Today we’d like to introduce you to Josilyn Wakes.
Hi Josilyn, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
After COVID, I was given a scholarship opportunity to attend massage school. At the time, I was exploring different career paths and massage therapy felt like a natural fit. I had always been good at helping people relieve tension and the idea of turning that gift into a career was exciting. So, I took a chance on myself and enrolled.
While I was in the middle of my program, I experienced my first major medical scare. It came completely out of nowhere and forced me to stop and reflect on my life. Up until that point, I felt like I was simply going through the motions without a true sense of purpose. As difficult as that is to admit, I genuinely didn’t know what God had placed me on this earth to do.
The morning of my surgery to remove the mass, I still went to school that evening. My classmates surprised me with ice cream afterward and their kindness reminded me that I wasn’t walking this journey alone.
I graduated massage school October of 2022 and opened my own massage suite by November. That first month was incredible. I was seeing up to 10 clients a day while running a birthday promotion and December continued the momentum with a successful Christmas special. Business was thriving.
Then January arrived and entrepreneurship gave me my first real lesson. Business slowed dramatically. I went from seeing 10 or more clients a day to just one to three a day and eventually only one to three clients a week. It was stressful and discouraging. By March, I decided to leave my suite and transition to mobile massage therapy. Thankfully, that decision helped rebuild my clientele… for a while.
In May 2023, life took another unexpected turn. I became seriously ill again and drove myself to the emergency room. I was diagnosed with pneumonia for the fourth time in two years. My heart rate remained above 120 beats per minute for two days, so I was admitted to the hospital. Because it was Memorial Day weekend, my biopsy was scheduled for the following Tuesday.
A few weeks later, I received the results.
Cancer.
People often talk about what it’s like to hear those words, but nothing truly prepares you for that moment. Time seems to stop. Everything after the diagnosis becomes a blur. I attended that appointment alone and afterward I still had to go to work. I was surrounded by people, yet I had never felt more alone in my life. Carrying that diagnosis in silence knowing only God and I were aware was one of the heaviest burdens I have ever carried.
For a while, I didn’t want to fight. I believed this was God’s sentence for me. I questioned why I would be given a disease that could take my life if I wasn’t meant to die. I told my family I was refusing treatment because I wanted to let the cancer run its course.
For months, I held onto that decision.
Everything changed the day I told my grandmother. Watching her heart break in front of me shifted something inside of me. In that moment, I knew I had to choose life not just for myself, but for the people who loved me.
In September 2023, I underwent surgery to remove the tumor along with the upper lobe of my right lung.
After recovering from surgery, I moved into a new place and returned to massage therapy. What surprised me most was realizing that people had been waiting for me to come back. Their support filled my heart in ways I can’t fully describe.
I didn’t realize how much I had missed meeting new people, hearing their stories and building relationships that continue to this day. Every client has become a part of my journey and I am grateful for each person, every obstacle and every lesson along the way.
Massage therapy has shown me my purpose. My purpose is helping people.
A massage is about so much more than 60 minutes of relaxation. It’s a safe space to release stress. It’s therapy without judgment. It’s a tired mom finally taking time for herself. It’s a birthday gift, a self-care day, a moment to breathe or simply an hour dedicated to healing.
What began as a career opportunity became the calling I never knew I needed.
Today, I don’t just provide massages I create space for people to rest, heal and feel cared for. Looking back, every obstacle I faced led me exactly where I was meant to be. My journey has taught me that purpose is often discovered through perseverance and I am honored to live mine every single day.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Of course, there have been challenges beyond my own personal health journey. Like any business owner, I’ve had to navigate clients who want to negotiate pricing, customers timelines, missed appointments, difficult attitudes and all of the other challenges that naturally come with running a business.
I will say that, as a Black owned business, there can be an added layer of pressure to prove your value. Sometimes there is an expectation that you should provide exceptional, high end service while also keeping your prices extremely low. What I’ve had to learn s that quality service comes at a cost. I’m a business and in order to continue providing the level of service and experience my clients deserve, I have to make a profit as well.
There’s a concept called the “Triple Constraint Rule,” which says you can typically have two of three things: fast, affordablevand high quality. If it’s fast and affordable, the quality may suffer. If it’s fast and high quality, it will likely cost more. And if it’s affordable and high quality, it may take longer.
You simply can’t have all three at the same time.
For me, that’s why I’ve chosen to set the standard for my business around speed and exceptional quality. I want my clients to know that when they choose my business, they’re getting efficient service without sacrificing the quality or experience they deserve. That standard is something I refuse to compromise.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Touched by Aliah?
I am a massage therapist, I specialize in Swedish, deep tissue, hot stone and aroma therapy massages. I think what sets me apart from others is the fact that I’m home based with a luxury experience. The thing I’m most proud of brand wise is really the amount of clients I have had thus far.
Where do you see things going in the next 5-10 years?
I would love to get back into a private suite or eventually open a spa within the next few years. I also have a strong interest in continuing my education and would love the opportunity to go back and receive additional training in cupping and even dive more into the world of esthetics. I’m always looking for ways to expand my skills, grow my business and offer my clients even more services and experiences.
Pricing:
- Swedish Massage – $70/60m; $85/90m
- Aroma Therapy Massage – $70/60m; $85/90m
- Hot Stone – $125/120m
Contact Info:
- Website: https://touchedbyaliah.as.me
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_touchedbyaliah/
