In the world of entrepreneurship, nothing is more rewarding for me than witnessing a fellow mompreneur’s business flourish. Recently I caught up with Kimberly Melot, LMT, who is the owner of Intentional Massage. We reflected on her journey since launching her business and website a year ago. What has had the biggest impact on her transformation? How has her website played a role in her business?
Starting Fresh: Getting Intentional About Branding
Our paths first crossed in a rather unconventional way. I met Kimberly through a mobile massage app. I’d moved to the Valley over a year before meeting Kim, but hadn’t yet found a high-caliber massage therapist.
Kimberly’s talent as a massage therapist caught my attention, as did the convenience of getting a professional massage at home. We exchanged business cards and I instantly knew that I wanted to work with her, not just because of the quality of her work, but also because she was a fellow entrepreneur looking to carve her own path.
After the pandemic put the massage industry through the wringer, Kimberly was operating as a massage therapist through third-party platforms. She had a couple of frustrations, naturally, with the business models of companies like Elements and Soothe. They didn’t really seem to care about their teams.
Kimberly wanted to keep more of her earnings in her pocket with clients she was familiar with – for safety and consistency – instead of being given anonymous leads through a third-party system. She wanted more client relationships with recurring clients, instead of one-off customers.
But, striking out on her own would mean managing the entirety of the business. Finding clients, sharing her story, communicating her value, scheduling, payments, contact forms, email… this is where the need for a new brand and dedicated business platform emerged. I knew I wanted to work with her and emailed her right away to talk, and luckily she felt the same way and we got started!
Kimberly + Janae of Desert Branding Co
Kimberly and I met virtually to kick off the process of an all-inclusive branding and website package with Desert Branding Co. She took my brand archetype quiz and we had fun brainstorming together on company names. We developed and secured a new name for her to do business independently: Intentional Massage and www.intentionalmassage.com.
Next, I wanted to make sure Kimberly had a brand and logo that would resonate with her ideal client. We wanted her brand identity to emanate feelings of calm and relaxation – without being cliche with the common brand motifs of her industry like lotus flowers. We both loved a minimalist sensibility.
Savvy Business Tools for Founders
Branding, logos, and colors are a blast to work on. However, it was also paramount to me to showcase Kim as a professional, licensed massage therapist in the East Valley. It continues to be my foundational belief that women deserve to have savvy small business tools to save time and make being a business owner more easily manageable.
You should be able to run the show after we work together, not pay somebody $250+ a month forever and never learn how to run things yourself. That is not a business model I agree with; you should be walking away with the keys to everything I’ve recommended and know how to drive.
It’s not just a website you’re investing in, it’s a system that should make your life as an entrepreneur easier to manage. So we chose Squarespace as Intentional Massage’s host and small business platform, with built-in appointment scheduling through Squarespace and the Squarespace mobile app.
Her domain hosting, website builder, scheduling, and payments are all through one provider, one app. She can even add email campaigns, subscription plans, and memberships in the future if she wants.
Scheduling Like a Boss
Scheduling can be a big time-waster in our service-based industries. Squarespace integrates with a top-notch, name-brand scheduler: Acuity. Your appointment scheduler is right inside your webpage. Your time off is blocked off, and under your control. The scheduler is embedded instead of off of your site, looks super sharp, and is easy to use for your clients. So instead of constantly texting or emailing people to try to find an appointment time that matches up, now Kim says,
“I do almost all of my schedule management on the app on my phone that’s connected to my website. They book themselves. I can just focus on helping people.”
Copywriting for a Brand New Business
Helping Kimberly launch her own website was a journey that was as rewarding for me as it was for her. The copywriting process was collaborative; we ran through several StoryBrand exercises together. I put the polish on everything and then we went back through it together to make sure it sounded true to her voice.
“The whole process of it was really fun; it was great to dive in and figure out where I wanted to go with the business and my messaging. I loved it!”
I applied her custom brand and logo to her website, and built it out for her, checking in with her along the way. The brand, copywriting, colors, and logo were all finally coming together! And as always, I optimized her site for mobile devices, because over 65% of her website visitors are booking on their smartphones.
The Big Debut: Launch Day
Part of my process at Desert Branding Co is a supported launch day. We prep with a Canva Pro brand setup and training, so it’s easy to apply your brand to the endless social media templates available on Canva Pro. Then on launch day, we both tastefully blast our social media platforms of choice – to drive traffic and excitement about your brand.
On Kimberly’s launch day, she had 47 unique visitors. In her first 10 months, she’s had nearly 1000 page visitors. A year later, her business is fully independent and keeping up with the needs of her family.
“The new website gave me the confidence to send it out to people and know it would do the rest. They like being able to schedule and pay right away, and even include a tip so when I work on them, they can relax and don’t have to think about a thing after I show up. They can truly rest after their massage or cupping treatment.”
Reflecting on the Journey
Starting out, Kimberly had some challenges – she wanted to go independent and she wanted more referral business. The brand and website I built with her not only gave her the independence she yearned for, but it also provided her clients with the convenience of scheduling and paying for their appointments directly. This made her easier to work with, easier to book with ongoing, and more referable.
Having her new website has also allowed Kimberly to reclaim her time to focus more on networking, which she believes is the key to intentional growth.
“I can think more about my long-term because the day-to-day has become so much easier.”
I personally take the time to refer Kimberly whenever I can, because she delivers an amazing, compassionate experience for each and every person, and because its easy to share her link to Book a Massage.
Moving Forward: Try Out Kimberly’s Services
Kimberly’s journey is an inspiration for all female founders who are looking to transform their businesses. Her story is one of resilience through the pandemic, of determination to be truly independent, and the power of accessible small business technology in driving business growth.
Remember, transformation is a journey, not a destination. It’s about taking those small, intentional steps towards greater independence and success. And with the right tools and support, you too can transform and grow your business.
Feel free to explore Kimberly’s massage, cupping, and hot stone services at www.intentionalmassage.com and embark on a journey of relaxation and rejuvenation for yourself! You can also purchase gift certificates for your loved ones. What better gift than a professional massage from the comfort of home?
Is Your Story of Transformation Next?
Have you been inspired by Kimberly’s story? Are you a women entrepreneur, a female founder, looking to start or transform your own business? I’d love to hear what you are hoping to achieve. Let’s connect and see how Desert Branding Co can help you take your dreams to the next level.
-Janae
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