Meet Luciana Andrus

We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Luciana Andrus. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Luciana below.

Hi Luciana , so excited to talk about all sorts of important topics with you today. The first one we want to jump into is about being the only one in the room – for some that’s being the only person of color or the only non-native English speaker or the only non-MBA, etc Can you talk to us about how you have managed to be successful even when you were the only one in the room that looked like you?

My journey began at a very young age. I was just four years old, living in a middle-class family in Brazil. My father worked as a bookstore manager, earning a decent income, while my mother stayed home to care for me. We were a loving, close-knit family.

However, our lives took a dramatic turn when my father began suffering from a series of strokes, which eventually led to epilepsy. Our world was turned upside down. My mother had to start working as a housekeeper for wealthy families, and I became responsible for caring for my father after school.

I vividly remember those difficult days—feeding my father, helping him with basic needs, and assisting with his showers. Our financial situation deteriorated rapidly, and we had to move into a small, rundown shack, the only place my mother could afford. The winters were cold, with the wind seeping through the thin walls. Our bathroom was nothing more than a hole in the ground, and we had to heat water in a bucket for showers. We had very little, but we had love, respect, and a strong bond that kept us together.

From an early age, I knew I had to excel in school to one day help my parents and improve our circumstances. When I was eleven, we were finally able to move into public housing—a real brick house with a proper bathroom, walls, and windows. I felt like I had struck gold!

Despite our hardships, my father eventually regained the ability to walk, though he developed a leg ulcer that required daily care. I tended to it diligently, driven by the deep love I had for my parents. My father passed away when I was 24, and my mother followed four years later. I found her after she had passed, and I still believe she held on just long enough to see me graduate with a bachelor’s degree in English Education and Literature.

After my mother’s passing, I decided to move to San Francisco to pursue a Master’s Degree in Linguistics, staying with college friends who were already living there. It’s been 23 years since then. I started from scratch, sleeping on a friend’s living room floor, cleaning houses, and working as a nanny for affluent families. But God had other plans for me.

I’ve always had a strong work ethic and a passion for learning. Eventually, I decided to attend massage school, driven by the extraordinary bond I felt with the babies and toddlers I cared for. I graduated in 2016 and opened my first practice in San Francisco. It was a humble beginning—no money, no business plan, just a deep desire to help others.

As time passed, I became skilled in Lymphatic Drainage, largely because my clients’ needs pushed me to grow and learn. I’ll never forget a young woman who had developed swelling in one of her arms after breast cancer surgery. I did what I could with the limited knowledge I had, but that experience motivated me to deepen my expertise.

In 2018, I opened a second location in Mill Valley, always moving forward on faith. God and my clients were my greatest partners, especially in those early stages. I eventually saved enough money to travel to Brazil and learn from experts in Lymphatic Drainage, all while continuing to work long hours as a nanny.

I remember praying for more clients, and slowly but surely, they came. By December 2019, I felt confident enough to leave my nanny job. Though the family I worked for wasn’t happy with my decision and let me go at the end of that week., I ended up making double what I had as a nanny that month. It was a clear sign that rejection can be a form of protection, pushing us toward our true destiny.

In 2020, I returned to Brazil to further my education, even though I had to borrow money from my cousin to finance the course.

My life has been a struggle up to until a few years ago, but I’ve always believed that challenges are temporary and that we can weather any storm.

When the pandemic hit in March 2020, it was another uncertain time, but I persevered. That year turned out to be my best yet—I earned six figures in gross income, largely thanks to a well-known plastic surgeon who believed in my work and began referring his patients to me. I had to hire more massage therapists to keep up with the demand. I firmly believe that we’re better together.

In 2021, with the help and influence of this doctor, I was able to move to a better location and expand my team. By 2022, my practice was thriving, as more and more doctors recognized the power of Brazilian Lymphatic Drainage.

In 2023, I patented my technique, the Post Op Brazilian Lymphatic Drainage by Luciana Andrus®️, and received accreditation from the highest Massage Board Association in the country. Today, not only I provide the best post-op care in the Bay Area, but I also teach other massage therapists to help people heal faster after surgery, improve their quality of life, reduce water retention and inflammation, and boost their immune systems.

I am deeply honored to have the opportunity to share my story with your magazine. My hope is to inspire others to keep pushing forward, even when things seem impossible. Believe in yourself—you are capable of amazing things.

Let me know if there’s anything else you’d like to add or adjust!

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?

The most exciting part now as I have transformed the health and surgery outcome of many.

My next project is to be known as the Master in teaching Post Op Brazilian Lymphatic Drainage so I can help professionals to be able to help people like I do, have a flexible schedule to be able to enjoy quality time with their loved ones – or if you are single have more time for yourself and do things they love.
Also, make more money for what they do all while decreasing suffering for post surgical clients.

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?

1) believe in myself as I had nobody to follow
2) goals that I wanted to achieve
3) plans in place to the above and discipline to follow through

Okay, so before we go we always love to ask if you are looking for folks to partner or collaborate with?

There are very good questions – a person who inspired – my dad bc even being close to dead he was my inspiration

Book: be obsessed or be average by Grant Cardone

Collaborators and partners

I would love to connect with Massage Schools in United State. and other countries to teach them what I know and or hospitals interested in providing a safe and faster recovery for their patients

I would love to connect or collaborate with celebrities, athletes, bodybuilders because I am certain I can improve their quality of life and performance.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.justforyoubodyworkmassage.com
• Instagram: @clinicjustforyou
• Facebook: Just For You Bodywork & Massage
• Linkedin: Luciana Andrus
• Yelp: Just For You Bodywork & Massage

Image Credits

Eliana Grellet