Today we’d like to introduce you to Nadia Ibarrola
Hi Nadia, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
I’ve been a licensed massage therapist since 2019.
Originally I went to college for photography and got my B.F.A. but pretty much never did anything with it. I moved back home (South Florida) after I graduated, and worked for Lululemon, transferred up to NC for a new store opening in Durham and I’ve been in the Raleigh area since 2012.
While I was working for that company I got really involved in Crossfit, became a coach there and a yoga instructor for a bit. Eventually I left working retail to go work in a restaurant then a bar. I kept asking “how can I help” and eventually moved my way up to be the general manager for a few years. However, I couldn’t see myself being content with my life if everything stayed the same 10 years down the road being in that environment so I decided it was time for a change.
My friend (the owner of the Crossfit gym’s mom) had recently gone back to school for massage so she was partly my inspiration for it, but I also remembered when I was little that was my “first job” – going around my moms office with a tin can offering 1 minute massage for 25 cents. I figured I must have known as a child what I wanted to do, so I signed up for school to learn massage therapy, and absolutely loved it.
Now 5 years later I opened up my own practice, I get to incorporate multiple techniques and modalities I’ve learned over the years and make the experience my own.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
I imagine they’re pretty basic struggles; hurting myself, scared of commitment, imposter syndrome, and financial stability.
Many massage therapists tend to have a short life span as far as their career goes. I think they go too hard too fast and burn out or get hurt, so I took it pretty easy the first couple years. I worked at a massage franchise part time, and while I left being a bar manager, I did go back to just bartending the other part time. The majority of my working life I’ve juggled multiple jobs – so I think there was some fear maybe of relying on just one job to be enough paired with a concern of “what if I hurt myself and now I cant work”, but going back to thinking of my life in the future, bartending and that environment/lifestyle is not what I wanted for myself, even if it was part time. So I had to let go of that and fully jump into running my own practice and getting new clients to put my hands on! Social media and marketing are not my strengths, but I know if only I can get my hands on people then “they’ll know”, and word of mouth has been a great way of getting new (and returning) people!
On a slower week I might still wonder if I’m good enough to be running my own business and if I should get another job but it’s honestly a silly thought. I look at all the repeat clients I have – and have had even from before I started my practice, the reviews people leave, and all the new clients I continue to get from referrals, so I must be doing something right. I’m incredibly thankful for working out of Hightide, they’ve been super helpful at getting my name out there and getting a pretty solid base of clients for me. I think that would have definitely been a huge struggle for me if I had been anywhere else.
And financially, you know, we’re getting there! I know the first few years of starting a business can be a bit rough and I’m still in my first one. I had a nice little cushion saved up before I went completely off on my own, and I had to remind myself at the beginning I didn’t need to have a dream space, or a logo, or whatever to start my practice. I had a table, lotions, and my hands – it was really all I needed to start, and we’ll get things along the way. My mantra is. “I have everything I need, all ways, always”. And I do always have what I need, maybe not always what I want, but thats okay!
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
My mission is to help people feel better, move better, and live a life with joy.
I had originally gotten into massage therapy when I was doing Crossfit, so I imagined I would be working with athletes. As the years went on, I began getting into more of the energy healing / spiritual side of massage and bodywork and I didn’t want to get stuck in a “sports massage” bubble, so now I blend everything I’ve learned and work with all types of people!
I consider myself an intuitively guided, energy healing infused- therapeutic massage therapist.
I am trained in Usui Reiki, and Archangelic Light Healing, so I tap into both healing energies and incorporate them into my sessions. Between energy healing and therapeutic touch I can help people feel better physically, emotionally, and spiritually. The manual therapy and my background with athletics allows me to improve peoples range of motion – so they move better.
And then by “feeling better” and “moving better” they can go off and do the things in life that bring them joy!
I want people to be happy and have a fun life! I do my best to live that way in hopes that it’ll inspire others to try new things and find what lights them up.
In my everyday life I always ask “how can I help”. What can I do to make someones life a little bit better or easier, even if just for a moment. I know my massages and energy work have helped many people, I see a change immediately when they get off my table from when they came into the room. I want people to be successful in what they do, and have peace and happiness in there lives. Besides massage, if there are any other ways I can help and support my clients in their goals, I want to do that!
Is there any advice you’d like to share with our readers who might just be starting out?
For massage therapists, I would recommend working at some place that will have the clients for you so 1) that’s not something to worry about, and 2) you get your hands on all type of people and bodies. Get comfortable with the basics, and be open to learning and then you can figure out your style and who you want to work with if you want to go off on your own.
But also don’t do too much too fast – its important to take care of yourself too!
And go for it. It’s easy to make excuses (like needing a website or a logo before you can start) but you just have to jump and do it (if thats what you want). Trust in yourself and your abilities, and if you have a hard time with that, ask people for their honest feedback on what you can do to improve, reach out to other therapists that have been practicing a bit longer. I’ve had multiple “seasoned” therapists that I’ve done trades with or asked them to show me how they do certain things, and they’ve been incredibly helpful and happy to help!
And also remember you can’t make everyone happy, the client/therapist pairing might just not be the right one, and one bad review doesn’t mean you suck or should stop.
Pricing:
- $75 for 30 min massage
- $130 for 60 min massage
- $165 for 75 min massage
- $180 for 90 min massage
- $100 for 60 min Energy healing (no massage)
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.nadiaibarrola.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nadiaibarrolamassage/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/Nadia-Ibarrola-Massage/100093588458552/
- Other: https://www.massagebook.com/business/23437011/select-product/services/inhouse/category/Bodywork?ncf_source=friendly_url&src=external
