Today we’d like to introduce you to Thomas Earl Speers.
Hi Thomas, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I grew up in Kansas. My mother introduced me to Massage Therapy and metaphysical/spiritual stuff when I was a kid. She was raising three boys on her own, working minimum wage jobs, on welfare–doing her best. It was a struggle. She took up massage training and started doing massages on the side. I would tag along with her when she took her massage table to events and psychic fairs, and she would bring her table to my swim/dive meets. So, at an early age, I was taught the importance of the physical/physiological benefits of Massage Therapy and being introduced to energy work and the more esoteric aspects of the mind/body connection.
I tried college and was a diver on the college team, but dropped out sophomore year and spent most of my twenties working restaurant jobs. I became interested in more fulfilling service work, did some caregiving work for elderly clients on hospice, and offered domestic support for outpatient mental health clients. I found myself well-suited for work that utilized my innate capacity for love and empathy for others. My oldest brother was killed when I was 12, and childhood included various other profound traumas. All contributed to a sense of deep caring for others in psychological/emotional pain. My mom died pretty unexpectedly when I was 27, and shortly after that, I enrolled at Boulder College of Massage Therapy in Colorado. I graduated from their 1,000-hour program in 2010, a week before my 30th birthday.
It took me some time to give massage work ago. I kept waiting tables and just did some massage on the side until 2014, when I took the plunge into full-time massage work and had been doing it non-stop ever since.
I have maintained a part-time private practice for the last eight years, combined with working for many other spas and clinics, in Colorado. Five months ago I moved to Fort Worth to start building a life with my partner, Misty Green, who I met online a little over a year ago, and who is herself a Massage Therapist. We share an office and do a lot of couples massages together.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle-free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
Like any road, there are smooth stretches and rough patches. Roadblocks and detours. Breakdowns and breathtaking sceneries. That’s life. We learn as we go. At 41 years old, I’m finally learning to be grateful for all of it and see even the difficulties as blessings.
The struggles and challenges in a career are inseparable from the struggles and challenges in all other areas of life. It all begins within.
My personal story regarding the challenges has been a lot about not believing in myself. I’ve sabotaged myself a lot by being stuck in loops of low self-worth, swirled with chronic fight/flight trauma response. The past five years have included a lot of deep diving into all the detrimental psychological and nervous system patterns written into my being early in life and reinforced through early adulthood coping mechanisms. Anyone who has been on a path of healing themselves from the effects of childhood traumas understands that at some point, you just have to take responsibility for your own mental/emotional/nervous system health. Our early caregivers couldn’t give us tools that they didn’t have. But as an adult, once you know better, you know better, and it’s all on you to do your own work. That’s been my greatest challenge in business and life, embodying the vigilance, diligence, dedication, discipline, and determination to heal and grow in all the necessary ways to walk steadfast on becoming the best version of myself that I can become. And the purpose and reason for all of it are so that I can love and give and serve in the world in ways that make other people’s lives better. That’s all that matters to me. That’s what I live for.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
After moving to Fort Worth, I joined my partner Misty Green in building a wellness business together. Her personal brand is “My Yoga Tao”. Misty offers private yoga, Thai Yoga Bodywork, Reiki, and Massage–she was already established in her private practice when I moved here. Our collective brand is “In Loving Wellness”. I specialize in firm/deep-tissue table massage infused with a loving, caring, intuitive energy. I’ve developed a unique personal style over the last 12 years that combines techniques borrowed from many modalities. It’s easiest to call it “Integrative” because my style does not fit into particular boxes or categories. Every session is different because each client’s needs and energy is different from session to session. We are excited about learning and growing more together. We love giving couples massages and just recently had first four hands massage—both of us massaging one client simultaneously. I’d recommend that service. We’re also excited about developing some offerings geared towards supporting other couples–such as classes including partner yoga, breathwork, massage, and connection/intimacy exercises. We live a Wellness lifestyle individually and mutually, so offering that to the community is a natural extension of our personal identity.
We’d be interested to hear your thoughts on luck and what role, if any, you feel it’s played for you?
I don’t believe there is any such phenomenon as “good luck” or “bad luck”. I am self-responsible and accountable for taking what is present and owning how I relate to and respond to it. Any “fortunate” or “adverse” situation has to potential to be utilized responsibly or irresponsibly. It’s up to me. There will always be unexpected situations. There will always be momentary devastation and chaos and a brilliant boon that comes seemingly out of nowhere. I believe there are great, mysterious (dare I say “divine”) forces that none of us can ever fully understand. I am consistently in awe of that mystery. And, at the end of the day, all I can do is be here with what’s present, take the information given and the tools I have and do my very best, day by day, step by step. Over time, the information I have accumulates, the toolkit grows, and the bar keeps rising. I look forward to while being present. I fall; I get up. I make mistakes; I try again. I utilize what’s useful and discard what’s not. All while staying focused on my mission, vision, and purpose. Which always comes back to simply growing and giving in loving wellness.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.inlovingwellness.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/inlovingwellness
Image Credits
Debra Gloria Photography
