger than yourself.

SPEAKER_01 47:45

Yeah, yeah. Um, so Paris Cousins Massage Therapy is under the umbrella of Oak Wellness. So um that is one thing a lot of people don't know that I'm the owner of both. So there is a little bit of a of a distance there, um, which in some ways isn't a bad thing.

SPEAKER_02 48:08

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 48:09

Um, I I don't mind having a little bit of an anonymity? Yeah. Being anonymous a little bit. Um it's not a bad thing, but um, yeah, not having it just be my name, it it has been a little nice.

SPEAKER_00 48:27

So I think that's one thing that's different with I mean, because we talked about work ethic, and you can have a great work ethic and work for someone else, or a great work ethic and work for yourself. Like that kind of applies no matter what you're doing.

SPEAKER_03 48:40

Right.

SPEAKER_00 48:40

Um, but with being an entrepreneur and business owner, that's one thing that you have to kind of sacrifice. Like with when you work for someone else or for a corporation, you can kind of go to the office or go to your workplace, whatever you do, get in the fire truck, whatever it is. Right. And that's who you are, and nothing, you know, that is its box.

SPEAKER_02 49:04

Right.

SPEAKER_00 49:04

And your spouse doesn't affect that, your kids don't affect that. Yeah, when you go home at the end of the day, you take off that uniform, and now your wife or mom or daughter, whatever it may be. But when you're an entrepreneur, that hat really never gets taken off.

SPEAKER_02 49:21

No.

SPEAKER_00 49:22

Because someone's texting you at 9 p.m. on Sunday, or it's in the back of your head, or you're falling asleep and you think of something, and like it for good better or for worse, like that's just the reality. Is like it doesn't turn off. No, no, ever.

SPEAKER_01 49:37

No, it doesn't.

SPEAKER_00 49:38

But at least if it's like somewhat compartmentalized, you can show up more fully when you have a separate space and a separate identity, I think.

SPEAKER_01 49:51

And in in that, um I guess compartmentalizing it is one way, but setting boundaries, setting healthy boundaries. Um, if somebody's texting me personally at you know nine, ten o'clock at night, one, they're not gonna get me because I'm already asleep. Right. Like my bedtime's nine o'clock. Um I'll respond to you at 5:30 when I wake up in the morning, but um, but setting healthy boundaries, knowing when to just not answer the text message, not read that email. Um, you know, there are the times when I wake up at three o'clock in the morning and go, that's how I fix that problem. You know, but you know what? Thank you, God, for giving me that thought and that's still be there in the morning. It will be there. Please let me go back to sleep for a couple more hours.

SPEAKER_00 50:41

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 50:41

And then get up and deal with it. Yeah. So it's it's it's setting healthy boundaries as well.

SPEAKER_00 50:46

That's one thing uh a life coach was talking to me with a few weeks ago of just it's tempting for me. I'm trying to fall asleep and I start thinking of all these things. I'm like, I need to write down. Right. Which is like, what if you don't? Like, what if you can just know, like, hey Brian, thanks for that. Let's revisit that tomorrow, like at the appropriate time. So it's for me, it's like boundaries of myself. Yeah. Like it may not even be someone else saying something, it's like me that's like, no, I need to work all hours of the day.

unknown 51:20

Sure.

SPEAKER_00 51:21

Sure. So yeah.

SPEAKER_01 51:22

And it is tempting to do, especially, especially when you enjoy doing what you're doing. When you love what you're doing, when you love it, it's hard to turn it off. It is hard to turn it off. But yeah.

SPEAKER_00 51:34

But you have to at some point. You do have to sleep. You do have to sleep and rest and all those things too. Yeah. So sure. Yeah. Well, thank you so much for this conversation.

SPEAKER_01 51:44

It's been it's been a pleasure. I love it.

SPEAKER_00 51:46

I've learned so much about you and Oak Wellness, and it's yeah, it's always awesome to get to talk to people doing the same thing I'm doing. People can connect with you on you're on Instagram. Yes. Are you on Facebook?

SPEAKER_01 52:00

Um, so Paris Cousins and Massage Therapy on Facebook. Okay. And then PCMT at Oak Wellness on Instagram. And then my website, you design3, oakwellness.center. Yep. And um, and we also have our own branded app if you want to schedule an appointment.

SPEAKER_00 52:21

And starting email marketing, I guess. Yeah. So I'm always happy to hear that. Yes. Um, all the things, and we'll link it all in the show notes for people. But awesome. Well, thank you so much. You're welcome, Abby. Thanks for coming and seeing me. Not ready to say goodbye, me neither. Follow along on Instagram at flourish.foundry to stay connected day to day or join my email list for freebies, new episode updates, fun links, and more.