Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Annie Coleman. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Annie, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. We’d love to hear the backstory behind a risk you’ve taken – whether big or small, walk us through what it was like and how it ultimately turned out.

The dream to start my own business was always in the back of my mind, I’d find myself thinking about it while I was working on clients. I’d imagine where it would be, what it would look like, how it would feel to not have to bust my a*s to support someone else’s dream and not have much for myself in the end. Then, I finally overworked myself. I got an overuse injury that kept me from working for almost an entire YEAR. During this time, I also became pregnant with my son which drove me to want more – I wanted more out of life, I wanted more time with my family, I wanted to be able to work on my own terms! I researched how to start a business and took all of the necessary steps, I found a space to rent, I bought all the necessary equipment and 2 months after giving birth to my baby, I opened the doors to my own massage therapy studio! I had no idea what I was doing as far as business ownership, so my prices were ridiculously low, I was marketing to all of my old clients from my previous job just to help build a base. About 6 months later, I hired a business coach which was the single smartest thing I could’ve done! I had NO idea how to run a business, we were never taught that in massage school! What I had was a dream, an incredible skill, and the drive to get to where I wanted to go.

The first year (2019) was rough financially, lucky for me I have a hard-working husband who was able to pick up my slack while I worked on building. Then 2020 hit, we all know what happened there… I had to shut down my business a month after moving it to a new city! I was closed for 11 weeks. Rather than let that time just drift away, I used it as an opportunity to rebrand. I updated my offerings, my pricing, my website, all the things, and even having been shut down for nearly 3 months, I still doubled my income from the year before. Every year since then my business has seen increasing financial growth, in fact this year, I am on track to break six figures! Just me and my hands and a massive following of loyal clients that appreciate the results they get from my work.

If you knew me, you’d know it’s no secret that I am a fly-by-the-seat-of-my-pants kind of gal, which doesn’t always go as planned but this time it has changed my life for the better. The growth I’ve experienced as an entrepreneur, a mother, a female business owner, is greater than I ever could have imagined and would never have happened if I didn’t follow my dream and take the chance on myself.

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 didn’t always know that I wanted to be a massage therapist. I actually wanted to pursue Athletic Training. I was getting ready to graduate with my bachelor’s degree in Exercise Science from St. Olaf College when I met with Olaf’s Head Trainer to discuss my plans. He told me that I would need to apply to the University of Nebraska, which was the nearest school at the time to get my Master’s in Athletic Training… I’m sorry, what? Nebraska? Why was this the first I was hearing about this?? I didn’t want to go to Nebraska (nothing against you Huskers), so now what was I supposed to do?? I remembered a class I had taken where we needed to research 3 careers regarding our majors and one of mine was Massage Therapy. Two months after finishing my program (I did an extra semester to make up a few courses), I registered for a Swedish Massage Course at Sister Rosalind Gefre’s School of Massage. It was a 3-month class that either ended with a certificate of completion, or one could enroll to the full 18-month program, which I did. And it took me 3 years to finish! One year in and I was so burned out I couldn’t fathom opening another textbook, so I took a break and got a full-time job at a local casino as a cage cashier on the graveyard shift. And I hated myself for it. So, I went back. I did my classes during the day and/or evenings and worked overnight. I finally graduated in January 2008, immediately quit my job at the casino and started to look for work as a massage therapist. I gained my experience working in various clinics, spas, but ultimately landed at a massage chain for 8.5 years (cue overuse injury), before landing myself as my own boss in my own practice.

It took a while to decide on my niche, but after giving birth to my son and having a slew of pelvic and low back issues myself, I came to the conclusion that I needed to help women with neck, back and hip pain. Our bodies are so unique and the physical demands that being female puts on us is incredible – not only are we designed to create and build human life, but society puts so much of an expectation on us to be “more” and to do “more” and to do it all at once. The amount of stress a woman carries truly makes her feel as if she is carrying the weight of the world on her shoulders!

I want the woman who comes to me to know that I am here to provide refuge for her to leave her worries at the door. She is greeted with a smile when she walks in, the decor is feminine and cozy. To ensure she feels heard, we discuss her needs and wants for the session before we begin. During the 60-, 90-, or 120-minute appointment, she is encouraged to utilize the complementary add-ons such as aromatherapy and cupping. Her session includes relaxing hot towels and, if we did deeper work, application of a CBD based pain relief ointment. She also has access to amenities to freshen up before she heads back out into the real world. My pricing is all-inclusive so there is no extra charge for any of the above! If she so chooses, she has access to the infrared sauna and red light therapy to enhance her treatment (this is additional pricing). And because it is my goal that the entire process be seamless for her from start to finish, all of my booking is done online and I have adopted a no-tipping policy, which makes the checkout process stress-free.

Putting training and knowledge aside, what else do you think really matters in terms of succeeding in your field?

This likely applies to other careers as well, but I firmly believe that in order to succeed as a solo massage therapist, it is imperative to find a mentor or business coach. As I’d mentioned before, we aren’t taught anything about building or running a business in massage school and I’ve NEVER met a massage therapist who didn’t ultimately want to have their own practice. Don’t waste time and money and resources trying to figure it all out on your own, find someone who has already done it and is in the place that you want to be and learn from them.

If you could go back in time, do you think you would have chosen a different profession or specialty?

I would choose to be a massage therapist over and over again, I love it so much! It is equally exhausting as it is rewarding, and I wouldn’t change a thing! The people I have had the pleasure of meeting and working with along the way are priceless to me and I am so grateful for every one that has come into my life because of what I do.

Contact Info:

• Website: anniecolemanmassage.com
• Instagram: @anniecolemanmassage
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/anniecolemanmassage
• Linkedin: Annie Coleman
• Other: Google: Annie Coleman Therapeutic Massage for Women

Image Credits
Just Be. Photography