Honored to be profiled in NASDAQ!! Wow: "How Rachel Beider Is Transforming the Wellness Space Using a Clinical Approach"

This article was originally posted in NASDAQ

“Rachel Beider, CEO of PRESS Modern Massage, is dedicated to creating spaces for helping and healing through the power of clinical massage.

Rachel grew up with scoliosis and regular back pain and ultimately found relief from massage therapy. This ignited her lifetime goal of making a difference in the wellness field. With PRESS Modern Massage, she is able to deliver quality services to clients who experience all kinds of injuries from everyday life. And she’s making clinical massage therapy accessible to everyone.

We asked Rachel about the unique approach of PRESS Modern Massage, the importance of service leadership for company growth, and how she called on her resiliency in times of turbulence. 

Q: Tell us the story behind PRESS Modern Massage’s founding: How and why did you start working on your company?

A: I truly believe that “your mess is your message.” I grew up experiencing pain and discomfort from scoliosis, a curvature in the spine. I found that massage therapy was one of the few things that truly helped me to find relief, and it sparked a lifetime interest in wellness. I’m also a very multi-passionate entrepreneur, and in starting my massage therapy company, I got to experience the joys—and sometimes difficulties—of problem solving on so many different creative fronts. I love everything about owning a business!

Q: What are some of the most meaningful impacts PRESS Modern Massage has had so far? 

A: The joys of business ownership mean freedom to me on so many different levels of my life –– freedom financially, freedom to have the kinds of work relationships that I desire, and freedom to give back in ways that feel meaningful and impactful. My business has allowed me to hire and work with a phenomenal team and employ more than 50 amazing and talented people. We’ve treated over 40,000 people and helped them feel so much better. There’s something really special about getting to be the best part of someone’s day!

Q: What makes PRESS Modern Massage different from others?

A: We take a very clinical approach to our massage work, which is deeply rooted in anatomy and physiology. While the sessions we give are of a therapeutic nature, we did away with the cold, clinical feeling of paper sheets and bright lights, and instead have chosen a warm and relaxing setting. I find that the combination of medical massage in a warm cozy space is the most effective at treating both the physical and physiological effects of stress.

Q: In what ways has your upbringing or past experiences contributed to how you operate as an entrepreneur?

A: In working for others, I often felt like a bystander in my own career. I longed to be impactful—for my presence and work to feel important. I dislike the authoritarian approach of leading from the top down. Instead, I see myself as a “servant leader” in my company. My most important job is making sure that my team has everything they need to succeed, feel amazing, and thrive in their positions. I’ve found that this approach to leadership has led to higher employee retention, greater company culture, and overall happiness at work.

Q: What’s one thing you wish you had known before starting your company?

A: Learning to delegate efficiently was a real game changer for me. Inspired by Ari Meisel, my personal goal is to delegate 70 percent of whatever is on my plate each year to the next team member, and for them to do the same, all the way down the line. At the bottom, we automate everything possible. This way we keep moving forward with new opportunities.

Q: What are the biggest mistakes you’ve made?

A: The biggest mistake that I made as I was growing and scaling was not asking for help sooner. Learning to express my needs and be vulnerable was a real challenge for me. There was a time when I felt I was spread way too thin and like I was failing constantly. That burnout could have been prevented if I had brought on help sooner. 

Q: We dare you to brag. What achievements are you most proud of?

A: The achievement I’m most proud of is our team not giving up during the pandemic. New York State mandated our business closure for months, and there were several times that I came close to giving into the despair and fear of uncertainty. I gave birth to my first child about a week into the shelter in place order in New York City. Between the business closure and having a newborn, I was under an intense amount of pressure. During the closures, my company took a huge hit and we lost half of our locations. I tried to call on my own resilience and resourcefulness, and remind myself that if I lost great real estate, it’s likely that others did too. I knew that if I hung in there, I might be able to find some amazing locations on the other side of things. I can’t tell you how right I was! While we lost two studios, I’ve been able to open up two new studios in Manhattan, and in areas that were previously too expensive for us. We came out even stronger!

Q: What would you tell your younger self if you were to start your entrepreneurial journey all over again?

A: If I could go back in time and advise my younger self, I would tell myself that there will be so many ups and downs on this journey, and to trust my own resilience and resourcefulness. When things get difficult, instead of asking, “Why is this happening to me?” ask, “Why is this happening FOR me?”

Q: What’s next for you and PRESS Modern Massage?

A: We recently opened our Union Square location, which is already thriving. We just signed a lease on our beautiful Columbus Circle location, which will open in early 2022. And last but not least, we are hiring!”

Rachel Beider in Business Insider: 5 women who founded 7-figure businesses share their top strategies for success

Making the jump from a six-figure business to a seven-figure business is no small feat. As strategic marketing and brand consultant Hannah Nieves puts it, "What gets your brand to six figures is not exactly what gets you to seven figures."

So how does one level-up to reach that seven-figure mark? To gain some insight, we tapped into the experiences of five women from the Dreamers & Doers collective to learn more about the strategies that scaled their businesses past $1 million in annual revenue. Though each of the strategies featured below are unique, there is a common thread — the willingness to go against the grain, to try something new, to fail forward, and never settle. 

If growing to a seven-figure business is on your vision board, take it from the following women that it is possible with the right strategies in place.

'Be obsessed with data and finding the right traffic sources'

Hannah Kowalski, cofounder of Konscious Keto, combining AI technology, advanced supplements, and personalized coaching all in one platform

My No. 1 strategy for growing a seven-figure business: We were able to go from six figures to seven figures within a few months by utilizing very high-converting sales funnels on the right traffic sources. The key was continuous testing and optimizing and being obsessed with data. 

My advice: Find the top three traffic sources that you think would work best for your business. A lot of people just start with Facebook, but for some influencers and bloggers, maybe YouTube is a better fit. Look at your competitors and see where they're running their ads. Start with a small budget, and optimize for click-through rate and cost per thousand impressions first. Then move to the optimization phase, and eventually the scaling phase. Always be testing. Google Optimize is an awesome testing platform that you can use for free to do A/B testing and multivariate testing. 

'Delegate often and efficiently'

Rachel Beider

Rachel Beider, CEO of PRESS Modern Massage, an award-winning modern massage company with locations in NYC

My No. 1 strategy for growing a seven-figure business: When I opened the second location of my massage therapy business, I felt stretched too thin, and like I was failing all of the time trying to do everything myself. I had to get out of my own way and learn to ask for help. Being able to delegate effectively made a massive difference in the growth of my company from six to seven figures.

My advice: Every year, aim to take 70% of whatever you're doing off your plate and delegate it down the line to the next person. Your team should always be learning new skills, growing, and being open to even more opportunities. Approach these changes from a place of servant leadership, making sure that your team has everything they need to thrive and succeed.

'Make mistakes quickly and find improvements accordingly'

Victoria Repa, founder and CEO of BetterMe, a leading behavioral healthcare company

My No. 1 strategy for growing a seven-figure business: The key to my success is the "fail fast and cheap" strategy. The idea is that you should experiment and move quickly, and find mistakes and possible improvements before you invest more in the product. We learn the most from our failures, but expensive mistakes can tank any business. 

My advice: Some of your opinions about the market, customers, and their behaviors are probably just assumptions. Be sure to test your ideas as fast as you can, make a decision, and implement them. Then wait, analyze, and repeat the cycle.

'Ensure your customers feel valued'

Jolene Delisle, founder at The Working Assembly, a branding and creative agency partnering with emerging and evolving brands

My No. 1 strategy for growing a seven-figure business: The strategy that enabled me to go from a six-figure business to seven-figure was actually taking on projects and clients for less money. I know this sounds counterintuitive, but every time someone gives you money — whatever the amount — it's very important to be as accountable as you can be with that trust. In doing so, we grew our organic referrals because clients felt valued and reassured. 

My advice: Invest in yourself — believe that you can do it, and you are worth the risk. 

'Shift your mentality to operating a seven-figure business'

Hannah Nieves, founder of Hannah Nieves Consulting, a strategic creative consulting agency that champions luxury lifestyle visionaries

My No. 1 strategy for growing a seven-figure business: My strategy actually didn't have anything to do with business — it had to do with mindset. My business was growing quicker than where I was mentally, and I had to shift the perspective that we were operating a business of that size in such a short amount of time. 

My advice: I would recommend getting very clear on your future vision of the brand. As you're scaling your company, it can be easy to get stuck in the day-to-day and lose sight of where the brand is going to be five to 10 years from now. 

My latest advice in Forbes: 10 Essential Leadership Skills Every Entrepreneur Should Continually Hone

YEC Expert Panel

1. Listening To Understand

Listening is one skill you should continue to nurture over the years. The more successful you become, the easier it is to simply take your opinion while accepting it as the end all be all. Having humility and remembering to hear out another person will keep your business from plateauing or crashing. When you listen to someone else, you get their perspective on a situation. What's more, you may learn something that you haven't considered before. For example, a marketer may know about a new potential technology that could adjust to changes in Google algorithm updates. That information is crucial for marketing agencies, so they can adjust their services. - Duran Inci, Optimum7

2. Emotional Intelligence

Communications and emotional intelligence are always high on my list for continual improvement. Though leaders may grow more comfortable with their communications style (and their team may also grow more comfortable or accommodating) this doesn't actually mean you're improving. Entrepreneurs and other leaders, regardless of organizational affiliation, should continually evaluate their communications style, delivery, verbal/nonverbal mix, emotional intelligence, ability to coach and other important aspects of working within a team. - Christopher Tarantino, Epicenter Innovation

3. Ability To Delegate

Every year, a strong leader should take 70% of their work tasks completely off their plate, and pass them on to the next in command (this continues down the entire chain). Delegation is a skill that entrepreneurs must continually develop. Successful delegation ensures that we avoid decision fatigue and burnout and that we are constantly learning new skills and moving the company forward. - Rachel Beider, PRESS Modern Massage

4. Strategic Thinking

In my view, one skill that you must continue to work on is strategic thinking and acting. According to Harvard Business Review, today's businesses must be fluid and quick to change, which is why strategic thinkers are among the most effective CEOs. In the report, HBR discovered that a strategic approach to leadership was 10 times more significant than other behaviors tested, such as communication and hands-on tactical behaviors, in terms of perceived effectiveness. Strategic thinkers approach problem-solving and decision-making from a broad, long-term perspective that includes objective analysis, foresight and planning. Leaders must consider the best path to achieving outcomes that exceed the expectations of those they serve. - Baruch Labunski, Rank Secure

5. Communication

Communication is a skill every leader should continue to work on. No two people communicate the same way, and with how many people business leaders and CEOs engage with—employees, investors, clients, partners, publicists, audiences, contractors, etc - having a wide arsenal of communication styles is key. A good communicator should be able to adapt their style to whoever they're speaking with, be able to communicate their message clearly and in as direct of a way as possible and know when to keep it formal and when it's appropriate to be more casual. An effective communicator takes their cues from the other party, so improving and sharpening this skill is something that can only happen over time as you engage with a larger variety of people - Leila Lewis, Be Inspired PR

Skip in 5s

6. Financial Knowledge

It’s crucial for any business owner to have advanced knowledge about financials, especially the ability to forecast. Forecasting involves using past data to predict future success, sales and trends. It’s so important because it's the driving force behind most company's decisions and trajectories. The ability to forecast also allows a company to create built-in processes to manage unpredictability and unforeseen events. The key to successful forecasting is to create methodologies that ensure data is directional and credible. The methodology should also include both quantitative and qualitative factors. I would suggest even creating a strategic foresight team for an even greater chance of success for the entrepreneur and the business - Shu Saito, All Filters

7. First-Principle Mindset

One of the key skills any high-performing leader should implement is developing a first-principle mindset that frames learning in a more structured way. Beginning by learning the most pertinent first principles enables even the most abstract of concepts to be understood. For example, learning the key laws of physics that govern rocket propulsion when you want to understand how to design a more efficient rocket that can travel further with less fuel for higher payloads. Without knowing the first principles, that problem seems insurmountable to those unversed in physics. But there are really only a few physics principles that are pertinent to the rocket problem, not the entirety of physics, so it really comes down to learning those few principles, a much more digestible task. - Richard Fong, ProcessingCard.com

8. Building Trust

Leaders should never stop trying to build trust with their employees no matter what. For a business to run smoothly, it's crucial to have a cohesive team that works together and trusts you to make the best decisions in their favor. Too many business owners make the mistake of not making trust-building a priority, and this causes miscommunications across the board. You also want your team members to trust you enough to come to you with any issues they're facing to foster a positive company culture. - Stephanie Wells, Formidable Forms

9. Self-Awareness 

It's important to know your weaknesses. It's critical as a leader to decide the areas that you're going to build yourself or support through the recruitment of in-house experts. At some point, enhancing your skillset makes sense, while other times, it's more time and cost-effective to lean on the expertise of other people. It's essential to continue developing and making calculated bets on where your time and energy will make the largest impact. Doing this will allow you to gain experience in areas that you may formerly lack while also being honest with when it's time to utilize the skills of others. Over time, you will end up having more and more strengths through continued learning, whether that's by learning the skill or delegating. - Tyler Quiel, Giggster

10. Self-Development

It’s a bit cliché, but business owners should always work on themselves. Your relationship with yourself is something you can always learn something new from, so it’s important to stay well aware of how you’re growing, adapting, and evolving. Being critical of yourself and self-aware is crucial to your decision-making process, especially in business. It shapes your perception of what’s important which can either hinder or prosper your personal and professional life, and in turn your business. Partaking in activities to improve and/or challenge yourself, like meditation, or even discovering new hobbies and interests along the way, is a skill that helps you be at your best. - Emily Stallings, Casely, Inc.

Original Article posted in Forbes

Rachel Beider Honored in Forbes Next 1000 List

Thrilled to announce Rachel Beider in “The Forbes Next 1000 List: The Upstart Entrepreneurs Redefining the American Dream”

“After building a successful duo of massage therapy studios in Brooklyn, NY, Beider is opening a third in Manhattan and now lends her expertise to other wellness professional, including acupuncturists, fitness instructors, nutrition counselors, with Wellness Business Consulting. Press Modern Massage has an all-female-identifying leadership and served some 60,000 clients since 2008, and Beider is now an Entrepreneur-in-Residence at Harvard Ventures.”

Rachel Beider in Thrive Global: How to Run a Company That's Aligned with Your Values

Photo Cred Elena Natasha Photography

Here’s Rachel’s advice: “Our internal business mission statement is ‘Every interaction exudes warmth.’ What that means to me is that from the first time our clients call the studios all the way through check out, each interaction leaves them with the warm, cozy feeling of being held, seen, and respected. We also want warm interactions that come from a true place of care. One challenge we’ve had to overcome is getting new hires out of the normal mode of more transactional responses and into the heart-centered place of connection with our team and customers. Having clear communication, honest conversations, and lots of support during the on-boarding process has really helped with this.”

— Rachel Beider, CEO of PRESS Modern Massage

For the Original Article and more, click here

My recent article in Massage World Magazine

Rachel Beider on the Cover May / June issue of Massage Today

A Passion and a Purpose

By Danielle Galian, Editor
May 3, 2021

First Published HERE

How Rachel Beider, LMT, got her start in massage therapy will be familiar to many—she was inspired by personal experience. Beider grew up with scoliosis, a sideways curvature of the spine that resulted in chronic pain from an early age. When her mother, a professional ballerina, started occasionally bringing Beider to her physical therapy appointments, Beider began to understand how manual can help with pain management.

Beider felt that benefit even more when her mother learned some massage techniques to use on her back and shoulders at home when the pain from her scoliosis become too much. “Managing my scoliosis has been an ongoing lifelong work in progress,” Beider explains. “Massage therapy has made such a tremendous difference for me, especially when paired with consistent strengthening exercises and stretching.”

These early experiences are cornerstones of Beider’s decision to pursue massage therapy, starting in 2008 by getting certified in Thai massage at the WatPo School in Bangkok, Thailand, and then later that same year attending the Swedish Institute in New York City. From there, she started building a practice that allowed her to see clients she personally understood: People trying to manage pain.

The Beginning of Something Big

Beider worked as a massage therapist in a variety of environments before starting her own practice. “I was excited to start my career by working in a lot of different settings,” she says. “In the beginning, I worked for a yoga studio, a prenatal spa, a chiropractic office, and for a surgeon.”

But something didn’t feel right. While she enjoyed the clinical work the most, Beider realized that the rapid pace didn’t feel particularly relaxing. “I started to feel like a bystander in my own career, and that I didn’t have much impact, and that’s when I knew I wanted to take charge and start my own practice,” she remembers.

Beider was committed to the idea of taking in her own clients and building her own practice, but money was tight and she couldn’t afford New York City rent at the time. Not one to give up, she improvised and approached a physical therapy clinic and asked if they offered massage. “When they said they did not, I suggested that if I were to give their patients free treatments two mornings a week, they’d be more likely to come back for more physical therapy,” Beider remembers. “In exchange, I requested use of the space when they were out of office. They agreed, and that’s when my practice, PRESS Modern Massage, was born!” Beider describes PRESS as a combination of medical massage with the relaxing environment of healing space. “Many of the physical therapy patients I saw returned to see me for a full hour of massage,” she says.

Personal Experience, Professional Passion

Chronic pain sufferers typically try a variety of things to find the right pain management tools that fit their specific needs. For Beider, the right fit in managing her scoliosis was a wide variety of integrative therapies. “My scoliosis started to improve when I received weekly trigger point work, twice a month acupuncture, weekly chiropractic adjustments, and most importantly when I started doing targeted strengthening exercises and stretching, three to four times a week for 45 minutes at the gym,” she explains. Beider adds how practicing yoga on designated recovery days also provides extra relaxation and rest. 

When it comes to her clients at PRESS Modern Massage, Beider knows the telltale signs of chronic pain. “When I was working with chronic pain clients, I saw many physical therapy referrals who were recovering from whiplash, who had rods placed to manage their scoliosis, and who had chronic pain from other types of injuries, like biking or car accidents,” she explains. “I also treated a lot of patients who were dealing with ongoing anxiety that caused issues like temporomandibular joint dysfunction (TMJ) which led to trigger points, headaches, and jaw pain.”

Beider recommends always starting with a thorough intake process to observe a client’s gait, posture, or any obvious leaning to one side, and always keeping communication with the client the top priority. “I connected deeply with clients by asking questions about their condition like, ‘How does this affect you, if at all?’ and, ‘how does it feel today?’ knowing that sometimes with chronic pain, we get flair ups and bad days, and other times it’s well-managed. I also made sure to check in and ask, ‘What would you like to focus on during today’s session?’ knowing that sometimes clients have other things going on,” explains Beider. 

Another treatment method Beider has seen make a positive impact on clients is the use of trigger point therapy. When she works with her physical therapy referral clients for neck and back pain from whiplash injuries, office-related issues like wrist pain or nerve symptoms from carpal tunnel syndrome, tension and stiffness from too much screen time, and stress related tension headaches, Beider notes how effective trigger point is during a session. “The dentist near us also sent many TMJ patients, who’d been grinding and clenching their teeth in their sleep, causing the telltale trigger point pattern of issues in the sternocleidomastoid (SCM) muscles, pterygoid, masseter, and temporalis,” she explains. “In my work, after properly warming up a client, I use a lot of very slow and patient trigger point therapy, I find that it’s helpful in treating musculoskeletal pain.” 

Leading the Way for Other Massage Therapists

After a complicated pregnancy and COVID-19 temporarily sidelining her massage practice, Beider spends more time now managing her team of massage therapists and PRESS studio managers than practicing massage, though that doesn’t mean her roots aren’t still in creating meaningful connections with people who can benefit from massage therapy. 

“Over the years, I’ve found that I made many more genuine connections with people when I was forthcoming about my own challenges with scoliosis, anxiety, depression, my experience going through pregnancy loss, and my difficulties with chronic pain,” she explains. “We live in a time where people really seek out authenticity, and while it can be scary to put yourself out there, your ‘mess’ is your ‘message’ and your struggles will make you a lot more relatable to others.”

This same sentiment is clear in the business mission she shares with the massage therapists who work with her. “I want every interaction to exude warmth,” Beider says. “From the first time our clients call the studios, to when they are greeted for their appointment, to their massage session, post-session treatment plan, all the way through check-out, each interaction leaves them with the warm, cozy feeling of being held, seen, and respected.”

Giving back to her employees some of what she’s found so rewarding is part of Beider’s business model, too. “I decided years ago that supporting entrepreneurship in my own employees was also highly important,” she says. “I offer them the ability to do free trades with their peers at work, and to even rent our space by the hour to see their own private clients so that they can feel the pride of ownership of having their own practice, too.”

Beider’s passion for the massage therapy profession and education keeps growing, too, through her love of writing. She recently published her second book, Massage MBA: Run Your Practice, Love Your Life, detailing her experiences as a solo practitioner, giving advice to massage therapists who want to start a business on their own, and how to tackle life’s many challenges with grace and patience. “When life throws me a challenge, I often ask myself, ‘Why is this happening for me?’ as opposed to, ‘Why is this happening to me?’’’ explains Beider.  “I like to think of challenges as the universe on my side, calling me to grow.”    

For more information on PRESS Modern Massage, visit their website.”

Rachel Beider in Massage Magazine

SMALL BUSINESS BRANDING FOR MASSAGE THERAPISTS

Your small business branding should focus on what drew you into the massage field to help connect with your clients.

If value isn’t about how the numbers add up at the end of the year, what is it?

Michael Ellsberg, an author, advisor, and pioneer, asserts that value is about an exchange of caring, which underlies all other forms of human value and is at the root of everything.

“If you focus on getting more money, you may or may not get more money. But if you focus on giving and receiving more value, not only will you end up with more value running through your life in general, but also more value in the form of money specifically. Money is a red herring; the real issue is value.” —Michael Ellsberg, Facebook post

By nature, massage therapists are called to this profession to help, to heal, to improve the lives of the people around us. In order to define your small business brand, it’s important to connect to what drew you into this field initially, and what keeps you going.

In this article we will be defining who you are and what you offer.

Small-Business Branding

Knowing why you’re doing what you’re doing is critical to your success. Why? Because if you do not absolutely love what you do, and totally believe in it, neither will your potential clients. If you aren’t 110 percent committed to what you’re doing, your business will struggle to make it past the first year. (Statistically, most small businesses fail within their first year.) Starting from the beginning, we need you to dig deep and find out who you are and what makes you awesome, so you can be sure to beat the odds.

What makes you special and unique? What life experiences have you had that add value to your services? Where are you in your life? If you stopped offering your services tomorrow, what would clients miss most about working with you? This last question was particularly hard for me to answer at first, so I began by thinking what I would miss if my favorite restaurant closed. They always know my order. They greet me with a smile when I come in. The food is always good, and the ambience is lovely. Try doing this exercise for your favorite restaurant, bar, or coffee shop.

Now think again about your business and try to put your finger on what people would miss most if you were to close your doors. This exercise can help to tease out that special something that you bring to the table. Once you identify what it is that makes you stand out, make sure that you lead with it—it should be prominent on your website, social media, and in how you talk about your business.

When we talk about defining ourselves, it’s critical to be real. Don’t try to be something you’re not, or somewhere you aren’t. Clients value authenticity and expertise.

Brene Brown writes: “Authenticity is a collection of choices that we have to make every day. It’s about the choice to show up and be real. The choice to be honest. The choice to let our true selves be seen.”[1]

If you’re a recent college grad, you might find your best clients among other recent college grads, who can relate to you. If you recently gave birth, you’re likely an expert at all things pregnancy, and what the specific needs and wants are of that particular community. I’m not saying to limit your client base to people like you, however, being honest with yourself about who you are and where you are in your life will help you to share your particular message and your small business brand by connecting you to people using what makes you uniquely special. Tap into your own uniqueness so that others can recognize how you stand apart and celebrate you.

For example, I created a “Hipster Massage Mix for PRESS” on Spotify to use at my studio. I recognized that in my late 20s and early 30s, a certain kind of music and vibe really resonates with me, and with my clients! The music I feel is most authentic to Williamsburg (the hipster-y neighborhood in NYC where I started my practice), has a certain kind of alternative blend of interesting tunes (Andrew Bird, José González, Mazzy Star, Antony and the Johnsons, Iron & Wine) that has put us on the map and even attracted musicians as clients. So many of my clients now follow our Spotify playlist! Be your authentic self and people will take notice.

I also grew up with scoliosis and chronic back pain. When I started my private practice, I led with this on my website, and attracted a lot of other clients who were experiencing the same difficulties. They trusted me because I deeply understood their pain.

Look for other examples in your own life that have colored your experience. Maybe you’ve been injured, or cared for a loved one with an illness, or watched a friend go through something in their lives. Take whatever experiences you’ve had that have shaped your views, and start there.

Authenticity in Branding

There’s another compelling reason to be authentic. If you pretend to be someone you’re not, you have to work double time to keep the illusion going, which is incredibly detrimental to mental health.

In her book, The Gifts of Imperfection, Brene Brown says that we should all be born with a warning label like the ones that come on packages of cigarettes: “If you trade your authenticity for safety, you may experience the following: anxiety, depression, eating disorders, addiction, rage, blame, resentment, and inexplicable grief.”

Save yourself the stress of trying to be someone you’re not. Instead, define what makes you special, wonderful, and uniquely you. As a result, you will create a small business brand you love.

This article was excerpted with permission from “Massage MBA” (2021), by Rachel Beider.

About the Author

Rachel Beider is a licensed massage therapist, entrepreneur, and the proud owner PRESS Modern Massage company, a group of award-winning massage therapy studios. Rachel helps wellness entrepreneurs grow thriving practices via Wellness Business Consulting. She lives and works in New York, New York.

[1] Brown, Brene. The Gifts of Imperfection: Let Go of Who You Think You’re Supposed to Be and Embrace Who You Are (Minnesota: Hazelden Publishing, 2010), 49.

This article originally seen in Massage Magazine

Spotlight: Clinical Psychologist Alexandra Duque

Globally recognized Clinical Psychologist Alexandra Duque writes:

“In just one call, Rachel totally transformed the way I look at my business, really connecting with its purpose and the way it is meant to serve the world.
I felt that Rachel had a special power of reading my thoughts, especially the ones that I didn't know I had, along with being able to extract them and translating them into more useful, clear and actionable understanding.
Rachel's energy and passion is highly contagious and it is difficult not to take action after being in a call with her. As a result of this I was able to successfully apply the learning, empower and challenge myself in more concrete and useful ways.”

Rachel Beider Live on NBC: Tips for Women Entrepreneurs

Rachel Beider shares what is takes to be a successful entrepreneur with Natalie Lizarraga. Watch her live interview here on NBC’s LX