DESTRESS AND RELAX MOBILE MASSAGE BOSS LETS US IN HER WORLD...
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| Client getting a full bodied massage from Destress and Relax employee |
We take a time to chat with one of the women in our Limpopo province, who continues to break the status quo in the business industry today. The 39 year old Mmampeketsane Langa, who is mostly known by her second name "Peggy" is a living proof that nothing is impossible on earth, be it in business or any industry that is regarded to be only dominant by a certain class of people.
Peggy owns a mobile massage company called Destress and Relax based in Mokopane, Limpopo. She holds a National Diploma in Somatology from the University of Johannesburg. Because life is not always glamorous as we wish it to be, Peggy shares with us about how she survived depression and bipolar, a side that many people didn't know about and many more people in our society are ashamed to talk about.
FOCUS: How did you end up in a Health and Wellness industry?
Peggy Langa: I have always had a passion for healthy skin and healthy body. I started using professional facial products when I was only 14years old, cleanser, toner, moisturizer and sunscreen.
F: We know that this industry is mostly white dominant, what was your family's reaction when you broke the news that you wanted to join this industry?
PL: Initially they were just surprised that there was even a course like that but because I had done my research,I explained what it entailed and they understood and the rest was history.
F: Who is Peggy in a nutshell?
PL: Peggy is a shy soft spoken individual, a bold mother of 3 (2 boys and a girl). An Ambivert, an only child raised by a single mother and a granny. Loves and enjoys nature. She is a loner and enjoys her own company. Born and bred in Mothlotlo village in Mapela but currently residing in Mahwelereng.
F: How did you decide the name of your business (Destress and Relax)?
PL: I needed something simple straightforward and to the point , something that would immediately tell a potential client what we do.
F: Who inspires you in line of your work?
PL: I draw inspiration from my Somatology lectures. They have groomed me to be where I am today.
F: What kind of music do you listen to?
PL: It depends on my mood. I love 80s souls and RnB, African jazz and Gospel.
F: What is your favorite go-to meal when you are HUNGRY?
PL: I love food and have a lot of go-to-meals...hot wings, pap and cabbage with garlic achaar. Spicy asian foods and pasta.
F: Worst experience and best experience in your business?
PL: Worst experience was COVID19 and best was being selected to participate in the SAB Tholoana Foundation mentorship programme 2019/2020.
F: How did coronavirus affect your business and you personally?
PL: COVID-19 affected us negatively as we solely depend on clients so having to close shop for a full 3 months while you have employees who depend on your business has been a terrible experience although now that we survived that and are back to operating we have learnt valuable lessons.
Personally I would say it gave me an opportunity to reevaluate and recharge while bonding with my newborn during lockdown.
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| Destress and Relax boss lady, Peggy Langa |
F: What would you say to someone who wants to pursue a business such as yours?
PL: Make sure you are not a quitter, have passion and resilience. Embrace competition and challenges.
"We must teach a girl to be so independent that they should never find themselves being at the mercy of abusive partners..."
F: Do you think the black community is hesitant towards your kind of business? Are they receptive of your work?
PL: The resilience is caused by lack of understanding and the believe that certain things are meant for certain individuals who are from a certain background, although I must affirm that we are still in existence because of the support of our clients who are slowly becoming receptive of our industry and the benefits of our services to their wellbeing.
F: What kind of support do you think is needed for small and medium businesses especially in from local communities and its government?
PL: Skills development and investment from government is a dire need for small business to make a difference. Support towards local business from the community will help to boost local economy. There are many ways to support small businesses ,something as small as sharing a business on social networks makes a huge difference. Collaborations with other businesses in the community is also a way of supporting a small business.
Government needs to reduce the red tape that minimizes the growth of small businesses.
F: Describe the best day of your life
PL: Wow...I have so many of those. But the day I got a letter of retrenchment on the 29 August 2011. This might sound weird but being retrenched came at a time when I was ready to resign and I literally went to work that day somehow knowing that something big was going to happen. It was the begining of a new chapter from a business point of view. The fact that I was not gonna have to go through the whole process of serving notice made that day one of my best.
F: What do you think could be done to end the scourge of Gender Based Violence starting from our communities?
Educating our children and teaching them the great benefits of having good morals and values. It's unfortunate that most children are raised by single parents mostly being women and there are very few male role models in our communities who can teach a boy child how to be a man and how to treat women and a lot of times we as women are expected to tolerate abuse in the name of 'what will people say if I end my relationship or marriage'.
We must teach a girl to be so independent that they should never find themselves being at the mercy of abusive partners in the name of 'he is supporting me financially, therefore I can't leave him'.
F: What was happening at the time when you were diagnosed with depression?
PL: For as long as I can remember I had undiagnosed depression from primary school. Being bullied that I am ugly and too dark. Since I was very reserved, it was hard to notice.
F: How did you end up there? What caused it?
PL: I literarily diagnosed myself after googling my symptoms and I went to my doctor and asked him to refer me to a psychologist who checked me and referred me to psychiatrist and I was put on medication immediately.
There is no known cause to bipolar it's basically a chemical imbalance in the brain.
F: How was the treatment process like?
PL: Treatment was horrible as you eat and sleep and that caused me to gain a lot of weight which later on started depressing me hence I stopped the medication without the consent of my doctor. But I have been ok since, although there are situations that caused me to relapse in 2019 after the death of my cousin.
Visit Destress and relax mobile massage situated at 94 Pretorius Street, Mokopane.
Contact: 081 073 4621
Social media handles:
Facebook - Destress and relax mobile massage
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