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

Shenel, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today The first dollar your business earns is always special and we’d love to hear how your brand made its first dollar of revenue.

The first client I had that was not someone I knew was from someone who messaged me on Facebook. I joined a group called “Ask a Local”. Someone was looking for a licensed massage therapist who did mobile massage. I provided my service menu and the client booked with me the next day. Putting yourself out there and not coming across as too pushy attracts the clients you want.

Shenel, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I decided to go to massage school in 2024. Seeing how AI was quickly changing how we work and play, I realized I needed to learn a skill that did not require electricity. I gave massages to friends and family in the past. They encouraged me to go to massage school to see how much better I could get. I learned about the Advanced Mastery Program at the Academy for Massage Therapy Training. I started taking classes in September 2024, graduated in July 2025 with honors and a grade of 98/100. This was a huge milestone for me because I was balancing going to school and interning while working 40+ hours at my day job as a project manager in the construction industry AND helping run two non-profits. I knew this was my calling when I would have clients waiting 4 weeks to see me and would book 2 to 3 hour massages with me.

After I graduated in July 2025, I passed my state exam on my birthday in August, and then started my Radiantly Rimando business in September 2025. I rent a room at a spa, offer mobile massages, chair massages at festivals or offices, and also massage as a pro therapist at the Academy for Massage Therapy Training during the weekdays.

I specialize in wellness massage, deep tissue massage, trigger pointing, manual lymphatic massage, oncology massage, sports massage, intraoral massage for TMJ, and manual lymphatic massage. I have a lot of clients who have tech neck, lower back issues, or are athletes. I have helped many people find relief through my techniques. Being able to help my current clients and take care of new clients when I can has been a blessing.

What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?

I think having a diverse background and having friends in the healthcare field has given me an edge to help massage my clients in a way that helps alleviate their pain or stress within the time they can afford. For instance, I have a friend who is a Sports Medicine doctor, a friend who is a Neurophysiologist, and another friend who’s a Physical Therapist. I learned anatomy from them and was able to learn faster. With a strong understanding of how the body works, I can touch a muscle and know what the cause of the problem is without the client telling me. It helps me use the right modalities to help the client feel better faster.

It is through my success stories and word-of-mouth that I’ve been able to build my clientele. They’re my raving fans and I appreciate them very much.

Have any books or other resources had a big impact on you?

There have been multiple books that I’ve read that have changed my mindset on how to be a leader, entrepreneur, and investor. When I was in high school, I first read Rich Dad, Poor Dad. It changed the way I saw wealth and how to become wealthy. As I became a leader in the community, I read books such as Atomic Habits, The Four Mindsets: How to Influence, Motivate and Lead High Performance Teams, Unbeatable Mind: Forge Resiliency and Mental Toughness to Succeed at an Elite Level, 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, You’re a Badass, The Four Agreements, Think & Grow Rich, and Buy Back Your Time.

Being able to delegate or automate my tasks has helped me maximize my time and accomplish more in a day. Mindset is everything and it’s important to know who you are or else you will allow your emotions to dictate your decisions and business. You want your business to be financially stable while simultaneously trying new things to achieve growth.

Contact Info:

• Website: radiantlyrimando.com
• Instagram: Instagram.com/radiantlyrimando
• Facebook: Facebook.com/radiantlyrimando