We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Melisa Mitchell. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Melisa below.
Melisa, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Can you open up about a risk you’ve taken – what it was like taking that risk, why you took the risk and how it turned out?
My entire business has been a series of risks–a succession of moments where I thought about what I want and bet on myself instead of what seemed to make sense. Despite being a full-time high school teacher (a job that is often a 7-day-a-week job), I began to build my practice and client base. Despite being busy and working 7 days a week, I added an additional day of availability to see clients. Despite being in the middle of a pandemic, I returned to offering in-person sessions, even though my healing modality works remotely. Despite nothing changing with my day job, I continued to grow my client base and my practice to include teaching and training, then got my own business space. Despite having my hands full, I added a retail component to my business. Despite the hefty financial investment and rent that costs each month about what I was making from sessions when I moved in, my business has continued to grow exponentially–I have made back my initial investment and then some. My bank account balance has never been higher.
From a “rational” perspective, none of this makes sense. Starting a new business is risky, especially when you can only work a few hours a week. I believe strongly that doing work that I’m passionate about that helps other people at a time when people are looking for answers and healing, this risk was the right one to take. I took a chance on myself and on this healing practice, and it has paid off more than I could have imagined.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
Through century-old healing techniques, The Space Within provides emotional and physical support, training, and tools to those asking the Universe for guidance. I am a Holy Fire® III Usui and Karuna® Reiki master, Certified Medical Reiki Master, certified animal Reiki practitioner, trained crystal healer, and experienced educator. I am passionate about the importance of self-care and about supporting my clients to heal through Reiki. Through one-on-one in-person and distance energy healing sessions, Reiki training classes, and other workshops, I work to support my community to heal themselves, change their lives, and grow boundlessly into their highest best.
Reiki energy can be offered in support of conventional and complementary medical treatments for a variety of physical, mental, and emotional illnesses and conditions, as well as for spiritual healing. I have supported my clients in managing chronic pain, the side-effects of chemotherapy, migraines, grief, anxiety, insomnia, depression, effects of trauma and abuse, and recovery from addiction.
In the last six months, I have expanded my business into my own space, which includes a space for Reiki sessions as well as a classroom space for trainings and workshops and an ever-expanding crystal shop where there are hundreds of different stones available to support healing.
How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?
I think what has helped me to build my reputation is the consistency of what I offer and its alignment with my values, which are unwavering. I work hard to build relationships with my clients and students that center them and their healing journey rather than me and what I can offer them. I offer them healing energy and connect them with resources, tools, and information, but the healing is theirs to do. I make sure that what I offer is aligned with my values and my own background, ensuring that I am aware of and transparent about my own identity and how that impacts the way I do business, conduct sessions, and offer support. I don’t make promises that I cannot keep regarding the healing and spiritual growth processes, hold space for my clients and their journeys without judging or trying to change them, and always center their highest good.
When people feel seen, heard, and not judged, they can experience a greater level of healing. Most of my business flows to me through word of mouth, and that is the best feedback I can get.
Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?
I had to unlearn that marketing investment will yield business growth and that I could simply do the work behind the scenes. I have spent a lot of money on marketing, but not one paid advertisement has brought me a penny in new business. Putting my financial resources into a solid brand, a beautiful website, and my own space were the best investments I made. More business has come to me through my website than any other source–I have ostensibly wasted too much money on print and internet ads. Ultimately, those ads brought me out of integrity with my vision and my core clientele. I now focus on local opportunities to attach my face to the name of my business–people meeting me in person or seeing my published content online are more likely to connect with my offerings than if they see a print ad in a magazine targeted at a select demographic. I want my business to be focused around community healing, so I have refocused myself into my community rather than drumming up more attention from outside of it. Flyers, community events, business cards left at other local businesses, and word of mouth have gotten me connected to more clients, customers, and students than anything I’ve spent money on that was less personal. When you are a small business, YOU ARE the business, and people need to see you and know who you are. 
Contact Info:
- Website: https://thespacewithinreiki.com
- Instagram: @thespacewithinreiki
- Facebook: https://facebook.com/thespacewithinreiki/
Image Credits
Melisa Mitchell