Ever wondered what transforms a massage from a mere service into a sacred healing journey? In this captivating conversation, Telicia Officer of Divinity Beauty and Massage reveals how her path from botanical skincare enthusiast to licensed massage therapist and esthetician created a unique wellness sanctuary in Fort Collins.
Talicia's approach stands apart in an industry often reduced to assembly-line treatments. "This is a calling and a purpose for me," she explains, tracing her passion back to childhood observations of her grandmother's natural healing abilities. That foundation, combined with her decade of experience in herbal and botanical skincare, creates experiences that go beyond physical relief to restore clients' most authentic selves.
The episode unpacks the fascinating parallels between Talicia's personal journey and her professional philosophy. Her resilience through ten years in Alaska's harsh environment and navigating a difficult divorce deepened her empathy and understanding of human needs on multiple levels. These experiences inform her holistic approach to wellness, where each client receives a customized, non-transactional experience built on trust and clear communication.
For health-minded individuals in Northern Colorado seeking more than just a massage, Talicia shares the story behind Divinity Beauty and Massage's unique blend of botanical skincare, massage therapy, and holistic healing practices. Whether you're struggling with stress, seeking restoration after physical activity, or simply curious about holistic wellness approaches, this conversation offers valuable insights about the transformative power of healing touch delivered with purpose and compassion.
Ready to experience a different approach to wellness? Visit www.divinity-beauty.com or call 970-443-8797 to learn how Talicia's healing touch can help restore your most radiant, authentic self.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:01):
This is the Good Neighbor Podcast, the place
where local businesses andneighbors come together.
Here's your host, Nick George.
Speaker 2 (00:11):
Welcome to the Good Neighbor Podcast.
Are you in need of a path tobeauty where every experience is
a sacred, holistic journey thatblends botanical skincare,
healing herbs and therapeutictouch to restore your most
radiant, authentic self?
One path like that might becloser than you think.
Today I have the pleasure ofintroducing your good neighbor,
(00:33):
talicia Officer, with DivinityBeauty and Massage.
Talicia, how's it going?
Speaker 3 (00:39):
Hey, it's going great .
Thanks for asking.
Speaker 2 (00:42):
We're excited to learn all about you and your
practice.
Tell us about it.
Speaker 3 (00:46):
Yeah, so Divinity started about two and a half
years ago.
I was in the herbal andbotanical skincare for well over
10 years and prior to COVIDhitting, I was selling at
farmer's markets, fine art showsand I was seeing a lot of great
results with the skincare.
The befores and afters wereamazing and that's always been a
(01:10):
passion of mine.
To you know, help resolveskincare issues.
So, fast forward to 2022-23, Ihad the opportunity to go to a
massage and esthetician school.
To go to a massage andesthetician school and I just
jumped on that opportunity.
You know, to have a combinedlicensure, be dual licensed in a
(01:37):
field that I was already kindof partially in, was just a no
brainer, you know, right here inFort Collins, I went to a small
school, lots of hands-onexperience, and I love it.
Now I mean, I'm seeing, youknow, people come in and out
just completely renewed andre-energized and it's just a
field of work that I'mabsolutely passionate about.
Speaker 2 (01:58):
Awesome.
I know how hard it is to startyour own business, so how did
you get into it from thebeginning?
Speaker 3 (02:05):
Yeah, so it just it took time, really, as any new
business does, you know, you're,you're coming up with the
business plan, You're coming upwith the name.
Lots of trips to the library,you know, with the Small
Business Development Center,they were a great help in my
(02:26):
journey.
I have a mentor who's been inthe same business for over 25
years my massage teacher, whowas one of the first massage
masseuse practitioners here inFort Collins.
Her name is Diane and she'dbeen doing it for over 40 years
and so just you need thatnetwork of support and it does
(02:49):
take some research, it takestime and you know that's how I
really how I got started.
I did start at a small med spahere as well, so that was the
first step before I actually,you know, branched off into my
own private office.
So I got experience thereseeing how they ran the
(03:12):
day-to-day operations dealingwith clientele and product usage
.
So, yeah, that's pretty muchhow I got started.
Once I gained more experienceat the med spa, I put funds
aside for a couple of monthsworth of operating cost for
Divinity, and so I would workthere part-time and then I would
(03:36):
go and work at my spot, andonce I gained a good amount of
clientele then I was able tojust do full-time at Divinity.
Speaker 2 (03:46):
What are some myths or misconceptions in your
industry?
Speaker 3 (03:50):
You know myths and misconceptions.
Misconception is that peopleexpect kind of a what I would
say assembly line type ofapproach to massage, even though
it exists.
The type of massages that Iprovide are customized.
(04:11):
So you're going to it's a verypersonalized, non-transactional
type of experience, right?
So you come in, your clientintake form is already done
online and your massageinformation is available to me
so that I have an idea of whatareas you would like to target
(04:34):
what.
What are we working on?
Because I'm looking at longterm goals here and not just a
transaction, and so that's oneof the misconceptions is that
people are going to come in andjust get beat up, and there's
that approach to massage andyou're certainly welcome to have
that experience.
But my approach is a littledifferent.
(04:57):
A lot of people are surprised tofind that they will fall asleep
during the service because thenervous system has been
completely relaxed, they'refeeling the vibes of the
environment and the atmosphereand they absolutely love the
service.
There's communication thathappens between the two of us.
You know this is a veryvulnerable state that you're in.
(05:17):
When you come in right, you'regetting undressed, you're in a
new environment.
It takes a lot of trust.
You're getting undressed.
You're in a new environment.
It takes a lot of trust.
So a misconception or myth, Idon't know.
You know this industry is anindustry where you have to work
hard as a professional in orderto have a good reputation.
(05:43):
You know, in certain parts ofthis industry there are kind of
dark areas that need to be moreregulated.
They are, you know, they'rekind of disguised as a massage,
but, um, there's a darker sideto it.
Well, you know, when peoplecome in, that's why I make such
(06:05):
an effort to have a social mediapresence.
You know my licensure is all upto date.
We are insured.
Um, you know, there's there'sno funny business going on.
You know we have both men andwomen that can come in.
There's that clearcommunication.
Again, there's no barriers, andso you know, your needs are
(06:26):
respected.
And just wanting to let peopleknow that this is still a very
well-needed wellness businesswithin the wellness industry,
and that's what I'm striving toprovide are those wellness
services.
Speaker 2 (06:43):
Who are your target customers and how do you attract
them right now?
Speaker 3 (06:48):
Yes, my target customers are people within the
local area, so Fort Collins,loveland, it could be anyone
tourists but primarily they'rehealth minded, they're focused
on their holistic wellness andthese are people who know the
(07:09):
importance of coming in andrestoring themselves.
So they're typically activepeople or they're in roles that
are high stress.
That could be a parent, thatcould be someone in corporate,
that could be military anyonewho realizes the importance of
coming in and restoringthemselves.
Speaker 2 (07:34):
Have you ever thought about doing your own podcast?
Speaker 3 (07:37):
I have, I have.
Speaker 2 (07:42):
I have.
Speaker 3 (07:44):
Outside of work.
What do you do for fun?
I do cycling.
I have a membership at thelocal fitness club here.
I love hiking.
I love to fish so I lived inAlaska for over 10 years, so
fishing to me, and anythingwildlife related, is a plus.
It helps me to restore andground myself.
(08:06):
I love exercise in general yoga, sound healing.
I am a herbalist so I do lovegetting you know in the kitchen
area and formulating bath andbody care products.
That is like a passion.
I just I love the smell ofessential oils.
You know aromatherapy is a realthing and yeah, I also do
(08:29):
sewing and I'm an artist as well, so it's kind of it's all
helpful.
You know things that Iincorporate into my life.
To refill, refill my cup, yeah.
Speaker 2 (08:42):
Let's switch gears.
Can you describe a hardship ora life challenge that you
overcame and how it made youstronger?
What?
Speaker 3 (08:49):
comes to mind Wow, wow, so, okay.
So I a hardship?
You know there are quite a few,so I would have to think.
One of the first hardships Ihad was living in a climate like
(09:12):
Alaska.
Okay, you have to be a verytough person to live in that
climate, even though it doeshave its benefits.
It can be dark most of the year, there are wild animals that
roam wild and you have to learnsurvival skills.
(09:32):
Um, and that part was different.
Having moved from Colorado toAlaska, um, the environment's
completely different.
It's wild, the air is fresh,the water is fresh, um, but you
become a different person.
You know you.
You become a different person.
You know you.
You become a different personbecause now you're learning
(09:53):
survival.
Now you are learning how thenatives learned to cultivate the
land, how to use the animalsresponsibly, the entire animal.
You are learning that onceyou're an hour away from the
nearest hospital, you need to,you need to learn some.
You, the nearest hospital.
You need to learn some medicalskills.
You need to learn how to takecare of yourself in extreme
(10:16):
situations like that.
You know you're looking atanywhere between a negative 25
to 30 degree temperature, soyour car needs to be on a
heating block.
You need to learn to dress inlayers Very difficult, you know.
Coming from a climate likeColorado where you see more sun,
you can get out anytime, justabout year round and you have to
(10:41):
learn psychologically how todeal with living in the darkness
.
What does that look like to you?
Are you becoming a differentperson?
How do you cope?
So, yeah, that was a verydifficult time.
Personally, though, I wentthrough separation, a divorce,
(11:06):
had a divorce about five yearsago after being with someone for
a very long time, and duringthat time, as does happen in a
lot of marriages andrelationships, people grow apart
.
There's always that aspect ofone person wants to grow and
elevate and the other personwants to remain stagnant or they
(11:27):
don't want to see youexperience growth.
So going through thattransition was a very difficult
period in my life, but it didhelp me to become more in touch
with the human nature, with thepsychological, spiritual and
physical needs of human beings,and I think that has helped my
(11:51):
practice tremendously, becauseit has helped my sense of
empathy and compassion to justgrow.
Yeah, that took a lot of workand it's still ongoing work.
Speaker 2 (12:05):
Wow, I could talk to you forever about Alaska.
Yeah, talicia, tell ourlisteners one thing they should
absolutely remember aboutdivinity, beauty and massage.
Speaker 3 (12:20):
I want you to remember that when you come in,
you're dealing with a realperson who has been and seen
real life.
I didn't just go through thetraining of techniques.
I didn't just become licensed.
This is a calling and a purposefor me.
(12:41):
I used to watch my grandmotherrub on people.
People would come and sit nextto her just so that they could
feel her healing touch, and Iembrace that.
You know that was sofascinating to me to see how
people could be renewed and,just you know, restored by being
(13:02):
in the presence of anotherperson who actually had a
natural gift for that.
And I want people to know that,that this is a calling, and
Alaska was my initiation, myplace of spiritual and health
initiation, and Colorado is justcontinuing with that.
So I just want you to know thatI have that background.
(13:27):
Yes, there is military in thebackground, so the work ethic is
pretty strong and, yeah, that'sthat's the most important thing
I want you to know about.
Divinity is the person who'sbehind it.
Speaker 2 (13:40):
That's what this is all about.
Speaker 3 (13:41):
Absolutely.
Speaker 2 (13:42):
How can our listeners learn more about divinity,
beauty and massage?
Speaker 3 (13:47):
Yes, so you can visit the website.
It's wwwdivinity-beautycom.
I also have a social mediapresence.
On TikTok, it'sdivinitybeautymassage is the tag
or the name, and I am onInstagram as well, and you can
(14:07):
do a search for Divinity, beautyand Massage and I'll pop up in
Google and you'll start to seeall the links.
You can see my reviews onlineas well, and that's how you can.
Speaker 2 (14:20):
And for us old folks a telephone number.
Speaker 3 (14:23):
Yes, telephone number is 970-443-8797.
That is a local Colorado phonenumber.
Speaker 2 (14:32):
Cool Talicia, excuse me, I really appreciate you
being on our show and we wishyou and your business the very
best moving forward.
Speaker 3 (14:42):
Well, I certainly appreciate you extending the
opportunity and allowing me totell folks about the business
and I appreciate folks here inFort Collins and in Colorado and
everywhere for supporting asmall local woman owned and
operated business.
That means a lot to me and I'mgrateful for being able to serve
(15:03):
the Fort Collins community.
It's been an honor.
Speaker 1 (15:07):
Thank you for listening to the Good Neighbor
Podcast.
To nominate your favorite localbusinesses to be featured on
the show, go tognpfortcollinscom.
That's gnpfortcollinscom, orcall 970-438-0825.
This is the Good Neighbor Podcast, the place
where local businesses andneighbors come together.
Here's your host, Nick George.
Speaker 2 (00:11):
Welcome to the Good Neighbor Podcast.
Are you in need of a path tobeauty where every experience is
a sacred, holistic journey thatblends botanical skincare,
healing herbs and therapeutictouch to restore your most
radiant, authentic self?
One path like that might becloser than you think.
Today I have the pleasure ofintroducing your good neighbor,
(00:33):
talicia Officer, with DivinityBeauty and Massage.
Talicia, how's it going?
Speaker 3 (00:39):
Hey, it's going great .
Thanks for asking.
Speaker 2 (00:42):
We're excited to learn all about you and your
practice.
Tell us about it.
Speaker 3 (00:46):
Yeah, so Divinity started about two and a half
years ago.
I was in the herbal andbotanical skincare for well over
10 years and prior to COVIDhitting, I was selling at
farmer's markets, fine art showsand I was seeing a lot of great
results with the skincare.
The befores and afters wereamazing and that's always been a
(01:10):
passion of mine.
To you know, help resolveskincare issues.
So, fast forward to 2022-23, Ihad the opportunity to go to a
massage and esthetician school.
To go to a massage andesthetician school and I just
jumped on that opportunity.
You know, to have a combinedlicensure, be dual licensed in a
(01:37):
field that I was already kindof partially in, was just a no
brainer, you know, right here inFort Collins, I went to a small
school, lots of hands-onexperience, and I love it.
Now I mean, I'm seeing, youknow, people come in and out
just completely renewed andre-energized and it's just a
field of work that I'mabsolutely passionate about.
Speaker 2 (01:58):
Awesome.
I know how hard it is to startyour own business, so how did
you get into it from thebeginning?
Speaker 3 (02:05):
Yeah, so it just it took time, really, as any new
business does, you know, you're,you're coming up with the
business plan, You're coming upwith the name.
Lots of trips to the library,you know, with the Small
Business Development Center,they were a great help in my
(02:26):
journey.
I have a mentor who's been inthe same business for over 25
years my massage teacher, whowas one of the first massage
masseuse practitioners here inFort Collins.
Her name is Diane and she'dbeen doing it for over 40 years
and so just you need thatnetwork of support and it does
(02:49):
take some research, it takestime and you know that's how I
really how I got started.
I did start at a small med spahere as well, so that was the
first step before I actually,you know, branched off into my
own private office.
So I got experience thereseeing how they ran the
(03:12):
day-to-day operations dealingwith clientele and product usage
.
So, yeah, that's pretty muchhow I got started.
Once I gained more experienceat the med spa, I put funds
aside for a couple of monthsworth of operating cost for
Divinity, and so I would workthere part-time and then I would
(03:36):
go and work at my spot, andonce I gained a good amount of
clientele then I was able tojust do full-time at Divinity.
Speaker 2 (03:46):
What are some myths or misconceptions in your
industry?
Speaker 3 (03:50):
You know myths and misconceptions.
Misconception is that peopleexpect kind of a what I would
say assembly line type ofapproach to massage, even though
it exists.
The type of massages that Iprovide are customized.
(04:11):
So you're going to it's a verypersonalized, non-transactional
type of experience, right?
So you come in, your clientintake form is already done
online and your massageinformation is available to me
so that I have an idea of whatareas you would like to target
(04:34):
what.
What are we working on?
Because I'm looking at longterm goals here and not just a
transaction, and so that's oneof the misconceptions is that
people are going to come in andjust get beat up, and there's
that approach to massage andyou're certainly welcome to have
that experience.
But my approach is a littledifferent.
(04:57):
A lot of people are surprised tofind that they will fall asleep
during the service because thenervous system has been
completely relaxed, they'refeeling the vibes of the
environment and the atmosphereand they absolutely love the
service.
There's communication thathappens between the two of us.
You know this is a veryvulnerable state that you're in.
(05:17):
When you come in right, you'regetting undressed, you're in a
new environment.
It takes a lot of trust.
You're getting undressed.
You're in a new environment.
It takes a lot of trust.
So a misconception or myth, Idon't know.
You know this industry is anindustry where you have to work
hard as a professional in orderto have a good reputation.
(05:43):
You know, in certain parts ofthis industry there are kind of
dark areas that need to be moreregulated.
They are, you know, they'rekind of disguised as a massage,
but, um, there's a darker sideto it.
Well, you know, when peoplecome in, that's why I make such
(06:05):
an effort to have a social mediapresence.
You know my licensure is all upto date.
We are insured.
Um, you know, there's there'sno funny business going on.
You know we have both men andwomen that can come in.
There's that clearcommunication.
Again, there's no barriers, andso you know, your needs are
(06:26):
respected.
And just wanting to let peopleknow that this is still a very
well-needed wellness businesswithin the wellness industry,
and that's what I'm striving toprovide are those wellness
services.
Speaker 2 (06:43):
Who are your target customers and how do you attract
them right now?
Speaker 3 (06:48):
Yes, my target customers are people within the
local area, so Fort Collins,loveland, it could be anyone
tourists but primarily they'rehealth minded, they're focused
on their holistic wellness andthese are people who know the
(07:09):
importance of coming in andrestoring themselves.
So they're typically activepeople or they're in roles that
are high stress.
That could be a parent, thatcould be someone in corporate,
that could be military anyonewho realizes the importance of
coming in and restoringthemselves.
Speaker 2 (07:34):
Have you ever thought about doing your own podcast?
Speaker 3 (07:37):
I have, I have.
Speaker 2 (07:42):
I have.
Speaker 3 (07:44):
Outside of work.
What do you do for fun?
I do cycling.
I have a membership at thelocal fitness club here.
I love hiking.
I love to fish so I lived inAlaska for over 10 years, so
fishing to me, and anythingwildlife related, is a plus.
It helps me to restore andground myself.
(08:06):
I love exercise in general yoga, sound healing.
I am a herbalist so I do lovegetting you know in the kitchen
area and formulating bath andbody care products.
That is like a passion.
I just I love the smell ofessential oils.
You know aromatherapy is a realthing and yeah, I also do
(08:29):
sewing and I'm an artist as well, so it's kind of it's all
helpful.
You know things that Iincorporate into my life.
To refill, refill my cup, yeah.
Speaker 2 (08:42):
Let's switch gears.
Can you describe a hardship ora life challenge that you
overcame and how it made youstronger?
What?
Speaker 3 (08:49):
comes to mind Wow, wow, so, okay.
So I a hardship?
You know there are quite a few,so I would have to think.
One of the first hardships Ihad was living in a climate like
(09:12):
Alaska.
Okay, you have to be a verytough person to live in that
climate, even though it doeshave its benefits.
It can be dark most of the year, there are wild animals that
roam wild and you have to learnsurvival skills.
(09:32):
Um, and that part was different.
Having moved from Colorado toAlaska, um, the environment's
completely different.
It's wild, the air is fresh,the water is fresh, um, but you
become a different person.
You know you.
You become a different person.
You know you.
You become a different personbecause now you're learning
(09:53):
survival.
Now you are learning how thenatives learned to cultivate the
land, how to use the animalsresponsibly, the entire animal.
You are learning that onceyou're an hour away from the
nearest hospital, you need to,you need to learn some.
You, the nearest hospital.
You need to learn some medicalskills.
You need to learn how to takecare of yourself in extreme
(10:16):
situations like that.
You know you're looking atanywhere between a negative 25
to 30 degree temperature, soyour car needs to be on a
heating block.
You need to learn to dress inlayers Very difficult, you know.
Coming from a climate likeColorado where you see more sun,
you can get out anytime, justabout year round and you have to
(10:41):
learn psychologically how todeal with living in the darkness
.
What does that look like to you?
Are you becoming a differentperson?
How do you cope?
So, yeah, that was a verydifficult time.
Personally, though, I wentthrough separation, a divorce,
(11:06):
had a divorce about five yearsago after being with someone for
a very long time, and duringthat time, as does happen in a
lot of marriages andrelationships, people grow apart
.
There's always that aspect ofone person wants to grow and
elevate and the other personwants to remain stagnant or they
(11:27):
don't want to see youexperience growth.
So going through thattransition was a very difficult
period in my life, but it didhelp me to become more in touch
with the human nature, with thepsychological, spiritual and
physical needs of human beings,and I think that has helped my
(11:51):
practice tremendously, becauseit has helped my sense of
empathy and compassion to justgrow.
Yeah, that took a lot of workand it's still ongoing work.
Speaker 2 (12:05):
Wow, I could talk to you forever about Alaska.
Yeah, talicia, tell ourlisteners one thing they should
absolutely remember aboutdivinity, beauty and massage.
Speaker 3 (12:20):
I want you to remember that when you come in,
you're dealing with a realperson who has been and seen
real life.
I didn't just go through thetraining of techniques.
I didn't just become licensed.
This is a calling and a purposefor me.
(12:41):
I used to watch my grandmotherrub on people.
People would come and sit nextto her just so that they could
feel her healing touch, and Iembrace that.
You know that was sofascinating to me to see how
people could be renewed and,just you know, restored by being
(13:02):
in the presence of anotherperson who actually had a
natural gift for that.
And I want people to know that,that this is a calling, and
Alaska was my initiation, myplace of spiritual and health
initiation, and Colorado is justcontinuing with that.
So I just want you to know thatI have that background.
(13:27):
Yes, there is military in thebackground, so the work ethic is
pretty strong and, yeah, that'sthat's the most important thing
I want you to know about.
Divinity is the person who'sbehind it.
Speaker 2 (13:40):
That's what this is all about.
Speaker 3 (13:41):
Absolutely.
Speaker 2 (13:42):
How can our listeners learn more about divinity,
beauty and massage?
Speaker 3 (13:47):
Yes, so you can visit the website.
It's wwwdivinity-beautycom.
I also have a social mediapresence.
On TikTok, it'sdivinitybeautymassage is the tag
or the name, and I am onInstagram as well, and you can
(14:07):
do a search for Divinity, beautyand Massage and I'll pop up in
Google and you'll start to seeall the links.
You can see my reviews onlineas well, and that's how you can.
Speaker 2 (14:20):
And for us old folks a telephone number.
Speaker 3 (14:23):
Yes, telephone number is 970-443-8797.
That is a local Colorado phonenumber.
Speaker 2 (14:32):
Cool Talicia, excuse me, I really appreciate you
being on our show and we wishyou and your business the very
best moving forward.
Speaker 3 (14:42):
Well, I certainly appreciate you extending the
opportunity and allowing me totell folks about the business
and I appreciate folks here inFort Collins and in Colorado and
everywhere for supporting asmall local woman owned and
operated business.
That means a lot to me and I'mgrateful for being able to serve
(15:03):
the Fort Collins community.
It's been an honor.
Speaker 1 (15:07):
Thank you for listening to the Good Neighbor
Podcast.
To nominate your favorite localbusinesses to be featured on
the show, go tognpfortcollinscom.
That's gnpfortcollinscom, orcall 970-438-0825.
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