Meet Regina Cruz | Licensed Massage Therapist, Licensed Esthetician, Creator of Total Body Niche

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

Hi Regina, is there something that you feel is most responsible for your success?
This is going to be a two part answer and the answers tie into one another.

The utmost important factor behind my success in building my business and brand is hands down consistency. Showing up day in and day out to build onto this idea I’ve conjured up in my mind. Consistency requires action and with action comes clarity, sounds cliche but it’s factual. The idea of Total Body Niche, the brand we are building hasn’t swayed much but the journey here has been everything but linear. No matter the struggle, no matter the move, no matter the amount of times I’ve had to rebuild my client base (which this is the 4th time) I’ve remained consistent in my efforts to bring this idea to fruition. My consistency has led us to where we are today, something I dreamt of for the past 7 years. An office space we’ve turned into a spa, in a quaint location, where we are able to offer an intimate, personable spa experience for those who entrust in us to guide them to their wellness goals.

Another thing that has kept the needle moving, I wholeheartedly believe, has been my commitment to my personal growth. I like many people struggle with the “mind games”: insecurity, self-doubt, comparison, lack mindset, and so on. You see we all have traumas, a daunting past, learned behaviors, unserving thoughts, etc…but no matter what that backstory is, it is up to each one of us to grow & heal from those circumstances. As a kid others are responsible for you, as an adult you are responsible for YOU! Remaining consistent in this journey toward becoming my best self has been most rewarding. I have come such a long way but still working at it and I’ve accepted this will be an ever evolving journey, but with consistency you make great strides; personally and in business.

Total Body Niche is in a quaint location where we are able to offer an intimate, personable spa experience for those who entrust in us to guide them to their wellness goals. We put a lot of effort into building connections with every client that comes into our practice. We make space for them and meet them exactly where they are, while providing what they need in terms of their wellness goals. We aim to restore their quality of life by helping our clients move better, feel better, look better and live better. Our mission is to empower their abilities to create lasting change that will enhance their lifestyle, while educating and guiding them to achieve their personal wellness goals; body, mind and skin.

I wholeheartedly believe we offer something at Total Body Niche that you can’t get just anywhere. You’d definitely have to come experience what that is for yourself! I don’t focus on what set me apart from others much. I focus on brining my mission to life with every single client I get the honor of treating.

Nothing worth having comes easy. Our journey here has not been easy but it has been worthwhile. With action and our willingness to accept the lessons there have been to learn along the way, we have gained so much clarity. This truth is what keeps us persevering despite the obstacles we’ve encountered along the way & gives some certainty that we will be able to overcome what lies ahead of us.

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.
Let’s say my friend arrived Friday night, here’s the itinerary:

Friday night: get dolled up and head to Pier 6 for some delicious seafood (my fav) & dessert then we’d go home and rest up.

Saturday: Breakfast at the Main Street Bistro, take a stroll down Main Street in Historic League City – lots of cute boutiques and fun shopping. We’d for sure hit up Mommy & Me Chic, Salted Hippie Chick Boutique, Nana’s Attic. We’d head over to Total Body Niche and I’d give my friend the best spa experience of her life – facial, massage, slow-flow stretch session, ya know the works! She’d more than likely want a nap after, so we’d head home to rest up and get dolled up for a night out more than likely to the Kemah area to check out some live music and have some drinks.

Sunday: Chandlery Bar for a whole candle making experience and we’d hit the Empanada bar when we get done for a late lunch!

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Absolutely!!

My husband, partner in business, and very best friend: Steven Ross Harmon, co-owner of Total Body Niche, LLC. A numbers guy (literally thinks in numbers) and business development is his strong suit. He is the man behind the curtains, my confidant and the one who brings me back to reality when I spiral. Funny but it happens! He is knowledgeable, highly intelligent, and pretty wise. Although those qualities are so beneficial to us in business, the #1 reason he deserves recognition to me, is that he saw the greatness in me before I was able to see it in myself. He was the very first person who wholeheartedly believed in me, my dream and the whole idea of Total Body Niche. When he and I started dating I was in school studying massage therapy, I shared my idea with him and his response to me was, “LET’S DO IT!” The business developer in him eagerly started helping me understand ways we could make it happen. There was a genuine excitement in his tone, one I had never experienced from anyone in my life before that moment. It felt like he thought my idea was incredible, like he saw past all my inhibitions in a way I wasn’t even able to do for myself at that time in my life. That moment for me was so special and fueled the fire in me, in big ways. Along the way he has made space for every version of me that I have shown him in the past 7 years of knowing me, in a way that holds me accountable and is helpful to honoring the commitment I made to myself. For him, I have a million reasons to hold immense gratitude but this is my favorite!

Two others that I’d like to recognize are my grandparents, Victor and Maria Del Carmen Cruz. I believe through them I learned perseverance and resourcefulness. Two of my greatest qualities to date. My grandparents took on the responsibility of raising my siblings and I, they did their absolute best and our success is a direct reflection of the values they instilled into us. My grandpa was the kind of man who could make friends with anybody, he was easy going and had a big heart. I learned so much watching him and it’s been very helpful in business, as we pride ourselves in being very customer oriented & personable. Through my grandma we were exposed to religion and spirituality, in a non-overbearing way. This exposure instilled values in us that we will carry throughout our lifetime. I was recently interviewed by a Ruth, a brilliant reporter at The Post Newspaper, to shed light on my business and in our conversation, she helped me connect the dots on how that played a huge role in the way I operate in my practice today. I remember being such a confused kid due to the circumstances, but fast forward to many years later, I now recognize how their love, strength & devotion has made huge ripples in my personal and business life and to them I am eternally grateful.

Website: https://www.totalbodyniche.com

Instagram: total_body_niche

Facebook: Total Body Niche

Image Credits
@suheyphotographyllc
@loveelucy