We recently connected with Elisa Roush and have shared our conversation below.
Elisa, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today What’s the backstory behind how you came up with the idea for your business?
My personal wellness journey began more than 3 decades ago when my then Mother-In-Law gifted me a cookbook that explained Whole Foods and the differences between white/wheat flour, good/bad fats etc etc…. So this holistic path began for me with nutrition which naturally led to alternative methods of healthcare, ie; homeopathy, herbal medicines, and massage therapy for pain management. There were many people around me looking for pain relief without the use of drugs. They wanted something natural. I decided I wanted my work in the world to be part of the solution, providing relief to people who were wanting something natural, safe & non-addicting. I enrolled in a degree program for Massage Therapy and have found the work so rewarding. I am also trained in Yoga and Ayurvedic Wellness and have combined my 3 passions into a program for restoring balance in frazzled nervous systems, minds & bodies. It is my mission to guide people in the ways of REST.
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
Rest is elusive to most. Women especially. We get caught up in the snowball of life and often don’t give ourselves permission to slow down & catch a breath. There is often an underlying “story” we tell ourselves around why we don’t rest; we’re lazy, we don’t deserve to slow down, there’s not enough time/space/money whatever to rest & recuperate. Resting is essential for building our resilience to the ever changing, over demanding, always on waves of daily life. My Ayurvedic Wellness programs are for women who know they need & want more presence in their lives. I walk them through creating small yet impactful shifts which often begins with learning how to rest. Massage and Ayurvedic bodywork is also available and encouraged for clients who live nearby. Yoga is sprinkled into the mix along the way as I guide clients either through restorative style poses/asana or soothing meditations that are meant to calm & relax
We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.
Being willing to ebb & flow with the external things that I cannot control has been hugely resourceful to me. Stressing over a seasonally influenced schedule was not fun. I had to learn to squirrel money away for the slow times and trust that once season hit, I would have a full schedule again. And that has absolutely been the case since day 1. But it’s hard to trust the unknown in any situation. It’s uncomfortable when you don’t know where/when your next client is coming.
What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?
For small businesses who do not have huge marketing budgets, it’s tough to get your name out there. I have tried spending lots of money on ads etc. While that may work for some, I found it very unsatisfying. What has worked for me has been word of mouth as well as building relationships with other professionals that compliment what I do.
Contact Info:
- Website: restorationbodyworkfl.com
- Instagram: @restorationbodywork
- Facebook: Restorationbodyworkpbc
Image Credits
image #1. Lori Griffith Image #2 Tally Schizzano