Entrepreneurship is hard.
There’s an awful lot of twists and turns when one is finding their niche. We therapists are taught the skills to support others and we are taught well - but learning to market services was not something that we covered. Over the past couple of years and through a ton of trial and error, I’ve learned a lot more about marketing, brand positioning, and how to show up in digital spaces.
Before I dive into the post, one thing worth mentioning for anyone who has - or is currently - struggling with marketing their vision: if you were not taught how to do this, it won’t come naturally. It will require intention, patience, and a whooooole lot of experimentation. Parts of it may feel gross; others might even be fun. If you come from a background where you were not allowed to use your voice, marketing may feel even more daunting. After all, marketing is amplifying your voice to reach as many people as it can… this can be terrifying. Acknowledge and accept that - and do it anyway.
Onward.
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Over the next few months there will be a gradual roll-out of changes to Sapo Wellness.
Sapo Wellness started out as an idea to bring together exercise, nutrition, and mental health. Though I usually have a way with words (or so I’m told), naming things is not one of my strengths. Sapo is simply the first two letters of my first and last name (Sasha Portillo) and I slapped Wellness at the end because that’s ultimately what I help with - I do not separate the mind from the body; rather, I work with the whole human for complete wellness.
Sapo also means “frog” in Spanish and seen as omens of good fortune and adaptability, hence the stylized frog as the logo.
But, the name didn’t land as intended. It does not help describe the work, nor does it have the oomph needed to truly showcase the vibe.
The work we do is experiential.
It’s gentle meets feral.
It’s metabolizing emotion, trauma, and anything else begging for release from within us.
It’s taking pain, grief, anger - and creating something beautiful from the destruction.
The work I do with clients is rooted in strength and in growth. We move how or bodies demand it, not by what is “acceptable” or “tolerated.” We feel to process instead of intellectualizing every behavior. We dance with our shadows. We throw things. We release. We become whole.
And we do it by leveraging our minds, muscles, and creativity.
For these reasons, Sapo Wellness will become: Iron + Ink.
I cannot wait :)
-Sasha