We recently connected with Cierra Boots and have shared our conversation below.
Cierra, appreciate you joining us today. We love heartwarming stories – do you have a heartwarming story from your career to share?
Oh man, so many good ones come to mind. Spending Valentine’s day in the hospital with a baseball player who got his hand sliced open from metal cleats. One of my football players, who, seven years later, still tells me I saved his life. There’s my soccer girls’ who memorized the whole sideline concussion assessment tool, so I had to get creative and make up my own. The firefighters, who just wanted to hear about the goodness in my life to bring a little sunshine during their hellish days. The NFL bully turned best bud. The list goes on.. So I think I’ll give you a heartwarming story that I’m probably the most proud of because it comes from the perspective of a bystander looking into an emergency situation I responded to. The following letter was submitted, without my knowledge, to the principal of the High School I worked for.
*Fictitious names and dates have been given where necessary to conceal the privacy of those involved.*
Dear Mr. No Man,
Clutch High School Principal,
I would like to commend one of your Clutch H.S. staff, Ms. Boots, Athletic Trainer. I’m currently a detective with the sheriff’s office and a trained first responder with over 30 yrs. experience. In 2018, I was volunteering working the sideline chains for the Clutch vs Vessel freshman football game.
I witnessed one of the Vessel football players become injured in very close proximity to where I was standing on the sideline. It looked to be an ankle injury and the young man was screaming in pain.
Several Vessel coaches were first to provide aid. While they were present trying to provide aid, they appeared to be overwhelmed by the situation. When Ms. Boots arrived on scene, a minute or so later, she immediately not only triaged the injury but also controlled and managed the scene. Any time a young person is injured emotions run high. The player’s mom came onto the field and quite frankly was in full panic mode, as one might expect. The mom was looking at her son who was screaming. Ms. Boots calmly and professionally was not only able to calm the mom down but used her to comfort her son. It’s hard to recreate an emotionally stressful scene on paper and do it justice. I was just so impressed how one person could take a totally chaotic scene, during which I had concerns the patient was at high risk of going into shock, and turn it into a controlled scene where the patient was receiving care while mom held his hand. Ms. Boots communicated with all parties involved. It was quite amazing to witness. Ms. Boots was then able to manipulate the injured player’s leg, giving him immediate pain relief. This young man went from blood curdling screams and sheer and total panic to a controlled whimper. It was quite remarkable to witness. At this point both the player’s mom and dad were present and the relief on their faces was instantaneous. Ms. Boots continued to provide aid and communication with the injured player and his parents.
As a trained first responder I have witnessed a lot of scenes where people have been injured. Ms. Boots’ handling of this particular scene was outstanding and highly professional in my professional opinion. As a parent and father of a football player I’m very comforted to know Clutch H.S. has a trained professional such as Ms. Boots who can provide aid and treatment to my son, God forbid he was to become injured. I’m sure the Vessel player’s parents feel the same. Immediately after the incident, a Vessel coach looked at me and said, “She is a stud,” referring to Ms. Boots. I must say I would agree with his assessment of her performance.
Jeff Robascoitti,
Parent, Volunteer,
Detective, San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s Office
Sexual Assault Felony Enforcement
The timing of this letter is really only that of God. At the time, the school board was in discussions to decrease the level of care I’d be allowed to perform. Once certified, Athletic Trainers are then regulated from state to state via licensure. However, not all states have passed licensing for our profession. What does this mean? Oftentimes our hands are prematurely tied by those put in positions to make a decision with zero knowledge of the profession. Meaning, even if we are trained and skilled, we might be under a contract that doesn’t allow us to perform specific skills needed to treat you or a loved one. It’s in your best interest to advocate for licensure in all states! Thankfully, the decision hadn’t been made just yet, and I was able to perform at my full potential in this scenario.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Cierra Boots. I am an unconditional lover, always looking for the good in any given situation, stubborn as all get out, not afraid to tell it like it is, work well under pressure, played football in high school, a seven wing eight on the enneagram, love my dog, will most likely play devil’s advocate when giving you advice and would do anything for my inner circle. God and yoga ground me, checking things off a to-do list makes me happy, enjoy living life on the edge, travel? Yes, please! If I can make you smile when you are feeling sad, I know I’ve done my job and do my best to not waste time being mad; I’ve got better things to give my energy to. I work in the Sports Medicine profession as an Athletic Trainer, but that’s not all. I am also a professional organizer, a caregiver for my mama, a makeup artist and have an eye for design, DIY’s and always up for a good time. I dance West Coast Swing as a hobby, but have a hard time turning down the opportunity to compete in it as well. I am intentionally creating a life I love, constantly training my brain and advocating for personal growth. You won’t find me sitting back to the default of life, nah. I’m more of a “grab the bull by the horns” kinda girl.
Post high school, I had my mind made up, I was going to fashion school. Or so I thought! Back then, my identity lied in my love for the game of soccer. So, when push came to shove and the same opportunity continued to call my cell, I eventually couldn’t say no. I left Las Vegas, NV for the one stoplight town of Quincy, CA to continue my passion for soccer. While studying at Feather River College, I gained the best mentor. Guess what?! He was the Athletic Trainer of FRC. Basically, he gave me a way to pay for college by way of becoming his mini me and I just happened to LOVE it!! There was zero doubt in my mind that after two years of working as a student athletic trainer, no four year school could have my soccer talents unless they also met my criteria of having a CAATE accredited Athletic Training Program for me to study in.
Cumberland University won me over and I’ve been practicing in my profession ever since.
My dad has always planted a seed in my head that I should be my own boss. It always sounded appealing when he’d talk about it but I hadn’t really allowed my mind to go there until January of 2019. I attended a conference called Dream Builder Live and it was pivotal. I left that conference so on fire to build my dream life and I honestly haven’t looked back. It’s now a way of life for me. I started mapping out my dreams piece by piece. The more moves I make to pursue my dreams, the more of a reality they become.
Within my Sports Medicine profession, I currently offer one on one Athletic Training Sessions, mindset coaching, spa services and athletic merchandise. Fashion didn’t fall too far off the tree! I decided to pursue these avenues of Sports Medicine because they are often neglected. The traditional setting of Athletic Training doesn’t always allow for clients to receive one on one attention. I would find myself carving out time for specific individuals that I could tell needed it most and in those sessions, an even greater problem was revealed to me. And it’s one I am SUPER passionate about; mindset. How many of you have heard the famous quote by Yogi Berra “Baseball is 90% mental, the other half is physical.”? It’s not just baseball that this rings true. Athlete after athlete, struggles with the mental side of their game. Most coaches focus 100% on the physical. Maybe they attempt to tap into the mental side of the game (shout out to my high school soccer coach for having us do positive self imaging for 5 minutes before every game we played) but it’s usually foreign territory and next to impossible to give each individual the attention needed to help them rise to the top of their mental game. That’s where I come in. I’ve yet to find any other Sports Medicine company that is healing the body and training the brain. Plus, I will motivate you, challenge you, and empower you to achieve at your highest level. LET’S GOOOOO!!!
As for the other professions, I’ve acquired those along the way; I continue to organize professionally under the fearless leader of Simply Sorted. Caregiving sort of fell into my lap, which is an entirely different story in itself, but the more others stepped down and away, the more I stepped up. Member when I said I’d do anything for my inner circle? Mom qualifies.
Caring for her has led me to tap into my creative side. In order for me to make my “yes” possible, I’ve had to think outside the box. I truly believe that where there is a will, there is a way. In my efforts to support her, we started an Etsy shop, an instagram account, and I became a makeup artist. The more income these ventures bring, the more I am able to stay home and care for her. I’d like to personally invite you all to follow along in our journey by way of our instagram @twochicksandaranch, but honestly, her story so deserves to be heard and supported that I’m hoping another question leads to me telling it.
In the thick of all this, the two things I feel most proud of is my ability to be stubborn in my goals but flexible in how I achieve them and my deck of positive affirmations. Can I just say, when you spend three years creating something and finally get the chance to hold your work in your own hands – I just can’t even describe how surreal that is. And then, when people want to have your work in their hands too?! Like, WHAT?? It is so cool to have my work floating around the world, making it a better place. I know for a fact, had I not been stubborn in my goal but flexible in my method; this deck of cards would still be occupying space in my head, rather than space in your hands!
Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?
Ayeee.. I had a feeling you’d let me tell my story about life with mom! She’s been in my life and my biggest supporter since birth. Isn’t life just a series of pivots? The BIGGEST pivots in my life have happened with her by my side. Let me break our most recent ones down for you.
Pivot #1: In 2017, she was diagnosed with dementia, early onset of alzheimers. She went from living life at full speed, to being put on disability. My step dad, Luis, retired early and they went on to follow their retirement dreams. The four summers that followed, you could find me on their ranch, relieving Luis of his caregiving duties and spending time with him and mom in their version of paradise. Fun fact, Luis is the reason I pulled the trigger on purchasing my domain and creating a website. Wix still charges my renewal fees in pesos.
Pivot #2: In March of 2021, mom and I entered into the hardest and saddest season of life. We lost Luis to complications that arose from his initial covid vaccination. Ultimately, his organs began to swell, his heart failed, and the hospital that would be able to treat him best denied him due to being at capacity. He was gone within a matter of hours from learning he was sick. It still feels like there is a whole in my heart from his passing so I can only imagine how mom feels. I remember boarding a plane a few hours after his passing and asked God to never let mom forget this, because I couldn’t fathom having to be the one to remind her that he is gone. Thankfully, she still remembers and we are able to reminisce and grieve the loss of him together.
Pivot #3: I brought mom back to texas, with intentions of getting her settled in with my little sister and a support system that made all things feel possible. Then reality hit. That support quickly dwindled to being unwilling and feeling obligated to help. We made it work for some time but, forced energy is easily felt and it took a bigger negative toll than mom and I ever gave it credit. The tricky thing here is that the duties of caregiving only increase over time. Meaning, my “yes” to caring for mom became a full time job, on top of my other full time jobs.
Pivot #4, 5, and 6: A month after Luis passed, we lost grandpa; mom’s dad. Three days after that, mom’s dog died. Talk about being crushed while you’re down! I remember thinking, “Okay God, it happens in threes right? So, are we in the clear?” Couple months later, mom’s betta fish died. Icing on the cake.
Pivot #7: Just as mom and I start to feel weight being lifted, as if we aren’t in the thick of transition anymore, we are knocked down again. The grieving of our step family started bleeding into our financial stress. My step sister surprised us by discontinuing her rental payments on our parents home. Since the mortgage is in mom’s name, I’ve had to hustle extra to keep her in good standing with her mortgage company. Mix in declines in mom’s health, her need for 24/7 help, double the rent for a step sister who is still squatting, establishing health insurance, doctor visits, new medications, power of attorney, supporting her as she starts a brand new life, learning and navigating the do’s and don’t of dementia, comforting her while we both miss Luis, working a job where all I do is care for other people, to go home and care for another person. IT IS A LOT! Oh yea, I also launched and started running my company during this time.
Pivot #8: While everyone and their mom started working from home, my profession kept me on the field. I’d been working on releasing an e-course but needed to shift into something that would provide more immediate financial relief. As previously mentioned, my efforts to support her, came in the form of an Etsy shop, an instagram account, and me learning all things makeup. I couldn’t just add more to my plate without also reconsidering the direction of my company.
Pivot #9: Can I just say, NEVER! In my wildest dreams. Did I ever think I’d have a home studio? This thought came about and the space came together so quickly, that I still don’t think I’d ever have a home studio. Can I also say, it has been the best decision I ever made. I am currently accepting new patients, so if you’re local and want a session, PLEASE reach out!!
Pivot #10 & 11: Stay tuned in to our Instagrams, as this will become public knowledge soon enough!
I want to say that “it” (the home studio and other ventures) is meeting our every need. That’d be wrong though. It’s God. It’s the doors he’s placed in my way and it’s the ability he has given me to be tapped on and tuned in to his direction. It’s also the strength and courage he continues to pour into my life, mom’s life, and those that lend an encouraging word or helping hand out of the goodness of their hearts. It’s also an attitude of finding the good and making the process fun, starting scared and not giving up when it gets hard. Embracing change as inevitable and reframing failure as growth.
Oh, the pivots of life!
How did you put together the initial capital you needed to start?
Funding is one of the biggest invisible hurdles I had to jump. My pride didn’t want help from anyone else and I was unwilling to take out any personal loans. The combination of these two sticking points created space for me to drag my feet just long enough to get caught up in chasing someone else’s dream for a year and a half.
Sure, I still plucked away at my company and silently launched. I would tithe money to my dream every month and spend it on little things that felt like they didn’t make much of a difference in the grand scheme of things. But the reality is that I couldn’t do all the things I wanted to do because I couldn’t afford it. I have an all-in kind of attitude so my current donations to my future self felt measly and pointless most of the time. I wasn’t seeing any return on my investments. Add in the distraction of being newly responsible for another human being and the comfort the financial stability I was getting in my 9-5. Yup, I was STUCK.
There is a sermon I listened to that spoke about God’s purpose in your life knocking at a door. The pastor reframed fear and obstacles for me by describing them as the devils way of adding a detour. Distracting me from opening the door and walking through it; doing what I was made to do. Let me tell you, the fear and obstacles were plentiful! I had every justifiable reason not to press on. There was a transitional period of taking mom in that could have crushed me. There were so many people telling me that I was crazy for taking on all that I had. That putting my dreams on hold or exploring the idea of putting mom in a home was the better way to go, fully knowing that she’d spoken the words “I’d rather die than be put in a home.” As if, both things couldn’t co-exist.
The moment that clicked for me; that funding my business was just an obstacle, and the thought that I might not be able to provide for mom was just a fear. The doubts that would seep in, like how in the world can I care for mom and run a business? There is really no point in listing all the things beyond painting a picture for you. The moment I began to starve those thoughts, I made room for expansion.
Y’all I would literally pray non stop for God to expand me. If I was meant to do all the things I needed him to show me I could. Over and over again, he has shown up and placed doors in my path. All I had to do was walk through them. He is my strength and the reason I am able to do all the things today! Funding didn’t stand a chance against me living out my purpose. Thankfully, a toxic work environment was just the kick I needed to get me back into gear.
In May 2022, I officially let go of living inside my cozy paycheck and decided to make my company more official with a bank account and a space of its own.. sort of. In the spirit of “doing what you can, where you’re at, with what you have”, I found a pretty awesome credit card that encouraged me to spend the entire credit limit within three months. After all, I’d be earning cash back and bonuses. I also had a crazy thought to turn a master bedroom into a treatment space, a bathroom into a spa and a closet into a boutique. I stepped out in fear and did exactly that! The space is fully functioning, so if you’d like to schedule a session, just reach out! I’d venture to say that by the time this article is printed, I will have paid off my entire investment ON. MY. OWN!
Contact Info:
- Website: For Everything: https://msha.ke/c.bootsco.?fbclid=PAAaYkWpBLp-AfLBgBSys2Q6VMda1z43szQLPTBwmX_kDN9KLWo7hqrP2eesU
- For Clutch Vantage: https://www.
clutchvantage.com. - For TwoChicksAndARanch: https://
www.etsy.com/shop/ twochicksandaranch?ref=seller- platform-mcnav - Instagram:
- Personal: @cbootsco
- For Clutch Vantage: @clutchvantage
- For TwoChicksAndARanch: @twochicksandaranch
- TikTok: @cbootsco
- Youtube: @cbootsco
Image Credits
Caleb Lucas