This is jewelry is your side hustle this is the
side hustle podcast and today I have a friend
I'm sugar gay is for by the way And today I have
a friend, it's a new friend, and I can't wait
to hear all about her story and her venture.
She's an entrepreneur. She's a businesswoman.
We have in common the blocks. We both went through
this entrepreneurial TV show format program,
and we'll talk more about that. But it was a
lot of fun and it kind of changed us and also
bonded us as a group. And I'm really proud to
get to meet Esther today. Esther. Tell us who
you are introduce yourself. I'm so glad you're
here today Welcome to our my podcast Hi, thank
you so much. And thank you so much for inviting
me onto your podcast. I'm really grateful Um,
my name is ester and i'm a medical massage therapist
I was on season nine of the blocks and I competed
there um what I do mostly with My business is
I do mainly trigger point therapy, which will
treat symptoms, pain symptoms naturally. And
so basically what I do is I get into the root
of your pain problem, which is located in your
muscle tissue. And a lot of the times, um, And
I'm not bashing on doctors. I believe in the
health care system. I think that people need
health care. But a lot of the times, doctors
will prescribe pain medication, which is oftentimes
addictive. And it will only treat basically the
tip of the iceberg when the majority of the iceberg
is located underneath the water. what trigger
point therapy does is it gets to the root of
the pain problem located in the muscle tissue
and That's kind of what I do in general. I do
other things like I'd help I treat plantar fasciitis
and migraine sciatica and other stuff like that,
but that's mainly what I do Yeah, I'm located
in Michigan the upper peninsula so it's way up
there Your way up here. I'm actually actually
there's a there's a peninsula that's above the
hand Okay, it's past the Mackinac bridge. So
you're up there like way up there Yeah, so you
have the you have like Michigan and then you
have the upper peninsula, which is like Kind
of shaped like this. There's the Keweenaw Peninsula.
That's like that, but I'm like right here Okay
There's you always live there or didn't you just
find this place and go this is good Yeah, I've
not lived here my whole life. I've been here
for 12 years though, and I came here from Seattle,
Washington. I moved here from Seattle, Washington,
so And I fell in love with the youper they call
them youpers up here And so I fell in love with
the youper culture and just like how you help
each other out. You help your neighbor out But
a lot of the times it isn't like that it's more
like oh we're gonna gossip about our neighbors
It's small town. That's how it works. They gotta
get the stories out there You gotta get the you
know, everything with the thing. So have you
been a physical therapist for Is this like your
dream job? Is this hard work like you're to be
really like intensely muscle muscles, too Yeah,
well, I'm actually I'm a medical massage therapist.
I'm not a physical therapist, but I do love it.
Um, I'm actually Kind of a transition right now
in life. I'm not really exactly sure if I want
to stay up here just because of All the stuff
I've been dealing with as an entrepreneur, it's
been so disheartening. Just the only thing. Yeah,
the only thing that keeps me going are my blocks
friends like people like you People that I've
met on the blocks or people that I got to connect
with who did the blocks You know kind of people
who are on the same page as me or doing similar
things just because I can relate with them more
I can't really relate with people who are just
sitting around making up lies about People that
they've never even met before that's just something
I've been dealing with like constantly. It's
not like, I don't know. And it's just this one
specific girl that just keeps going after me
year after year. Like this is the second year
and she's still, and I try and ignore it, but
it's to the point where she's posting lies about
me and it's just too much drama. Like I, I don't
thrive off of drama. Like that's just not me.
Right. We got to do something to her. I'm so
sorry. I don't know what to do for you. Like
what a bummer to have that happening to you.
Like, I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry. It's okay.
I've, I've just told myself it's because she's
jealous, you know, and I can't really do anything
about that. All I can do is show her like, Hey,
if you're jealous of my life, you can do this
also. You know, anyone could do what I'm doing.
Anybody can. You know, just like with the blocks,
like anybody can become an entrepreneur. Anybody
can do it. In fact, the other ladies that took,
they took my space over there. It's just right
next door. So literally we're neighbors now and
now they're all trying to start this sober community
where with activities and stuff. And I'm like,
that's what I was trying to do. Well, you gotta
join them I guess like we can't let them join
them I mean so what being that entrepreneur is
such a hard job like I get it my husband would
Cry if I asked him to do anything entrepreneurial
like it just is not in him So I get what you're
going through like we are kind of our own breed
That's one of the reasons why I had this podcast
I think the stories of how people got to where
they are like how you got to the blocks and like
did you learn a lot there to like help you go
forward oh yeah i learned so much i in fact learned
So much and there was some stuff I didn't retain
that I should have kind of paid attention to
like doing a Contract with someone if you're
gonna do business with anyone No matter what
no matter how much you think they're a good person
or they are a good person you should always still
get a contract and sign it if you're making a
business deal no matter what because that's just
how it works these days and So that's what I
didn't do is I bought a business after the blocks.
I decided to buy a business that was going, she
wanted to retire and. I didn't have a contract
because I knew, I knew that I was going to follow
through with my, you know, with my deal, with
my deal, which was continue her art co -op. and
she ended up, after I gave her the rest of the
money my house sold and I ended up giving her
the rest of the cash and a few, it was like a
few days or maybe a week later she ended up coming
in there taking out all of her crafts In bags
she called the police on me and told the police
and that she completely lied to the police about
me and I because she said I was trying to block
her from taking her stuff so much drama and then
after that I was like She ended up getting a
no trespass order because she you know and Anyway,
so it kind of tanked and now I'm having To go
through this kind of depressive episode of like
what am I gonna do next? So I did rebrand I did
rebrand the two businesses. I had to restore
to bodywork, which is my medical massage practice
and Rare Earth Goods, which is the art co -op
that I bought. I just rebranded those two businesses
into one, and that's now called Elements and
Bodywork. Well, that's a big jump. That's a big
step forward. Yeah. So now I'm basically trying
to focus on my medical massage and offering the
community this natural pain management strategy,
which Live in a really small town so and I'm
not from here even though I've lived here for
12 years I'm a transplant and they just they
treat you a certain way and so It's hard in those
communities that are like so tight so I yeah,
you're like very frustrated and and also I one
time Didn't get a contract. I didn't I mean like
what was I fucking thinking? and yeah, I handed
a guy a whole bunch of cash and Thought that
we were on the same page and he was gonna do
the right thing cuz he was my neighbor And everything
went to hell and at that point it's kind of like
when everything I kind of decided you know what
I think I'm gonna move from here and just start
over I don't want to look at him all the time
and there there's something else out there for
me. It's not here because that after he screwed
me I really just wanted to kill him like there's
just there's really like me or him and he's gonna
die now I just better move because that's a lot
of trouble so I've been there girl like I'm telling
you like life is hard like I get it I also went
to my neurologist today haha and got my prescription
refilled for gabapentin which I live on because
I have trigeminal neuralgia which you probably
could fix because it's just right here like you
can basically put your fingers on it and go yeah
that's the nerve that makes you fall to your
knees it's so painful sometimes when it gets
inflamed I was so crying the other day. I couldn't
even breathe. The pain was the worst, worst,
worst, worst I've ever had. And I've had this
for like 10 years. So I, on that pain spectrum,
it's called the suicide disease, cause it's so
painful, but I know that it's just like right
there. So I always put the water, the hot water,
you know, right here, the trying to get some
pressure up at it. Boy, you could do consults
just even over. zoom because like it that's really
kind i don't know what you would do like if you
had somebody like me and you treat anybody with
trigeminal neuralgia which is just this trigeminal
nerve i've heard of is it like tmj now tmj is
in your in the hinges yeah the nerve that goes
from here down to your tongue and your lower
jaw Yeah, not luckily not the top part and luckily
I don't have it on both sides but I've heard
of that before I don't know if I've necessarily
treated anyone with that but I would know how
to and I could also Like you're right. I could
do these Zoom consoles over so I could teach
you how to do self you know, self massage so
that you could relieve the pain on your own.
But I'm still learning, you know, every I was
never an entrepreneur before the blocks. Really,
I was kind of, but I was more working for someone.
And so just every day is kind of a learning experience
for me. um just meeting new people and getting
to know the fact that like you know i dealt with
a lot of shame in my past like in my childhood
just being taught growing up in the church and
everything so i've basically was taught to be
ashamed of my own body and so that's where you
are and so yeah and so even being on camera trying
to figure out what type of content I'm going
to do, how I'm going to do it, how I'm going
to show people without being embarrassed about
the way I look, you know, has been a struggle.
You don't look bad. What are you talking about?
I'm looking at you. I don't see anything wrong.
We could be we could be sisters if you have blonde
hair and glasses. Right. Where are you located?
I'm in Huddo, Texas, which is a suburb of Austin.
So I'm in central Texas and it's foggy and kind
of cold here today, but you know, that's what
it is. It's weird. Yesterday it was like 90.
Today it's like cold, colder, like just sweater
weather, nothing hard. So yeah. Okay. Well, let's
go back to the blocks for a minute because Like
even today on my Facebook, you would see one
of my Bloxer friends, Dave and Monica, Dave and
Monica, oh, I shouldn't know, Lepinsky or something.
But they have a grill and I make jewelry for
them. It's little Blox, the little Bloxer guy,
you know, the little astronaut guy. And they
just got some of my jewelry this weekend. I made
a green one for her on a necklace. And then he
got a kind of a blinged out thing. So when he
goes to see Wes, he's got some bling for his,
you know, he's got a lot of personality and they're
winning a lot of awards and they're very, you
know, active in the blocker group. So I, you
know, it's just something I think that's what
I got out of the blocks is that I had more customers
that I could just casually send things to and
make things for and then. in other words kind
of been out but you know it is you know we have
a lot of people that were in health care and
and i was in season 14 but we had a lot of people
that were uh salons or spas or i don't know skin
treatments and all those kind of things which
really is kind of in the same genre as you like
you know touching people working with people
trying to help people and cure people But it's
a hard gig. I get it. How is the art co -op doing?
Is that a good business there? It was going well
for a while, but I had to move locations because
my lease expired and my landlords decided to
go with basically my competitors instead. Oh,
no. And they didn't even give me an option to
resign my lease. So I was scrambling I was thinking
I was gonna have to give everything up completely
but luckily One of the landlords in town heard
about my situation And he came over to talk to
me and he actually offered me a really good deal
So I could do the massage practice and have the
art the art business so my website is live but
Right now, the point of sale, my point of sale
guy hasn't been able to connect it to do online
sales yet. So that's confusing. I'm not a tech
person. And so I have like probably 40 or 45
different artists here with me right now. But
I'm to the point where I'm not exactly sure how
I'm going to pivot. Am I just gonna take it as
a total loss and give it up completely? Am I
gonna still move forward with it? I don't really
know so I'm just I mean, I mean at this point
I'm To the point where I might end up moving
states completely but Oklahoma is a state that
I was thinking about moving to also Texas because
my sister lives in Texas, but South Carolina
is also another state I was thinking about moving
to But I think I just The Upper Peninsula is
a great place to live and the people are nice
and everything but if you get like on the wrong
side of The gossip which can be lies, you know
And no one comes to confront you or no one comes
to ask you what actually happened. Nobody really
cares. They just believe the gossip. You know,
which oftentimes can be not even the truth. But
it's just I'm not a drama person. I like to be
alone, drama free, calm. Like I have my service
animal. But I'm not really sure if I answered
the question, but basically I just kind of had
to You know go with the flow and figure it out
Is your service dog right there next to you Yeah,
he's right here. Oh, it's his name. Let's see
him Yeah, his name is Scout. Hey Scout Hello
Scout. We're kissing your nose We're kissing
your nose Hello, honey Hello, honey. We're so
happy you're here with us It does feel good to
have a just a critter to just love on doesn't
it? Hey scout Yeah Yeah And he was actually on
the blocks with me. Oh really? Yeah Oh that's
so cute Yeah, he is when I was in the doctor's
office somebody had it was a doodle You know
a pretty little doodle dog and it was a service
dog and so, you know You don't pet them because
you know, they're doing their job but Amazing
with these animals what they give to us like
Such an important thing, you know, that's another
thing that you could teach online is how to get
a service animal You probably know a lot more
things than you know Like it sounds like you've
been kind of beat up there. I get that you need
to like have a start over, you know, really get
passionate about, you know, whatever your, you
know, if it's the medical part of it, like that's
your really big deal. Do you have to have a license
for what you do? Um, yeah, you have to be licensed
as a massage therapist and then to get the medical
massage practitioner status, like To like to
put the other extra letters next to your name
like it would be lmt comma mmp, which would be
the Medical massage practitioner you do need
to get an extra certificate for that Um, but
it's really not that difficult to get once you
know, like anatomy Right You know and massage
techniques It's really not that difficult to
get. Um But you do need to have constant continued
education every three years i need to update
my license so so for every three years i need
like 18 to 20 extra educational hours um but
what about joining up with a chiropractor because
they usually have you know spontaneous kind of
customers coming in but you know that seems like
you're kind of with in with that Those people
know I did work for chiropractic office for about
three and a half years and it was fine, but I
just I Wanted to start my own business Just because
I knew I could do it and I have been doing it
Realistically, my only problem is population,
you know the population is so little around here
and Sometimes I I was kind of switching focus
because I was like Trying to bring attention
to all sorts of different things like the food
system How we're being you know, a lot of the
times like we don't even know but if you look
at a lot of stuff in the grocery store We're
being poisoned. Yes So I was posting a lot about
that And people would be offended and then stop
supporting my business. And I'm like, I'd rather
tell people the truth about what's actually going
on and have my, my business negatively affected.
Cause I can always get a job somewhere if it
worse comes to worse. Right. Um, but that's my
main passion is bringing attention to the food
system and how. Scientists were hired in America
to make food addicting and how it's not it's
not even they don't really care about they Don't
really care about Human health at all or mental
health. They just care about making more money,
which is basically the pharmaceutical industry
and that's what I'm trying to fight with That's
what I'm trying and I know that people do need
prescription medication to get through but there
are certain medications that aren't really necessary
that it can be treated with other modalities
which is what I'm really trying to bring attention
to because you know it's just it's just a crazy
world we live in you know it is I just read where
we each have like a teaspoon of microplastics
in our body and in our head Like microplastics
are everywhere. They're probably what's causing
all these problems. Like, who knows? I drink
out of a plastic glass. That's probably giving
me microplastic in my body. Like I need to change.
Everything needs to be plastic free, really.
Like our, you know, things that we can buy in
glass are okay, but plastic is going to become
a real problem, especially for little babies.
You know, I think about how Ah, it's so horrible
to think about what we've probably done to kids
already just shoving, you know, plastic into
their mouths. Yeah, and that is another aspect
I was trying to add to. The art co -op, I was
trying to do the art co -op and helps promote
like supporting local artists and local businesses.
I was also trying to add like a zero waste aspect
to it, which brings attention to the plastic
pollution situation going on in the oceans. And
so like, it just got to the point where I was
like, I can't save the whole world. Right. I
know. By myself. I know. But if we can connect
more with like -minded individuals like yourself
and other people from the blocks You know, I
feel like we could start to change societal structures,
especially the corporations We have a piece of
property that goes along a creek and the creek
goes into a big huge lake that is Man -made but
it's a reservoir. It's beautiful and I make sure
I am picking up and I try so hard to pick up
any little piece of plastic like it's kind of
amazing how much you know like the squirrels
ate the coffee the Folgers coffee can and all
that little red plastic just you know it's like
and then I did some glitter and then I'm like
oh my god that's so you know you get out that
big huge vacuum and vacuum the grass just because
you know like that's real like glitter is a huge
problem like that is not going away those products
are everywhere. But it's amazing, even though
I am admonit about, I picked up little pieces
of plastic outside where I was just throwing
the coffee grounds out and the recycle in the
front yard. It's kind of crazy how much plastic
there is. And some people don't see it. My husband
would just mow all over it and make it into like
a million more pieces. It's like, oh my God,
no, pick it up. Like, so I'm with you, Esther.
This is a hard time right now, but I want you
to succeed. And maybe you could just live in
the city that you're in and then work in a neighboring
city and get yourself out of that little thing
and create such a good life that they're all
talking about you. But who cares? Because you've
got a great life. So what does it matter? Great.
And that's why I need to keep telling myself
too is because I'm still learning and growing
as an individual and I obviously I want to be
accepted who doesn't But yeah, you're right,
like if I'm not accepted here, I know there's
other places that would accept me You know, I'm
just a regular normal person. I'm not You know,
I'm not a crazy person but But maybe aligning
with a chiropractor would be smart because they're
in the same field as yours relieving pain, you
know, holistically and naturally or, you know,
maybe a health food store or something like that.
Like, I don't know what's around you, but there
has to be somebody out there that has need to
have because I mean, I guess you need like a
bed for people to lay down so that you can do
to work on their body. But, you know, you definitely
could align with somebody that already has those.
My husband was a doctor. He was an MD and an
attorney, but he really believed in the medical
care that chiropractors, he talked there too,
because it is just about laying your hands on
people that really helps them, you know, get
better, right? Yeah. That's like a thing. And
I could definitely do chair massage in different
Community stores around here. I just need to
take the initiative to reach out now that I've
kind of regrouped and I'm kind of settling into
my new space. I feel a lot safer now Last year
I had dealt with You know, it was still a positive
experience. Like it wasn't all negative But there
was one time where somebody threatened my life
and that really Was like, okay my PTSD kind of
went off after that and I was just like every
day trying to keep myself safe But now that I'm
in a safe spot like and I know no one's really
gonna Do anything to me, especially since the
police station is two blocks that way I know
no one's gonna do anything to me now. I feel
a lot safer to kind of Go out there and let people
know like what I do and stuff like that. So that's
good. It's all gonna be okay but yeah you do
need a plan forward and you know just to get
fresh again and look around and go you know we're
going into spring so you know it's a good time
to be revitalizing yourself you know trying new
things being creative looking outside where you
are and going okay. What else does the world
offer me? Like what else can I do that would
be beneficial to this? You know, I did acupuncture
for a while for this because I really believe
in holistic too. And you know, she sold oils,
you know, of course I had to buy the oils that
she wanted me to have. So they were quite expensive,
but you know, it is what it is because she's
got to make money too. So, you know, acupuncture
is another... I don't know if there's any around
there, but you know, they certainly are dealing
in the same thing as you are. When the acupuncture
doesn't necessarily work or in conjunction with
acupuncture, if you were doing some healing,
that would be a smart thing. Are there any of
those kind of holistic places, maybe not in your
little town, but maybe around you? Yeah, definitely.
We do have Marquette, which is a bigger town.
Great Exil Lake Superior. So I could definitely
do that. It's just a matter of like they would
have to I would have to give them my card like
they're not gonna hire me there. They would have
to kind of just recommend me out to people but
they're not gonna want to do that either because
you know they have their own like with chiropractic
Offices they have their own massage therapists
That work for them and I that's kind of why I
got out of chiropractic work working for a chiropractic
office because I wanted to You know be able to
run my own business But it definitely is an option
I definitely One thing about me is like I am
easily taken advantage of because I just want
to help you know and so people see that and then
they're like, how can I Basically use this person
You know, I'm I truly am a super nice person
and I have to sometimes put on my big girl panties
and You know really step up to the plate and
it's not in my nature. I'm a middle child and
I don't like conflict You know and I have learned
from my mistakes. I do still make mistakes But
yeah, I mean it it's it's I think my favorite
word is it's a slog It's just I don't know what
that word means to you, but it's like oh There's
just so much to it and being an entrepreneur
is really hard and if it's kind of like feeling
overwhelming if you're maybe aligned yourself
with just go back and Become an employee for
somebody or working under somebody where you
don't have to worry about the taxes and the website
and the phone number and you know just all those
things that get taken care of or if you joined
with another person that's you know they always
say if you have one hat store put another hat
store right next to it because then everybody
knows to come there you know same thing with
if there's an attorney in town they can support
a whole bunch of other attorneys because he's
got to have somebody to fight against so it is
there are community things happening all around
you and you know maybe those chiropractors are
looking for somebody like you that has a good
you know background in you know the massage for
pain because that's what people are coming to
them for is for pain so and you know not to get
on painkillers or steroids or something like
that yeah it's definitely something i mean i
have been approached by a few different chiropractors
about working for them. And it's just like, um,
if I did that, I would want to probably just
move out of the area just because I've been,
I think that's just what my, what my plan is
going to have to be because the, the place is
hiring like in South Carolina. They're, they're
hiring and the, the rate that they're paying
is almost $20 more per hour to work for them.
So it really is about like, for me, it's not
necessarily about the money, but I do deserve,
you know, I'm doing all the work for it. As a
massage therapist, I'm physically doing all the
work. And that's why I had the confidence to
start my business in the first place because
Everyone would tell me how great my massage was
And I still do give an amazing massage. How are
we on time? We have three minutes Okay, but yeah,
I do still give an amazing massage and it's just
a matter of I just I think it's just a matter
of like struggling to build The practice in such
a small town is my, my own. Got to have people,
you know, I moved from Canada, which has 30 million
people to Texas and it has 30 million people,
the same amount of people live in Canada as in
Texas. So when the economy was tanking in 09,
I just say, you know what, I'm from Texas. I'll
move back to the state I'm from, and I'll give
it a start over. There's more people here, but
it's still a struggle. You're still going to
get up there and find those people. Where can
people find you like people are like listening
to this and they're like I really want to help
Esther Esther ruggles What? How could they find
you? Yeah, they can look on my massage website.
So you just google Elements and bodywork and
you can look online or if you go to Instagram,
it's under elements and bodywork As well as facebook
is elements and bodywork. I'm also on put that
in and it's also Yeah, send me those links and
we'll have them here in the description Underneath
where everybody's watching this sound good. You
can send me all those links to make sure that
people can find you Yeah, sounds good. Yeah And
thank you so much for having me on your podcast.
I really am grateful for this. Oh, I'm great
to meet you and Scout too. So, I mean, I hope
that everything is going to work out. You know,
I'm here for you. So if you ever need a friend,
just reach out. Like I know it's hard. Sounds
like you've got a bit of a plan here, at least
realizing what you need to do that needs to change.
You got to get out of that little town into a
market that's a little bit bigger and just have
a fresh start over. where you don't have all
this drama following you everywhere you go, because
that's not fun. We want you to have a good life,
Esther. We really do. And the blocks people,
you know, there's 2 ,000 of us now. I'm sure
there's some of those people that are in South
Carolina that have naturopathic kind of ways
you should meet up with them. Maybe that's one
thing when you kind of like get your head clear.
and you can be making a plan as to what you need
to do is to reach back out to everybody in the
Facebook and go, hey, how about South Carolina?
We have less than one minute. It has really been
good to meet with you. Is there one last thing
you want to say? Just thank you so much for having
me on your podcast. And I'm so grateful. It was
so good to meet you. It was so good to meet you,
Esther. See, your first step was just to reach
out to me. But thank you for everything and thanks
for being on your side hustle. So it is about
the grit. So you got the grit. So just keep going,
girl. Thank you.