Columbian Native Brings Health and Wellness to Nebraska
Columbian Native Brings Health and Wellness to Nebraska
Rosa Maria’s Wellness Spirit and Astrology of Healing Center LLC, Hastings
Hastings resident Rosa Maria Brooks has been interested in wellness and healing since she was a child in Bogotá, Colombia.
“I was born with a special gift of being able to heal with my hands,” Rosa Maria said. “That is why from an early age, I got involved in looking for ways to help people with this healing touch.”
Today, Rosa Maria has a successful business called Rosa Maria’s Wellness Spirit and Astrology of Healing Center LLC, which allows her to help people from all over the world restore and maintain health. She has locations in Hastings and York and a mobile office in Lincoln.
Rosa Maria’s business was recently recognized by the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce with a Latino Business Center Entrepreneur Award and by REAP (Rural Enterprise Assistance Project), who awarded her its 2018 Latino Business Center Entrepreneur Award.
“I feel amazing and have good support,” Rosa Maria said about the awards. “I feel like Nebraska has very good opportunities to help small businesses to succeed.”
Starting a Business
Rosa Maria always wanted to be a business owner, just like her parents. After high school in Colombia, she earned a degree in psychology and opened her online counseling and astrological service in Bogota. When she moved to Nebraska in 2009 with her husband, who is from America, she wanted to continue and expand her business.
But, first, she had to polish her English skills. She took classes in Hastings to learn English and to become an interpreter. She then became certified in massage therapy.
Rosa Maria knew from her business-savvy parents that it’s important to join organizations that can help business owners. Rosa Maria turned to the Center for Rural Affairs in Grand Island and met with a REAP loan specialist, who helped her obtain a microloan.
She also joined GROW Nebraska.
“I do everything I can to grow business,” she said. “The key to growing business is to follow or join organizations that can help grow the business.”
She participated in GROW Nebraska’s state fair booth, where she gave chair massages. That event gave her a chance to interact with current clients and meet new clients.
Rosa Maria also has participated in various GROW Nebraska online trainings through the years, where she has learned more about marketing, social media and other essential business tips.
Expanding Business
Rosa Maria’s main business started in Hastings, where she lives. To expand the number of clients, she decided to start seeing clients at a branch office in Century House Chiropractic in York. She also created a mobile massage therapy unit that she uses to see clients in Lincoln. Rosa Maria said her mobile unit was the first mobile massage unit in Nebraska.
“I love my clients and my community. They are all very nice people to me. That is key to me growing my business and staying. I want people to know they can call me anytime wherever they are in the world. I will listen 24/7 and help in any way.”
Services that she offers include massage therapy (with special massages for geriatric patients or patients with cancer or arthritis), acupressure/tuina, gua sha healing techniques, cupping therapy, aroma-reflex therapy,
In addition to her wellness services, Rosa Maria also writes horoscopes for several media outlets, including the “Mundo Latino” newspaper in Omaha and a Colombian radio station.
