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Blog, Podcast

Hearts Heal: Transforming Trauma with Blanca E. Rodriguez 

 January 23, 2025

By  Tom Jackobs

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What if your greatest challenges could become the foundation for helping others heal? 🌟 In this episode, we explore the remarkable journey of Blanca E. Rodriguez, founder of Wounded Healer LLC. From transforming childhood trauma into a powerful mission to mastering massage therapy for both humans and canines, Blanca’s story is a masterclass in resilience, passion, and heart-led healing. 💖

Get an insider look at her unique techniques, packed daily schedule, and insights into balancing purpose with profitability. Whether you’re curious about conscious capitalism or searching for inspiration, this episode will leave you uplifted and ready to take on the world. Tune in now for a story that will uplift your spirit and ignite your passion! 🎧🔥

Key Takeaways from this Episode

  • The essence of a heart-led business
  • Overcoming personal trauma to help others
  • The multifaceted career of a holistic healer
  • The daily routine of a heart-led entrepreneur
  • The financial aspect of giving and receiving in a heart-led business
  • The transition from a traditional job to a fulfilling career
  • The challenges and rewards of starting your own business

About the Guest

Blanca E. Rodriguez is the dynamic CEO of Wounded Healer, LLC, a licensed massage therapist with 19 years of experience, an Amazon bestselling author, and a passionate motivational speaker. With over 30 years in fitness and dance, she’s dedicated to empowering others through healing and inspiration. As a mentor in the American Massage Therapy Association and a leader at Toastmasters, Blanca’s mission is to transform lives—one person at a time.

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Up Next…

  • Explore the heart of entrepreneurship with a twist with Meredith Oke, the Executive Director of The Institute of Applied Quantum Biology and host of the Quantum Biology Collective podcast. She empowers women to reach their next level through coaching and shares groundbreaking insights into quantum biology’s impact on health.
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Explore the Dialogue’s Treasures: Unearth the insights within! Delve into the profound wisdom woven throughout our conversation. 

Speaker 2: 0:01
Welcome to The Heart-Led Business Show, where compassion meets commerce and leaders lead with love. Join your host, Tom Jackobs, as he delves into the insightful conversations with visionary business leaders who defy the status quo, putting humanity first and profit second. From heartfelt strategies to inspiring stories, this podcast is your compass in the world of conscious capitalism. So buckle up and let’s go. Let your heart guide your business journey.

Tom Jackobs: 0:39
Blend our ears to the lady who lavishes love on loyal lap dogs and limber seniors, a maestro in massage, zumba zone, and a toastmaster titan, Blanca Rodriguez. Buckle up as we dive into her heart-led hustle on the heart-led business show. It’s sure to be a positively enlightening experience. Blanca, welcome to the show.

Blanca Rodriguez: 1:01
Thank you so much for having me, Tom. It’s a joy and an honor to be here.

Tom Jackobs: 1:05
So glad you’re here and I’m positively mission. The excited to have this conversation with you and what you do, because it’s so unique and I think you can really get some creative juices flowing for some of the listeners in terms of what heart-led businesses are really all about. So, but the first question that I always like to ask is, what’s your definition of a heart-led business?

Blanca Rodriguez: 1:28
To me and I have always led from the heart that I have done in my life, not only in my personal life, but my professional life. Most than anything is it comes from the heart and that takes to being coming from childhood trauma, coming from a world of isolation, coming from a world of neglect, abuse, tragic passing of a loved one, growing up in a difficult situation where in a place. It was, let’s say, infested with chronic, untreated mental illnesses. So I know how deep down the rabbit hole these situations can take people. It certainly took me down those deep rabbit holes, very dark seasons of my life but turning it around into helping others improve themselves, taking those lessons to help others is definitely my biggest mission and that is why I really do have heart-led business.

Tom Jackobs: 2:24
So awesome and I like that definition as well, that you’re taking what’s happened in the past and repurposing that and making it really about the heart and serving other people. So, that’s really awesome. So, Tell us a little bit about your heart-led business and what inspired you to start it.

Blanca Rodriguez: 2:41
Yes, absolutely. My business name is Wounded Healer LLC and us wounded healers, all of these experiences in very dark seasons in our lives enables us to help others and that is why when I saw that name, I said, yes, that definitely resonates with me. I wear many hats and I love hats, literally and figuratively. I don’t want to chew up the word. I am a licensed massage therapist for 20 years. I’m a certified canine massage therapist for nine years. I’m a holistic life coach. I’ve been a dancer, a professional dancer for 40 years. I have the blessing and the miracle that I’m still teaching and my late fifties. I’m a speaker. I’m an Amazon bestselling book co- author and educator. Of course, I am a volunteer because the best gift is the one of giving and of course, I’m a Toastmaster. I’m an IRA director for Toastmasters and definitely I love every single hat that I wear. I definitely do it with everything I am, with all the love in the world, because if I don’t work out of, if I don’t do this out of love, then it’s meaningless and I am here to do meaningful things in this life. Take those moments before and translate them into something for the better good of others and of course, starting with myself and this is what I do for a living.

Tom Jackobs: 4:18
That’s awesome. That is like a lot of hats, which is awesome. How do you balance them? Like what is a typical day for Blanca look like? Well, a typical day, like today, I wake up early in the morning at six o’clock in the morning, every single day, I do my prayer, meditation, breathing exercises, I live close to the beach. So I decided to look at the sunrise and go for a walk in the sunrise and then I have my camera with me. So I did some make social media content as well, informing people about things that I learned that I think, and I feel like it can help others with their quality of life. After that, I came home and I got ready for this phenomenal podcast. Definitely, then I go to two rehab centers for drug addiction and alcohol abuse. I do massage therapy there. I help patients that are in distress and very chaotic situations. It’s one of the most important. Pour in missions that I have done in my massage therapy career is what I’m doing right now. It goes much further than just a massage than just helping people relax their muscles is a mission of love, compassion, and empathy. And after that, I come home, have time with my husband and of course start a beautiful Toastmasters meeting tonight. And after that, I have a coaching session with a client. And of course, yes, I really do sleep good at night. That’s for sure. There’s always time for everything. Yeah, if I, if we organize ourselves accordingly to what works for us definitely, it works wonders, it’s amazing, and we do have healthy and harmonious lifestyles with this. That’s awesome and what, that’s a really well scheduled day as well. Is that a pretty typical day? Is that, or is that this atypical?

Blanca Rodriguez: 6:02
Yes, absolutely, well, well, it’s it varies from day to day lately, so it varies from, let’s say on Fridays, I always have a Toastmasters meeting. On Mondays, I have a Toastmasters meeting as an area director that I am, and I am a member of three different clubs. So I do all of them depending on the day of the week. I always assist to all of these meetings because they’re very important for me. And yes, and of course, family life, definitely. That is one thing that is on the top of the list and yes, everything is scheduled and no, I don’t have a cork up my butt, but everything is scheduled because otherwise. It’ll be everything is given to you because otherwise it’s a mess. And no, I had a messy lifestyle enough before. So this is why it’s like, okay, let’s transition into this beautiful, harmonious. Lifestyle that is, yes, it’s highly scheduled, but at the same time, it goes with a beautiful flow of what I love to do, because these are things that I love to do on a daily basis. It doesn’t, I mean, sometimes it’s like, oh my God, do I really have to do this? And it’s like, yeah, going to do it because, hey, let’s face it, not every day we are in the same mindset of going out there and doing what we are going to do. So what to do in those cases, a breather, calm it down, quiet the noise a little bit, and regroup and everything will be just fine. Have some teas that is highly recommended. I love my lemon ginger tea to wake the senses up. And of course, my lavender and chamomile tea to calm the senses down at night. So it’s a beautiful combination.

Tom Jackobs: 7:46
Great. Now which one of the businesses would you say is your primary business? Right now..

Blanca Rodriguez: 7:50
My primary business right now is massage therapy. Canine massage therapy, holistic life coaching, because I do them all. And of course, I’m an assistant fitness instructor as well. So I’m doing all of these on an almost daily basis. And yes, it’s a beautiful thing, a beautiful mission, a heart-led business that is absolutely, I mean, to me, I embrace it. I am grateful for it every single day of my life. And that is a miracle for us. I mean, there’s so many people out there that they absolutely despise their jobs that they build businesses. And then they say to themselves, what the hell am I doing here? Why am I doing this? I’m starting to despise what I’m doing. And that’s when we missed the point big time.

Tom Jackobs: 8:36
Yeah. Well, and at those, I mean, there’s always going to be those days, like you said, and you just take a breather and I always find that reframing the mental words in my brain versus, you know, instead of saying, you have to do this today. I get to do it today it’s a privilege honor to be able to serve others in a, at a high level as well. Tell us a little bit about the canine massage therapy. You’re the first person I’ve met that does canine massage therapy. And I think that’s absolutely fascinating. I love dogs.

Blanca Rodriguez: 9:06
Oh I grew up around dogs and the relationship between dog and human it’s the most, this is one of the biggest bonds that anybody can have. Our dogs loves us unconditionally. They are beings that their love, it has no comparison to the love of a human being because they are unconditional. It doesn’t matter if we’re sad, angry, happy, whatever it is that is going on in our lives, they will always be there for us to love us no matter what. Canine massage therapy started very ancient times, 2700 BC to be exact. And one of the most famous. One of the most famous personalities in history that we know from Canine Massage is Julius Caesar. Julius Caesar used to take his massage therapist with him to war. He had epilepsy. Therapy calms epilepsy symptoms. Well, his very smart massage therapist will massage his very ferocious war dogs. And these war dogs worked more efficiently thanks to being massaged. Fast forward all the way to these days here in the US, canine massage therapy and any kind of animal massage therapy was introduced through equine massage therapy back in the seventies of course, soon after canine massage therapy was introduced and amazing platforms like the West Minister club and the American kennel club approve of the practices of canine massage therapy for the best quality of life of their animal. I have worked on puppies all the way to seniors, all the way to dogs before they’re crossing the rainbow and is one of the most important missions that I have had in my professional career. Yes, it’s a dirty job. Yes, they drool. Yes, they get emotional, but it’s totally worth it, they know that when I’m going through that door, the first thing that’s going to happen is love, treats and massage. So they are like, come on over lady. We know what’s happening. And it’s a very powerful practice. Just like normal massage therapy is for us humans, that it helps us improve our quality of life. 31 percent of cortisol levels of stress hormone cortisol goes down with treatment of massage therapy and 30 percent of the happy chemicals in our bodies. Dopamine, oxytocin, serotonin and endorphins go up with one session of massage. And of course, with dogs, it’s exactly the same. Us, humans and dogs, we are mammals. We have muscle systems, organs, feelings emotional chemical balances are going on and yes, canine massage therapy has been that long the Roman Empire, the high end Roman Empire people of course they had massage therapists for their horses and their dogs as well through history. It started in China and of course all the way to the Americas nowadays and I highly recommend that you provide your dog with a massage because our dogs put up with our crap so they’re worth it and we know it.

Tom Jackobs: 12:14
Absolutely. Yeah that, that’s great. So let’s shift gears a little bit and let’s talk about the business side of having a heart-led business. Cause I know a lot of practitioners struggle with the money side or the business side of having a heart-led business. How do you handle the business side for your heart-led business?

Blanca Rodriguez: 12:32
Well, I can tell you this. I was in that group of people that it was so hard for me to say, Hey, this is going to cost you this because us givers, we love giving and let’s face it. By giving and giving, we won’t be able to put the rice and beans on the table. and once I understood that big fact, that’s when I said, okay, I am worth this person’s time and this person’s money. And here we go again, us healers, our relationship with money is not necessarily the best one. We feel like, no, we should just give and give because it comes from the heart, because it’s what I love to do. And I want to help I got to help myself as well. I got to help myself first in order for me to efficiently help others. And this is when being compensated financially is so vital to heart, to have a heart-led business. And once I understood that, yes, I can volunteer with many platforms, which I still do to this day, but Hey. This mama needs to get so I can have efficiency and serve others and grow with others and keep on learning because in my line of work, I’m a teacher. I’m a student. And that combination will never go out of style. I’m a teacher. I’m a student. I always, I’m always investing in myself and my knowledge and my growth so I can help others through my growth as well. And this is why it’s so important to yes, get paid. Yes, you know your worth. You get paid accordingly. A lot of people pay a lot of other people of dollars for their services and it’s because they are worth it. I have paid thousands of dollars for people’s services. I am a holistic life coach. I have a coach and I paid and I pay for my life coach services and that’s absolutely worth it. And the same way my life coach is absolutely worth it. I am worth it as well. So I take it from there definitely. But I know where I come from and it was the compromise. It’s like, oh my God, I am being a yes person way too much and that, and anything done in excess is equally detrimental for our health, like saying yes too much or saying no too much. And this is when I learned the lesson tremendously and I said, no, I am as much as my life coach is as much as my teachers are so yes I definitely take it from there and no hard feelings here. I don’t feel bad about it all the whole opposite. I feel joy When people appreciate and respect my worth.

Tom Jackobs: 15:10
Yeah. So when did the shift happen from giving too much to then finally realizing, Hey, I need to make some money doing this, or I need to do something different because it’s clearly not working? When did that shift happen for you?

Blanca Rodriguez: 15:23
That shift happen when I understood my self-worth much more. I come from childhood trauma. I come from isolation, neglect, low self-worth, low self-esteem, self-sabotage, self-destruction. So all of those emotions, I had them for a very long time and going around that vicious circle that led me nowhere. I was stagnant. I was stuck and when I started to get out of that vicious circle of going absolutely nowhere is when I really started to find my wealth and starting to get healthier, not only physically, but mentally, emotionally, and when we step into that power. When we find that self-worth, when we say, wow, I have invested a lot of my time and money to be really good at my craft is when I understood it’s like, okay, it’s time to really apply all of this knowledge to myself because knowledge is not power unless we apply that knowledge to ourselves. And once I went, I got into that place. I didn’t look back and I’m still not looking back. I look back a little bit to remind myself of where I used to be and where I am now and understand that life is about progress, not perfection. And I’m very happy with where I am and the place where I am right now and who I am, who I have been because I taken all of those lessons and apply. Take the lessons and apply. And that’s definitely the pivotal moment when I said, okay, I am worth it was when my self-esteem and my confidence that combination right there, in my case, this is my story. This is my personal journey. But when those came together, self-worth, confidence, and what I do and what I know and what my expertise is, that’s it. Okay. That’s it. This is when I am getting compensated for what my, for what I’m worth. And it’s quite a bit.

Tom Jackobs: 17:21
So self-esteem, self-worth for you was that trigger then to realize, wait, I need to charge more for my services or actually start charging or charge for the services as well. Yeah. That’s totally tracks, right? Are there any stories that you’d like to share in terms of some triumphs that have come from or challenges that have come up from having a heart-led business versus a business just focused on making a profit?

Blanca Rodriguez: 17:44
Yes. Before becoming a massage therapist, I work for the hotel industry. I was a secretary for an engineering firm in Puerto Rico. I’ve been living in the U. S. for 21 years already. And I remember those times when I went to work to make money to make that check and It was not from the heart. I always, I’ve always been a helper. I always love to help others and assist others. That has been all of my life, my mission. Consciously, I didn’t really know it, but subconsciously I’ve always been a helper in the helping industry and when I was a secretary, I went to work, I did my job and I went home. And of course, being a secretary, when the boss will mess it up, the boss will tell all of his clients or friends, Oh, my secretary didn’t do this. My secretary didn’t do that. She didn’t, and no, it was him all along. I said, well, that’s lovely to look like the dumb ass. In front of everybody because the secretary is an idiot. And that was one of those things that I said, I am tired of this crap. And when I moved to the US at 38 years old, I said to myself, I am going back to school and I’m going to do something that is significant in my life. And when I went back to school for massage therapy, I was in a relationship plagued with domestic abuse, I had two little kids. My personal life was in shambles. It was a chaos. It was a hurricane of bad emotions. But there was something in me in there that said, I am going to progress in life. I am going to move on from this. I don’t know how I’m going to do it, but I’m going to make it happen anyway. And comparing to what my professional life was in Puerto Rico to what it is in the U. S. is like night and day. I do something now, well for the last 20 years, I have the blessing and the miracle to do something that is significant in my life. Something that is important in my life. Something that with all of the wear and tear that I have after more than 20 years massaging people, I still go out there with my little bag and my table saying what I’m doing is worth it. It’s, I love to do it. I still love to do it. And I’m always learning something new every day in this massage therapy career because the learning never ends. And I love to feed my brain with new things, new experiences, and when I was a massage therapist, when I started in school, that it will lead me to being a holistic life coach, being a speaker, being a book author. It led me to everything that I am doing today. And then I look back to my life, my work life in Puerto Rico and I say, wow, I don’t miss you for absolutely anything from this bogus. Paycheck. I just want my money. I do my job efficiently. Give me my check. I go home and let’s do it over and over again to where I am now, which is a heart-led business. And I’m very grateful and honored to do it every day.

Tom Jackobs: 20:48
That’s beautiful. And what a transition too, in terms of, you know, just going in, not really caring about the job, just doing it efficiently, doing the bare minimum and collecting the paycheck to now. That’s incredible. What kind of advice would you give to somebody that might be struggling in their heart-led business right now in terms of making a profit and wondering like, Oh, do I just sell out and just look for the profit? Or do I continue doing my heart-led work? What type of advice would you give to somebody like that?

Blanca Rodriguez: 21:17
Well, when any business that is starting, you’re always going to have struggles. You’re going to always going to have challenges and most of the time we know this with a new business, it takes at least two years to really start seeing a profit. So what I did in my experience, what I did, and this was a big sacrifice and it was worth it. I started my business, but I kept paycheck business. Okay. I get that but still I’m a massage therapist. I still love what I do. So don’t give up. Don’t give up. If this is what you want to do from you, from the bottom of your heart, it’ll work out. I promise you that. But every business is an investment. Don’t be focusing on, I’m going to get paid immediately because that is not. You got to invest in order to receive and that has always been my mindset all throughout this beautiful career. It has always been about investing in my knowledge, investing in my progress, and then see the profit coming in later on. So be patient, it’ll work out. You got this. I promise you.

Tom Jackobs: 22:30
Nice. That’s great advice and certainly you’ve experienced all of that through, throughout your career and your journey as well. So thank you again for sharing that. So how can people learn a little bit more about you and the speaking that you do and all the other things in your book as well? And potentially work with you.

Blanca Rodriguez: 22:46
Of course, you can check my website out. Every single thing is there. It’s www.woundedhealer.us You can find all information that you need from me. Come on over. I’m here for you. And for all the listeners out there, I want to give you a complimentary life coaching session. There is no limit on time. One, two hours, whatever it is. And yes, let’s share the experience. Let’s make this. Do you want to experience a powerful life coaching session? Please contact me. I’m here to help and it will be my honor. Honor to be there for you. Don’t do it alone.

Tom Jackobs: 23:27
Wow. That was so generous of you. I know our listeners will certainly appreciate that as well. Thanks again for coming onto the show and sharing your story and your wisdom with us. I really appreciate it and I know our listeners appreciate it as well. So thank you very much.

Blanca Rodriguez: 23:41
Thank you. Thank you, Tom, for having me here. What a great pleasure and an honor it was for me to be here. Thank you for everything you do.

Tom Jackobs: 23:48
Great. And thank you listeners for watching or listening to the show, depending on what platform you’re on. I know we definitely appreciate it. Blanca appreciates you as well. And make sure that you’re checking out everything that Blanca is doing. We’ll provide all of those links down into the show notes. So make sure you’re checking that out and take her up on that offer for a free coaching session. That’s a pretty amazing and if you could do me a solid favor and do what other smart and considerate listeners are doing and sharing this show with a friend or a loved one who could use the advice that we’ve shared on today’s show. And until next time, lead with your heart.

Speaker: 24:22
You’ve been listening to The Heart-Led Business Show, hosted by Tom Jackobs. Join us next time for another inspiring journey into the heart of business.

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