Today we’d like to introduce you to Cecilia Eligio.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I was born and raised in small-town Washington, GA. I always envisioned myself leaving small-town life and finding something more exciting. I was always drawn to being on stage and performing for people, so with the help of my incredibly supportive parents I studied at the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) from 2014 to 2018. There I earned my BFA in Performing Arts and my minor in dance. Upon graduating, I moved to the New Jersey, dead set on living in New York City to feed my creative desires and passions. However, in spring of 2019, COVID was impacting the area I lived in. I was bartending at the time, and I recall my manager letting staff know that the governor of NJ had officially ordered all dining establishments to close down.
From there it was an interesting few years. The life I prepared for looked incredibly different from the one that was now unfolding. I was not living in the city, but rather in a quiet and rural area of New Jersey. Auditions were now all virtual and the demand of online personalities was beginning to grow. It was during this time that I realized my passion for acting and creating was changing. I did not have the motivation to keep up with the growing demand of content creators or how many followers my platform had – although that was quickly becoming a part of the casting criteria.
From there I took a hiatus from my work, not knowing when or if I wanted to jump back into that competitive race. In my time away, I found myself wanting to do something more fulfilling with my time, and one day a literally stumbled upon the idea of being a massage therapist.
The short backstory is that I was a client at Skinterest Skincare Boutique (Easton, PA) for many years, and one day I asked my esthetician about her career path (I’ve always loved all things skincare, so it seemed like a plausible idea). From there I met one of the co-owners (Catrian Huynh), and upon asking her about what it takes to be an esthetician, she kindly redirected me towards massage therapy, stating that the esthetics field is highly oversaturated, and the need from massage therapists was quickly climbing, especially due to the touch-deprivation created by COVID.
At the time, I had never even as much as had a massage, but I couldn’t let go of the idea that this was something I could do. From this chance encounter, I took a leap of faith and attended an open house at the Academy of Massage Therapy and Bodyworks (Pottstown, PA), and from that day I was hooked. Jumping into the exploration of human anatomy and physiology seemed like a deeper extension of my knowledge curated during my time in undergrad. This was an all-encompassing approach to studying the instrument that is my body, and even more, the work was proving to be incredibly fulfilling. There is nothing comparable to the gift that it is to be a vessel for healing, and that is what my work has allowed me to do since 2024, when everything came from circle, and I was hired by Skinterest.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
This road has come with some bumps, that now seem minor. I struggled with imposture syndrome as an actor and as a massage therapist. I often wondered if choosing to be both versions of myself was somehow a cop out for the life and career goal I had originally created for myself, and being in school and working as an adult held its own new set of challenges. Additionally, strain and tension were placed on my relationship with my partner, as I maneuvered this new path and worked to figure out how to balance all of my wants and needs with his own as well.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
At this time I still dabble in the arts. I am an actor with Righteous Talent Agency, and I have been with them since about 2021. I work as a Philadelphia local and occasionally do work in NYC as well.
But more importantly, I am a full time licensed massage therapist in Easton, PA. My clientele range from all ages, all walks of life, and all abilities. I work with various modalities, ranging from therapeutic work, in which I use cupping and muscle scraping, all the way to the other end of the spectrum, nurturing mothers-to-be in my prenatal work.
I am most proud of the trust and genuine compassion and care that I have been blessed enough to cultivate with my clients. This type of work is most successful when the client and therapist have the utmost mutual trust in one another.
As I continue to grow and find my niche, I have noticed that I am becoming more well-known in our local athletics’ community. Recently, I worked on a client who is on the Women’s US Olympic wrestling team, and previously, I have seen many athletes that participate in various sports such as travel soccer, baseball, and most popular here, wrestling.
Can you tell us more about what you were like growing up?
Growing up I feel that I was quiet. I was a good kid and followed directions well, as I was scared to get in trouble (lol). I was the second oldest of 6, and I absolutely love being a big sister. I was always creative. I showed a knack for illustrating. I was always reading, and I loved music. I even joined the marching band and happily played the flute for 6 years.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.skinterestskincare.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cecilia_eligio/
