We recently connected with Chelsey Kapuscinski and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Chelsey, thanks for joining us today. 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.
In June of 2017, I graduated from the Dr. Ida Rolf Institute of Structural Integration in Boulder, CO, and hit the ground running with my private practice in NYC. I was in my mid-20s, and like many New Yorkers of that age, I was counting every dollar that I spent and earned. Unable to afford commercial space, I turned my kitchen into my work studio. Though I was able to curate the space with lighting, music and cleanliness to make it feel welcoming to clients, it was still a kitchen. Mourning doves, sparrows and cardinals landed on our little fire escape and would peer in curiously as I gave Rolfing sessions and taught yoga to my clients.
After about a year, I was hitting momentum with consistent new + returning clients and my patient boyfriend, whom I lived with, was ready to reclaim our kitchen. It was time to level up and get a real, professional office. I looked at dozens of them on Craigslist, Facebook and the Listings Project and set up a visit at 117 Dobbin Street in Greenpoint, Brooklyn. The manager was Italian, friendly, and a little flirty, and the studio itself has exposed brick walls, high ceilings and filtered light from the window. I loved it, but I was terrified of taking on the overhead expense. “Would I really be able to keep up the momentum, was I good enough?” were questions that kept me awake at night.
I asked the universe for a sign that I was making the right decision, and shortly after I saw a truck with an Italian flag on it. It was good enough for me! I signed my first commercial lease and what ensued was a real example of, “if you build it, they will come.” My client roster doubled within my first few months of opening in this professional setting. I still have that cozy little studio and have since expanded into a second, larger studio within the same building so I could grow my group practice, the Brooklyn Mindbody Collective (BMC). BMC was born out of my vision for a holistic health center that would bring together skilled, caring professionals to better serve our clients while also supporting one another as a community. As of this writing, we have a strong team of 7 practitioners offering a range of complementary services: massage therapy, physical therapy, somatic psychotherapy, acupuncture, herbal medicine, Rolfing, reiki, private yoga and more!
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
My name is Chelsey Kapuscinski. I am a Certified Rolfer®, Thai Bodywork Specialist, and Advanced Certified Yoga Instructor. As you can see from the titles, I am one of those people who never stops learning! I have always been curious about the human experience, sensitive to others’ feelings, and desiring to help alleviate suffering while working in a career that keeps me engaged.
My curiosity about the human experience initially led me to study Cultural Anthropology at NYU, where I become acutely aware of the world’s problems while living and working “in my head.” In truth, it was depressing. Right around that time when I was becoming disillusioned with academia, I moved into a new apartment in Sunset Park, where my housemate introduced herself as a healer. Ever the anthropologist, I asked her what type of healing she practiced? “Rolfing,” she responded. Like most people, I had never heard of it. But there was something that captivated me about this woman. She was more alive, sensitive, and intuitive than anyone I had ever met. She worked for herself and it was clear that her work was deeply fulfilling.
One day, she gave me a 10 minute introductory Rolfing session, and I immediately felt like I could breathe more deeply than I ever had! She took me through the Rolfing 10 Series, 10 session that holistically resets the whole body from head to fingers and toes so that it moves, breathes, and feels better with long-lasting improvements in pain, alignment and stored stress/emotions. During this time I felt myself arrive in my body in ways that I hadn’t known were possible. The best way I can describe it is that my body felt more awakened, more alive, and more capable of moving with strength, coordination and ease both in my yoga practice and everyday life. I used the rest of my undergrad time as an anthropologist to study both Rolfing and acupuncture ethnologically, gathering career research for my inevitable pivot into the healing arts. I would get to help make the world a better place with my hands and heart, not just my head!
Today, I deeply enjoy my career of offering private Rolfing, Thai Bodywork and therapeutic yoga sessions. I also occasionally teach in-person workshops and online courses with a focus on experiential education that imparts students with empowering knowledge and skills to better care for themselves.
After 4 years of going it alone in private practice, I had a vision for creating a holistic health center that would bring together skilled, caring professionals to better serve our clients while also supporting one another as a community. The Brooklyn Mindbody Collective (BMC) was born from this vision, and we now have a strong team of 7 practitioners offering a range of complementary services: massage therapy, physical therapy, somatic psychotherapy, acupuncture, herbal medicine, reiki and more!
From the business side of things, BMC is creating a new frontier for practitioners whose only other options previously were to work for someone else (as an employee or independent contractor) or work alone. Both have major downsides that the collective model of working together mitigates because it supports practitioner freedom and financial gain while providing a strong collaborative element.
I’ll admit that I am super picky when choosing practitioners to join us at BMC! We have a rigorous interview and vetting process in place. I am proud to say that I can confidently refer my husband, friends, and clients to any of the practitioners in our collective because they are all utmost professionals who are highly credentialed and passionate about what they do. I believe that happy practitioners provide better, more effective treatments, and at BMC, I know we are all caring for our clients in the best ways we can.
Unfortunately, I think everyone reading this has experienced an instance where they felt unheard and dismissed by our healthcare providers, or otherwise uncomfortable in their care – this can happen in a medical office or in a massage spa. On the other hand, at BMC we understand that the therapeutic alliance, or interaction between the client and practitioner, is vital to bringing about a positive clinical outcome. In other words, it’s not just what we do, but how we do it that matters. We value clear communication, professionalism, and honesty in our interactions with clients. It’s important to us that anyone who entrusts us with their care feels safe and heard. The way that people feel in our space also matters, which is why we’ve utilized biophilic design principles such as windowed lighting, organic textiles, natural patterns and colors, and living plants. This interior style is inherently relaxing and grounding in its reminiscence of the natural world.
All of our practitioners are fully trained and certified in their modalities. We see, listen to, and treat the whole person, not just the symptoms. Many bodyworkers elsewhere use a standard, one-size-fits all sequence whereas our experienced practitioners tailor every session to the individual based on two-way communication and clinical assessment. Our sessions also typically last longer than you might find at other places, to allow us to be thorough in our one-on-one work.
Can you tell us about what’s worked well for you in terms of growing your clientele?
Our most effective strategy for growing our clientele has been a strong online presence. Nowadays this is absolutely imperative, as the majority of our new clients report that they find us through a Google search. We show up high in the rankings because of our dozens of 5 star reviews, professional photos, listing of our services. From there, many people visit our website to where we provide information that clearly shows them who we are, what we can help with, and what they can expect in terms of quality of care when they choose to trust us with their health.
For example, someone may run a Google search for “Rolfing in Brooklyn,” then when they visit our website they can read on to understand that Rolfing helps with many kinds of body pain and alignment problems. They will also see reviews, photos of our practitioners and our space. All of this builds crucial trust. Potential clients have the option to book a free 15 minute phone consultation with any of our practitioners if they want to connect with us personally and ask more questions. We have fully automated online booking that makes scheduling quick and convenient!
We also have a strong social media presence on Instagram in particular. Our practitioners regularly share inspiration and education via our platform which helps with building confidence in our brand and keeping in touch with current clients. We have a thoughtfully written and artfully designed newsletter for the purpose of connecting with our community, as some people prefer to read tips and information through e-mail. It makes my day when my clients tell me that our posts and newsletters help them with tips and insights to support their physical, mental, emotional and spiritual health!
An excellent service experience is the backbone to any business’ long-term success, while having a strong online presence is like the limbs that keeps the business moving smoothly!
What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?
A lesson I’ve had to unlearn was this deeply ingrained idea that I had to try to do everything on my own. This hyper-independence, or the illusion of it, causes a lot of personal suffering while limiting our growth potential as entrepreneurs. I call it an illusion because, really, none of us are an island: We need each other. Along with our big brains and opposable thumbs, collaboration between individuals and groups of individuals is a hallmark of our human species.
Nonetheless, the myth of the American success story of one who single-handedly pulls themselves up by their bootstraps is alluring! As a Capricorn millennial woman living in NYC since the age of 18, and an only child until the age of 8, independence was one of my core driving principles in life. I shied away from cliques in high school and college because the mean realities of gossip and rejection terrified me. Being social in groups of more than 2-3 felt far too vulnerable most of the time, so I adopted the persona of a strong, independent woman as compensation.
Knowing what I now know about somatics, or the interplay between our psychology and bodily experiences, I can see that the result of this illusory hyper-independence was a deeply ingrained rigidity and tension. My traps were always rock hard, my breathing restricted, my solar plexus flared in a subconsciously practiced gesture of adorned confidence. Fortunately, this is no longer my baseline mind-body pattern! While I still identify as a strong, independent woman, my self-concept has grown to include more softness and grounded vulnerability, with an emphasis on building quality relationships both in my work and personal life. In a practical sense, this means asking for help, trusting others, saying I don’t know, waiting to respond if I’m feeling activated, practicing non-violent communication, asking people what they think about x problem and implementing appropriate solutions based on their suggestions. I’ve been working with an administrative assistant for the past few years and that has made a huge difference in my ability to delegate daily tasks and responsibilities. When you find good help and partnership in others, make sure to treat them exceptionally well, as they are the key to your success and sanity!
To me, these are all practices and qualities of an effective leader. A leader is like a guide in the Himalayas: they’re with you to point out the path; to watch out for the literal and metaphorical pitfalls; they walk the path with you, but not for you! A leader is only given that title because she has a group of other people to lead. She is confident but not arrogant, strong but not rigid, willing to continue to learn and adapt. Unlearning habits of hyper-independence is important for leaders in any field.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://brooklynmindbody.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brooklynmindbody
- Facebook: https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=&ved=2ahUKEwinptbEot2BAxVwFlkFHVnJDF4QFnoECBAQAQ&url=https%3A%2F%2Fm.facebook.com%2F1454303501490199%2Fphotos%2F%3Ftab%3Dalbums%26locale%3Dth_TH&usg=AOvVaw0_Uyzehba6dKkp2F1FLSRc&opi=89978449
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/brooklyn-mindbody
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@brooklynmindbody
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/brooklyn-mindbody-collective-brooklyn?osq=Brooklyn+mindbody
- Other: https://goo.gl/maps/NzkuqPfQMmMq6QQL9
Image Credits
Claudia Paul, Derek Goodwin