Today we’d like to introduce you to Kathy Duffy.
Hi Kathy, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
My professional background is in publishing. As much as I love books, a decade in, I no longer found the work satisfying. I was also struggling with chronic pain that was being made increasingly worse by work that had me sitting at a computer long hours.
I turned to massage and acupuncture for relief. Then in 2006, I came to Austin for a business trip and fell in love with this town. As I sat in a restaurant on S Congress, I thought: I need some skills to get me out of publishing. And having had such great experiences with massage and acupuncture for my own pain, I decided to move in the direction of complementary healthcare.
I returned home and enrolled in massage school. I continued working in publishing and worked doing massage part-time. I also started volunteering at an acupuncture clinic that served the HIV community. I loved that work and eventually decided to leave publishing and enroll in acupuncture school. Given that the idea for change had germinated here in Austin, it felt natural to come here for my acupuncture training.
Rosewood Acupuncture & Ayurveda was founded with the goal of providing affordable, accessible holistic medicine to the community of East Austin. We, of course, welcome patients from all over, but the practice began with a vision of becoming a neighborhood resource. Ten years in to this work, I’m happy to say I find it immensely satisfying.
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?
Starting a small business is a challenge, especially when the goal of the business is to provide accessible care. There’s an inherent tension between the need to pay bills and the desire to be accessible.
And Austin has changed immensely. I’m currently in my fourth location because of the volatility of commercial real estate. Austin used to feel friendlier to small businesses, but it doesn’t feel like a supportive environment these days.
As you know, we’re big fans of Rosewood Acupuncture and Ayurveda, LLC. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
Rosewood Acupuncture & Ayurveda is a holistic healthcare practice and herbal apothecary located in the heart of East Austin.
We specialize in Acupuncture, Chinese Herbal Medicine, Ayurvedic bodywork, and therapeutic massage.
We also offer Acupuncture Facial Rejuvenation sessions with facial cupping and gua sha, plus a selection of facial sheet masks designed by acupuncturists.
Can you talk to us about how you think about risk?
Starting a small business is inherently risky. There are very few acupuncture jobs and so opening a practice is the main option for new graduates. It takes a long time to build a stable practice. Sadly, a large percentage of very talented, well trained acupuncturists don’t stay in the field because it’s hard to survive financially in those first few years. Thankfully, I was able to work elsewhere doing chair massage as my practice grew.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://rosewoodacupuncture.com/
- Instagram: @rosewoodacupuncture
