We recently connected with Cagney Nay and have shared our conversation below.

Cagney, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Can you share a story about the kindest thing someone has done for you and why it mattered so much or was so meaningful to you?

There was a period, following my divorce, when I felt that I could no longer afford to live in Los Angeles. I was considering moving to the east coast where I had extended family, and where i felt that the cost of living would be more in line with what I could afford. I was reluctant to leave LA for many reasons, not the least of which is that I had just started studying massage, and my youngest daughter was entering eighth grade. I really didn’t want to move my teenage daughter across the country away from her school, her friends, and her father. In an act of kindness that I still sometimes struggle to fathom, my wonderful friends reached out to me and offered us their guesthouse. They knew that I was working hard to create a new life for my girls and myself and they wanted me to finish my massage program and they wanted my daughter to finish school where she had started. This offer changed everything for us. I sold my house which allowed me to finish my program and I was able to get both of my daughters through school. We didn’t know it at the time but it would also eventually help all of us get through the darkest days of the pandemic and, ultimately, it allowed me to gather the resources that I needed to be able to purchase my business. Being in the guesthouse has been a gift of friendship and family during some of the toughest times in my life. I will forever be happily paying forward this kindness.

Cagney, 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?

When my 21-year marriage ended quite suddenly, I realized that I needed to work towards building a stable long-term career. Thinking that I had some time to dedicate to the effort, I went back to school and started to work on a master’s degree. In late 2016 our lives changed dramatically when my ex-husband lost his job and would, as it turned out, remain unemployed for several years. I knew that I had to expedite my career plans and learn a marketable trade that would allow me to earn a decent hourly wage. Now that I was a single mother and the primary provider and caregiver for my kids, I also needed to do something that allowed me some flexibility. With all of this in mind, I decided to pursue a certification in massage therapy.

I attended the School of Integrative Psycho Structural Bodywork (IPSB) in Culver City. I moved through the program as quickly as possible and after I graduated and passed the required national certification exam, I went to work for IPSB as their scheduling manager and admissions advisor. Working for the school in this capacity taught me a lot about running a small business. I also regularly checked in with Healing Hands as I waited for there to be an opening so I could begin my practice. I had been a client of Healing Hands and knew that it as a great business model where I knew that I could be my business owner and develop a clientele. Meanwhile, I built up my private clientele by word of mouth. The wellness community is so generous with referrals and sharing clients and that helped me enormously. Once I was given the opportunity to practice at Healing Hands, I knew that I wanted to have a business just like it. I eventually made an offer to one of the founding owners and everything moved very quickly after that.

One of the most remarkable things about Healing Hands is that there are many therapists who have been there for years – in some cases, a decade or more. When it comes to our practitioners, we have historically had very little turnover. However, after the pandemic we needed to bring in a few more therapists. Because of my experience at IPSB, as both a student and as the admissions advisor, I know a lot of wonderful professionals and I am happy to say that several of them have brought their practices to Healing Hands. We have a wonderful, warm, caring, talented, thoroughly-invested group of practitioners.

Healing Hands is such a great fixture in the Larchmont community and being a co-owner has been one of the great gifts and opportunities of my life. I feel like I have finally arrived at what I as meant to do all along.

I am really glad that, at 50+ years old, I took a risk, It is so rewarding to provide my community with a place for wellness. I know that our space is warm and welcoming and that people come away feeling better. Healing Hands has the best, most loyal clientele and I am proud to co-own a business that gives both new and established practitioners a place to practice and be small business owners themselves.

Let’s move on to buying businesses – can you talk to us about your experience with business acquisitions?

During the pandemic I had to sell my house and I knew that I had to do something smart with some of the proceeds from the sale. I have always wanted to own a business but was never sure how to get started or how to raise enough capital. I’m not sure what prompted it, but I suddenly realized that the best path for me might just be to try to buy into a business that was already established and thriving. I contacted a broker and we started looking at all kinds of businesses…everything from mom & pop establishments, to franchise opportunities. Around the same time, Covid restrictions were starting to lift and I was able to return to massage and went back to work at Healing Hands. One evening I was chatting with the manager and told her that I was shopping for a business but was really hoping to own a place like HHWC. She suggested that I speak to one of the founding owners and make her an offer. Once she had accepted my offer, I met with the other founding owner (now my current partner) and shared my thoughts and ideas about how to help the business recover, post-COVID. I knew that I wanted to broaden the services that were offered which included bringing in an esthetician and a new acupuncturist. Things moved very quickly after that. It was an easy negotiation and because it was a business that I already knew fairly well, it felt quite natural.

Any advice for growing your clientele? What’s been most effective for you?

To be honest, I am aware that marketing is not my strong suit – but I understand the value of good customer service. One of the great things about Healing Hands is that it has a long and loyal customer following. We have been in the same spot on Larchmont Blvd. for 20 years! I know that in this community (in which I also happen to live) word of mouth is really crucial. I felt that if we expanded our services, word would spread quickly and it has. The unique thing about Healing Hands is that we actually have two sets of clients; in addition to massage clients, every practitioner at Healing Hands is an independent business owner working within our space and they rely on us to book and manage their schedules. The success of Healing Hands means providing a supportive environment in which they are able to comfortably and successfully practice and I take that responsibility very seriously. The best strategy is to offer the best services and I truly believe that the massage therapists, chiropractor, acupuncturist and estheticians at Healing Hands are the best there are.

Contact Info:

• Website: healinghandswc.com
• Instagram: @hlnghands
• Linkedin: Healing Hands Wellness Center

Image Credits
Phoebe Jarvis