We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Chasidy Criswell a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Chasidy, appreciate you joining us today. Getting that first client is always an exciting milestone. Can you talk to us about how you got your first customer who wasn’t a friend, family, or acquaintance?

During my year-end school clinicals in massage school, I got my first client. My other job at the time was hostessing at a restaurant. My manager supported me being a student by allowing me to place my clinical appointment cards in the same area as the other businesses. One day, a customer noticed I was studying note cards during lunch. They asked me what I was studying for, and I explained I was studying for my massage therapy license exam. After our great conversation, they gave me their business cards and told me to get in touch once I passed my exam. Unfortunately, I failed my first attempt. In the second attempt, I passed the massage therapy test by 14 points and was overjoyed that I had been able to obtain my license. I contacted the customer a week later, telling them I had passed the exam and was ready to take clients. My career finally became full-time because of this complete stranger.

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.

My name is Chasidy Criswell, and I have been a licensed massage therapist for eight years. During my first semester in nursing school, I realized that it wasn’t my calling and got out before it was too late, lol.

Among the therapeutic massage services I provide are Swedish, Deep Tissue, Prenatal, Cupping, Sports, and SportStretch. Services are currently provided on-site at the client’s convenience. The purpose of my work is to help clients restore their relaxed states that have been altered by stress, anxiety, and high-level day-to-day activities.

A unique aspect of my business is that I also have clients who are professional athletes in the NFL, NBA, XFL, MILB, and MLB. Most of their services are pregame preparation and postgame recovery, but I do some preventive injury work on them as needed. As a former athlete, I understand the importance of proper bodywork to enhance performance and prevent injuries.

My hope is that one day massage therapists will be recognized for their contributions to the wellness and sports industries.

What I want my clients, followers, and fans to know about me is that I am not your average massage therapist. Gentle Haven isn’t just a place, it’s a feeling. “Haven” means a place of safety or refuge. Therefore, when clients receive services, they feel safe, comfortable, and can release the stresses of the world into my hands to be taken away. In my service, I care for my clients’ mind, body, and soul. I believe people buy who you are as a person before they purchase a product or service.

What’s been the most effective strategy for growing your clientele?

For me, the best strategy for attracting new clients is to be myself, to attend continuing education courses, and to keep up a great work ethic. Word-of-mouth referrals are the primary source of most of my clients. Social media is rarely used to advertise, though I post to stay current with the algorithm.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

In the aftermath of COVID, my life was shook up, as I and my children had already outgrown our small two bedroom apartment. The time had come for them to have their own rooms, as well as more space to run around and be kids. When the lease on my apartment ended, and money was scarce, I moved back to my hometown in Louisiana until we found a new place to live. In the interim, I drove back and forth to Texas to provide services to my pro athletes, while still searching for housing for us. When I finally got the call about a place becoming available, I checked it out, and it was more expensive than advertised. Bummer! Back to the drawing board, I saw nothing that caught my eye, and places were way too expensive.

With the new school year just around the corner, the economy was still not 100%. Our stay with family was extended but work also slowed down for me. It’s hard to make ends meet at this point because we’re penny pinching. At this point, we were on the verge of homelessness. As if things couldn’t get worse, they did. We find ourselves in the middle of one of the deadliest ice storms. I was involved in a terrible car accident with one of my kids. My car is totaled, and we are both injured. In spite of this, I never lost faith.

I am amazingly resilient when it comes to surviving as a single mother. Taking a moment to process life’s punches will allow you to come back and rebuild yourself better than before. And that’s where I am in life and business, building it back up again. In my belief, you can start over as many times as you need to. It reminds me of the late singer Aalyah’s song “Try Again,” which is one of my favorite motivational songs.

By sharing my story, I hope to inspire others to keep going, stay positive, and stop judging others based on social media. Entrepreneurship is only shown in its beauty, but it can also be ugly.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://pocketsuite.io/link/gentlehavenmassage
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/gentlehavenmassage
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/gentlehavenmassage
• Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/chasidycriswell

Image Credits
Shanelle Hope at Always Have Hope Photography