With 25 years of experience supporting women through massage, natural medicine and holistic therapies, Carmen Paff is passionate about creating a calm, nurturing space where women can slow down, reconnect with themselves and prioritise their wellbeing. Inspired by her own experience of burnout and the importance of self-care throughout the different stages of life and motherhood, she has grown Lumiere Healing and Massage into a range of services designed to help women feel more balanced, supported and empowered. Here, Carmen talks to The Natural Parent Magazine about starting out with a dream and the support of a supportive aunt, the lessons she has learned along the way, and her passion for helping mums and mums-to-be embrace self-care.
The passion: What inspired you to set up your business?
While studying natural medicine, I was really drawn to massage and all it could achieve. The idea of holding space for people, creating a safe haven where they could let go of burdens and stress, relax and feel connected to themselves again, resonated deeply with me. After experiencing mental and physical burnout in my previous career, I realised what can happen when we try to juggle high-stress jobs along with relationships, friends, families and everything else. I wanted to help other women before they reached burnout, and find a way to help them feel nurtured, balanced, calm and well. Natural medicine was part of the picture and I still use it in my sessions, but for me, massage was the real gem – a beautiful way to reconnect to yourself and reset your nervous system. Twenty-five years on, I still enjoy it every single day.
The launch: How did you start out in the beginning?
I started out with a massage table and a dream!
Actually, I started with just a dream. A supportive aunt decided to be my first client and bought ten massage vouchers from me as soon as I was qualified, so that I could afford to buy the massage table and other equipment required to start my business. She helped me get set up and build the confidence needed before I took on other clients. Her belief in me was invaluable and helped me start my business in the best way. Since then, whenever someone I know is starting a business, I offer to be one of their first clients too, as it is such a lovely way to show support and help someone’s dream come true.
The innovation: What was the biggest breakthrough for you with your business?
The biggest breakthrough for me in business was learning how important self-care was for my own wellbeing. As Lumiere grew and the mental and physical demands increased, I saw that without looking after my own health, I couldn’t properly look after my clients or keep up with demand.
First, I learned reiki to help me stay calm, balanced and protect my energy levels. I found it so helpful and effective that I ended up training to become a certified teacher and now show mums how to use it to stay calm, balanced and protect their energy in parenting.
Then, I began meditation, mindfulness, swimming and regular walks in nature for grounding and recharging. Once again, I loved it so much that I trained to become a mindfulness and meditation practitioner. I also received regular massages and reiki to help with self-care and wellbeing on all levels and take breaks before I reached the point of burnout. Self-care was the breakthrough for my business as it shaped Lumiere into the range of services it is today.
It was so beneficial to have these practices before I became a new mum, as that was another time when life became hectic and I really needed good self-care in place. After my son was born, I decided to focus my business more on helping new mums with their self-care. I expanded the menu for them, adding natural facials to feel nurtured and beautiful, a nervous system reset to feel calmer and baby massage to help with soothing, settling and bonding.
Yin and Yang: How do you balance work and family?
Running Lumiere means I have freedom, flexibility, autonomy and variety in my work. Since becoming a parent, I value these more than ever, as they allow me to have much better work-life balance.
I can choose whether to work in one location or many, to work from a clinic, offer workplace wellness, do home visits or provide online sessions. I decide whether to work full-time or part-time, when to take leave or block out time for self-care, extra parenting, school holidays or just a well-earned break. This has been so important for maintaining work-life balance as a solo mum.
The drive: What challenges have you overcome?
This business has been with me through many stages of my life, various health issues, a global financial crisis, fertility challenges, finally becoming a parent and then a global pandemic. The pandemic was the biggest challenge my business has faced, especially being based in Melbourne. However, it led me to pivot and move more into online offerings like reiki, meditation and tutorials for natural facials and baby massage, which are still an important way to help clients today.
I have learned so much along the way and grown along with the business. I have learned to speak up for myself and my needs, have stronger boundaries, value my time, look after my own wellbeing, recognise my limits, celebrate my wins and never stop learning new skills and new ways to help people.
For better or worse: What are the pros and cons of running your own business?
Most of all I love connecting with my clients, creating a calm, safe space where they can feel heard and supported, tailoring sessions to their individual needs and seeing them relax, unwind and begin to feel like themselves again.
I feel very lucky to have clients who value and appreciate my work. I feel honoured that my regulars share some of life’s biggest moments with me, including fertility, pregnancy and birth stories, parenting wins and challenges, love and loss, the good times and the tough times.
I also do a happy dance every time a client gets good results, sends positive feedback, leaves a 5-star review, refers a friend, makes an online purchase, buys a gift voucher for a loved one, or tells me the difference I have made in their life. The sense of reward and satisfaction is enormous and is why I am still happily in this role 25 years on.
My least favourite parts of running a business are admin and tech support, as they are my weaknesses, and I would much prefer to be connecting with clients and helping women to feel relaxed and empowered!
Hopes and dreams: What next?
It all began with a massage table and a dream, and can you believe that in a few months Lumiere will celebrate its 25th birthday! I am thrilled to be able to host an event to show my gratitude and celebrate with some of the wonderful people who have supported me along the way.
As for the future, I am working on even more great ways to help mums and mums-to-be to embrace self-care and feel their best.
Visit the Lumiere website to find out more, and connect with them on Facebook and Instagram.
