We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Kacie Palmer a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Kacie, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Let’s jump to the end – what do you want to be remembered for?
It is my hope to leave a legacy of love and genuine caring for others. As a business owner each time I make a decision I strive to think of the impact it will have on those within my span of care. I believe it is the responsibility of each of us to love and care for one another. I hope that each person entering my business feels cared for. At then end of the day I just want those around me to know they are important and loved.
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?
I was initially drawn to massage therapy because I was suffering from chronic pain. I thought, who better to help those hurting than someone who truly gets it.
After school I had a boss that wasn’t the right fit for me. My confidence suffered and after just a year of massage I walked away.
Fast forward 5+ years and my husband was applying for Grad School. We were unsure how we would make ends meet during that time and it felt right for me to go back to massage therapy. I can’t explain it, I just knew the time had come.
We moved across the country to a state/city we’d never visited before. I was hired as a massage therapist for a franchise where I would work for the next 3 years. I was blessed with a leader who believed in me, and I flourished as a therapist. Building a clientele of absolutely wonderful people and a place that felt like home.
In the Summer of 2022 that all came crashing down. The ownership announced that at the end of the year they’d be closing their doors. I was completely blindsided. After about a month of sadness and with a major push from my husband I decided I was going to open my own massage studio.
With almost zero qualifications I got to work. I recruited two insanely talented coworkers and they committed to working for me in the new year. I am still to this day unsure what they saw in me that would make them feel that was a wise choice.
I spent the next five months preparing. Living in a state of complete anxiety, self doubt, and panic. I dug as deep as I could and pressed on.
On closing day we had a lovely party and immediately following my husband drove up with a moving truck and together we loaded all the equipment I had purchased from my former employers.
My husband and I would spend the next week (over Christmas) preparing the new two room studio we had leased to open.
On January 3rd, 2023 we opened the doors to Enid Massage Studio, named after my late grandmother. We were met with overwhelming support from our clients and started off with a bang!
Nine short months later the opportunity arose to move into a bigger location within the building. This move would require us to build out the space and invest majorly. Although this opportunity came up roughly a year before felt comfortable, we jumped in! Walls were built, plumbing was moved, paint added, and so much more. In March of 2024 we opened the doors to our four room studio. The first space felt good… this space felt like home. Our staff has grown from the initial 3 of us to 6 now… and one amazing therapy dog.
The thing I am most proud of is staying true to my desire to care for others. The first years in business are brutal. So much learning takes place, mistakes are made, and you have to pivot a lot. I am proud to say I have always strived to provide the best environment I can for my staff as well as clients. Even when I felt like staying in bed and pulling the covers over my head. Small business ownership is brutal in a lot of ways. However, it is simultaneously one of the most rewarding and best things I have done in my life.
Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?
A lesson I’ve had to unlearn is one of self doubt. I’ve had to learn to stop asking myself, “Why me to do x,y,z?”.
The best way I have found to unlearn this is to show up each and every day as the version of myself I hope to be. I am imperfect and I have a lot to learn, but that’s part of being human. My humanity doesn’t make me unworthy. It’s my right just by existing to get to try again and again as many times as it takes. For that I am grateful.
How do you keep your team’s morale high?
You have to KNOW your people. If someone asked you what is going on with an employee and you can only list what’s going on at work- you don’t know them. Your team is going to respond to you best if they know you genuinely care about them.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.enidmassage.com
- Instagram: @enidmassage
Image Credits
Nick Heger (@_nheger_)