Today we’d like to introduce you to Candace Busby.
Hi Candace, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
I started unprofessionally doing massages probably around the age of four or five. My grandmother would always complain of her shoulders hurting and I was the grandchild that would get picked all the time to massage her shoulders. As I got older, I still was the grandchild that was selected out of the six grandchildren to do her shoulder massages. At the age of 19, I had my daughter and a few weeks after giving birth to her, my family and I learned that she would have special needs. She was diagnosed with a rare neurological disorder called Aicardi Syndrome. The characteristics of her syndrome have similarities to Cerebral Palsy.
One day when she was maybe about four years old, she was seeing a specialist for muscle spasticity and elevated muscle tone. Her doctor at the time told me to massage her and the way the doctor mimicked the massage techniques, it just didn’t look like she was doing the technique correctly. That day when I got in the car from my daughter’s appointment, I told myself that I would learn how to do it the correct way because I didn’t want to hurt her or mess anything up. I shortly after went to Las Vegas with my two older sisters for my 23rd birthday trip. None of us necessarily wanted to pay a ton of money to get massages done in the hotel spa where we were staying, so my sisters asked me if I had a problem with touching people’s feet. Lol. To their surprise, I didn’t and they encouraged me to check out a massage school when we got back home. It took me a little while to check out the school because I did not want to be a massage therapist, but I kept getting signs that that’s what I was supposed to be doing. I checked out a school called Texas Center for Massage Therapy in Richardson, TX and enrolled in October 2012. I graduated in October 2013 and was licensed in September 2013. I have knowledge of many different modalities and currently, I own a mobile massage therapy business called A Blissful Touch that services all of the DFW Metroplex and surrounding areas.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
It definitely has not been a smooth road, but a blessed one nonetheless. As an entrepreneur, there is always trial and error, but you roll with the punches and make adjustments as they come. One of my initial struggles was trying to figure out where my clientele was going to come from because I was a new therapist and no one necessarily knew who I was. I worked for a big massage franchise for a few years and gained many clients while working there. Luckily, I prayed and kept the faith and when I decided to leave, my clients followed and left the franchise with me. There have also been services that I would have liked to add because I am also a licensed esthetician, but I am not able to do so at the moment by choice due to the amount of equipment and products I would have to take with me into each client’s location. My last obstacle would be creative ways to market myself because massage therapy is very different from other professions and I have to be very conscious of my client’s privacy. Some of them are okay with photos and videos being taken, whereas others are not.
We’ve been impressed with A Blissful Touch, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
I am a licensed massage therapist and esthetician that provides quality, therapeutic and relaxing massages in the comfort of your home, office, or special event. I service all of the Dallas/Fort Worth metroplex and surrounding areas. I help my clients relax and unwind from the everyday stresses of life. I mainly offer Swedish massage, Deep Tissue, Prenatal, Reflexology, Hot Stone Massage, Lymphatic Drainage massage & Chair massage. However, I do have knowledge of other modalities such as Sports Massage, Craniosacral, Trigger Point, Myofascial release & Russian Sports massage. I do incorporate my knowledge of the other modalities into some of my sessions, depending on the client’s needs. I think what I’m most proud of is I have been blessed to bless others with what I believe is one of my gifts from God… touch/healing and to be able to love what I do, knowing I have helped someone else feel better in a relaxing, personable way is what also sets me apart.
What makes you happy?
Outside of working out and being able to help others, whether it’s massage related or just helping others, being a mother to my daughter is what makes me happy. My world revolves around her and I just don’t know what I would do without her in my life.
Contact Info:
- Email: ablissful_touch@yahoo.com
- Website: www.massagebook.com/biz/ablissfultouch
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/a_blissful_touch
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/ablissfultouch1
Image Credits
Personal photo – by Hidden Images by D. Drake
All other images – Candace Busby
