Finding Fulfillment and Financial Freedom Through Her Small Business

A few months ago, Kaisha saw the first big bump in the road for her small business. “I took in a child from a family member and was now raising two kids as a single parent. Along with the added legal responsibilities of being a foster mother, I couldn’t work as much, and my expenses had almost doubled.” She didn’t want to give up her business, especially when she had worked so hard to get it to a stable point.

She went to M&T Bank to learn more about offerings for small businesses and was referred to Ascendus. “Andrea, my loan consultant, was really great. I didn’t want to get into something that wouldn’t benefit me or my business, but he broke everything down so that I could understand it extremely well. I really appreciated his help.” Through her Ascendus loan, Kaisha was able to pay her expenses, keep her business afloat, and provide employment by hiring a massage therapist for her small business. “Now, I never have to worry if I can pay her or not during the slow period.”

CREATING A BUSINESS THAT FITS HER LIFE GOALS

Kaisha became a massage therapist because she wanted to work independently and to pursue a career that helped others. After Kaisha became pregnant with her daughter Anastasia, she thought having a traditional job would be what was most beneficial to both her and her daughter. “I started working in a bank, but I soon realized I couldn’t be flexible with my daughter. If something happened at her school, I couldn’t leave to pick her up. I couldn’t create my own schedule to be there to pick her up and drop her off. I realized I didn’t need to compromise my goals. Those goals were actually going to benefit my life.”

Kaisha began working both at the bank and as a massage therapist and built an extensive list of dedicated massage clients. “Once I had enough clients, I opened my own physical location. It was small, a 500-square-foot studio, but it was everything I could ever want.” Through her small business, Kaisha is creating the life she always wanted: she is financially independent, she can be flexible with her time, and she can help those in her community feel better.

POSITIVE IMPACTS ON HERSELF, HER FAMILY, AND HER COMMUNITY

Kaisha is consistently expanding her services to meet the needs of her community and finds joy and fulfillment through her ability to help others. “I have one client who comes in; she was experiencing hip issues to the point where she was walking and leaning forward. She was consistently falling and had chronic back pain. I kept working on her, and now she is walking straighter, her pain has decreased, and she said she feels amazing for the first time in a long time. It feels so good to be able to help others through my work. Her innovation is highlighted through being the first massage therapist in Boston to offer Brazilian Lymphatic Drainage, a technique that relieves pain associated with surgery. “I am incredibly happy, and my family is happy. My daughter loves that she can say, ‘can you pick me up from school?’ and I can finally say yes.”

To learn more about Kaisha, visit Le Massage De Kai