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

Noemi, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. 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.

I’ve taken many risks and continue to do so, but the one that has changed my life was deciding to open up another brick and mortar business in 2020 after losing my first business in 2019.

My story is failure isn’t really a loss if a lesson can be learned from it.

2017- I decided to pursue my dream of opening up a luxury, boutique holistic wellness spa and yoga studio in what I believed was my dream city-Sarasota. Living by the ocean in a place where I believed my little business would be welcomed and thrive.

2018-Commercial leased signed on a shell retail space that had to be fully built out. Red Tide Disaster began during construction-Summer 2018 local economy collapses. Construction is delayed a few months, cash flow is non-existent, I’m piling on debt because I cannot operate. This dream is becoming a nightmare and I can’t get out of it.

2019- We open 2 weeks before Christmas and begin to feverishly market every which way possible in the new year. Red Tide caused Sarasota to declare a State of Emergency and businesses are shutting down, people are losing jobs and leaving. I’m so far in the hole financially I’m panicking every day and scared of how I’m going to pay all my bills. Someone approaches me offering to buy my business for the location-an existing business looking to expand. My way out, so I said Yes! June 2019, I vacated my space in 2 weeks after it took me a year to build. I was devastated and lost, the death of a dream. I spent the summer in solitude in the mountains of NC to heal my broken heart and spirit, to hopefully find a spark again.

2020- I came back to Lakeland Nov. 2019 with another dream of opening up a secondary brick and mortar. A modified, humbled version of my Sarasota business, with just my services and a retail store. I viewed a property in our downtown area that wanted to be subleased and I said let’s do it! March 2020 we occupy the space to prepare it for a quick turnaround to begin operation in April. State shutdown happens, not fazed, stayed positive I would be ok. June we operate and my business exploded! The community had been needing a holistic, metaphysical, spiritual wellness practice and the pandemic made people flock to me for help.

2022- Expanded from just myself to a larger facility with 10 practitioners and have plans for 2023 to grow online and create retreats for individuals to come from all parts to experience mindfulness, rest, restoration and healing.

I took a risk when a loss that changed my life also taught me to pick myself back up and try again, to keep going. I didn’t have a dream to just let it die, allowing it to haunt me. I shifted my mindset, concept and did the emotional work to strengthen myself to try again. Through Failure, I have found Hope, Passion and Tenacity to share my ever expanding dream with my community and the world.

Noemi, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I own and operate Pura Vie Holistic Studio. Pura Vie or PV as I say, is a spiritual, mindful and holistic wellness practice that specializes in self-care as healing. Not a Day Spa whatsoever, the PV Collective, the practitioners that bring my dream to life, are all spiritual-based therapists with unique skill-sets that serve our unified mission: to help people heal their mind, body, and spirit.

We offer Integrative Bodywork, which means Energetic Healings, Eastern-Style Massage Therapy and Western-based treatments as well. We separate our bodywork so that all people can feel comfortable wherever they are at in their spiritual and health journey.

We also offer Natural, Organic and Vegan skincare treatments that utilize plant and fruit-based ethically sourced and made products to produce results-driven outcomes for individuals looking for Clean, Green skincare and age-gracefully.

We also offer Spiritual & Energetic Readings such as Tarot Therapy, Life Wheel, Cord Cutting, Shamanic Healings, DNA Activation and Intuitive Guided Sound Bath Meditation for those that want clarity and are open to growing their gifts, abilities and connect to their own Higher Power.

Last, we offer classes and workshops that are interactive, fun and highly educational on various Spiritual, Metaphysical and Holistic topics. We are the only business in the Lakeland community that provide these resources and are proud to do so to help those who need guidance.

I have been a practicing Bodyworker for 16+ years and I’m an Intuitive Sound Healer as well. I am currently shifting my career to become a Shamanic Healer and Online Spiritual Coach to launch Soul Healer Coaching in 2023. This will be a new avenue to reach people globally who are seeking guidance in finding their soul purpose, align themselves to their true identity and heal their mind, body and spirit to fulfill their purpose and live the life they desire. I also plan to organize a Transformational & Spiritual Retreat as well. The studio will continue to grow as we introduce a brand new menu in October and move into a fully-integrated Spiritual center, I’m very excited about this shift.

Can you tell us about what’s worked well for you in terms of growing your clientele?

The most effective strategy for growing my clientele is this: Stay True, Authentic, Passionate and Genuine in your work within your Community. Do not be afraid of what the naysayers may say or do, if you are doing everything with honest intentions, it will manifest as abundance for you. Do not change or conform to suit the people that go against you, that’s not your customer even though you want to help them. They may not be ready for you, and that’s ok. Serve everyone that is open to you and send positive energy to those that need to walk a little further along in their journey. Be firm in your boundaries and learn to listen to your inner voice, it is your compass and guide to your life, trust it.

From a technical business perspective: Word of Mouth and Social Media: Instagram/Tik Tok. Collaborate with other entrepreneurs that are aligned with your vision, mission and business. Making solid partnerships in your community builds your support and grows your awareness.

If you could go back, would you choose the same profession, specialty, etc.?

If I could go back 15 years ago, I would choose the same profession. I would certainly take some different paths and enjoy life by being in the present instead of being hyper-focused on the future. The dream would be the same, but I wouldn’t stress out over personal timelines and harmful projections I created on success. I would just be happy, free, travel as much as possible, make mistakes and learn the lessons so that I would have a strong, healthy foundation to execute my dreams from a grounded and stable mental and emotional place when the timing was right.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.puraviespa.com
• Instagram: www.Instagram.com/puravie
• Facebook: www.Facebook.com/puraviestudio
• Youtube: https://youtube.com/channel/UCZJOQXacWiQPxu0v_iJ3vew
• Other: Podcast on Spotify: Pura Vie Holistic Studio: Guided Sound Bath Meditation.

Image Credits
Wer Lost Boys Media