We had the good fortune of connecting with Shanese Armstrong and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Shanese, how do you think about risk?
Someone once told me, a coward gets scared and quits but a hero gets scared and still pushes on. Our current “safe boundaries, were at one time someone else’s fears and challenges. If you never take the risk you won’t know the result. Its better to have tried and succeeded that to live in the world of what-ifs. I’m a true believer that many huge obstacles in life would still be obstacles if it were not for the risk takers that were willing to see the potential of the unknown on the other end- it takes courage, imagination, wit, drive and a thick skin to take the many NO’s that will come your way before the perfect Yes! As a small business owner, it is imperative that we take risks and are ok with not being perfect on the 1st try. Success is really learning to fall and get back up, knowing that you have to keep pushing through, learning to take the negatives with the positives and understanding that this is a journey that is ever changing and if I follow the path- I will be successful!!

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
Keep putting one foot in front of the other and stay/get back on task. We will all fall off, some allow it to knock them out completely and others get up, dust themselves off, re-evaluate and try it again. That is exactly my story. When I began, I thought this was just going to be a hobby- I was going to keep my full time teaching gig and just see clients a few evenings a week, some weekend and summers- since teachers were off in the summers. Before I knew it, my schedule was booking up and I was having to take days off at my teaching job to see clients. 6 months later, it was time to sign contracts, I decided not to sign and took a chance that everyone thought I was crazy to do. I too questioned myself- but knew I could always go back to teaching if it didn’t work out. Here we are 11 years and 3 moves later, in a 7 room facility where we help everyday people feel and look better in their bodies. We offer various health and wellness modalities to include Massage Therapy, Nutrition Testing, Stretching, Meditation, Detoxification, Whole Food Supplements, Body Contouring, Acupuncture, Rehabilitation and Skincare for all, We really want every person to leave our office feeling better than when they came in. It is my mission and we are working very diligently to accomplish it, one body at a time!!! It’s a Self Care journey, we create treatment plans and walk with our clients every step of the way. “It’s Nice to be Kneaded”!

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Downtown Decatur, specifically “the Square” is a lovely place to just hang out. My friends and I literally just pick a spot and go! There is ice-cream, candy, sushi, noodles, burgers, sandwiches and just YUM in and around the entire 15 block area. There is always some type of planned entertainment on the weekends and there’s a lot of unplanned entertainment too- surprise!! We have a great time here!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I want to shout out to my awesome clients and staff. I started my small practice in a shared space within a 3 room office with just me- I am grateful to my devoted clients that have followed me around and contributed to my growth. They are the most committed and devoted to the cause and they are my biggest cheerleaders, most truly believe in my offices mission and are in it to win it with me. My staff share my vision and work everyday to spread the wellness. When I need a little kick in the behind, some fire and motivation…. I listen to my audio books the 10x rule by Grant Cardone and Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill. If you need some real motivation, they do it!

Website: www.wellkneadedcare.com

Instagram: wellkneadeddecatur

Facebook: @kneadedsolutions, Well Kneaded Massage Therapies and Skincare

Yelp: Well Kneaded, 2484 Briarcliff Rd NE, unit 35, Atlanta Ga 30329

Image Credits
Kenji Kubota Headshots Ben Morgan

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