We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Dee Jeffries a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Dee , looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Risking taking is a huge part of most people’s story but too often society overlooks those risks and only focuses on where you are today. Can you talk to us about a risk you’ve taken – it could be a big risk or a small one – but walk us through the backstory.

I knew I wanted to own a business before I knew I wanted to be a massage therapist. I had been searching for a skill I could leverage into self-employment. I didn’t expect to fall in love with massage the way I did. I had just completed a personal training program when I decided to extend my education and learn massage as well. I enjoyed the program, but more importantly, I had an intuitive understanding of how to help people. I knew I could turn this skill into a business, but I didn’t trust myself. I’d never run a business before.

So I took the first job that was offered to me out of school. It paid…okay. Especially for someone like me, who’d quit their job to accommodate school and couldn’t go another minute without income. Yet, less than a year passed before I realized that my skills as a massage therapist combined with my natural ability to sell meant I should be earning more than I was. My second job was a high paying disaster and i quickly jumped ship to a company that paid slightly less but was more stable. I worked with wonderful people and flourished there for four years. Once again, I realized that my skills outstripped my pay. I searched again for a better paying job. It was deja vu. Another high paying nightmare. I made a snap decision on a Friday night and quit my job. Two days later, I took my first appointment as a sole practitioner.

Many people plan and save for their first business, but I didn’t have that luxury. I had no savings, no business plan, not even a business name. I just needed to make rent and quickly. I couldn’t afford business cards, so I bought a stamp with all the pertinent info- my name and job title, my phone number, and my rates. I stamped everything and sometimes people. I told my friends to tell their friends about me. I showed up on time and massaged like my life depended on it. I undercharged. People talked. Soon, every house I visited had two clients waiting for me. I did mobile massage for six months before I realized that mobile work didn’t fit my life and it was right around then that I met my landlord/mentor.

This was at the end of 2019 and we all know what happened next. Yet despite the pandemic and all that came with it, I am about to celebrate five years in business. I’m still learning how to be a business owner and I suspect the lessons never end, but here is what I’ve learned so far: Kindness will take you a long way, and honesty will get you the distance.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I learned personal training and massage therapy at the same school. The former definitely deepened my understanding of the latter. Understanding movement patterns and habitual postures is how I am able to help my clients move away from chronic pain and develop habits which improve their quality of life. I’m always happy to see people walk and move with more ease, or have someone tell me they’ve been able to rekindle a hobby due to improved mobility. I’ve witnessed more than one client avoid surgery using preventive measures like massage therapy. After a decade, this is still the best part of my work.

What’s worked well for you in terms of a source for new clients?

Hands down, word of mouth is where 80% of my business comes from. The way you treat people matters. I go out of my way to foster friendly relationships with my clients and create a safe space for them. That makes them enthusiastic ambassadors for my service. They send their parents, spouses, siblings, and friends.

Can you open up about a time when you had a really close call with the business?

In 2022, I was very close to closing. I wasn’t getting referrals, which was my main source of new clients. I couldn’t figure out how to get new people in the door. I was pretty close to broke, so I hired a marketing company using the last of my funds. Three months later, no new clients. Not even one. I was looking into what I’d need to do to properly shut down when I got a business loan offer from my credit card processor. I wasn’t gaining new clients, but the people I had were consistent enough that they were willing to take a chance on me. I took the loan and it gave me some breathing room to make my next step, which turned out to be Google. For free, I set up my business page and convinced some clients to leave me reviews.

I immediately started to get business. I asked everyone how they found me and it was always a Google search. I paid back the loan in less than a year. What I learned from the experience is that I could have saved thousands by starting with the basics.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://soulwellmassage.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/soulwellmassage/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/soulwellmassage
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dee-jeffries-3b059a244/

Image Credits
Keyonna Renae of Copper Key Studios