Today we’d like to introduce you to Emily Bradford.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I have always enjoyed helping people and as a child thought about becoming a veterinarian or a nurse. I didn’t feel I was smart enough to pursue those fields, a lie I told myself for far too long. School wasn’t my favorite thing, and I found myself going through life without a clear goal or path. I started working in a restaurant and worked my way up to become the manager. I had very little self-confidence and was feeling stuck in the job I was at. I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do next, but I knew I needed to make a change. I decided to go to massage school, and I had no idea if I would like it or if I’d be any good at it, but I took that big scary leap and enrolled. This year is my 19th year being a Massage Therapist. I can hardly believe it. The first 12 years I struggled with imposter syndrome and worked for someone else. I just hid in the back and did what I did. The last 6 years I have really come into my own. I no longer have imposter syndrome; I have a thriving business and am booked out weeks at a time. I am honing into my specialties and have created a nice niche for myself. I won The Guide to Florida Best of Florida 2024 & 2025 as well as the Daytona Beach Community Choice Awards for Best Massage Therapy 2024 and made top 3 in 2025. That is something I never could have imagined. I truly love what I do and am so glad I decided to take a chance on myself all those years ago.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It wasn’t an overly hard and bumpy road, but there were some speed bumps. The biggest one and always a work in progress-getting out of my own way. When I first started, I was a people pleaser and was working whatever I could get. That meant weekends, evenings, early mornings, all of it. Anything the client wanted I said, sure I can do that. Even if that meant I was already tired and taking on one more client. I had a hard time saying no even though my body was saying you can’t do anymore today. I was afraid if I didn’t say yes, then I would lose that client. I needed clients so that I could pay my bills. What I learned was that I was slowly burning myself out and starting not to like my career. By saying yes to things, I didn’t want to do I was feeling resentful. In the massage therapy profession, there are times of feast or famine in the industry. Those who work in it know what I mean. It’s hard to find the right balance of how many clients to take because if you’re in the famine era you take what you can get which may mean overworking yourself. When you’re in the feast era it’s a hard balance because you have that famine era weighing in the back of your mind, so you take on too many clients to have a buffer in the bank. It’s a vicious cycle. Especially when you’re first starting out. Even still now going into my 19th year as a massage therapist I have to remind myself that it’s ok to say no and to listen to my own body. That people pleaser in me likes to sneak out from time to time, but I am always growing and working towards a newer improved me. At the end of the day, if my body is overworked and feeling bad, I’m not going to be able to provide quality care for my clients. The goal is to give the first and the last client my best, if I am burned out, I’m doing myself and my clients a disservice.
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
At Restore & Rejuvenate Massage Therapy, I focus on bodywork for pain relief. I specialize in a treatment called Rapid NeuroFascial Reset. It started in Canada and has been gaining traction in the United States. I learned about it 2 years ago when I was dealing with some Plantar Fasciitis pain of my own. I suffered with that pain for 8 months doing everything I knew how to do, and it would help but it wasn’t taking it away. I stumbled upon a Rapid Specialist who was 45 mins away from me, which led me to a rabbit hole of information. I watched all their testimonials and then went on to find the main website rapidnfr.com and saw a training was coming soon to my area. I thought why not try it out and see if it works, the results I was reading were mind blowing. Off I went on a mission to find relief. I am happy to say that after one treatment my foot was 40% better and I immediately signed up for the course. He was able to reach a spot I couldn’t reach myself and other therapists couldn’t find. It truly is a game changer in pain relief. I did need more than one treatment for it to fully resolve. I am so grateful I was scrolling Facebook that night and stumbled upon this treatment I had never heard of. It was serendipity.
My other specialties are Sports Massage, Manual Lymphatic Drainage, and Post-Op Lymphatic Drainage. Coming soon Buccal Massage.
I am most proud of my desire to learn and to keep up to date with new modalities that help people have longer lasting pain relief. What sets me apart is I am the only Rapid NeuroFascial Reset Specialist in Daytona Beach. Every treatment whether it be Rapid or a Massage is geared towards the client’s goals.
Can you talk to us about how you think about risk?
Am I an avid risk taker, not generally, but I did take a risk to go out on my own after years of working for someone else. I saved up money and took a huge leap, and I am so happy I did. It’s scary to make a change but staying stuck without growth is scarier in my opinion. It’s a lot of hard work to manage a business and be the sole one providing services. I wouldn’t change it though. Change is inevitable, no matter what that looks like for you. It could be asking for a raise, going out on your own, or writing that book you always dreamed of. I do believe a lot of good comes from taking a risk. Even if the risk doesn’t work out the way you had planned, it’s still worth taking because you will learn something valuable along the way.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.massagesouthdaytona.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/restoreandrejuvenatellc?igsh=MTV1YzlwbWNjMGVtZA%3D%3D&utm_source=qr
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/1FiQKStEDc/?mibextid=wwXIfr
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@restoreandrejuvenate?_r=1&_t=ZP-92iThNXZ571
Image Credits
Port Orange Photography
