Today we’d like to introduce you to Elizabeth Andrews.
Hi Elizabeth, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I was recently separated and running my first business, a wedding venue, which was wonderful, but didn’t feel like a good fit for me anymore (the couples were amazing! I just didn’t love marriage and weddings anymore) and I needed to find a new path forward to support myself and my toddler. I thought about what I’d do if money wasn’t an issue, and immediately thought of massage. It’s my favorite thing outside of naps, donuts, and being with my loved ones.
I signed up for massage school the next week (the timing was quite serendipitous). During my schooling I also trained in reiki, and found that reiki and massage blend together seamlessly. After graduation I started working at a lovely healing center in Tysons, and thoroughly enjoyed it, but quickly found that I couldn’t earn a living wage due to the cut I earned (massage therapists are rarely taking more than 50% of the massage price). So, I started my own massage and energy work business in Leesburg on the side, and gradually I dedicated more days to my business. In November, I’ll officially be working just for myself, and I’m so grateful.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I don’t know how to share this in a sappy way, but it has been a rough journey. I’ve worked a lot to reach the point that I’m able to run my own massage business and not need to work for anyone else. I worked two jobs for 2.5 years. Usually working 13 days on and taking 1 day off. It was hard to have the energy for that and still show up for my daughter and friends. It was a season of saying no to a lot of fun things. It wasn’t sustainable and taught me that I needed to prioritize my business, because now I’m booked during the week and don’t take on too many weekend sessions- allowing me to have more time with my daughter and partner.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I love my job. I love that it allows me to connect with all sorts of wonderful folks. Helping them feel better really fills my cup, and every day I’m in my massage studio is joy.
“My passion lies in listening to you- body and spirit-and creating a harmonious blend of magic and bodywork to help you feel more aligned and at peace. It’s one of my greatest joys and motivations to use this job to provide body and energy work to folks of all sizes and for my queer fam and allies.” a lil blurb from my website.
What’s set me apart so far is that it’s not just a massage. So often I’ve gone for a massage and spent a long time filling out paperwork just to be told by the therapist to get on the table and I have felt entirely unseen and uncared for. The massage is impersonal and energetically bland. This is not all massages, and I understand it’s not necessarily bad either. But I do think it’s common enough, and does influence some folks to not want to try massages again. Basically, I’m known for not doing that. I’m known for listening and caring and creating customized massage sessions. I also use dowsing rods to read chakras, which is fun.
Also, the first thing that comes up on google (I was notified by a client) is that my business is openly queer owned. And I love that. It’s not the first thing I’d choose to say about myself- I think “caring person that’s really good at their job” might take priority, but I’m thankful it’s there. It’s so important to me that everyone feels welcome in my space, and being a open about myself and my incredible partner lets people feel more comfortable being themselves. I’m super proud to be considered a safe space! So, yeah. The thing I’m most proud of is creating a space that people feel seen, appreciated, comfortable and safe in.
Do you have any advice for those just starting out?
Know your worth, and start with the prices you want to charge. It’s not necessary to start at a low price to get customers, and it can take years finally reach the rate you want. It was helpful for me to work at another company while I started my business. If clients were paying $150 for an hour massage with me there, then I knew I could charge similarly for my own business.
It is ok to start small and stay small! When you find success folks will challenge you to grow more- hire employees- move to a bigger building- keep scaling! It’s ok to not take on more. Success can be small and cozy.
Get professional photos! It’s worth it.
Just get started. It doesn’t need to be perfect.
Pricing:
- 30 minute session $75
- 60 minute session $135
- 90 minute session $195
- 120 minute session $245
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.dagurandnottwellness.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dagurandnottwellness/
