Fox Creek Investments
Airmeith Massage & Oils
by Candace Berry
www.airmeith.org
www.foxcreekinvest.com
Mapping up the Mountain
There will always be mountains and valleys in life and business. The key to each place is knowing where to look from your viewpoint, and choosing the right map. Fresh out of massage school in 2009, I wanted to start my own massage company and grow it into a wellness center. A friend encouraged me to attend a SBTDC business class. The first day we arrived, we received an intimidating large binder and two teachers that eased our minds about the mountainous information before us. In one class we were tangibly reminded what a climb it was to start your own business, but how focusing on just one step was possible. During the last few classes a personal situation began to unfold that would later become a disaster, knocking me off the mountain for a year.
The view from the valley was foggy. I moved to Apex, NC and began working at a local massage chain. My SBTDC binder collected dust. I didn’t look up the mountain and I didn’t read my map for a year. When my personal situation caused me to change homes again, I found my dusty SBTDC map. Remembering my teachers sharing their personal stories of failure and starting over, I started over one step at a time, remembering to look up. Within months I began renting a room from a hairstylist to start Airmeith Massage & Oils. In six months, I quit the chain and began full time on my own.
A year and a half later, with a small personal business loan, I renovated my own space with two treatments rooms, a lobby, bathroom, office and laundry. Business wasn’t always perfect, but I kept moving forward. Airmeith now has another employee, I created a job!
Here’s the key! I reached the top of the mountain and looked for the next mountain. Reaching the top is not the end. I now have a new business partner and have been educating myself in real estate investing while running Airmeith. We started Fox Creek Investments, and have flipped two Raleigh homes, both companies are now doing well and I’m learning to build my retirement faster through passive income at 35.
I started with very little, some luck, and couldn’t have done all of this without continuing to educate myself through mentorship. This makes me want to pass it on. While working with the really great people at SBTDC, you’ll discover another benefit, they will match you with likeminded business people to help you grow even further. I’d be honored to be one of those people for you. I’m available for massage business advice or getting started in real estate to create passive income. I would also love to share with local business men/women looking to extend their retirement portfolio without doing the real estate work themselves, how to invest in those doing the work.