Influencer Maisy Bristol Shares Her Top Selfcare, Wellness, and Beauty Tips

Write down 5 things you love about your body. Body confidence is something that I’ve always struggled with. I’ve learned that I can become overly obsessed with how certain parts of my body are looking — and nothing about that is healthy. Something I love to do when that happens is to turn focus on the parts of my body that I love. What are you proud of? What parts of your body make you feel sexy? Bonus points if you go put on an outfit that accentuates that part of your body, so the feel-good energy can carry on throughout the day!

At times it feels like wellness or elevating one’s wellbeing, is diametrically opposed to high achievement and high performance in one’s career. The stress, mental energy, long hours, lack of restful sleep and preoccupation that result from a high-achievement life seem to directly inhibit wellness. And yet, in order to sustain the creativity, flexibility, mental acuity and resilience that are necessary for high performance, wellness and wellbeing of the mind, body and soul are also mandatory. So how do we achieve both? This is the question I’m hoping to answer through conversations with high-achieving leaders and influencers who are practicing their own philosophies about how to maintain their wellbeing.

As a part of our series about “Social Media Influencers Share Their Top Self Care, Wellness, and Beauty Tips, I had the pleasure of interviewing Maisy Bristol, the tarot reader behind Tarot By Maisy.

Maisy is a spirited and creative tarot reader who has been reading cards for over 12 years. Her readings cover everything from love to mental health to major life choices, but each one is completely personalized and catered to the belief that life continues to get better. By day, she’s a digital senior editor for SunSigns.com, and by night (and morning, weekend, or any spare moment, really), she spends her time improving, marketing, and expanding her business. Her next big project includes her upcoming online tarot certification class (be on the lookout in 2020!), as well as revealing a way to integrate tarot and therapy in everyday practice.

Thank you so much for doing this with us! Our readers would love to get to know you a bit better. Can you share with us the backstory of how you came upon this career path and to where you are today?

I started tarot when I was about 15 years old, after finding an old Rider-Waite deck in my house. Even though I had no idea what tarot was or what you could even do with it, somehow I was immediately captivated. Something about being able to draw meaning from the symbols on the cards made me want to learn more.

In any case, I still had no intention of starting a tarot business (like, what?!). Reading tarot cards for strangers, posting Instagram and YouTube videos, and spreading new tarot methods to the world is so unlike my childhood self. Seriously, I was the shiest, most unassuming kid. People would ask me what my name was and I’d stare at my mom.

But over time, I came out of my shell — a process that started when I was getting my Masters degree in England. I was caught between wanting to fly to the U.S. and having literally no funds to do that. I considered getting a job, but that idea shut down when I realized I’d have to be held accountable for work hours — which defeated the point.

That’s when Tarot By Maisy was born. I set up an online tarot business with Etsy, avoiding the visa issue and also setting myself up to work remotely — whether that was in a U.S. coffee shop or in my dorm room in England. The only problem was that I wasn’t sure whether online tarot readings would work. So, I started by pricing my readings low. And by “low,” I mean practically giving them away to people. I was like Oprah: “You get a tarot reading! And you get a tarot reading!”

Little by little, I started getting traction — and some seriously positive reviews — and I was amazed! That’s when I really dove in and put full effort into it. Fast forward a little over four years, and I have a legit tarot business that I love to pieces.

None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story about that?

I have a couple people I’m grateful for, because they’ve each helped my journey in different ways.

My two best friends from high school helped me start an Instagram account. We just so happened to be on a reunion trip; we hadn’t seen each other in over two or three years. When I was telling them about my business and how excited I was, one of them suggested I make an Instagram account — and the other urged me as well. The thing is: I was well aware I needed to do that if I wanted to take my business to the next level, but I had been too afraid to put my face and name out there for everyone to see. Those two were the ones who gave me the confidence to step outside my comfort zone — and their advice really turned my business into what it is today.

Secondly, my mom has been a great help. While she only knows the basics about tarot (from what I tell her), she is an extremely talented artist. Whenever I’m caught in how things should look or what I should do next, she always has the most unique point of view that helps me see a new perspective.

Lastly, I’m grateful for my father. It took him a while to get used to the idea of tarot itself, but if you know one thing about my dad, it’s that his motto is: Dream bigger. For him, it’s not good enough to think in microscopic terms. I always had the skill to think outside the box, but I got my ability to do it without fear from my dad.

Can you share a story with us about the most humorous mistake you made when you were first starting? What lesson or take-away did you learn from that?

I once sent someone another person’s reading… that was such a *face palm* moment. The lesson there was to slow down and remember that I’m dealing with some confidential, heavy-hitting topics in these readings. They deserve the upmost care!

As an influencer, you have been blessed with great success in a career path that many have attempted, but eventually gave up on. In fact perhaps most people who tried to follow a career path like yours did not succeed. Do you have any words of advice for others who may want to embark on this career path but know that their dreams might be dashed?

I love this question because I know it’s so true. I’ve heard countless accounts of beginner tarot readers giving up because they become discouraged for one reason or another. Maybe they don’t know one thing about how to market themselves, or they don’t believe they’re good enough, or that 78-card deck just seems to daunting to actually memorize.

But whatever your fear is, the most important thing to remember is that no one has everything figured out. I mean, we’re only human! Every successful entrepreneur endures ups and downs when growing their business — that’s a fact. The real question is whether you’re willing to fail (because it’s an inevitability). Once you realize that it’s okay to fail and you can actually learn from those experiences to get better, you’ll be able to achieve anything you put your mind to.

Another fear I hear a lot from people is whether they’re magical or psychic or “special” enough to become a tarot card reader — like we’re some rare breed of unicorn. Let me tell you this: ANYONE can be a tarot reader. I mean that! It’s just about whether you’re willing to believe that it works, and then put your full effort in.

Can you share with our readers some of your strategies you’ve used to build an engaged, loyal, and large online community?

Definitely!

Well, the first thing you want to do is to think about your aesthetic. This is your personal style baked into a business model. When you create a brand for yourself, you have to make sure that your page, colors, and content all look cohesive — like they belong together. Without such synchronicity, readers or viewers can get lost in your presentation. Having an experience that looks put together and presents a certain style will help users make sure they know what they’re getting from you. More than that, aesthetic is what really sets you up to build that loyal community — because following you, in some way, means your page reminds them of who they are or want to be.

Secondly, post consistency is super important. It doesn’t have to be multiple times a day, but I would say it definitely has to be every day. Followers need to know that you take the account seriously. In addition to that though, Instagram’s algorithm will need to see that you’re posting consistently for it to push your content to potentially interested users.

Not only is consistency important, but creating series posts are also important. This is how you get that engaged and loyal following. When people know what they’re getting and enjoy it, they’re likely to stay just because you keep posting those kinds of things.

Another tip would be to make sure that you’re engaging with followers. While it can be tiring, you need to respond to every (or almost every) comment or DM that you receive. Your followers are important to you, so why wouldn’t you make sure they know that?

Lastly, video is really important if you want to take your brand to the next level. People follow people they can actually relate to. While pictures show your looks and a bit of your personality, videos share five times more information. Want people to engage with you? Show them your jokester side on video… your laugh, your smile, your idiosyncrises that make you… you. Ultimately, that’s what’ll hook an audience: Showing your true self.

Ok thank you for all that. Now let’s shift to the main focus of our interview. In my work, I focus on how one can thrive and care for oneself in three areas: body, mind, and heart.

You are a busy person with a demanding schedule, can you share with our readers two self care routines, practices or treatments that help your body thrive? (Kindly share a story or an example for each.)

1. Exercise. To maintain a level of anxiety-free living, exercise is a must for me. I may get some eye rolls with this one, but honestly, being active is a huge driver in how I feel every day. I’ve been an athlete all my life, so not only is moving my body something that’s normal for me, but it’s also something that consistently makes me feel good. After working out, I feel strong, healthy, stress-free, and empowered — all things we need to keep ourselves successful!
2. Sunday face masks. This is a fun one. While I have a daily skincare routine, I always love doing something special on Sundays. I use Youth to the People’s green tea antioxidant face mask in the shower. It just gives my skin the extra exfoliation and kick it needs to feel uplifted and refreshed. In turn, it makes me feel refreshed for the week!

Can you share with us two routines that you use to help your mind or heart to thrive? (Kindly share a story or example for each.)

1. Mind: Take a bubble bath. I’m an extremely busy person, but it’s partially due to my extremely busy mind. Honestly, I’m one of those people who just can’t relax — and it’s a problem! So, I’ll turn on the water, grab a glass of wine and a book, leave my phone in the other room, and plop myself down in the tub. When I shut that bathroom door, I feel like I’m completely isolated from the outside world… all that stress, movement, anxiety, suddenly melts away.
2. Heart: Going to my parents’ house. This is similar to the bath example except I’m actually physically moving myself outside the city. In San Francisco, the hustle and bustle can really get to me. Sometimes, I need to just get out. Heading out to the quiet suburbs for a homecooked meal and some dog company (we have two dogs: Poppy and Button) is a literal lifesaver.

Can you share 3 ideas that anyone can use “to feel beautiful”? (Please share a story or example for each.)

1. Write down 5 things you love about your body. Body confidence is something that I’ve always struggled with. I’ve learned that I can become overly obsessed with how certain parts of my body are looking — and nothing about that is healthy. Something I love to do when that happens is to turn focus on the parts of my body that I love. What are you proud of? What parts of your body make you feel sexy? Bonus points if you go put on an outfit that accentuates that part of your body, so the feel-good energy can carry on throughout the day!
2. For women: Go try on lingerie. Seriously, it always works. Plus, lingerie stores like Victoria’s Secret have sexy, dim lighting in those dressing rooms that highlight the best parts of every body.
3. Change up your look. Go dye your hair or simply style it in a new way. Buy a sweet outfit for Friday night. Get a piercing or a tattoo somewhere just for the hell of it. Doing something new to your outside look, on your own terms, in your own way, is massively empowering. I know because in about two days, I decided to get a second piercing. I hate needles, and needed a friend to come with me and hold my hand (lol), but it was so liberating because it was MY choice. I was actively creating a new me.

Is there a particular resource, a practitioner, expert, book, or podcast that made a significant impact on you and helped you to thrive? Can you share a story about that with us?

Honestly, there was no one in particular. Obviously, I followed a fair number of tarot readers and watched how they did things. But I think I’m very much a self-taught entrepreneur in that respect. I read a ton of books (which is why not just one helped me) — I basically lived in the “New Age” section of Barnes and Nobles.

Do you have a story about the strangest, most bizarre or funniest wellness treatment that you’ve ever experienced?

Oh God, the fish pedicure really got to me! I don’t remember when or why this happened… I just remember it happening — and me freaking out. All those little slimy things sucking random parts of the skin on my feet: It was too weird!

As an influencer, you are a person of great influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger.

There is a heavy focus on mental health nowadays, and I am here for it. However, the way I can contribute to this idea is by combining tarot with talk therapy. I’m calling it: Tarotpy! Talking about our issues is one thing — but it’s not always easy to start opening up. My theory is that because tarot is picked by you, it’s so personalized. So when we pick a card, and suddenly we’re staring at the one thing we’ve been trying to run from, there’s no hiding anymore. It really helps start a dialogue with ourselves.

Whether or not we’re discussing professional therapy doesn’t really matter. My point is that: Tarot IS therapeutic — and I’d like to start presenting it as such.

We are very blessed that some of the biggest names in Business, VC funding, Sports, and Entertainment read this column. Is there a person in the world with whom you’d like to have a private breakfast or lunch with, and why? He or she might just see this. :-)

Selena Gomez, because she’s always been an advocate of mental health. She was also brave enough to invite the world into her own mental health stages and believes that focusing on it can transform self-confidence.

What is the best way our readers can follow you on social media?

@tarotbymaisy

I do Monday Instagram readings as well as share my own #tarotpy message posts on Sundays (for self-care Sunday).

Thank you for these fantastic insights. We wish you only continued success in your great work!