Today we’d like to introduce you to Brenda Marie Samuel.
Hi Brenda, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
My name is Brenda Marie Samuel, I am a 39 years old spa owner, wife, and mom of two boys. My start in the health and wellness industry was in 2012, working as a front desk receptionist at a Dallas Health Center. A couple of years later, I decided to take my interest in massage therapy and holistic healthcare further and become a licensed massage therapist. Working full time during the day and attending massage school at night, I became licensed with the State of Texas in December 2015.
During school, we created a business plan. My plan was to get my feet wet for a year. I was going to learn all the ways to provide top-tier, all-natural alternative healthcare and launch my business within a year. So I applied to the number day spa in Dallas, my thought was if I want to be the best, I should take one year and learn from the best.
Fast forward three years later, I had gotten so comfortable working for a Dallas spa, having everything given to me easily, I lost myself. I had forgot all about my dreams. One day after an employees appreciation party, it hit me. I thought, “you’ve been here for three years, you’re underpaid, you’re stuck in a non-creative space, constantly placed in a box and you’re unappreciated!” “What are you doing Brenda?!”
That day I made the decision to leave and remember who I was and what I wanted. My goal was to quit my job on my 37th birthday, which was eight months away. I knew I wasn’t going to spend another year of my life “stuck” in that job. I hired a business coach, prayed, talked with family, got a support system and worked my butt off. I took clients part-time to build my name outside of the spa, hustled, hard, for six months without any excuses. Working full time at the spa and for myself in the evenings and on the weekends.
For me, it wasn’t going to be enough to quit my job and pray I got clients, I had myself, two kids to support, and a partner who believed in me, but as a team, I was going to need to see things happening. So I built my clientele and grew my name in the industry in eight months. On May 16th, 2019, the day before my 37th birthday, I quit my job and officially launched my business, Past Tense Wellness. The next day on my birthday, I had a full book of clients.
Following my dreams has been one of the most challenging things I’ve ever done for myself. Honestly, I have to remind myself daily why I did this and who I did it for.
Today, three years later post-quarantine, I still own and operate Past Tense Wellness, the only black owned, female operated plant based spa in Dallas.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
When I first started out, I was working from a location that wasn’t in the best area of town. I simply wanted to work, but I learned very quickly where you’re located can very easily influence the type of clients you will attract in your business.
Quarantine was another difficult time in my business, like so many small business owners. The shutdown did force me to adapt and include non-service, multiple streams of income to business. I’m grateful to God every day that my business made it through.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I am most known for my kind, caring spirit and my small but surprisingly powerful frame. I pride myself on being certain that my clients always feel cared for and taken seriously.
If we knew you growing up, how would we have described you?
Growing up, I was talkative, silly, loud, and rebellious. I knew at young age I was going to do things my way.