Marisa Fanelli Shares Her Unique Journey to World-Renowned Holistic Entrepreneur & Healer

Pamela Bardhi
Hello, everyone, and welcome to another episode of underdog. Today I have an amazing guest here with me today. Marissa, how are you?

Marisa Fanelli
I’m great. How are you doing?

Pamela Bardhi
I’m doing awesome. So a lot of you guys don’t know that Marissa is like a goddess, sorceress. She is absolutely amazing and everything that she does. And she has an incredible story and I can’t wait to get into that today. So Marisa, thank you so much for being here.

Marisa Fanelli
Thank you for having me.

Pamela Bardhi
I sort of briefed everyone a little bit about your awesomeness. But my burning question for you is how did you get started. What inspired you on your journey to where you are today?

Marisa Fanelli
I’ve had quite a trajectory to where I am right now. And I never really imagined that I’d end up where I am now in this magical mystical world. Which is psychics and Tarot readers and all that, I actually started out as an English teacher. I was an English teacher for a few years, it was horrible, I did not resonate with it at all. And I kind of grew up with this. My family was very much into you picking a solid career, if you don’t love it, who cares? Like, suck it up. I remember telling my dad, I hate what I’m doing.

Every day I wake up and I’m like, Oh, my God. I cannot stand the fact that I have to go into work. And every time I saw him, he would tell me, you know what and only 40 more years. You’re gonna have this great pension and I was like, so that’s it. Like, that’s my goal? To be miserable for the next 40 years. And he was like, well, that’s just what you do. It’s a job. That’s why it’s a job and it’s not fun or vacation. So growing up with those messages constantly sort of implanted through my parents.

I was really hesitant to quit teaching because I felt like. Okay, I’m just giving up, I do not love this. But who does love their job? Like, is it even possible? And so I eventually just realized I was so unhappy and one day I was. So this is totally aging me because I’m 45 years old and back then we didn’t have Google like we do now. I was on my AOL search engine in my office just typing in like jobs. You know, I think at that point, it was so different, you know, I just was looking, I was in a monster, I think like all of those, those old websites. And there was this ad that popped up on the computer and it was for a new acupuncture graduate program. That had just been created in Connecticut.

So I looked at it and I was like, it just caught my eye. And I always was kind of interested in holistic health and just like that, I was like. I’m gonna want to check this out and see if it’s something that I might want to do. And the moment I sat down and I started to fill up, started filling out the paperwork for grad school and all that. I felt like lifting, I was like. Okay, I feel like I’m on the right path. Like something is shifting here. This is good. So in the interim, it’s so funny, I tell this story. It’s so crazy that your life can change from the tiniest things, sometimes the smallest catalysts.

At the time, when I was teaching, I was in such an awful situation. I mean, I lived in the worst area, I don’t know if people are familiar with New Haven, Connecticut. But I was living in this apartment with three roommates. We had people break into our apartment while we’re sleeping and steal out of our pockets. While we were literally sleeping, I would wake up at least every three months. Half of my license plate would be missing because people kept cutting the stickers off of my license. And I was in horrible relationships with friends and other people, like, it was everything about my life. I was like, there isn’t a single corner of my life that feels good to me. I’m so unhappy, I felt really unhealthy, I’m just miserable.

And so one day I was sitting on my couch and watching TV, this was like 25 years ago or whatever. This tampon commercial that comes on and in the commercial. It was like, this woman who’s, like, it’s time for another upgrade. She’s got this crappy car and she likes to snap her fingers and upgrade to a Porsche. And then she’s in this shitty apartment. She snaps her fingers and she’s in this beautiful mansion and obviously. The whole point of the question was like, she was upgrading from her low rent tampon to something better. But for some reason, at that moment, I looked at this commercial and I thought. Why can’t I upgrade my life? What is stopping me from making a decision right now to change everything in my life, there is nothing except for myself.

And so literally within a week, I joined a gym, I signed up for graduate school and I decided to move to Boston. I blew up a lot of the relationships that were really taking from me. And I got in my car and left and that was like the most freedom. I’ve ever felt having no certainty about. Like, how am I going to feed myself, I didn’t have anyone to rely on like I’ve always just kind of had to take care of myself. So I’m like, I don’t have anything to fall back on, I don’t know where I’m gonna live. I don’t know, my car was falling apart, I was like, I don’t care. I’m just gonna make this happen, I can’t live in the state of just stagnation, just sitting here miserable.

And like, knowing exactly what every day is gonna look like, but being safe in that right. I’d rather be unsafe, have no idea what’s coming. And know that I’m moving forward and every single step I’m taking. It’s going to bring me to something completely different until I get to a place where I want to be. So I think that tampon commercials are good for everything. That’s happened in my life so far.

Pamela Bardhi
Crazy, we got to think that tampon company seriously for real? Wow. That’s amazing. Now I have to ask you a lot of questions. I’m gonna ask you, but what did you want to be when you grew up? Like when you were a kid?

Marisa Fanelli
I wanted to be a writer, which I mean, I do, I write a lot now. But I’ve always been a good writer. And that’s what led me to my teaching career. Because I thought, as most people do, oh, it’ll be so easy. I’ll teach during the day and I’ll have so much time to write at night thinking that teaching takes no energy or time at all. But I was so drained from the teachers out there now. That’s what everyone thinks, but that’s not what the reality is. And so it was draining and exhausting, I never did anything creative. Because I was always so tired. Or I was like out drinking every night because I had to kill the pain of my day. I mean, that time in my life, I was just so unhappy.

And so when you’re in that space of unhappiness, it’s really hard to get creative. It’s really hard to get that motivation to do anything that feels like. Moving outside of your circle of content or of existence. At this point, you’re just kind of like, here’s my comfort zone. I’m in school and then, I go and go out for happy hour and I wake up the next morning. I do it all again, I never made time to do anything creative. But that was what I originally thought I was going to end up doing.

Pamela Bardhi
That’s crazy. And then pretty much you transitioned into you said. Something that like your parents had mentioned, which was so crazy. It’s like, you work all these years just to enjoy a pension when you’re like 70. Like, what if you don’t make it?

Marisa Fanelli
And I have so much respect for my parents. Because my dad has always had three or four jobs always know. He busts his ass and honestly, like, sometimes I almost feel guilty because I’m like. I’m an entrepreneur, I can create whatever income I want to create. And then I think about it, he’s like, out there, like outside doing this hard manual labor, and it just kind of does make me feel a little bit guilty. But we all make good choices, but he’s got such an amazing work ethic, but he also was always very much you work for what you want. You are gonna have to suffer to get what you want.

You’re not going to be able to be happy and make money. Like there were so many mixed messages that I’ve received growing up around. Being able to make money and like worth and value. And he has like right now he’s kind of he’s relatively happy in his job right now. But like his whole life, I just remember him coming home from work and being so miserable. I mean, not toward us, but like so unhappy and so exhausted and like he had nothing left. He was just like, he took off his shoes and he was done. And I’m like, that’s what work looks like. You’ve energy left at the end of the day, you just sit down and you’re like, I’m frickin done. Because I suffered for eight hours and now I get to rest.

Pamela Bardhi
Yeah, no, and I totally feel like my parents still are like, sort of the same way. You know, where it’s like this. This mentality about work is a bit different. I mean, they have their own business and they have their own restaurant. But to them, it’s like they’re so old school. They’re just like Work, work, work, work work. And I try to explain to them well, you guys got to pulling back a little bit. You don’t have to be working like crazy all the time because then it’s like your energy is drained. At the end of the day, what are you working for at that point? Just to be miserable to get some freedom on the weekend, if you do. Like, potentially, I don’t know.

And like, one of my biggest moments and realizations. Where, like, when you’re traveling, because I was born in Albania and then, came here when I was five. But when I would travel and go back overseas and then, I see people on tours and there’s like a tonne of like old people. And they’re like sitting down. Because they’re old, they can’t walk like too much and it’s not their fault. But I’m thinking in my head, these people have worked their whole lives just to be here.

Now, I don’t want to be like that. I want to do that now and I just remember, I was like a young teenager and watching all this, I needed freedom. It’s so weird and then it manifested in my future, but very similar just reminded me of that. When you were talking about it, it’s just like, are you really gonna wait? Or do you want to create yourself? You want to create and design your own life.

Marisa Fanelli
And if not, now, when? Sad to say, I’ve inherited this gene the procrastination gene. But I cope with my procrastination quite differently. I always used to get so angry at my parents. Because they were always like, we’ll do that one day, I mean, that was their big thing. They’d always say we’ll go there one day, we’ll do this one day. And one day, I just kind of turned around, and I was okay. That one day you’ve been promising it for the last 30 years. Is one day ever actually going to get here? I mean, you can’t control other people’s lives the way they think.

And if they’re happy with that, that’s fine. But for me, it was such a source of frustration. Because I was like, If I want something now, why do I have to wait 30 years to make it happen? If I want to see Italy, why do I have to be like, well, one day? It’ll be a better time to go, there’s always going to be an excuse. There’s always going to be something that you can say. Well, I can’t do it right now. But what we don’t know how long we have and not only that as we get old. Why can’t we enjoy it while we’re energetic? And how can we just don’t know if that’s gonna always be the case?

Pamela Bardhi
Right, and another one of my biggest moments, where I really like. Slapped me in the face is even when I did, become an entrepreneur, I was overworking myself. To the point that I was like, 20 hours a day, 18 hours a day. And like, I remember like my grandfather, we were at his bedside as he was passing. When we were around him like nobody was talking about work. Everyone was playing his favorite songs, memories with him. Like sharing all these beautiful moments, when you’re at that point in time. What people are gonna be talking about? That woke me up seeing that. It’s crazy that you have to get into these moments where like, realization hits that it’s bananas. And it’s like, you really want to wait and then at the end of it all, money doesn’t go with you.

Marisa Fanelli
Nobody’s ever. I think Steve Jobs was like, nobody’s ever been laying there on after death getting ready to die. Same kind, I wish I worked more, I wish I worked those extra hours. Now people will regret the things that they missed, like the relationships and the travel and all of those moments. Well, I’m an entrepreneur. So I really believe that, like, it shouldn’t feel like work. I mean, it is work, but it should the greater purpose of it should be so fulfilling that you’re like. It’s work and I’m doing hard things. But at the same time, the reward is so much greater than the work going into it that doesn’t even feel like that.

I was talking to somebody the other day and she was like, you work all the time. I’m like, Well, yeah, because I do shit that I love. That’s it and that’s really I mean, that’s sort of, I look at the things in my life. Sometimes I have to remind myself and like, I’ll take on too much. And then I have to think, okay, what’s the shit that I love. Then I’ll be able to see, like, I am like, on fire when I do this, this and this. When I take on this, I’m like, man, I’m more tired. I feel like I’ll get to it later.

So I just cut that out, I’m like. I don’t want that in my life and more right to focus on the things that I love to do. But even for people who are entrepreneurs, feel like the goal of work shouldn’t be to kill yourself. It should be like, I’m going to support my dreams. I’m going to support my happiness, my family, whatever. It shouldn’t be this awful thing where it’s all-encompassing and there’s like. It’s taking up all the space in your life and leaving no room for joy.

Pamela Bardhi
Heck, yeah and that’s why I love and respect what you did so much. That you were just like, I’m out and it takes some serious balls to do that. To just get up from your situation not knowing where you’re going is complete uncertainty. And I’m just going to Boston. See y’all later. So what was the final kick in the butt that you were like? I’m gonna do this. That’s it no more because there are people likely listening. Or know of people that they might be in this rock bottom situation. And they’re just like one day, is it gonna be day one or is it going to be one day? You choose, right? What inspired you to just be like, just execute and just leave it up? Like I’m out, cuz that’s the hardest part is taking that jump and that leap of faith.

Marisa Fanelli
Yeah, I mean, I think it was just an accumulation of seeing everything in my life that wasn’t working. And then honestly I think I just had one awful night at work. Because I was waiting tables after I kind of left teaching, I think I just had one final, like an awful night at work. Where I was getting tormented by my tables and that was the breaking point. Okay, I am so unhappy in this life that I’m living right now. I need to change everything because it’s bullshit. And I felt the other component too, was that I felt extremely disrespected in pretty much every area of my life. I was so disrespected as a teacher, I mean my students were really bad. These to sit on me and put me in the closet and lock me in.

They were really awful, they were horrible, I mean, I am not disciplined. So I take some of the blame. But my students were known like they had a reputation when I went into that school, actually. So I started teaching
probably like two months into the school year. And the reason why was because the teacher I replaced. She had a nervous breakdown in class, they drove her insane and she wandered off. Never to be seen again and the kids would joke about it. Like, I didn’t know the story, because obviously, when I got hired.

The principal wasn’t going to tell me. So this is why we need someone’s like, Oh, you know. This teacher couldn’t, she had some personal issues. And I was like, all right and then when I was in school the teachers told me what happened. But the kids, I would hear them being like, oh, we’ll get you just like. We got her and we took care of that bitch, like, we drove her crazy and she lost it. And I mean there were a few kids that were fine. But I would say that the majority of the students really were like a friggin, you know, like one of those movies.

Pamela Bardhi
My school kids, what are they middle school, what?

Marisa Fanelli
They were in high school, they were sophomores and seniors. Oh, my god, it was horrible. And I got suckered into being the yearbook advisor too. So that was a whole other can of worms because oh my god, it was such a nightmare. I saw all the photos after and like every photo had like a kid giving the middle finger. And I’m like, I can’t believe your book over again. Because I missed all of these little things that they were doing in the background. But yeah, it was just really, it was a really stressful situation. I do not think I was cut out for teaching regardless, but this did not help.

Pamela Bardhi
Crazy is like they didn’t tell you they’re just like she wandered. And they never found her gifts. Because she had some personal issues. Like I’m pretty sure some further disclosures had to have been required. That’s like a hazardous job from what it sounds like.

Marisa Fanelli
Yeah, oh, my God, I could sit here for five hours and tell you horror stories. What the different things that the kids had done and all that. But I’m kind of grateful because I do feel like a lot of people are in a job. And they feel like, it’s okay, I’ll live. It’s like, I’m not happy here. But it’s not so awful that I can’t bear it right.

And so, I know that I was not supposed to be doing that. I know, I was supposed to be on this path I am now and I’m kind of grateful. Because I think I would have stayed if it wasn’t absolutely terrible. Like I’ve just sucked it up and thought, well, it’s not my perfect life. But you get what you get. And I’ll just stick it out, you know. So in the end, it was actually a good thing that the whole teaching thing was so, so traumatic.

Pamela Bardhi
Looking back on it, yes. Oh my God, that’s crazy. So then when you come to Boston, you just pack up your bags. Tell me what that process was like when you just got here? No, just up here.

Marisa Fanelli
I went on Craigslist and back then, you could actually find real people on Craigslist and I found a random roommate. And I just packed up on my stuff. I signed up for grad school, I didn’t have a job when I got here. So I actually sort of donated my body to science. And I went through Boston Medical and they have all of these experiments. That you can do and get paid money and I was like, any money and I had no money at all and again, I haven’t a job yet. So I tested like a time-release sleeping pill, I tested this human growth hormone-like injection.

Had a whole series of these medical experiments and I would just like to go in. They would be like, alright, well, we’re gonna give you some pills. And I feel okay, glad I’m not planning on having kids, because they probably have eight heads. Yes, please just pay me, and then I ended up finding a waitressing job. And I was able to support myself that way while I was in grad school.

How Marisa Transition Into Acupuncture World

Pamela Bardhi
Wow. And walk me through the transition. So you were going through grad school and then working as a waitress and sort of. How did you transition into the acupuncture world?

Marisa Fanelli
Originally, I was planning and going back to Connecticut. Once I was done with grad school, I decided to do a little bit of just recon. And see what people were charging for rents and the first place that I found. I clicked with the owner so hard. She had a ridiculously, like, amazingly cheap offer for rent. But it was just the energy we just knew, she was like, I really want you here like you. I want to help you, I want to help you build your business. And I was like, you know what, I was planning on moving back to Connecticut, but I think I’m supposed to be here. So I started my business, I opened up shop, I just slowly sort of flipped the scale of when I was working.

Like I was working waiting tables every night. And I would schedule myself from, like, nine to nine to three in my office every day. Then I started to fill my schedule and I was like, alright. Instead of working seven days a week waiting tables, I’ll take off my days. Then I’ll take off too because I started to feel that. I’ll take some Monday night appointments, Monday and Tuesday night appointments. So I waited tables for probably like two years after, I started doing acupuncture. And then one day, it was, like, the most amazing feeling because I’m like, Oh my god. Like I am making so much more money doing acupuncture than I am waiting tables. I’ve actually made it like, this is my business now. It’s not just like a hobby where I’m doing it when I’m not working waiting tables.

Now it feels like it’s time to just release it, and be a full-on like, this is my whole business. And once I did that, my business blew up and I took training in hypnotherapy and got certified. In that started incorporating that into my acupuncture sessions and that became really popular. So that really helped to blow up my business as well. And that’s how it all started with me and it’s funny. Because people look at all the reasons why not and I had every reason to think. I had no financial support, I had two bankruptcies, I had no money in my account, I was like, I had no business background at all. Did not have the first idea of how to run a business.

And so many people just keep feeling like, I’ll wait till I have more money. I’ll wait till my credits get better, I’ll wait and I’m like, fuck it, I’m doing it. Like, I’m not gonna wait, I might suck at it. But at least I’m doing it and now make a bunch of mistakes. I’m gonna do that anyway. So might as well get them over with and move on and keep moving forward. And so I made a tonne of mistakes, when I started out and now, I look back, I’m still making. We’re human and always learning. But it makes me sad when I see people who just are like, so hesitant. Because they can’t start until everything’s perfect. It’s never gonna fucking be perfect.

Pamela Bardhi
Mm-hmm.

Marisa Fanelli
Just do the thing. It’s never gonna be a perfect time to do it.

Pamela Bardhi
Absolutely. Well, what I really love about your story is like, you just decided after grad school and stuff. That you’re just gonna open up my own business. And then you meet this woman who had this amazing space. You open your energy up, you’re just like, I’m gonna do it. I’m gonna find a way to do it and, like, sometimes, like. I tell people exactly what you just said, I’m just gonna wait, okay, what is that going to do for you? What is that going to do for you? And also to like, it’s not like you’re gonna start a business and then everything else in your life shuts out. You there’s ways to build a business slowly. And not, like, having to, like completely quit your job and make it like this super risky thing.

Like, like you said, you were still waiting tables while you were doing this. So you were making sure everything was being sustained, which is the very smart way to do it. You’re not just like, I’m gonna drop everything and call it a day. You know, I mean, I tell people there’s ways to mitigate risk so that you’re not putting your ass on the line. Basically, like there’s a way to sort of keep it easy for you. And to have it keep functioning and keep flowing. Without having to interrupt every area of your life. Like you said, you’re like I’m doing seven days a week. I did six and then I started booking my calendar, like, that is brilliant. You broke it down, which I love.

Marisa Fanelli
So many people, I tell them, if you can wait tables while you’re building your business. It’s not the easiest thing to do. But I feel like that’s the biggest thing that helped me, to actually build a business not just. Because it was flexible enough for me to do my thing and to wait tables at the same time. But the skills you develop in the restaurant world. Being able to deal with people, being able to multitask, being able to think.

Think around problems, like think in different unique ways and create solutions for different problems like fast. Because you have to always be in the restaurant world. It’s always like something is messed up and I need to fix it like yesterday. So what I’m gonna do and how do I make that person not hate me as I’m fixing it and so much of that. As I brought it right over into my practice because it’s like. Just that training of the multitasking really was the biggest thing like. I got so good at it from waiting tables. So I recommend that anybody who wants to start a business, start out waiting tables.

Pamela Bardhi
You know that, like, I’ve been preaching that as a prerequisite like to anyone. Listen, like you want to start a business. Try the restaurant world. I had two restaurants by the time I was 21. And I started in restaurants when I was 10. Family restaurant, I was there from the time I was 10 until 20. And then by 21, I had to have my own restaurants.

I was overseeing my parents, too. So I’ve done everything in the restaurant world. And it’s like even though I hated it like you said, those skills translate incredibly well. You can think on your feet. Customer service, you know, how to connect with people, you can multitask, you can work well under pressure. I mean, there’s a million things. And it’s like, every single great entrepreneur that I met has some sort of restaurant experience, which I think is so interesting.

Marisa Fanelli
I mean, I think about it now, like, I don’t know. If I could go back to it because it was really physically demanding. It’s hard but it’s also such amazing training. I feel like it completely retrained my brain to think in a way that really benefited my business.

Pamela Bardhi
Mm-hmm. I love that. And Russell, like, how did it because this is another thing? When people decide to start their business, it’s like the first three to five years of entrepreneurship. Which can suck because you’re making so many mistakes in the interim, right? Like, how did you start building a client base, especially being in a new city? It’s not like you were raised here. So it’s not like you had relationships or embedded relationships in the city. How did you sort of work through that?

Marisa Fanelli
So the biggest thing that I did, where I ran a Living Social. Which do you remember those three, like, rebonds? I would never do that now. Ever. But in the beginning, because I was doing the combination of acupuncture and hypnotherapy, it was unique. And it was also something that was buildable, which by that I mean, like. So many people get coupons and they’re like bargain shoppers that like. I’ll get a massage from you, then from you because they want to use that coupon. And they’re not out for loyalty. They just like to try a bunch of different things. But what I did was I told people there, this is a protocol.

So you come in for your first session of Hypno acupuncture, and I knew, like. I’m not gonna make a lot of money off the first session, because I’m giving that big cut to coupons. And you know, they’re getting a discount as well. But I was like, you have to sign up for three sessions after that’s the protocol. And 90, I would say 95% of those people did and I had like over 200 people who purchased the coupons. All of those people that stayed with me, I kept a mailing list. I stayed in contact with everyone, they continued to see me. After all their sessions were over, they started referring their friends and their family to me.

So that was like, really gave me the biggest jump in my business. I was poor, I mean, I didn’t have money to do any kind of advertising or anything like that. So basically, what I did every day was I would either blog, I would start writing for the local patch. And I was writing all these articles on acupuncture and I would also like to Google myself, literally every day. I would Google acupuncture and I was in New Zealand on acupuncture and Wayland healing and Wayland hypnotherapy. And when I would do this over and over, I would lift myself every day for hours and hours. It was so boring and so tedious. But what started to happen was I was doing it every day, I really started to see that I was really visible online.

So I started to get a fair amount of people from searching online, searches as well. But definitely, the biggest thing that I did was the group the Living Social. And I also threw a lot of shit at the wall, to see what would stick like every time. There was some sort of free opportunity to promote myself. I was like, Well, why the hell not? I’ll just do it. And if it doesn’t work, it doesn’t work. I’m no worse off than I am now. That’s another entrepreneur’s struggle with they’re like, what am I gonna do? What if I make the wrong move? I’m like, just do it.

And if you make the wrong move, then don’t do it again. Nobody is going to come to your house and kill you with a machete. Because you found it for Google ads and it didn’t work for you. Right? The worst thing that’s going to happen is the Google Ads, aren’t going to work for you. Period, end of story. You move on to the next thing, but people don’t know what it is. People get so scared and they’re so frozen with indecision. They just don’t want to make any moves forward. Because if it’s the wrong one, I’m like, Well, if it is the wrong one. Then you’re a little bit wiser, that’s not the path that’s gonna work for you. But yeah, I mean, those are all the things I did, cumulatively.

Because I was doing all these different way. I was posting on Facebook, I was doing everything I could think of to bring people in. The one thing I did that really failed and it taught me the most. Is that I gave about a year into my practice, well, maybe like nine months into my practice. I looked at my scheduler and I’m like, holy shit, I have 30 clients, I now have like, over 2000 clients. But that’s 30 sounded so big to me, because it was the end of my first year.

And so I was like, What am I going to do? Like, I’m going to give everyone a gift certificate for themselves, and a gift certificate for a friend all free. They could have a session for free and then, their friend or family member could have a session for free. So I gave them all out and I went to work that night to wait tables. And I got into this discussion with this woman at one of my tables, who was a PR person. She started talking about acupuncture. I was like, Oh, that’s what I do, and anyway, she was like. Tell me the last five things you’ve done to bring clients in.

And I told her about it. I was so excited as I did today, I told her my master plan and how I’d done this and he was like. Oh, honey, I’m telling you right now, the value of zero is zero. All of your ships for free. She’s like, I can promise you not a single person will take you up on that and I’m like, wait. What do you mean? Like, how is anyone going to turn down a free and she was like, just watch? And she was absolutely right.

Pamela Bardhi
No way.

Marisa Fanelli
She was just like, this is what happens when you do free things. People don’t respect it. They look at it and they’re like, if this has the value of zero, so, therefore. Why do I even want it, but she totally knew what she was talking about. And that really was the one thing that I did, that had the least results. But taught me the most and I don’t do anything for free and more unless I decide that I’m called to do it. Or if it’s free, I’m happy to do stuff for charity and things like that. But I will never just tell people like oh, come in, come in. I’ll give you a free session to lure you in because it does not work.

Pamela Bardhi
That’s nuts. And you would think that would be a huge thing. But Wow, the value of zero is zero and that is so true. Because once again in the game, when they’ll perform. Or when they see that it’s a value, because they’re like. If you’re giving it away for free, it doesn’t really worth much. So Wow, that’s fascinating. And like throughout you building this business, what kept you inspired? Because I know how brutal the first few years of business can be. Especially when you’re juggling like a million things that will get you inspired. Was there a mentor in your life? Or what was your inspiration during that time?

Marisa Fanelli
To be honest with you, I’m Scorpio. And so my inspiration is hate.

Pamela Bardhi
For anyone who’s listening and doesn’t know this. Marissa and I are birthday twins, which is probably one of the main reasons. Why I love her so much because our energies are so, so.

Marisa Fanelli
I am so much more inspired by people screwing me. Over telling me I can’t do things like hurting me than I am by people robbing me. I have a lot of people in my life that rob me, I appreciate every single robber, I appreciate every single person. But I never, like, when I get a message from somebody that’s like, Oh my god, keep going. You’re So Amazing. I’m like, thank you. But it doesn’t make me feel like yeah, I’m gonna keep going, I’m just like, thanks. Thanks. I appreciate it. All I have to get is one asshole who’s like, I know, there’s no way.

I’m the ultimate like, oh, we’ll see person. And I have never ever, like backed down from anyone who has ever liked, doubted me. Like, screwed, I will keep going with this for eternity. I’ll even work with things I don’t even care about anymore. I’m like, I don’t even give a shit about this old project, I’m working on. But I will work on it until the day I die, just because one person told me that I wouldn’t finish it.

Pamela Bardhi
I totally feel you on that. You know, how I got into well, like the real estate realm. So I had my restaurants like I said, By the time I was 21 and two of them. And then like, you know, people knew me that I’ve been in restaurants since I was 10 years old. There’s this one guy and because I was interested in real estate and I had just been thinking about. You know, like I was just about to buy my first flip. I had a coach like I had all that stuff. Because I wanted to create real estate as a different stream of revenue for me, I didn’t think I wasn’t trying to do something like a career change or nothing.

I had my restaurants I was like, I’m just trying to make more money. Just in case this doesn’t work out. Like I’m like, that’s that’s all it was right? And then this guy and he’s like a family friend really close to my dad. I’m like telling him, I’m like, super pumped and he’s a real estate developer. I was like, so excited I was like, yeah, I’m taking on this endeavor, I’m like. What do you think? And I’m about to buy my first flip and I’m so excited. He just looks at me and he’s like, I think you should stick to restaurants and I’ll tell you. When you were telling your story, I was like fire just erupted here.

And I was until the day that I drive a Lamborghini and pulled up to this guy’s gas station. That he owns one of his properties and make sure that one of his guys fills my gas. And he sees that car and I’m gonna make sure I tell him like yes, I became a real estate mogul. So that was actually one of my things to him. It must be a Scorpio thing because I was like, why and where do I get this darkness man. I’m a happy and optimistic person, but then there’s some darkness like you just mentioned. You’re like, Oh, hell no.

Marisa Fanelli
Joke that I always need one asshole in my life. And when I’m like, sometimes if I’m like, Oh, I’m feeling a little adrift. They’re like, you’re missing an asshole. I’m like, I have to go find an asshole. Find someone that’s like, you can’t do that. But the problem is, nobody doubts me anymore. Everybody around me is like, well if you say you’re gonna do something, it’s getting done. Like nobody’s telling me I can’t do shit. So I’m like, I think I need to widen my circle. And get some low Vipers in there just to like, just to keep my blood running and keep me motivated.

Pamela Bardhi
So funny, though, we’re so similar in that respect. And I love that and like now like with acupuncture, how did you transition into meeting these? Fantastic like Tarot readers and just like amazing, because you have some outstanding out of this world. Human beings in your circle that I’m just like, holy crap. How did you get started with all this? It’s so cool. I mean, it’s all holistic. So it makes sense, but like what was like your first encounter?

Marisa Fanelli
Okay, so I’ve been doing acupuncture for probably like five or six years and I decided to relocate. So long story short, I ended up moving into this building that had some entities or hauntings. I don’t know what you want to call it. It was bad, though, like really bad and so I’m in this space. And I’ve always been open to this stuff. I always wanted one for a good Tarot party, whatever. But I was never into it. You know, I was never immersed in the world. So I’m in this space.

And I’m starting to feel like, I think I’m having a nervous breakdown. Like, I was horribly depressed all the time. Things were like moving around in my office. I was seeing things, I was hearing crazy shit was going on. So I kept escalating and getting worse and worse. And then finally, like, one day, I went to leave my office and something ripped the door handle like ripped the door out of my hand. Like, if a big strong man on the other side had like, taken it and pulled it, like. You’re no you’re not going anywhere and the door flew back into my office so hard. It bounced off the I mean, it was violent.

So it was like, Oh, shit. And so I like running, I lock the door and I like to run out and I called my mom. Because you know, that’s you that’s you go to when you have these crazy issues. I’m like, Who can help me Mom, I need to talk to mom. So I call my mother and I’m like, Mom, oh my god, I’m having a nervous breakdown. I think I’m having a psychotic break. And she’s like, racy. Crazy people don’t know, they’re crazy. Like, I guess you’re right, I mean, she was like, really. If you think about it, when people are having psychotic breakdowns, they believe that this is the reality.

They’re not questioning it and saying, like, Am I having a psychotic break? They just think that’s what it is that I’m like. Alright, that’s a good point. So she’s like, all these things that you’re talking to me about like you have all of these people. You’re always doing these Tarot parties and all that, like, why don’t you just con? Why don’t you ask someone who’s an expert and I’m like. Because I’m an idiot, like, a lot of it until you brought it up. Okay, so I ended up going on the search for someone who could help me to clear this, whatever it was out of my office. So I had like a Fung Shui person come and I started contacting.

All of these mediums, all of these psychics. Before all of this and this has always been consistent from the day I opened my office. Very strange, like, I am a magnet for psychics and mediums. Like, even before I got into this world, I would have so many patients that would come in. And say within five minutes of meeting them, I never tell people this, but I’m a psychic. I’m like, of course, you are. Because I’m like the psychic whisperer, like. If you are psychic and you are within a 500-mile range, you’re gonna be like, drawn to me. So I have, like, all of these people that I had become friendly with, but I wasn’t actually working with them. They were just doing their own thing.

And I was like, Oh, that’s cool. I know all these psychics, but I wasn’t even hiring them or having readings with them. But now I started to tap into it. And I’m like, guys, like shit, is going down in my office, I don’t know what’s happening, but I’m scared all the time. I’m like, I need to get this out and so I ended up falling. I only saw one healer, who she was like, there is an entity here, but it’s feeding off you, it’s feeding off of your fear. So every time you talk about it, and you’re like, I’m shitting, my pants, there’s nothing here. She’s like, just think about it, if it was a bully, right? If you were being bullied by somebody and you’re, like, I’m very scared, I’m shitting my pants.

Because you’re being mean, to me, they’re gonna be like, haha, I’m going to be even worse, because I know I’ve got you. Need to get your power back. And so I basically drew some boundaries and it got better, it got bearable, but I ended up leaving. Because it wasn’t like, it wasn’t a comfortable place. But I got it to the point where I was like. Okay, I can come in and not feel like I’m not seeing little squiggly guys running from room to room anymore. So that’s good.

But all of that happened in those two years when I was going through. I was like, this is so miserable. And now when I look back, and like, Oh, my God, all of that had to happen. It was so divinely orchestrated because that is what set me on this path. And that is what brought this whole circle of like healers and psychics and mediums into my life. You know, it started the whole It was a catalyst for all of this.

Pamela Bardhi
Wow, wow. And then the rest is history when it comes to that, which is amazing. Oh, my goodness, and I mean, for anyone who’s listening entities, I mean, what’s the best way to describe them? Those spirits?

Marisa Fanelli
They’re not ghosts. Ghosts are human beings that have passed on? Yeah and then there’s spirits. There’s so many different things, like layers of spirits. And all different kinds. Entities are more like dark, heavy forces, they can be demonic. I never even dove that deep into it. Because I did not want to know if it actually happens a lot more often than you would think. There’s a lot of places that have entities and demonic stuff that kind of sits around. And sometimes it’s like a certain person that comes in that triggers that.

Actually, for me, this is like a crazy story. But when I was in that space, I was probably there. It never felt great, but I had this patient who came in who had a I don’t know what you would call it. He was completely blank and he had been normal a week before his mother brought him in. And he was chanting like all about like the locusts coming and the demons are coming and all of this stuff. He got on my table and I started kneeling him and it was so crazy. And I needed his hands and then I left the room. He had his treatment, I went back in and I took the needles out and blood. Just started coming out of his hands like and I mean, that’s not how it works with acupuncture.

Like the point, the needles are like the size of a hair. I mean, every now and again, you get like a little drop of blood. But this was like, like pulses, and I started blotting like his hands. And then the blood was just like, it just stopped. It was gone, it was like nothing had happened. His hands were totally, there was blood, like on the paper towels, but his hands were completely clear. There wasn’t even like a little hole where the needle was and I just was like, What is happening? And I looked at him and he just looked at me and his eyes. Went completely black and he just started laughing and laughing.

And I was like, it’s like a frickin horror movie. So, um, I was like, okay, you know, I told his mother I know this sounds kind of weird, but I think he needs a shaman. She actually went to the person I recommended and the shaman was like, Yeah, he’s full of demons and shit. And she was able to get rid of it. But I think he left some of his little demon babies behind.

Pamela Bardhi
Hey, now you got to tell me the craziest story that you’ve ever dealt with. Now you’re in this realm, right? So after your experience now you’ve met all these amazing psychic mediums, healers, and all that, like, what has been your craziest experience?

Marisa Fanelli
I got so many. But I will tell you something that happened relatively recently. Okay, so I have this woman I work with, just anyone who knows Lillo. She’s a New England psychic medium and she does give training. So she will teach you, like, what your gifts are and open them up and show you how to use them, so she was like. I started to tell her, I’m seeing some stuff and she was like. Well, one of your gifts is that you can cross spirits over. And the only reason you haven’t done it so far. Because you’re so freaking scared that every time anything’s around, you’re like I was there.

And they don’t, they don’t show themselves to you. Which is completely true, so I’m like. Okay, well, I kinda want to learn how to crush spirits over. So let me just sort of backtrack, so we already had a session plan, so that she was going to teach me how to cross go server. A few weeks before the session I live alone and I’m in my house. And I go to sleep and I see this very tall, skinny man in the corner of my bedroom. So I’m looking at this and I’m like, it’s a trick of the light. Like I’m literally talking to myself because the moon was shining.

So it was like I could see the figure that was gone and I turned the light on. There was nothing there and then, I turn the light off again and again, I’m like. I’m creating this crazy, like, I know nothing’s there. And so all of a sudden, I started to feel like I had chills from head to toe. Like any minute, I’m going to feel something touching me. So like I always do when I’m scared, I wrap myself up in my blankets. And cover my feet, so nothing eats my feet and puts the blankets over my head, like, I’m four years old.

I’m like, literally hiding in my blankets and I’m calling my cats over and I’m just, like, I know, I’m crazy. But every time I look, I’m like, it’s there. It’s not there. That was the first night. So on the second night, the same thing happened. And I was getting ready for bed and I felt uncomfortable taking my clothes off. I feel like somebody’s watching me and I’m looking in that corner of the room again and there’s nothing there. But then when I turn the light off, I’m like, I feel like there’s something in the corner of my room staring at me. And it’s watching me and it likes that I’m getting undressed, so I got undressed in my bed, like. I was with somebody in the room and again, I went to sleep.

So then like I ended up the next night, nothing happened, nothing happened, so I kind of forgot about it. And like, I’m kooky and I have a wild imagination. So then it is like let’s do some ghost training and I can actually like to call in spirits for you to cross over. And I’ll make sure that your whole house is clear and that nothing is left behind. I was like you fucking better. Because I don’t want anything left behind all this training to show me how to cross go silver. Then before she leaves, she’s like, I’m gonna do one final walkthrough of your house. I’ve definitely cleared everything, but I want to make sure.

So I’m gonna walk through every room and just make sure there’s nothing here, so I’m like. Okay, so she goes through my whole house. She’s like everything feels great, she goes into my bedroom. And she looks in the corner of my bedroom, she’s like, Oh, shit what? It’s like, there’s this gross, tall, skinny guy in the corner of your room over there. Just watching us and I’m like. Are you fucking kidding me? Like, yeah, no, I’m not. He’s gross and I’m like. What is he? Why is he here? And she’s like, I’m sorry. I must have accidentally let, like, let him and I’m like, No, I never told anybody. But like, I saw this guy.

And I was convinced that I was crazy. She was like, Oh, no, you were seeing him. She’s like, he’s super tall, really thin and she’s like, he’s gross. He’s like a gross guy at a bar, He’s like, staring at us. Like, you know, how guys at bars will just kind of like me up and down. And I’m like, Oh my god, he saw me get undressed. She’s like, Oh, yeah, I was like, I remember being like. I don’t want to get undressed to go to bed and she’s like. Because you could sense that he was literally leering at you in the corner. So then she got rid of them. She was like, I’ll just cross them over. No big deal.

This is another day in her life. She crossed him over. I’ve never had any experience with him since. But I was like, holy, all that stuff. I was feeling so convinced it was my imagination. And to have that validation, I mean, I’ve seen a lot of crazy stuff. But that I don’t know, I think it’s because it hit close to home. It really stayed with me.

Pamela Bardhi
Yeah, that’s crazy. I mean, I can’t imagine that. Oh, my God, the spirit world. And people think that these things don’t exist and they truly do. It’s not your imagination and the spirit world is not that far away. We’re just in a different dimension. That is all. Oh, man.

Marisa Fanelli
Yells are getting them. That’s for sure, I mean, I think people are, you know. I really do feel like all of this stuff that’s happened over the past few years, too. And I think we’re shifting into something where literally. I feel like the veils are really thinning and more and more people are seeing. And hearing things and understanding that it’s not just us. Like there’s a lot of other stuff. You know, we’re kind of on the border of being seen.

Pamela Bardhi
Well, what’s crazy is you know, astrology talks about Jess. Yep. Yeah. I’m like, trying to remember last name D’Angelo. Yes. She was talking about how we’re entering the era of the divine feminine. Like it’s a planetary like, it’s planetary like that. This is written like it’s meant to happen. It’s on the planet. Oh my god. Wow, how? Well, that wasn’t exciting, but more exciting, where, we’re headed into the era. But like, when you experience stuff like that, it’s crazy. Oh my gosh, oh, my gosh. And Marissa likes to like everything that you’ve been through in the beautiful business that you’ve built and everything. What would be your biggest piece of advice that, like, your older self would tell your younger self? Based on what you know, now?

Marisa Fanelli
Oh, that’s such a good question. I mean, everything in your life is never going to look the same. So whatever situation you’re in, everything always feels like forever. Like we look at everything from the perspective of like. This is awful now and therefore it will be awful forever or this is where I am now. Therefore I must be forever. The only thing that we can guarantee in life is that nothing will ever remain the same. That there’s always going to be change.

And so when you’re in a situation, where you just feel so stuck. You need to know that your life in two months or two years is going to be unrecognisable to you. So the other piece is that we have so much more control. Again, one little step leads to the next and the next, it’s just about moving forward. Even if it’s an incremental step, you’re shaving a new path, you’re creating this new space to grow into something else. And so if you don’t love where you are now, it’s not forever and you have full control over. Wherever it is that you want to be.

Pamela Bardhi
I love that. And now like what are some new things in your world that are coming up next for you, like. What projects are you working on? I know you’re working on so many things.

Marisa Fanelli
I wrote a book and I am in the process of shopping it out and to get it published. You know, I still host Friday night flights which are like tastings of three different psychics, mediums, healers. So that people can get a feel for who they resonate with and all of the readers, they’re all vetted either all amazing. Every month, there’s some new event going on. And either virtual hopefully in my space soon and I mean. The ultimate plan is to create a metaphysical Empire. Really.

Pamela Bardhi
You’re already doing it, it’s just gonna expand.

Marisa Fanelli
There’s so much need for and desire for this other piece. The spiritual piece and people are so much, more open to it than you would ever imagine. And more and more people are realising that this is like the missing component. You know, you go to the gym, you work on your physical body, you read a book, you work on your mental set. Like, this spiritual piece is just as important as brushing your teeth. And going to the gym and reading and keeping yourself active. It’s a part of who we are. So we need people who are trained in being able to help us, from that spiritual perspective.

Pamela Bardhi
Amen to that. And honestly, I mean, I’ve been doing readings for the past three years. In the past three years, I have elevated my life in ways the spiritual piece is so critical. It’s not just mental, It’s not just physical. But that spiritual piece like really, that guidance and knowing that, like. Your spirits, your ancestors, your guides are not that far away. And they’re helping you along this route with the universe,like. It’s the coolest thing in the whole world. So I’m pumped about what you’re building and now with that being said. Where can everybody find you?

Marisa Fanelli
So I am at healing point therapeutics. Anyone who’s interested in my brick and mortar stuff, my acupuncture hypnosis, that piece, it’s www.healingpointtherapeutics.com. I also host a group on Facebook called holistic entrepreneurs. And there are tonnes of psychics, mediums readers, from the perspective of people who are looking for really good people. You can find them on there and from the perspective of entrepreneurs and holistic business owners. It’s also a great place to really inspire you and give you what you need to build your business and to grow. What else am I doing the Friday night flights, those will always be listed on that healing point therapeutics website. And healing point therapeutics is also on Facebook. So it can be found there as well and my book, hopefully will be out this year.

Pamela Bardhi
Thank you so much for being here, your total a rockstars.