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2: Episode 2: Christy Barnes, owner and founder of Carpe Diem Massage
91 Plays5 years ago
Christy Barnes has been in the small business world for a minute. With over 20 years of experience as a massage therapist and business owner in Tacoma's Historic Stadium District Christy continues to expand her business and embrace the grit!
- For more info about Carpe Diem visit: carpediemmassage.com
- For more info about Grit City Women visit: gritcitywomen.com
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Transcript
Introduction to Grit and Grind Podcast
00:00:10
Speaker
Welcome to Grit and Grind, a podcast by Grit City Women, where Griti is the new pretty. This is Grit City Women founder and host, Crystal Edwards. In today's podcast, we have Kristi Barnes, Grit City Women member, small business owner, and massage therapist with over 20 years experience running her own business. Welcome, Kristi. Thank you. I'm so excited. So obviously you're a Grit City Women member.
Building Community Among Women in Business
00:00:38
Speaker
What inspired you to become a member? Mostly just building community with other women. I have noticed in general, the new way to market and build your business is to collaborate with other strong women, other business owners in general. I feel like it is about collaboration, not competition, and together that we're all stronger and to just be part of that community. Awesome. Cool.
00:01:05
Speaker
So you were recently featured on the cover of what magazine?
Reflections on Recognition and Hard Work
00:01:11
Speaker
I think it was historical stadium. We don't even remember what it was. It's historic living. Historic living. So how was that experience? I don't like my picture. I hate the picture. I hate the cover so much. Why?
00:01:30
Speaker
I'm cuter than that. Girl, you'd be cute. It is not a flattering picture, but it was very honoring. It was very exciting.
00:01:40
Speaker
have worked really hard for over 20 years to build my business. And back in the early days, in the late 90s, early 2000s, there wasn't this recognition for women. There wasn't this platform. I didn't have a website. I didn't have Instagram, social media. I didn't have Yelp or any of that. And so to be working it so long and so hard and finally get some recognition felt so good. I'm like, it's my turn. Because I'm seeing like, newers like yourself, up-and-comers.
00:02:09
Speaker
that are getting that accolades because you're you know new on the scene and us dinosaurs have been forgotten a little bit so it felt good even though the picture sucks but sorry whoever took the photo but Richard looks spot on my husband Richard my co-owner he looks good
00:02:27
Speaker
Man can't take a bad picture. Well, congratulations. I mean, you definitely deserve the recognition. Thank you. And we are really excited to have you as a member because of your experience. And we need that as well. We need to grow too. And I think you have a lot to offer.
00:02:43
Speaker
So even though you might think that you're like a Stegosaurus, we're really excited. And you know, we couldn't do it without the mentorship of women that have been in the business and that know and that have overcome the obstacles that it made it easier for us to overcome.
Mentorship and Business Expansion Challenges
00:02:59
Speaker
Absolutely. Yeah, it's great. I really love that piece Reaching Back. I have gotten together with a couple of the other members and had coffee and lunch and helped
00:03:09
Speaker
a young acupuncturist, I don't know if you say her name, but on hiring and different things on getting to that next level. Because running the business by yourself, which I did for 15 years, was just me. And then taking the step to having a full staff is a whole nother gamut and process to take on. And it's really exciting. And it's really scary. So it was nice to be able to share
00:03:32
Speaker
some of those successes and pitfalls. Right. And that's, I mean, that's one of the core reasons why we started Grit City Women is just to create those relationships, to have that mentorship when you're trying to take the next step. I know I struggle with that a lot with Liz Rocks and luckily I'm just sort of crazy enough that I'll keep doing it even if I'm scared. But I know that it is a big obstacle for a lot of people to do.
00:03:58
Speaker
So, I'm glad that it's working. The crazy survive. If you listen to the fear, none of us would do anything ever. We just curl up on a ball and watch Netflix all day, which is not a bad way to spend the day. Right. I mean, I do it sometimes. I do too. Well, not Netflix. I can't really work now.
00:04:17
Speaker
I do Hulu. Girl can binge watch. I'm like, Netflix is confusing to me. I don't know. I can create a podcast, but I can't watch a freaking Netflix. Let me teach you the way of the Netflix.
Hiring Practices and Business Vision Alignment
00:04:33
Speaker
Okay, so you recently, you just mentioned hiring, your experience of hiring. So what kind of advice do you have for small business owners when it comes to hiring?
00:04:43
Speaker
The biggest piece of advice I would have is absolutely listen to your gut. Do those checks, make the reference calls, do background checks if that applies. If there is any piece of you that thinks that this is not a good fit, whether it makes any rational sense whatsoever, listen to that because I've done it before and every single time.
00:05:06
Speaker
It was spot on. Sometimes they fool you, they get in. But normally I just say, just listen to your gut and don't let desperation rule you. I've had times where we were short staffed and I'm like, hopefully this will work out. But the reputation of your business isn't worth taking a risk. So just listen to that. Right. I think that's important with hiring and also who you collaborate and partner with too. Yeah. You know, you have to make sure that
00:05:36
Speaker
whoever you bring on to your team or on to your event that either you're able to collaborate and still remain distinct or that whoever you bring on to your team aligns with your vision of your business too. Yes. Especially in a small business. Yeah, wholly true to your vision because I have people that come in and they get really excited and I want to nurture them and their excitement about bringing in new ideas and aspects and
00:06:02
Speaker
If they don't align, I can't do it. I'm not going to go off in a crazy direction because at the end of the day, it's an employee and they're probably not gonna stay forever. I mean, they're gonna go on, do their own thing or whatever. So then you're left with, why did I do this?
00:06:22
Speaker
That's true. Yeah, absolutely. It seems like a great idea. And it probably is for someone else, maybe. But if it's not aligning with your vision, it's not going to be your baby that you're going to nurture. Yeah. And trying to find like-minded people. Carly and I, my manager, who's the best, we went to Clover Park Technical College the other day. They were doing an interview panel teaching their new massage therapist how to interview.
00:06:52
Speaker
And one of the things that I had said at that time that I've been thinking, I've been seeing, there's a lot of massage therapists out there, but not everyone's a healer. And that is a very different skill. It's not somebody who's like, oh, what should I do? I think this looks like a good field. I'll go into it. But it's not part of their core or who they are. And so I had made this statement, I am looking for healers, not massage therapists. It's part of their being, you can get a really, really great massage and leave and go,
00:07:22
Speaker
I don't know why that wasn't great. And it's because they didn't care. Honestly, as hokey as that sounds, because I've had great spa services that I spent a ridiculous money. And they're like, technically it was good. And I'm like, oh, she didn't give a damn. I was just client number four.
00:07:37
Speaker
And so that's not what I'm looking for. I'm looking for people that really connect and really care. And that's what I've tried to do with Carpe Diem. I built it as a business. I built it where I want it to be. And the people who want to be there too are who I'm looking for. I'm not trying to change my vision to fit their needs. They need to fit my vision. Absolutely. That's interesting about what you're saying about being a healer because
00:08:02
Speaker
I think there is some energy transference that happens between the massage therapist and the client, you know, like even physical touching. There's, um, I want to say it's called Erasmus and I'm probably pronouncing it wrong. It's been years, but basically babies. So if you take a baby and you do not provide them touch, but you feed them and you change them and you do everything
00:08:31
Speaker
that they would need to survive, they will actually die without the human touch and the nurturing that a mother would give or the family would give. They had some orphanages that were way full and so a lot of the babies were dying and they couldn't figure out why and then they realized it was because they weren't getting enough physical touch from the caregivers because they were so
00:08:55
Speaker
booked with so many orphans. So I think that it can be very healing for somebody who is going through even emotional stuff, just having that connection. It's more than that muscle release that's happening on that table. And I've had to talk to a therapist in the past. There was a lady who came in a few years ago, and her shoulder was really, really jacked up. And we had a therapist that's not with us anymore.
00:09:20
Speaker
And so the therapist took it upon himself to work an entire hour on her shoulder. She did not want that. She was, she had just lost her spouse. She wanted to just lay there and relax. And that's not what she got, even though that's what they asked. She asked for, but the therapist was like, no, her shoulder. And I'm like, no, no, no. She didn't ask for that. She asked for a relaxation. It's not about what we think.
00:09:46
Speaker
You need, it's about what you want. That's what you need to get. It's not, well, you don't know what somebody has gone through in that day or what their life is or, and if they say, I just want my low back worked on and you're working on it and you're like, there's not a lot of issues here. So what? You can't feel what they feel. You have to, you know, align with what the client needs. And if you can't give and take and listen and you put your ego away, then it's not going to work.
00:10:14
Speaker
That's so good. God, I'm deep.
Personalized Client Care and Business Growth Plans
00:10:17
Speaker
It is though. God, I know some shit. But it's true because obviously I'm a client at Carpe Diem and I haven't been for many years. And I've had a couple different massage therapists until I found one that I'm like, okay, I like this massage therapist. But I think it's so true because every time I come in with a different need.
00:10:39
Speaker
It should never be a routine. It's like what needs to happen. Yeah. I'm like, okay, this is whack. This is whack. I was lifting weights or I did this or sometimes I am just going in for the relaxation full body because I'm a little tense.
00:10:54
Speaker
I definitely do switch it around, but sometimes there is a problem area, but it's always communicated. Exactly. And I always leave feeling great and beat up and cleansed and just like, okay, drink some water and sleep for 10 hours. Yes. And now that we have expanded into
00:11:15
Speaker
We're a full-service day spa now. We don't just offer massage. It's been a massage for 20 years and it's almost been a year now that we have opened up an aesthetics. Skin, waxing, lashes, look how lovely my lashes are. They're fabulous. And so to get that point across to you, I'm actually training my two skin gals next week on massage because I'm like, you can take an excellent facial.
00:11:38
Speaker
and give it put an excellent massage to it and it's now it's it's out of this world extraordinary and so teaching them neck arm shoulder legs all those parts while you've got the mask on you and the same thing with it the energy and the transfer it's a different service but I want every service to have the same
00:11:57
Speaker
I don't know, not spiritualist, but you know what I mean. Energetic. Revitalization. Exactly. I also had a facial there. It was really cool. I don't know if I've ever had one before.
00:12:10
Speaker
It's pretty pampering. I was like, damn, Gina, I'm fancy. Exactly. I'm getting all this stuff. And I'm like, they're like, oh, Kristy's on the books again. I'm giving myself, now I have spa packages. So you can get hours of service. Start with your massage, your foot soak, your wrap, and then you get your facial. And we have a little liquor license, so we can give you some wine. And I'm showing up on the books. I'm like, Kristy's getting bougie. I'm like, hey, man.
00:12:39
Speaker
I brought these services in so I can have them. Yeah, this was my plan all along. But you may or may not know, December 16th, I am going back to school.
00:12:48
Speaker
I am getting my aesthetics license. I'm going to the Aveda Institute. Part of it is I feel like I know how to build a business. I built Carpe Diem completely from zero, graduated from massage school, opened the doors a month later, started with zero. So I'm like, I know how to build a business, I know how to rebook. Getting skin off the ground has been much harder than I thought it would be. So me being an esthetician will bring stability to that. My clients miss me. So hopefully they will come see me. But also,
00:13:17
Speaker
whether what I do with it or not, I need to 100% understand everything that's going on under my roof. And right now I don't. And so I'm going to go back to school and I'm going to understand it and I'm going to bring in some experience and get this shit done. Yeah, that's awesome. Thank you. That'll be fun. I'm excited. Yeah. Except for I go, so it's in Seattle, Capitol Hill, starts at 8am.
00:13:44
Speaker
It's only Monday through Wednesday, which works perfect for me because I'm trying to run my business, but it's 10 hours a day. So I'm a little, how long? It's only six months, so.
00:13:55
Speaker
That seems long to me. It's funny, we had some people say the VEDA. To me, I've researched. I feel like it is the best program out there. Yeah. I mean, if it's six months, you're getting a lot of info. It's, I'm, you know, and I want, I feel like you're like, well, you have a massage experience, you have a background, just go to a cheap, get your certification. Like, no, I don't know. I'm not fucking around with, can I say that? Well, you just did. I'm not fucking around with my business. So I'm like, I'm not going to the cheap school. Ignore shit you. I don't want, we're not cheap. Yeah.
00:14:26
Speaker
less than the experience because I'm going to be cheap. No, and I don't think you should. I know we talked about something similar in the first podcast with Megan about understanding these different components of your business. And when you start out, you're doing everything.
00:14:44
Speaker
So you kind of add an element later that you weren't familiar with. So now you're going to go back and learn it. And so we were talking about how we're learning these things at a certain level, but we also have to outsource the things like books and stuff. And I'm like, but at least now I know I've sat with my consultant and she showed me the books. She showed me how things run so I can go in and do some basic allocation.
00:15:08
Speaker
But then I meet with her quarterly and she goes in and handles it and it's like that because I can't I'm not an expert in that but I know enough to know what they look like and what is that is like the beauty of things we don't have to know everything and we don't have to be good at everything I I'm too nice to be the boss. So I hired one.
00:15:33
Speaker
I know what I want done. I mean, I will say it. I will fire you. I will do what needs to happen, but it is not comfortable for me. It is not in my realm at all. I lead with my heart and it's really hard.
00:15:45
Speaker
to do have some of these conversations. And so I brought in my manager who will handle these. And it's so funny because people sometimes like, well, she's really mean. And she actually said, do you think one thing that comes out of my mouth didn't come directly from Christie? I have no problem telling her, get them. And for a while, I beat myself up on that. And I'm like, I need to evolve. And I need to build. And I do. I need to grow. And I need to do these things. But at the end of the day,
00:16:12
Speaker
I am a healer. It is not my comfort level to, to, it's funny, some of the earlier employees, they're like, a new staff would come in and they're like, Christie's the owner, but she's really a massage therapist. I own the business. I've run the business and I did it all by myself for so long. So I know how to do everything.
00:16:31
Speaker
But I am, I'm a provider. Yeah. You had to distinguish yourself as a boss. Yes. So you put your manager Carly in between you and your employee. Yes. She's always sells them. I'm the liaison between them and Christy. She's in the trenches with them, which gets kind of hard sometimes to then be that person. But, you know, they will come to her and if, you know, usually they'll come to both of us or they'll come to me. Richard gets left off the hook all the time.
00:17:00
Speaker
So yeah, bring in those experts. Yeah. And I think it's important to notice where your weaknesses and your strengths are and your strength is being cooler. And so you're crushing it at that and focusing on that. And you have someone who can make up for your, I won't even say weakness, but something that you don't really thrive in. And why waste your energy on the struggle bus when you can have someone that balances you out help you.
00:17:29
Speaker
That's okay. Yeah. Be who you are. Yeah. Girl. Okay. So obviously you've been doing this for a while. Yes. What has changed that you've noticed since you've started your business with small business ownership?
Adapting Marketing Strategies in Business
00:17:54
Speaker
I mean, a lot has changed the,
00:17:57
Speaker
Like I said, all the things that exist now that didn't exist, all the marketing tools. And I literally made coupons on my computer and went to Kinko's and cut them out on the big like teacher, cutting things and walked around literally grassroots grew my business. And people aren't doing that anymore. But you know, it worked.
00:18:16
Speaker
It worked, but so it's awesome that there's all these tools and exposure, but it's also, I feel like it's losing some of the personal touch. There's less loyalty. My clients have been around. They're still there. They're still in the building. They've been in the building for 20 plus years. I saw one of my clients yesterday and I saw she when she was pregnant and her child is now living in Rome for college. So they're still there. They're very loyal, but I'm seeing the newer clients.
00:18:46
Speaker
They're just hopping from place to place. You can't get me in today, so I'm going to go here. If you don't answer the phone, I'm going to call the next person on the line, which is fine. There's lots of options, but it's a different mindset. It's interesting.
00:19:04
Speaker
It's like dating, online dating with apps, you know, like you can swipe. They talk about people ghosting a lot, you know, because they don't have an attachment really to them. So like you can go meet someone on.
00:19:17
Speaker
line and go on a date and you're like, okay, we've been gone on a couple dates, but then they swipe on someone who they think is better or something. And then all of a sudden you're chopped liver and it's like better than Instagram page. They never put any time to make any effort in building the connection. Right. And I noticed I've talked to Carly and I were talking about this the other day because I am massaging a little bit right now, just three, three massages a week. I've had a back injury, so I stepped out.
00:19:44
Speaker
But when I'm doing skin, I want to offer a massage and a facial combo, stay on the table the whole time. So I'm kind of seeing what my body, you know, can do. And one of my therapists, younger therapists, saw me just like chatting away with this woman. She was so excited to see me. She was my client. She was one of my very first clients. So for over 20 years, I had seen her and her husband every other week.
00:20:08
Speaker
And the gal's like, wow, you guys get really personal and you're really talking a lot. I'm like, well, you're 20 and I've known her for 21 years. So it's a little bit different.
00:20:17
Speaker
And it was different back in the day. It was like you're hair stylist. You were getting to know each other. It was very connected, very personal. I mean, you do obviously have to watch your boundaries and not overshare. And when people don't want to talk, you don't talk. So I'm not talking through the whole thing, but you're building real connections. And now the newer generation of clients are coming in and they might have a great experience, but there's not an attachment.
00:20:44
Speaker
Um, which is very, I don't know, it's, it's, it's interesting. I don't, I don't connect quite the way I did with new clients. They come in, they, I give them a massage, like, great. I give them a good experience, but, and more boundaries are up.
00:20:59
Speaker
because we didn't have Yelp and people weren't complaining just for the sake of trying to get a discount or a deal or we're so terrified of a negative Yelp preview that sometimes you have to hold back or you have to jump through hoops where it didn't used to be like that. You're honest with me, I'm honest with you and it's different. I don't even have time to write Yelp.
00:21:27
Speaker
That's probably what they do. I think there are those people that go around and they do business hop and they do see what they can get. Yes. And they do go and write all these reviews to try to see just what they can get out of it. I think that is a thing. It is a thing. And not to say we have bad reviews because we don't.
00:21:47
Speaker
So we have over 100 five-star Yelp reviews, but we're always aware of it in the back of the mind because the bulk of our business was built on Yelp because 90% of the people, that's where they found us, Yelp or Google. And so you're like, Oh my God, were they happy? Because you know, if they weren't, they found us on Yelp. And then, you know, it's just, it's more consumer driven than business driven. You know what I mean? Yeah. That's why I like this group.
00:22:19
Speaker
Like back in my day. Yeah. I mean, honestly, because I get to, I get to see everyone and I do, I am clients or of a lot of the women in the groups just through the connection or maybe beforehand. Megan, episode one, she's my hairstylist, you know, my
00:22:38
Speaker
bookkeeper is one of the members. My acupuncturist is one of the members and I go there and it's like I know them. It's comfortable. Yeah, and I like to be consistent and go where I'm comfortable. The only time I would ever deviate is if I'm in an emergent situation and they can't get me in. But that doesn't happen even that often. It takes a lot to get there.
00:23:05
Speaker
Like with my clients, if I worked on somebody and they had something going on and they would call me and go, you know, Christy, my neck really still hurts. I'm like, oh gosh, pop back in for another half an hour. Let's make this right. But they're not doing that. They're just complaining. Because I am, I will say, I am a customer service maniac. I will give away a service. I will do whatever I have to do to make it right. But if you don't bring it to my attention and you don't give me that opportunity,
00:23:34
Speaker
then I can't fix it. Then not everybody wants it fixed. So people just like to complain. They just want to complain. Yeah. Yeah. So if you complain on Yelp, I'm not giving you anything. Good. If you come to me legitimately looking for a resolution for something that didn't go exactly the way you want it, I will make it right. But I'm no. Over it. Yeah. I think that's really smart, actually. They shouldn't be holding that over your head.
00:24:05
Speaker
Exactly. I'm going to go write a Yelp review. Yeah. Cool story, bro. What are some lessons that you've learned, or at least your top lesson?
Financial Management and Sustainable Growth
00:24:16
Speaker
Trust your gut. Don't overextend.
00:24:20
Speaker
That is one thing that I've worked really hard. There's zero debt attached to Carpe Diem. I could shut it down and walk away and be completely debt free from it. I have grown it slowly. I've seen people grow too fast and then they go under.
00:24:38
Speaker
So it's like, we have hydraulic tables in our rooms that are really, really fancy and they're very expensive. And I bought them one at a time as I could afford it. Usually we do a successful Black Friday and so I'm like, what do we need? But sometimes the staff's like, we need this, we need that. I'm like, it's not in the budget. It's not something that we have to have. So staying, you know, staying on course and staying living within your means as a business owner, I think is really important. That's really good advice.
00:25:06
Speaker
knowing how to scale and to design it to scale. That's one thing that I've been working with Gritsy Woom is I can scale it as we grow. And it's been working really nice because I've been making income and having income to turn around and put back into the group. When you have more, you do more. Absolutely. It was, I literally started in Proctor in one room. It was actually about the Pacific Northwest shop. Bill Evans was my first landlord and honestly,
00:25:35
Speaker
If it wasn't for that man, Carpe Diem would not exist because I was at a time in my life where I had really bad credit. I had a not great marriage and I knew if he ran a credit check, I was not going to get that lease and I was terrified.
00:25:53
Speaker
I'm talking to him and I want this space. And it's literally one room in a bathroom. And when you got on the massage table, I stood in the bathroom and like, I'm just going to wash my hands. But it worked for seven years. And when I told him I wanted it, I said, what do we do next? He's like, well, what do you mean? Do you want it? And I go, I do. And he goes, well, here's the key. And I'm like, do I need a contract or what do? And he's like, nope. I go with my gut.
00:26:20
Speaker
And I don't want to lock somebody in something that they can't handle. And I'm rarely disappointed. And I believe in you and what you really got going here. So I'm going to take, you know, I'm going, we're going to do this. And so I started my business and I literally, I was so touched by that. He probably doesn't know this or remember, but I based my whole business on that president. So my first, I had no contracts. I had none of these things.
00:26:47
Speaker
And I'm just like, no, I'm smiling at handshake. I believe in you, you believe in me. Well, then I got screwed. So now I do have contracts, but I wanted to be that person. I wanted to, because if he hadn't taken that risk on me, I wouldn't have gotten a space except onto like a bigger place or, you know, whatever. And then I was there for a long time. And then I moved into another one of his, him and another man owned another building, which is gone now because it was across the street from Mason middle school anyway, something else. Um,
00:27:13
Speaker
But just taking that risk on somebody and following your gut instinct on that, which is what I've tried to do, even though now I have many, many contracts and policies to bring someone into your business. Exactly. The reality is no matter what paper
00:27:33
Speaker
Exactly. The stuff you have in place, there's always... I don't remember the question. Did I answer it? Yeah. Someone can always go rogue, you know, and it can always not work out how you want it. So you still have that opportunity to use your gut. I'm definitely feel really grateful to the people that have trusted their gut with me and with Good City Women and even Liz Rocks and really been touched by some of the generosity that people have shown and the faith that they've shown in my capabilities. So I'm like, man.
00:28:03
Speaker
They're crazy, but I like it. I'm like, oh, somebody's seeing something that I'm not. You believe, I believe. Yeah. When I started out, I literally, if I didn't make enough to pay that first month's lease, I wouldn't have continued. I mean, that's how close it was. And that first lease was only like $500, but at the time,
00:28:24
Speaker
It's a lot. It was a lot. And I literally decorated it with like, things that said free on the side of the road. I'm like, I can paint that. And I just, you know, I threw it together. I didn't spend any money. I spend money now because I have some to spend, but it grew. And everyone's like, well, what if you can't make it? I'm like, well, what do you mean? I'm just going to.
00:28:43
Speaker
I'm going to do it. You don't have a choice. I don't have a choice. I'm going to do it. I mean, why would I start if I'm not going to succeed? Well, that's just stupid. I think that's why so many people stop. There's always that person. And it's usually someone that's being close to you. I'm like, I don't care. Yeah. They're like, oh, well, that seems like a lot of work. Or how are you going to do that? And I'm always like, I don't know, but I'm going to watch me.
00:29:06
Speaker
Yeah. Google, dude. You can Google anything. Exactly. So yeah, I think that prevents a lot of people. And I, you know, I just learned to, it kind of irritates me in a way, you know, just.
00:29:22
Speaker
because you have limitations on what you think people can do or what you think that you can do. Don't you put that jujuju on me. I can do a lot of things. And I truly believe that people can do anything. I honestly do. I feel like if you set your mind to it, there's going to be obstacles. I've had many obstacles. I've had terms on the road where I'm like, I can't do this. I'm done. And then, no, I've said more than once. I've said to you more than once. If I go down, I'm going down into ball flames, but I'm not quitting.
00:29:50
Speaker
Absolutely. I will not quit. I'm still here. I've seen lots of businesses come and go in my 21 years and I'm still here. Sure. Yeah. When I think about all the things that I've accomplished in my life, I've been published twice as an undergrad, climbing mountains that I never thought I would ever do in my lifetime, building a climbing wall and fundraising and now starting Grit City Women. I would have never thought I would have done those things.
00:30:18
Speaker
You can do anything. I never had any experience doing any of that stuff, but I tell you what, I sure put my mind to it and I sucked it up and I put in the work to make it happen. When I was doing the, when I got published, I was volunteering at a lab and I was riding the bus for three hours almost each way because it was in Portland and there was no parking and I'd have to take this bus and I would be changing in my car. I was working multiple jobs and doing other volunteer stuff.
00:30:48
Speaker
It was really, really hard, but I was like, this is an incredible opportunity. And I went and I presented in front of a neuroscience lab of people way smarter than me, you know? I showed up in my work clothes. I was in like a vest. I did this kind of labor job. And so I was in grungy clothes and I didn't, I don't think I changed. I just remember being like, this is how I'm presenting to this lab right now.
00:31:16
Speaker
But I did and it was it worked out well. And yeah, I ended up getting published and amazing. And you have to remember, too, like when you're in the the grit of it and it's so hard.
00:31:33
Speaker
That's the stuff you look back on and go, God, look at all the crap that I've gone through to do. Those are the glory days. You don't realize it when you're in the trenches, but if you're like, wow, I opened this business and it was so easy and everything just fell into my lap and everything was perfect, big deal. Well, it's all just about the grit, you know? Exactly. And that's what Grit City Women is all about. It's about getting through that grit, helping each other and educating one another through it. So thank you for
00:32:00
Speaker
Absolutely. Being a member and being on the podcast. Yeah, I love it.
Booking Appointments and Contact Information
00:32:03
Speaker
So if anyone wants to book an appointment with Carpe Diem or maybe reach out to you, how do they do that? You can book with us online through our website, which is www.carpedemissage.com. You can also call the office, 253-752-7075. We are branding and creating a new Instagram page. We are making it crisp and fresh, and so we're excited.
00:32:30
Speaker
It'll be carpe diem, massage, and spa. So follow us there. Thank you so much for joining us. Thank you. For more information about Grid City Women, visit gridcitywomen.com or follow us on our Instagram at gridcitywomen. And we look forward to getting grid-y with you.