We recently connected with Ashley Shears and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Ashley thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. We’d love to hear about the best boss, mentor, or leader you’ve ever worked with.

Years ago when I was first starting out in the massage field, I worked at a small women’s boutique in Louisville, KY, called Sister Dragonfly. Locals know of this amazing, eclectic store that drew you in with its warm colors, local artwork, hilarious greeting cards, women’s style, & infamous hound dogs. But the best part of this store was its owner, Jane (my boss & friend). You see, Jane was (& still is) an exceptional human. She sees all of your gifts, strengths, & weaknesses, & nurtures them to help you grow into your best self. If I didn’t know how to do something or flubbed on a transaction, she took a compassionate approach to help me learn & grow through those moments. Her approach was so different from any other boss I’d ever had & I will forever remember & be grateful for her kindness through those growing years. My journey eventually lead me to leave Sister Dragonfly but the lessons will stay with me always.

Since then I’ve been met with phenomenal mentors & leaders in the barefoot massage community, most of which have been my fellow instructors at the Center for Barefoot Massage. Jeni Spring, owner of the company, is a pioneer in the barefoot massage field. She has taught me so much about my potential and, like Jane, has nurtured my gifts not only as a massage therapist, but also as an instructor. Her resilience & tenacity in elevating the massage industry is unmatched & she continually inspires me to put my best foot forward (pun intended). 👣

Ashley, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

Hi there! My name is Ashley Shears, licensed & certified barefoot massage therapist & instructor with the Center for Barefoot Massage. I started my massage journey in Louisville, KY and after multiple repetitive-use injuries found my way to specializing in barefoot massage, a deep tissue modality that utilizes my feet as tools instead of my hands & allows me to deliver deeper than deep tissue techniques comfortably & effectively for clients & myself! After building a successful business in Louisville, I decided to spread my wings & move to the west coast to share my gifts.

My business, SoleCal Barefoot Massage & Wellness, is located in Tustin, CA. My goal is to help clients “heel” from chronic pain, stress, & injury so they can live a healthy, balanced life by treating them mind, body, & “sole” and giving them tools they can use outside of their massages to help maintain the progress we make during their sessions.

In addition to helping clients, I also teach with the Center for Barefoot Massage helping licensed/certified massage therapists save their bodies & extend their careers by specializing in Myofascial Ashiatsu Barefoot Massage.

I have a genuine love for helping others live a healthy life & I believe it shows throughout the work I do. Having a degree in the health field, accompanied by witnessing my loved ones battle terminal illnesses in addition to managing my own injuries throughout the years has given me a lot of experience & compassion towards the health & well-being of others.

If there was one thing I’d want potential clients/followers/fans to know, it’s that I genuinely want you to be able to live the life you love without pain. My business stems from the heart & my sessions are full of compassion. The art of my practice radiates from my soles to my clients’ souls & it’s a beautiful thing to see my clients heal from their pain. It truly fills my heart with joy knowing that I’ve been able to help them live their lives a little easier. I’m grateful for these gifts and my practice allows me the opportunity to continue to give back & “heel” the community one step at a time…

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

After building a successful business in Kentucky, I wanted to spread my wings to grow & share my gifts out on the west coast. Little did I know that 9 months after my cross-country excursion, the world would shut down. That’s right–after years of saving, planning, & moving my life away from all I’d ever known to start anew, the 2020 pandemic hit. Massage was not permitted & I was stuck at home to figure out what the next steps would be. This brought on a bout of panic & anxiety attacks–something I had never before experienced.

Having completed my Yoga Tune Up® training a month before shutdown (a movement therapy using conscious corrective exercise to help minimize pain), I was aware of another class connected with the training that taught how to tap into our innate gifts via our breath & nervous system to help decrease stress & anxiety. I signed up mostly to help myself but, as it turns out, the work was so phenomenal that I decided to incorporate its teachings into my sessions upon reopening.

Now it’s not only a huge part of my daily life, but an integral part of my bodywork sessions. Each session begins with utilizing the tools I learned from that class. The benefits not only help decrease stress & anxiety, but also prepare the nervous system to receive the deep tissue techniques of which I specialize. The best part? Clients love it & the tools they learn help them through life’s daily struggles, just as they helped me get through that tough uncertain period of time.

Training and knowledge matter of course, but beyond that what do you think matters most in terms of succeeding in your field?

My journey has shown me that having compassion towards others can go a long way. Genuinely caring about the well-being of others coupled with amazing services & professionalism has done more for my business & relationships than anything else. Highly recommend!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://solecalbarefootmassage.com
• Instagram: @solecalbarefootmassage
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/solecalbarefootmassage
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashley-shears-cmt-lmt-bctmb-a479b4141/
• Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/solecal-barefoot-massage-and-wellness-tustin
• Other: http://socalbarefootmassagetraining.com https://www.facebook.com/socalbarefootmassagetraining Instagram: @socalbarefootmassagetraining

Image Credits
All images captured by: https://www.instagram.com/brandstoriesby_vanessa/