Today we’d like to introduce you to Tricia Grace.
Tricia, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
My Name is Tricia Grace and I have been married 27 years to my rock, & soul mate, Craig. I am a momma of 3 incredible, gorgeous daughters, Britney, Tory, and Holly, and I have an amazing & handsome son. Blake. I also have 2 vibrant granddaughters, Isabella & Estella. I spent my adult life literally raising my kids. I went to college for a little bit, but after my first daughter was born with some health complications which required her to have her first surgery at 16 months old, I decided to stay home & take care of her. I went back to college after my second daughter was born, but decided to spend the rest of the years helping out at my kid’s schools, & driving them to all of their after school activities. I always wanted to just be able to help Craig pay the bills, but I did not know what I wanted to do. I always asked God to help me to be able to help Craig & my family, but God’s timing is different from our timing. Craig had always told me that I should create exercise videos, but honestly, I only exercise because I have to, and not because I like to. I also knew nothing about creating or editing videos, and this was long before there was YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, or any social media. It took me years to ever get on Facebook, and to even understand what YouTube is. Did I mention that one of my daughter’s had to set up my Facebook account for me? Then, one day I was actually supposed to baby sit one of my granddaughters, but it didn’t work out so I decided that since I now had some extra time on my hands then I could try to do my very first YouTube video. I didn’t even know what a YouTube app was, and I had no idea how to even use my computer for anything other than emails, and I barely knew how to do that. However, I had a phone so I decided to press record from the camera on that. From the moment that I recorded my first awful video, I was hooked, and knew that making YouTube videos was what I wanted to do. I started my YouTube channel with a lot of bad videos about hair, makeup, pets, and yes…even exercise videos. Many of these videos were long because I didn’t know how to edit. I eventually figured out how to edit using a variety of apps on my phone, and my channel slowly grew. Then, one day I injured my shoulder. My husband had been going to physical therapy, and recommended that I go. I thought that it would be a waste of time, but after many months of him urging me to go, I finally did. My physical therapist used cupping therapy on me, and I was hooked after the first session. My physical therapist told me that I could purchase my own set of cups so that I could cup myself at home. I knew from that moment on that I was going to change my YouTube channel from talking about hair, and makeup videos, to cupping cellulite videos! Yes…you read that right…cupping cellulite. I happened to have an obsession with wanting to get rid of the cellulite! I had struggled with it my whole life despite all my workouts, and trying to eat healthy. I had even lost 26 pounds, but still had cellulite. I asked my physical therapist if she thought that cupping therapy could help my cellulite, and she said that it could. She even cupped my legs. I went home and started researching cupping, and cupping cellulite. There wasn’t much information about cupping, let alone, cupping cellulite. In my research, I noticed that many YouTuber’s were showing before & after results laying down, and using filters. I decided that I would show my results in all types of light, and put my booty in the bright sunlight to show every flaw, and do this STANDING UP IN A BIKINI! Don’t get me wrong, I may have some videos where I am on the couch, but I soon realized that my viewers needed to see me standing up because everyone looks good laying down, but when you put your booty in bright sun light and stand up…well, every flaw is going to show. The day I posted my first cellulite video, at the end of June, 2016, my subscribers on YouTube started to grow fast…not fast like trendy 20 something YouTuber’s beauty channels, but fast for a 40 something year olds channel dedicated to cupping cellulite. I have to add that it is really hard to make a cupping cellulite video tutorial go viral because not a lot of women want to admit that they have cellulite. A video about a young women’s acceptance of her cellulite can get 1M views, but a tutorial from an almost 50 year old MayMay showing how to make her cellulite look better, isn’t going to get quite the same love and I get it because what lady wants to hint that they might possibly have a few dimples under their favorite go to jeans? Plus, I didn’t quite have that friends & family affect that most newbie social media influencer’s have, and some people thought that I had completely lost my mind. What mother or grandma with kids still in school, shows their booty to the world…in a bikini? It didn’t help that cupping was practically unheard of although it has been around for centuries. My closest girlfriends at the time, took the “Don’t Ask Approach,” so I thought I would get more progress by group texting everyone my “in your face” cupping cellulite videos. There was still no response, but there was less invites to girl’s nights out, and soon there would be no more invites to the coveted girl’s trips that I looked forward to. Although it hurt when I saw all the photos of them on their trips together, or at their holiday parties, I had no idea that this would make me stronger. Heck, now I had all the time in the world to grow my YouTube channel! Craig kept lifting my spirits by constantly reminding me that there was a whole world out there just waiting for me. My fans and kids also lifted me up during these tough times, and they helped me more than I can ever say. I also prayed to God to help me, and He did. One day I turned on the T.V. and there was Michael Phelps in the Olympics… with cupping marks on him! This helped my channel tremendously, and people thought I wasn’t so crazy after all. I decided that I would VLOG about my good day and bad days of my cellulite journey, and so this meant uploading videos of when I didn’t think my results always looked good. My videos were still not so good. I rambled on a lot. There were countless videos where I was a total train wreck, but my fans loved that I was being true to myself by not changing who I am. One day one of my viewers told me that I should apply for an associate’s link so that I could earn a small commission on my cups that I talked about in all my videos. I got my link which for me wasn’t easy to figure out how to do. I was so excited to do my first video, and to tell my fans about my link to the cups! Now, these were not my cups, so the commission I earned was not enough to pay bills, but I loved helping ladies to improve their cellulite so much that I didn’t care about not getting paid much. I began to work long hours creating videos, and helping women around the world. If I wasn’t working on videos, then I was answering messages from women around the world, via social media. The cups that I were using were good, but I knew that I could create better ones. Plus, it was getting more difficult to answer my viewer’s questions about the cups I was using because the owners were not local and they were so busy from all the success from my videos, that they no longer answered my emails. AT the same time, many online health & wellness companies were using my videos and photos as ads for their cheap cupping systems, and I had not given them permission. I had no idea this was happening because I was so busy trying to help women across the world, but thankfully my supportive fans reported this to me. By now, I had years of experience in cupping, and doing thousands of videos across all my social media platforms, and from the footage that never even makes it to editing. I knew what worked best for me, and for my viewers. And most importantly, I would have a direct line with the CEO of the company, to answer questions that my viewers had since I would be the CEO! I decided to save a portion of my small amount of money I earned from YouTube and my associates links so that one day I could create my own cupping system! I launched my Tricia Grace Cupping System on May 25, 2018, and at the moment I am at the top 6% of stores that launched the same week as me, and my only product is my cupping system! Whoo! I uploaded my first YouTube video October 7, 2015, and didn’t even know what compose an email meant, and could definitely not send one from my computer. Today, my YouTube channel has grown to 10k subscribers, but it’s only showing 9,726 to the public, and I have 2,562,750 total views. My personal Facebook page has grown to over 800 friends & a couple hundred followers. I am also working on growing my Instagram account which is at 1,400 followers. I am also on Twitter & Pinterest, but rarely post anything because I honestly don’t really get how to Tweet or Pin, nobody knows I am there, and I just don’t have the time. I would rather spend my free time writing thank you cards to my customers that have purchased my Tricia Grace Cupping System! I cannot begin to write my gratitude, and love that I feel towards my fans that supported me, and many of them started with me from the very beginning of my YouTube channel. They are one of the reasons that I have a successful business. Most of them had already bought the cups that I talked about, and many other products that I talked about in my videos, but they still ordered my cups because they believe in me that much. I am humbled by their support and love. P.S. I still create and edit all my vids from my phone, and Craig had to help me compose this email to you. Thank you for considering me for this article. I am also grateful & honored that Maria Sanchez Priester introduced me to you. What a blessing she gave me!
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
One of the challenges I faced, was dealing with many online stores that were profiting off my content. I spent precious time creating a series of videos that warned my viewers not to trust these companies, and there was countless hours spent writing my viewers to explain that I didn’t partner with these other companies. There were many late nights that I stayed up filing copyright claims. I also went to the companies’ websites and Facebook pages trying to warn their customers. Many of my fans also did the same, and it filled my heart with admiration for my fans to see that they would take the time to stick up for me. The online companies blocked me, and any of my fans that stuck up for me. There is still much of my content being used out there, but it’s nearly impossible to catch them all. A big challenge was that I had no idea how to even begin to find a supplier/manufacturer to work with me to create my cupping system. I didn’t even know what a supplier/manufacturer was. In fact, the first prototype for the packaging that my cups would come in was a box that Craig wrapped in white paper with my logo and picture printed on it. It was also difficult to lose some of my closest friends. I was so lonely, but that’s enough about that. Also, it was, and still is a struggle for me to deal with the trolls out there. Who knew that so many people would get upset because I chose cupping as my favorite weapon against cellulite, versus another popular tool. I was told to work out more, workout less, I have been told to eat less cheesecake because my booty looked like it had too much cheese cake. Countless comments that my butt is flabby & flat, or that I am ugly & old. There are the comments about my race. I am half Mexican, & half Caucasian, I have Pueblo Indian in me, and some German, SO, there have been some pretty descriptive comments made about that. I happen to be very shy, & that was an obstacle for me to overcome just to record my first YouTube video. It has also always been hard for me to complete a complete thought and express it when I talk, and when I get nervous or happy, this gets worse, and this has led to the number one mean troll comment, which is “You Are On Crack.”
Tricia Grace – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
My business is my Tricia Grace Cupping System. Cupping is a holistic healing practice in which cups are moved across parts of the body. The cups create a suction which works like a deep tissue massage. It has been around for centuries, and it is used to treat pain in the body such as stiff shoulders, arthritis, rotator cuff injury, wrist & knee pain, sciatica, back pain, and tennis elbow. It is used to improve circulation, and is used as a deep tissue massage on fascia, which happens to be excellent for improving the appearance of cellulite. I am best known for getting excellent results in smoothing my cellulite with my Tricia Grace Cupping system. What sets my Tricia Grace Cups apart from the rest, is that it is the only cupping system designed for the beginner, intermediate, and pro cupper. There is a beginner cup which is made to have less suction so that there is less pain when cupping, there’s an intermediate cup which has a bit more suction for those who have been cupping longer, and then there is a pro cup for those who have been cupping for a long time. This cup has some major suction and gives the deepest massage out of all the cups. Each cup is a different color to help my customers know the different levels of suction. For instance, the beginner cup is aqua with the color representing a lighter massage. The Intermediate cup is fuchsia, to represent a more deeper massage, and then there is the blood orange cup that represents a deeper more intense suction, giving the most intense, deepest massage. Yes, I could have just made all the cups one color, and then marked them beginner, intermediate, and pro, but that would have been boring and I wanted my cups to be vibrant, and fun, and to stand out from all the other cupping systems out there that were all one color! I also created a facial cup that doubles as a body cup! No other company has this type of step up system. And then I have a cup made for the delicate eye area, and for all those little hard to reach places on the face! The thing that I am most proud of as a company is that my fans/customers are writing to tell me how much they LOVE MY CUPPING SYSTEM, and that they are starting to not only see results in smoothing their cellulite, but in healing their bodies!
What is “success” or “successful” for you?
I personally define success when I have helped millions of people around the world to achieve the results that they want with my cups, and hope to someday be the largest distributor of products around the world! I have multiple markers, but here are a few.
1. Being featured in Voyage Dallas Magazine because some of my friends were in your magazine & I have so always wanted to be featured in your magazine!
2. When I can pay for a car with cash.
3. When I can donate 10,000 a month to Scottish Rites Hospital.
4. When Craig can quit his job.
5. When I am asked for my autograph.
6. When I can leave my house with confidence, and hold my head high because I know that I am helping millions of people around the world.
Pricing:
- 1. Tricia Grace Cupping System & my Tricia Grace Cupping & Blasting Guide ( PDF ) is $29.79
Contact Info:
- Website: TriciaGrace.com
- Phone: 214-377-7417
- Email: Tricia.Grace@triciagrace.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tdgrace1/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/triciagrace1
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/tdgrace1
- Other: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC9LFToGwAV0zJpT_j0SEoqA
Image Credit:
Craig Grace
Holly Grace
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