Five Lessons I've Learned [Guest Blog Post]

Today's post is a guest post from my friend and fellow MT Hillary - enjoy!

Five Lessons I've Learned From 

Running My Own Private 

Massage Therapy Practice

About two years ago I set out to become self employed in this crazy economy. It was a super scary leap of faith but now I am much more fulfilled by my work. I've learned some things about how to make my practice successful and here they are:

1. Organization.  

In the beginning, it was important for me to figure out my processes and make plans for implementation. I decided what my ideal client would be like, how I was going to retain ideal clients, how I would handle no shows, late clients, and confrontation.  These things are not always fun to think about but we all know that they will come up, sooner or later. 

Having a plan or a policy in place helps create consistency in your practice and will show clients that you are well prepared to address the issues that come up. It will also give you confidence in handling uncomfortable situations. You can even create “scripts” for no shows or inappropriate clients. Knowing what you’re going to say beforehand and having a plan of action will give you the professionalism needed to be successful.

2. Use tools to help you. 

An email list and an online booking option have been some of the most helpful tools I've added to my practice.  

Being a gen Y-er, I hate talking on the phone. I will avoid it at all costs so having an online booking system suites me well and my GenY clients. Even older generations prefer to book their own sessions. 

Anyone up for a game of phone tag? No thanks! 

I am a Bodywork Buddy user and absolutely love all of the features it has to offer. My clients love booking sessions at their leisure and the system is so user friendly. It also helps me keep track of my expenses and soap notes- (and a ton of other stuff too) LOVE that! It’s just one thing I don’t have to worry so much about and I feel like I’m covered!

3. Invest.  

Buy good equipment and supplies. It’s okay to spend some money on the front end for good stuff that will last forever. I saved up $1200 for equipment before going out on my own and sat down and decided what services I was going to offer, supplies I would need, and how to get the most bang for my buck.  My clients notice the quality and I love the fact that I have everything I need and I’m not shelling out lots of money every month replacing or restocking.

4. Work on yourself. 

Personal presence is something that is worth thinking about. 

How you communicate verbally and non-verbally will ultimately determine your success when working with other people.  

Some questions to ask yourself:

• What is my posture saying about me?
• Is my hygiene on point?
• Do I look people in the eye?
• Would I feel confident with me if I were a massage client?

Personal presence also means looking at the “energy” you’re putting out there. Are you aware of yourself? Do you listen to your clients or can they tell that you are off in la la land?  

When I was in massage school, we learned about “grounding and centering” ourselves. I was in my early twenties and had no clue what that meant but now I use this exercise EVERY DAY. When I begin and end my massages I try to calm myself and connect deeply to my inner mama bear - My fierce and nurturing center. It’s a powerful practice that I know my clients pick up on- and it tells them that I am confident and that they are safe to relax.

5. Seek out Sage advice. 

The moment that propelled me in to manifesting my massage practice is one I’ll never forget. I was sitting in a private yoga therapy session, feeling overwhelmed, unhappy, and stuck in my current work environment - my therapist took me on a sensory journey that was so powerful that it created Gaia Bodywork right then and there. She asked me what I wanted my practice to FEEL like, Then she asked me what I wanted it to SMELL like, TASTE like, and so on. With her help, I had set a powerful intention that became a reality. 

Business coaching or life coaching can be a blessing! Some of my favorite “sages” are Marie Forleo, Danielle Laporte, and my semi local bad ass biz coach Lauren Sheehan of the Feminine Rhythm.

I hope these suggestions have inspired you and your practice!

Love & Light 

Hillary owns  Gaia Bodywork in Richardson TX. and has been a licensed massage therapist since 2004.

http://about.me/hillary.arrieta

                                  Thank you, Hillary!

order/chaos photo: freedigitalphotos.net 

Got Issues in Your Tissues?

Today's blog post is an interview with Shannon Gilmartin, instructor for ACE Massage Cupping.
I hosted a workshop with Shannon at my studio a few years ago and absolutely LOVED her class.  I still use cupping every day in my massage practice, and my clients love it.

What exactly is massage cupping and how is it different from traditional chinese medicine cupping?Massage cupping is a modern adaptation of the ancient cupping therapies. We use cups to mimic massage techniques and as an adjunct, therapeutic technique.

What are the benefits to the client to use massage cupping?

Benefits vary widely, as massage cupping is truly as versatile a therapy as is each massage therapist. Its benefits include lymphatic drainage, loosening adhesions (from small cellulite dimpling to scar tissue and fascial bindings), moving stagnant materials/decongesting areas of the body, stimulating blood flow, hydrating and nourishing tissues that are otherwise lacking, relieving inflammation, releasing deep tissue restrictions, and sedating the nervous system. Clients receive therapeutic massage for so many different reasons and I truly think every client can enjoy this technique. Ever since I began working with massage cupping, EVERY client I have used them on has enjoyed the work and its results! Great descriptions I have heard from clients are that they feel 'more fluid mobility,' 'aired out' or that their tissue has 'breathing room' from massage cupping- how great does THAT sound!?

What are the benefits to the therapist?

The therapist benefits extensively, too. For one, massage cupping is a major vasodilator so the therapist saves their efforts to warm the tissue of their clients. Also, many of us have those clients who LOVE deep tissue but the therapists get burnt out, overuse their thumbs and struggle while the clients keep saying they can go deeper. The cups allow for quick hyperemia and hydration to their client's tissue, thereby allowing for much deeper sensations to be felt by the client with less exertion from the therapist. Also, the client feels MUCH better the next day. Many deep tissue clients feel tender and sore the following day(s) but the cups allow for much easier after effects with phenomenal, lasting results. That being said, many of us want to help our clients so very much and the results from using cups appropriately truly enable us to help release restrictions effectively and in many cases give permanent resolution!

How long have you been a therapist and how long have you been teaching?

I have been in the massage therapy business since 1999, working with Massage Cupping since 2004, and teaching with A.C.E. as an educator since 2008.

How did you come across massage cupping?

Funny yet true story: I saw an ad in a magazine for a class in Las Vegas. I wanted to go to Vegas and see my friend, learn about this technique that used fire, and the whole trip would be for business! Little did I know what a life changing experience the class would be.

Why did you decide to start teaching it?

When I left the class, I began practicing on myself and the results were amazing. I had been in a severe car accident when I was 17 and had a very large scar on my cheek and many muscular discomforts associated with the accident. I committed to working on myself regularly for a while; it began softening the rigid adhesions and scar tissue, and drew glass and sand out of the scar. Eventually my face looked almost 'normal' again. I contacted Anita Shannon with my enthusiastic testimonial and asked if they were ever interested in someone to help them... and here I am :)

What conditions have you successfully treated with massage cupping?

Wow, honestly too many to list. A few stellar examples: I am passionate about the scar tissue work and over the course of a year’s constant work, I helped dissolve 30-year, almost full-body, scar tissue (client had gastric bypass over 30 years ago, and followed by a brutal skin removal surgery which left thick rope-like scars from elbows to knees)! I am also passionate about working with amputees and have had amazing results with not only alleviating phantom pains but also helping purge the old blood, debris and medications from the remaining limb's tissue. The pulmonary results have been impressive; I have a COPD client who 'breathes because of me' and I have been able to help improve her quality of life, It is such rewarding work! I have helped avoid surgeries to 'clean out the area' for all natures of injuries. Athletes have quickly recovered from both injuries and intense sporting events – with enhanced performance, too! Post plastic surgery clients have accelerated healing from the drainage done with the cups. Diabetic, necrotic tissue that goes from open fissures and black tissue to no fissures and light brown coloration! And of course, there are people who say 'I can handle the deepest pressure you can give me.' I first use the cups a little, then BARELY give them DEEP work and they say WHOA!!! See!? I could go on and on. 

What do you like best about teaching massage cupping?

Sharing this awesome technique and its potential, and then seeing every student just GET IT. Every class, every student truly enjoys it and I see 'light bulbs' every time! It is so rewarding to be able to help pass this along because (I believe) every body can benefit from this in some capacity.

I am honored to work with Anita Shannon and the other educators in A.C.E., as I honestly feel our work changes lives. Words cannot convey the reward we get day in and day out from people all over the world and seeing how much our work helps. Cupping is as old as time, but these techniques Anita created and how we all cohesively came to share massage cupping and vacutherapies as both educators and bodyworkers is by far the most rewarding experience I have had.

My website is www.shannongcmt.com; our national website is www.massagecupping.com. We offer classes all year long, everywhere!!

A huge thanks to Shannon for this interview and for the awesome class she taught at my studio!

Check out this video of some massage cupping done by founder Anita Shannon:

Tweetable: "many of us have those clients who LOVE deep tissue but the therapists get burnt out."

Cindy Iwlew is co-founder of Bodywork Buddy Massage Software, a complete online management solution for independent massage therapists that includes online scheduling. 

She continues to operate her own private massage practice of 14 years. www.BodyworkBuddy.com

Cool Tool: Ambient Mixer

So, Berin (Bodywork Buddy co-founder and massage software programmer extraordinaire) discovered this great online ambient mixer. What an awesome tool for your massage business! 

You can stream one of their pre-made mixes, or create your own. Great for in the background of your regular massage music, or on it's own. Similar to the site I shared in this post last year, except this mixer has more customizable options.

Check it out, create your own mixes, and let us know which ones you like best for your massage business.
Ambient Mixer


Tweetable: What a cool tool for your massage business!

Cindy Iwlew is co-founder of Bodywork Buddy Massage Software, a complete online management solution for independent massage therapists that includes online scheduling.

She continues to operate her own private massage practice of 14 years. www.BodyworkBuddy.com


Music Photo: freedigitalphotos.net

How To Lose Customers [Infographic]

Browse more data visualizations.

Video Tips from Massage Nerd

Today we have a guest post from Ryan Hoyme (aka Massage Nerd) with some tips on using videos to market your massage business.

Did you watch the Super Bowl ONLY for the commercials?

I did!

One thing they had in common, was most of them were 30-60 seconds and that is what can keep the average viewer's attention. Even thou I didn’t like most of them; they at least kept me glued to the Internet (I watched the Super Bowl online). 

Making a commercial for your business should have the same time frame as it does for TV commercials. You want to grab the person’s attention and keep them there as long as they are viewing the commercial. I made huge mistakes when I first started out, but having very long videos and in my youtube insights, I noticed most of my longer videos were only being watched for a few minutes at a time…on a good day. 

Tips to keep the viewer…viewing:

• 30-60 seconds for your commercial.
  
  
• Not shorter than 20 seconds.
  
  
• Use different angles in the commercial (one frame one angle, another frame a side angle, and so on).
  
  
• Keep your intro clip down to 2-4 seconds.
  
  
• Audio is 2/3 of the video, so have a proper microphone.
  
  
• If your video is educational, then you can break the rule of 30-60 seconds (usually 2-4 minutes is decent)
  
  
• Have a respectable intro clip and even hire someone to make one, because it will help with branding, and you will use it on all your future videos.
  
  
• Have an outro clip how they can find you and keep it at 4-6 seconds, because if you put your website on there, you want them to be able to see it.
  
  
• You can have a sound effect or little bit of music on your intro/outro clip, to make it enticing. Make sure you don’t use copyrighted music and there are places like www.incompetech.com , that are free to use and all they ask for is proper credit and a donation if you would like. Plus, you can purchase music for commercial use too.
  
  
• Having a picture popup every now and then will keep them glued to your video.

I tend to break the above rules all the time, but I’m always trying to see what works and doesn’t. The business world is all about taking risks, and if you don’t take any, it will be hard to grow your business to the next level. 

I will be submitting regular blog posts on www.theyoungthumbs.com about video tips and other things related to massage and if you ever KNEAD help making videos for your business, I’m just a website away at www.ryanhoyme.com  

Favorite Things: Biotone Dual Purpose Massage Creme

I remember the first time I was introduced to Biotone's Dual Purpose Massage Creme.  I thought it was WAY TOO THICK to work with and what was up with that tube?  How was that supposed to be handy in the middle of a session?

www.biotone.com

Well, it simply took a few times of trying this cream to absolutely fall in love with it.  Rather than seeing it as a super thick cream, I now see it for the silky goodness that it is... it simply melts as you begin to work with it and it has a beautiful glide.  A little actually goes a long way.  I don't find myself having to constantly re-apply.

I thought the fact that it's not pumpable was going to be a major problem, but the tube fits in a universal holster.  If you keep the cap off and have it in your holster upside down, you can single-handedly squeeze the cream out right into your hand.   The fact that this is pretty silent compared to most pumps is an added bonus.  (As long as you have an adequate amount of cream in the tube.)

I've been playing around with using different creams in the last year after having developed an allergy to one and looking into using paraben free products.  I can honestly say that Biotone Dual Purpose has quickly become my favorite.  Even for Ashiatsu.

I still use jojoba oil for hot stone massage and massage cupping, and some other creams for swedish, but deep tissue work - it's Biotone Dual Purpose all the way.

Have you tried this cream yet?  What has been your experience?

                                                                                                                                                                                                                  Cindy Iwlew is co-founder of Bodywork Buddy Massage Software, a complete online management solution for independent massage therapists that includes online scheduling.

She continues to operate her own private massage practice of 14 years.
www.BodyworkBuddy.com

Cool Tool - Cardmunch

Check this out - turn business cards into contacts on your phone.
http://www.cardmunch.com/

I can think of all sorts of situations that this would come in handy!  What do you think?  Conventions, meetups, BNI meetings?

According to statisticbrain.com, 88% of business cards handed out with be thrown out in less than a week.  So of course, it'd be awesome if you could somehow get your clients to download this app and card munch YOUR card... but I suppose that is probably unlikely.  However, if you're like me and can't stand cluttering up your desk, wallet, purse, etc with tons of cards - (only to forget you even have them!) - this could be a good tool, especially to help organize people you meet at business opportunities.

The free iphone app 
that turns business cards
into contacts.

It’s easy and smart.

Take a picture with the app and a business card

is converted to a contact automatically.

We'll also show you LinkedIn profile information

and connections you have in common.

Tweetable: According to statisticbrain.com, 88% of business cards handed out with be thrown out in less than a week.

Cindy Iwlew is co-founder of Bodywork Buddy Massage Software, a complete online management solution for independent massage therapists that includes online scheduling.

She continues to operate her own private massage practice of 13 years.
www.BodyworkBuddy.com

Picture: freedigitalphotos.net

“Trigger Point Ninja ™” – He’s “Knot” Your Average Ninja

“Trigger Point Ninja ™” – He’s “Knot” Your Average Ninja

New Free Web Series for the “Stealth & Wellness” Community Serves Up Thrills, Chills, and One Heckuva TriggerPoint Smackdown

by Susan Epperly, B.A., L.M.T.I., C.M.T., Co-Owner & Creative Principal at Tiger Lily Studios & Creator of Trigger Point Ninja

Those of you who know me know that, in addition to being a Clinical Massage Therapist and Massage Therapy Instructor, I’m a vocal advocate of using fun, humor, and creativity to spread the word about the virtues of massage & bodywork.  Not only do I believe in laughter as real medicine, but I also consider humor to be a powerful, unparalleled learning & teaching tool.  As far as I’m concerned, the wackier, goofier, and sillier the presentation, the better the lesson is learned and the longer the information is remembered.  My comic, “A Touch of Humor,” which is a regular feature in ABMP’s “Massage & Bodywork” magazine, is one example of my creative exploits.  And another recent example of my insatiable need to engage in arsty-fartsy endeavors is the web series that my husband & creative partner, Shane, and I have created through our production company, Tiger Lily Studios.

The all new show, Trigger Point Ninja™, chronicles the eponymous character’s single handed (in fact, single digited!) war on the worldwide terrorist organization known as Myofascial Trigger Points.  A great learning and teaching tool for health & wellness practitioners and laypeople alike, each five minute episode incorporates educational components as well as quirky humor and tongue-in-cheek action & adventure.  Episode one, “Deadly Traps,” focuses on the trigger point terrorists that harbor out in the trapezius muscle, while future episodes will feature the trigger point terrorist cells that terrorize a variety of other muscles.   

Happily, since having released the pilot episode on January 1^st, we’ve enjoyed phenomenally positive responses from our colleagues, clients, and even a variety of folks in the entertainment industry.  While some have wondered how on earth we managed to come up with this character and how we made the connection between Trigger Point Therapy, deadly ninjas, and worldwide terrorist organizations, if you’ve studied Trigger Point Therapy (the modality in which Shane and I specialize), you understand that it’s really not that far of a stretch. 

Trigger points can sometimes act as covert saboteurs (latent trigger points), or as spectacularly bullying “super villains” (active trigger points).  Despite being confined to their assigned “headquarters,” they are able to wreak havoc in a variety of remote locations.  They operate as members of terrorist cells, and have specific relationships with one another, including hierarchies comprised of “kingpins” (key trigger points) and “lackey henchmen” (satellite trigger points).  Their effects can spread from one territory to the next and “corrupt” neighboring regions  (creating complexes of postural dysfunction and compensatory patterns).  And as Trigger Point Therapists, we know that we must be stealthy and clever in order to outsmart and usurp these terrorists.  We know that we must first eliminate a key trigger point (the “kingpin”) if we stand any chance of defeating its satellite trigger point(s) (its “lackey henchmen”).  We also know that we must act stealthily and surreptitiously, so as to “slip in under the radar.”  (The nervous system’s radar, that is.)  We’ve all had experiences wherein we attempt to “attack” a trigger point too quickly, too aggressively, or too brazenly, only to find that our client’s nervous system “shuts us out” (by tensing up and guarding the musculature).  If we take a more furtive approach, however, we can patiently wait for the most opportune moment, and then gently, quietly, and stealthily slip in, zero in on the trigger point, and “assassinate” it, much like a shrewd and stealthy ninja silently and meticulously stalks and overcomes his prey.

If you haven’t seen Trigger Point Ninja ™ Episode 1, “Deadly Traps,” I hope you’ll check it out.  Whether you’re a seasoned Trigger Point Therapist, a practitioner who is just starting to explore this amazingly powerful modality, or even if you’re hopeful that Trigger Point Therapy can potentially help relieve your own pain, you’ll find plenty packed into each five minute episode to entertain, educate & engage.  Shane and I have five more episodes slated to be released throughout 2013, with Episode 2 coming out on March 1^st. 

The best way to make sure you don’t miss an episode is to subscribe to the Tiger Lily Studios YouTube channel http://www.youtube.com/user/TigerLilyStudios.  You’ll also find a variety of fun previews there, as well as the animated video versions of my “A Touch of Humor” comics.  Becoming a fan on Facebook (Facebook.com/TriggerPointNinja) or following Trigger Point Ninja ™ on Twitter (@TrP_Ninja) are also great ways to keep up with this “stealth & wellness” hero, and joining “The Ninja Network” at http://www.TriggerPointNinja.com will ensure that you receive official briefings about this Myofascial Master’s noble missions and clandestine exploits, as well as lots of fun freebies.

I’d like to extend a big “Thank You!” to Cindy Iwlew and Bodywork Buddy massage software for the opportunity to share this project with you, and Trigger Point Ninja ™ is proud to count the Bodywork Buddy folks as allies in The War on Trigger Points!

Tweetable: zero in on the trigger point, and “assassinate” it

***

Susan Epperly, B.A.. L.M.T.I., C.M.T., is a Clinical Massage Therapist in private practice in Downtown Austin Texas, specializing in Trigger Point Therapy.  She and her husband, Shane, in addition to operating their practice, also own Tiger Lily Studios, LLC (www.TigerLilyStudios.com), through which they produce creative content for the health & wellness industry.  Tiger Lily Studios’ goal is to “Entertain, Educate & Engage” an audience of practitioners and laypeople alike.  Susan’s creative credits also include the Massage Therapy comic, “A Touch of Humor,” and creating “Trigger Point Ninja ™.”