Humble, Authentic and Unstoppable: Ebeny Bland is Embracing Her New Season in the Forefront
Inviting, cozy, and relaxing are the words that describe the room, Ebeny Bland and I am sitting in. In the background, I can hear praise and worship music playing, and a soothing aroma fills the air. “This is the suite set aside for my VIP clients, for whom I provide massages,” she says. It’s a Saturday at 2:15 pm, and the interview is scheduled to begin at 2:30 pm. Ebeny is a licensed Massage Therapist, mentor, and educator. She is the CEO and founder of Escape Haven & Co (a company created to provide self-care essentials such as soy wax candles and body products).
Today is a self-care day for Ebeny; a day she pours back into herself spiritually and personally. “I give myself one weekend out of the month, to truly rest and only do what makes me happy,” she says. For Ebeny, self-care can be as simple as sitting in the closet or sitting in the bathroom a little bit longer, or sitting in her car once she pulls up home. Self-care starts with one being honest with themselves and setting boundaries. It does not have to require a lot of money, but it does require you being intentional about what peace looks like to you. Today, she spent time reading her bible, praying, and treating herself to a massage and facial before our interview.
Before founding Escape Haven & Co, from 2017 through 2019, Ebeny worked at a high-end Charleston resort. She made history as one of the first inexperienced massage therapists hired at the time. Through this accomplishment, Ebeny improved her skill set while working among Master Therapists, who maintained a minimum of 10 years of experience. Within two years, Ebeny worked her way from the least experienced therapist to the Lead therapist, supervising and training newcomers. She was acknowledged for her expertise and everything was going well.
In 2018 while performing a prenatal massage, Ebeny endured a neck injury. “When I reached to massage my client’s back, I extended my arm too fast. At that moment, it felt like I pulled a muscle, but I knew within 30 mins I damaged my spine due to the severity of the pain and symptoms that immediately followed.” Because she couldn’t prove that she had injured her spine, at the time, she was still asked to perform her job. Ebeny knew that continuing to work would worsen her injury. Her MRI result soon confirmed that she had two herniated discs in her neck. This resulted in her walking away from the field of massage therapy for a few months while undergoing treatment.
During those few months out of work, Ebeny knew she had to be realistic with what she wanted and needed to do moving forward. “The goal was to get back into the field, but if I could not get back into the field, like what could I do or how could I still feel fulfilled?” During this time, Ebeny was on a self-care journey which made her develop a closer relationship with God. On this journey, she recounts how lighting candles at home and listening to inspirational music helped her mentally. “That’s how the vision of candles came to play,” she says. “I wanted to create an avenue for individuals to enjoy relaxation and peace just as I had experienced. I knew it was impossible to reach everyone through massages while demonstrating and teaching the importance of self-care, but products could most definitely reach a larger population,” she added.
Ebeny has allowed faith to direct her into growing Escape Haven & Co. A company generated to reach individuals and educate them on the importance of self-care through products. “The point of starting the candle business was to create a product that would guide individuals on how to be intentional about creating a safe haven within their home. “This is why Escape Haven & Co’s exclusive line was named after the fruits of the spirit. It wasn’t just a candle that smelled good, but a candle that included a message like “temperance” that would calm you down by its aroma and word alone. It’s hard to allow stress to overtake you when you see words like “joy & peace” sitting on your dresser. The line included the essence of love, joy, peace, temperance, and goodness and an encouraging message on the jar that spoke to the heart,” Ebeny stated.
Since launching, Ebeny has undergone two experiences with fire incidents, which led her to starting over and rebuilding inventory. “The first one was definitely unexpected,” she says. “That happened in 2019 during Hurricane Dorian, the year before COVID, the year before we knew the world was going to change.” The second fire happened the following year. “The second fire bothered me a little bit more mentally because I suspected that something was off,” Ebeny says. “I had already gone through a fire, so my sense of smell was more sensitive. I called 911 and asked them to come to inspect the building my business resided in at the time. They spoke to me as if I was exaggerating, and completed the building inspection in less than three minutes, before leaving. Later that night, there was a fire. It bothered me because it happened exactly a year later after the first fire. I thought to myself, why do I have to start over, again? Why?” The first fire affected Ebeny’s candle business, the second affected her spa.
Despite her neck injury, the fires, and so many other things she’s experienced up until this point, Ebeny hasn’t slowed down. The humble and authentic 27-year-old feels she’s finally at a point in her life where she embraces all of who she is and the processes God takes her through. From her experiences so far, Ebeny has learned that God is “time-sensitive” and that we are not the only characters in our story.
“Often, when God speaks to us, we take it personally, not knowing that there are other people in this story that we may not ever meet, but they play a role. If we are hesitant to move, we prolong so many different things. We have to be sensitive to God’s timing.”
Ebeny shares that no huge part of her journey has been because of her own doing. “God has told me to do some of the littlest things and because of those things, the most significant shifts have happened on such a latitude that I would not have thought I would experience at this point of my business.”
This year, Ebeny’s company has celebrated 3-years of existence. On top of her candle line and spa, she hosts monthly workshops classes and mentors upcoming candle business owners. She also operates as a manufacturer for other local businesses throughout the US. “We play a huge role in “healing”, through our products, conversations, or classes. We create spaces for individuals to be okay with making themselves a priority,” she says. Those looking in would assume that Ebeny’s success has occurred overnight. However, Ebeny shares that we mustn’t get caught up in how fast or slow someone reaches a certain point. “God gives His kids what we can handle at our own capacity,” she says.
Learn who God has created you to be and how He has structured you for your path. Once you understand that, you would have no desire to compare your path to anybody else’s.
Ebeny has been blessed to partner and collaborate with huge brands and corporations in the retail, tech, and real estate market through Escape Haven & Co. She has decided to remain an exclusive brand, so the mission of her business remains in the four-front.
In this season, Ebeny finds herself passionate about showing others what a God-driven business looks like. “It is something that is not fully understood unless you’re one to undergo ongoing “transitions & processes,” she says.”I’ve learned that transparency and vulnerability can heal those who believe they’re alone in their journey.”
Unstoppable is another word that best describes Ebeny. She is making every effort to share her story wherever God leads her and as she said earlier during the interview, being unstoppable means she’ll only stop when God tells her to. Humble, authentic and unstoppable, Ebeny B. is embracing her new season in the forefront.
You can find Escape Haven & Co on all social media platforms – Escape Haven & Co. Websites: www.escapehavenandco.com
Photography : Mind of Divine Photography / Aneris Photography
Make Up: Brushed Beauty Artistry ; Hairstylist : Styles by LaSeaun
