Success stories
Healing Hands have No Limits
Wednesday 6th August
An Accrington business woman is putting all her energy into improving the health and wellbeing of the local community with the help of the No Limits Women Mean Business scheme.
Stella Barlow launched Phoenix Holistics to help people to achieve their personal goals through a mixture of aromatherapy, massage, reflexology, counselling and emotional freedom techniques.
"After bringing up four children, I was deciding what I wanted to do with my life and have always been interested in all types of psychology and holistic therapies." Said Stella.
Stella, 49, first thought of launching her own business when she saw a local beauty salon offering a room to rent for a holistic therapist, and she turned to the No Limits Women Mean Business scheme through Hyndburn Enterprise Trust for advice.
She said: "I had been studying and gaining qualifications in different treatments all my life and I wanted to bring everything together to help people that are having emotional difficulties in their home or work life.
"As soon as I contacted the scheme they booked me onto finance and marketing courses, which bolstered my knowledge on the business side of things.
"At the same time I started volunteering my services for the Accrington Women's Centre and for Maundy Relief as I feel very strongly about giving back to the community that I have lived in all my life."
When a room became available in the Warner Street clinic Stella decided that the time was right and she started her Monday and Friday sessions. Before long she was working every day of the week and was helping people with everything from stress to more physical ailments.
Stella added: "I work with people to release any negative energy that they may be holding onto and can even work with people with phobias. When people find themselves feeling better they are more able to set and achieve life goals, which is much the same premise as the Women Mean Business scheme, which empowers women to go for it and set up by themselves."
Stella also plans to expand in the corporate market. As a member of the Chartered Institute of Personal Development, and a former HR manager, she wants to bring together all her expertise to help with staffing issues and absence management.
"I can work with people to help relieve stress or even build up the confidence to stand up and deliver a presentation. I am very excited about the future of my business. It may sound like a cliché but I now feel that there really are no limits to what I can achieve."
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