As an outsider, breaking into an industry can often seem like an impossible challenge and so we reached out to some very generous folks who agreed to share their stories of how they broke into their respective industries.

Tausha Jackson | LMT and Certified Body Contouring Specialist

I landed my first job as a Student Massage Therapist for a Chiropractor. I was referred by my Instructor, and to say I was nervous was an understatement! She was so confident in me and felt I was ready to put my skills to the test. It was challenging, however I was grateful for the experience. It actually helped me to learn the body faster and apply some of the things I’ve learned to my sessions. I also took the time to learn the Business, my goal was to launch my own Business in a year or two once I was comfortable enough to start seeing Clients on my own. Read more>>

Annetta Ramsay | Ph.D., is a nationally certified and licensed counselor, and a Certified Eating Disorders Specialist. She runs an eating disorders group therapy program in Denton, Texas

When I was working on my Ph.D., I told my classmates I wanted to have a practice specializing in the treatment of eating disorders. My classmates laughed, because at the time, no one was treating eating disorders, and the niche practices weren’t a thing. A great deal has changed in the past 30 years. Now, we have an extensive body of research informing treatment protocols. Most importantly, most professionals and more and more of the general public understand that eating disorders are a specialty. We do treat co-morbid conditions, like depression and anxiety, alongside eating disorders, but treatment of eating disorders requires special knowledge and training. Read more>>

Dr. Chantal Davis | Doctor of Chinese Medicine and Acupuncture

I graduated from Acupuncture school in 2009. At the time, there were very few jobs in the field. I knew that I was going to have to pave my own way and build my practice from the ground up. Today there are more jobs popping up in the field of Chinese Medicine but the salary does not reflect our education or qualifications. Fortunately I had the drive and confidence to build my own practice despite some who tried to dissuade me. I was told the area was saturated. True, however, despite the number of acupuncturists here, there are still many people who have never had acupuncture. I also knew that those who needed me would come to me. Read more>>

Joanna Yanez | Womb Wellness Center in San Diego

I started working in a holistic raw foodist detox center doing abdominal massage. Back then, abdominal massage was not as well known as it is today. It was difficult finding a job in my specialty of sobada de martiz (womb massage) and abdominal massage. The colon hydro therapists LOVED when their clients saw me for an abdominal massage before their colonic because, they would have such greats results during their treatment. This inspired me to create a specialized treatment we offer called Detox Abdominal Therapy. Read more>>