Go with your heart
From an early age – well about 12 – I knew what I wanted to do. I wanted to be a beauty therapist. Not a beautician, that’s different. I wanted this so badly, but teachers told me that I should go into catering because I was very good at cookery. There weren’t courses in beauty therapy in every college, and the only one in the South West was at Weston Super Mare. Three hundred applicants for a 32 place course from as far away as Newquay and Stroud. I had to get in, so I guess I started manifesting without even knowing what it was!
There was no help!
I had to find out about the course by myself as the careers advisor suggested I ‘just do hairdressing’ at our local college if I didn’t want to go into catering. NO. I WANTED TO BE A BEAUTY THERAPIST!
I worked so hard to get the ‘O levels’ needed to even get an interview. (How times have changed!).
So, that’s what I became. A beauty therapist, and a good one at that – even though I say so myself! After I left college, I had the chance of renting a room above a hairdressers in town, Encouraged by my mother, I have always worked for myself, and although it was really hard, I soon found myself moving to another premises – Silk Hair Design. After a couple of years I then moved on to Terral House that my mother and step dad had purchased – Terral was already running Taunton Sunbed Centre, back in the day sunbeds were a huge industry. That side of the house ran along side my beauty business, and over the years the beauty side over took the sunbed space, as we moved into hairdressing and more holistic therapies.
I was always drawn to the holistic side.
Long before the name was even used, I was drawn to more natural holistic therapies. We trained well before gel nails, fake tans, and before day spas were a thing. Aromatherapy was an Alternative Medicine and Reflexology was considered well-weird!
I have always been an Aromatherapist, and when I moved to my own premises – Genesis Day Spa – after getting married in 2001, I was able to train in Reiki, La Stone and my real love for the holistic side shone through. I no longer offered manicures or pedicures, although I could still jump in to help if one of my girls were sick.
This is me on reception around 2002
I needed to move on.
One of the reasons I decided to sell the salons, was because I wanted to teach more Reiki and continue with my holistic therapies. I couldn’t do that with two salons and 18 members of staff. I either had to run them and manage everything, or sell up and do what I really loved for the next 15-20 years.
So that was that. In 2007 we bought Wayside House. For those who have never had the chance to visit me here, it’s a lovely space. Overlooking the garden where I work one-to-one with clients with bespoke treatments, specialising in Facials and LaStone. I still use the Repechage Beauty From The Sea – after 30 years I can’t find anything that works as well as this!
I also teach Reiki on one one to one basis, which is something I’m finding more and more people want to look into for self healing. It’s not just for therapists, anyone can do it, you just need to be attuned. In this busy world we need as many tools as we can get to stay balanced and healthy!
Following my heart.
The next phase has been the energy art. Running alongside the therapies. If you have been reading these blogs from the beginning, you will know my story. If you have found me recently through the art, then this should give you an insight into how I got here. Some say I am lucky to have fallen on my feet.
No, it’s not lucky. I’ve worked hard. I worked hard to build the salons from working in one room, and having to work doing manicures in care homes to earn enough money put petrol in the car to be able get to work the next day! I was always quite driven I didn’t ever give up. There’s a manifesting lesson in this – you know how much I like my manifesting strategies. Now I have another one – The art will continue to grow. Healing people through the power of energy art. I have a plan, and it continues with Open Studio on 7th December!
