Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Patrice Smith. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Patrice, we’re so excited for our community to get to know you and learn from your journey and the wisdom you’ve acquired over time. Let’s kick things off with a discussion on self-confidence and self-esteem. How did you develop yours?
Pre-teen years can be difficult for everyone and personally I had a lot of issues with my confidence and self-esteem. My Dad noticed I was struggling and made it a point every day to drive me to school. He would lock the doors and ask me the same question, “Who do you love” and I would respond, “Well, I love you, Daddy.” and he’d say, no and ask again. “Who do you love?” and again, I would respond that I loved him. He would then tell me he wasn’t letting me out of the car until I said, “I love me.” I’d roll my eyes time and time again and would cave and say “okay…. I love me.” After a whole year of this day in and day out, I subconsciously started to believe it, it truly worked, and I did love myself more and more each day. At the time, I had no idea what he was doing for me, that is until I started growing and becoming an independent woman in the real world. The amount of self-love and confidence that one year instilled in me has continued to resonate throughout my life. I can be comfortable in uncomfortable situations and work through them with confidence.
Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?
I moved to Colorado 4 years ago to be closer to my immediate family and this place sure will humble you and make you grow if you are up for the challenge! This past January I launched my first successful solo practice in Colorado Springs. It took a year and a half of having three jobs and working tirelessly to make it, but I was finally able to quit my day jobs and jump off the deep end of the unknown.
It’s been a slow burn, but with confidence and knowing that I’m in the right place to really make a difference, it was the right decision. I’ve not only worked physically hard over the past few years, but I’ve grown more spiritually and mentally strong through hard inner work, therapy and becoming a Reiki Master with Brenda Martinez through White Light Reiki. As I’ve grown personally, I have found amazing connections to higher vibrational people, a closer relationship with my family, and clients who are so much more than just clients. The hard work has really paid off.
I’ve always loved music and vibrations and have always believed in sound healing and frequencies.
This year I purchased my 7 chakra, 432 hertz sound bowls and a 128 hertz tuning fork and have been lucky enough to have been invited to lead a guided meditation and sound bath at my friend’s farm each full moon in the summer. We sell tickets to a one-of-a-kind experience where I set up the sound bowls in the barn with the horses and I lead a guided meditation. The hosts, my sister, Betzy Vantilborg and Kayla Fiocco have so much knowledge of horses that they share and it’s a great time to connect with such beautiful empathic animals. I have also done sound baths in parks and at Reiki shares over the last couple of months! It’s been a fun journey to say the least and sharing knowledge of alternative healing and my own experiences has been amazing!
This coming year, I’m looking forward to expanding my solo practice and finding other talented therapist that would want to work alongside me. My long-term goal is to have outstanding massage and spa services available as a reasonable price where everyone can come and take care of themselves. Even though I typically give therapeutic massages designed to help fix people, I’ve always been a spa girl at heart and I love the ambiance of a beautiful space to relax and really pamper yourself with services more than a regular massage. Having a store front with services such as Vichy showers, mud wraps, full body scrubs and steam rooms and incorporating those spa services with energy work and other holistic healing methods is the ultimate goal.
Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
First, I must say I have an amazing work ethic. I will always show up for my clients and I know they truly appreciate that. I make sure that I take care of the small details in my everyday work habits and people notice and appreciate that as well. When you work in the service industry, you usually are there because you love helping others, but it takes a lot to give everything you have. I’m mindful to give my all to those who really care about me and my client following does just that. I never give up. I may not feel as if I do things as fast as others, but I give myself grace and allow time to finish projects at my own pace. No matter how long it takes me, I keep my goals and ambitions constantly in mind and work little by little to accomplish those goals.
Lastly, I remind myself every day that it’s all going to work out in my favor. A positive mind set goes a long way, especially when running a business is so difficult. I allow myself grace when needed but keep pushing towards what I know i deserve. When you finally find your worth and you remind yourself that you deserve your success, you deserve your clients, and you deserve good things in life, then that’s what the Universe will give you!
To close, maybe we can chat about your parents and what they did that was particularly impactful for you?
My parents always showed me the value of a dollar and how to work for it. I wasn’t the person that nice things were just handed to, even though growing up we were well taken care of. I was shown early on you have to work for what you want, and I truly believe that’s what has instilled the work ethic I have and has made me as successful as I am.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://cest-la-vie-108948.square.site/
- Facebook: facebook.com/kneadmassage
Image Credits
Patrice Smith
