We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Lyndzey Dare. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Lyndzey below.

Hi Lyndzey, thanks for joining us today. Can you share a story with us from back when you were an intern or apprentice? Maybe it’s a story that illustrates an important lesson you learned or maybe it’s a just a story that makes you laugh (or cry)? Looking back at internships and apprenticeships can be interesting, because there is so much variety in people’s experiences – and often those experiences inform our own leadership style.

I started out as a volunteer for a friend’s apprenticeship program and ended up being the quickest graduate. My friend asked me to be the guinea pig for a few new things she was learning. I thought she was going to do some fancy massage technique so I was shocked when she started muscle testing me and making my weak muscles strong. I was so intrigued I agreed to volunteer for other students to practice on me. The teacher offered me a spot in his program when he saw how well I retained the information. In that moment, I had no idea the course of my life would change. All of the anatomy lessons and case study lessons I learned shaped me into the therapist I am now. I saw the body from a completely different mindset than the other students in my class. I wasn’t planning on becoming a massage therapist but the more and more therapists I met, the more defined my passion became.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

After my own journey as an athlete, I learned a lot about the limitations of various methods of body work. I also learned that everyone seems to think their method is the best method. For me, I set out on a mission to provide a service that thinks outside of the box and is able to flow with the clients healing journey. Massage isn’t as simple as “press here because it hurts here.” Many people in pain want a massage, but are often left disappointed when they go to a spa. Getting a traditional full body massage does a great job at relaxing someone. Sometimes you can even get a full body massage that is deep and makes your whole body feel loose for a day or two. When someone has had an injury or chronic pain, a generic massage isn’t going to resolve the issue. Your body isn’t segmented into sections that can be isolated, so ignoring the root cause will lead to the issue returning. Compensation is a huge piece of the puzzle during recovery. Rarely does someone have an achy shoulder or low back pain and immediately seek out care. Instead, they keep living life and dismissing the magnitude of their pain, creating compensation patterns. If the whole body isn’t viewed globally, the bigger picture is missed, and you are left feeling hopeless. Seeing a massage therapist that listens to your health history and can evaluate your condition is vital for the success of your recovery.

Can you talk to us about how you funded your business?

I constantly work on my money mindset. Growing up, my parents had a lot of financial instability and I carried that with me. I worked constantly but always concerned the money wouldn’t be there. When I moved in with my husband, I became a stay at home mom for my step kids. Money was extremely tight.

Previously I had taken an apprenticeship and became certified to teach continuing education for massage therapist. For several weekends I taught classes but one school near my house I fell in love with. There was an open house during the week so I went to meet with teachers. As soon as I met the anatomy professor, I knew I had to attend.

At the time, we didn’t have the money for school let alone a business but I told the universe that if I could get enough money for the deposit, I would go. Well the universe provided me several students who needed to take the class I taught in a one on one setting. The amount of money I made just happen to be the exact amount the deposit cost.

Within a few days, word got out at the gym I trained at that I taught continuing education and that I was going to massage school. One of my training partners asked if I would “do whatever I was teaching” to her before a big meet. After the first time we met, she decided everyone needed to know that I could do this. She “interviewed” me for a video on Facebook and we posted it. Within a day I had so many people contacting me interested in my services.

One of the interested people was an old gym member who ended up coming every week for a month. He decided that his coworkers needed my services. The money I made from working there while I was in school paid for my tuition and the supplies I needed to open my business.

I can not thank every person that took interest in my services enough. Some of these people valued me enough to make the drive to my studio once I switched to having one location. The money came when I needed it for my purpose.

What’s been the best source of new clients for you?

I am incredibly thankful that word of mouth has been the majority of my marketing methods. The hairdressers and esthetician that work in the same building have graciously sent their clients my way. I don’t offer traditional spa massage so I prefer having a little bit of a vetting process. When the other ladies I work with share their experiences, potential clients get a good idea on if I am a good fit as a therapist for them. It truly helps breed very loyal clientele that have offered to give google reviews. I believe that the google reviews help vet completely new clients who don’t know any business women in our building. These brand new clients also give me the opportunity to recommend the hairdressers and esthetician. I believe that while it is all about who you know, its only matters if you provide a quality service.

Contact Info:

• Website: encouragewellnessandperformance.com

Image Credits
Heather and Phillip Collier of Applehead Photography