Member Spotlight: Justin Wellman

Today's Bodywork Buddy member spotlight is Justin Wellman of Hadley, Massachusetts. 

Q: What inspired you to be a massage therapist?

A:While putting myself through college, I had taken a job a local boot factory. I was working in the order fulfillment center. One day during a shift, a forklift operator backed into a six-tier stocking shelf, tipping it over onto me and pinning me down against a conveyor belt. The injury caused a four vertebrae bulge in my thoracic spine—and without the care of a massage therapist and chiropractor I might still be suffering from the injury. Their care set me on the path to receiving regular massage care and ultimately opening my interest into the field.

Q: How long have you been doing massage?

A: I am recent graduate of Massage School and have been practicing for about 9 months.

Q: What is your favorite thing about being an MT?

A: I work with quite a number of athletes in my private practice. I am a CrossFit athlete myself, and treat a number of other CrossFit athletes. When I see one of my clients pushing through their last Personal Record (PR) to set a new one it always makes me smile knowing that I've had a role in their continued improvement. I especially enjoy the delight on their faces when we have a breakthrough in their treatments that improve range of motion, or decrease tension and tightness, or maybe just give them that moment of total relaxation. It makes the difficult work of treating heavily muscled athletes worth every bit of effort. Helping them improve their game is such a rewarding feeling to me.

Q: What do you feel is the most challenging issue for massage therapists?

A: The stigma that still lingers once in a while in peoples impression of the industry. As a male massage therapist, the most challenging part is lingering societal "norms". Its unfortunate that we live in a culture where women fear for their safety and where men feel uncomfortable being worked on by a male therapist. This is something that those in this profession must be hyper-aware of and vigilant to change the paradigm. I always find it interesting when its assumed that because a therapist is a male they must give deep/painful pressure, or that a female is the only one to give a gentle relaxation massage. Some of the deepest pressure I've ever received was from female MT's and my personal MT (male) gives wonderfully relaxing massages. In my private practice I embrace a body positive, queer supportive, safe, and professional environment for all my clients.

Q: What advice would you give to other MT’s to help build their business?

A: It takes time. You will not grow your entire business overnight, or in the first week/month/year. Be patient. 80% of your first year will be spent on marketing yourself. You are the brand, and you have to treat yourself like a brand. Representation is vital. Word of mouth will always be the most effective means to grow your business. A recommendation from one of your clients is more lasting and impacting than an add, or coupon. Treat your clients well and they will tell their family and friends. Be willing to try everything. Be willing to take CE classes even if you don't need CE credits. The more you know the better you are able to serve your clients. Never lose your hunger to improve yourself and your practice. Be professional, and perfect your draping!

6 Ways To Increase Bookings

Implementing a few simple ideas can help fill up any gaps in your schedule. Here's 6 business building steps to try today:

1. Email or mail clients for their birthdays with an offer or upgrade. (Or just to remind them of you!)
   Bodywork Buddy makes it easy to track client birthdays. The next month of birthdays always shows on the dashboard under "Upcoming Birthdays".
   You can also see all birthdays from dashboard > clients > birthday list, or from within each client file.
   
2. Partner with a real estate agent to include a brochure or gift card for your services to create a welcome packet with their new home sales. Moving is stressful! And if they're new to town they'll welcome the referral to a trusted business.
   
3. You've probably heard or thought of partnering with a chiropractor, but what about other doctors in town? I actually get referrals from a doctor's office in my town that offers vein treatments, body sculpting, and botox treatments. While I didn't seek this relationship out (it just naturally happened) it got me thinking that we MT's should be seeking out these referral sources!
   
4. Email clients who haven't been in for last 6 months-year and let them know you have been
   
   thinking of them and have some openings if they would like to schedule. If you use Bodywork Buddy, you can easily look up who hasn't been to see you within a certain timeframe.
   
   From dashboard > clients > where last session > choose timeframe. BWB will show a list of all clients who haven't had a session in that timeframe so you can better target your marketing to reactivate old clients.
   
   
5. Include a link to your online scheduler in your email signature in all emails. You can set this up in your email settings so it's automatically in all correspondences. Don't just have your scheduler link, but have a "call to action" like "schedule now" that links to your scheduler, or a "schedule online" button available within your Bodywork Buddy account at the bottom of your Microsite Info page.
   
6. Implement a referral program and reward clients who refer their friends to you. Bodywork Buddy tracks client referrals so you can easily see who has referred their friends and family to you. Here's a popular blog series I posted a while back on creating a referral program: How to set your massage referral program on fire.

Interested in trying out Bodywork Buddy to see how easy it is to track client birthdays, referrals, and more? Signup for our free 15 day trial, no risk - no credit card required. And if you signup now, we'll import your client file from another program for you so you can easily get started using it without having the hassle of entering your client's info into the system!

What other ideas do you have to increase bookings? Comment here and share what has worked for you!

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 since 1999..  www.BodyworkBuddy.com

Give Your Online Scheduler Some Personality!

Did you know you can customize the look of your online scheduler (microsite) with Bodywork Buddy? Add your own text, choose massage images from our library, or even add your own images!

Signup for the free 15 day trial, no credit card required :)

*NEW FEATURE* Online Client Intake Forms

Start 2016 out right with a paperless practice!

We've recently launched the new feature of online client intake forms in Bodywork Buddy. You can now email clients their form to fill out securely online and already have it attached within their client file in BWB.

There is a default form you can use, but you can also edit and create your own custom forms from within your account. (dashboard > clients > client intake forms > edit.)

Add, delete, or edit any fields you want and click save. Hover or click over the blue "actions" button to open a preview of what your client will see.

Clients can fill out their form (securely!) from any device with an internet connection: desktop, laptop, tablet, or smartphone. Their info will then be connected with their client file in your BWB account under the medical history tab, and also at dashboard > clients > intake form > main.

When a new client is scheduled with you, you'll have the option to send them an intake form. You can also send an intake form to existing clients anytime from within the client's file > actions > send client intake form.

This feature is still in Beta which means we're doing some fine-tuning and there will be more cool aspects to this feature to come.

We would love to hear what you think!

Member Spotlight: Rosibel Kersjes

Today's Bodywork Buddy member spotlight is Rosibel Kersjes of Kalamazoo, Michigan. 

Q: What inspired you to be a massage therapist? 

A: A friend of mine offered me the opportunity to become an Esthetician and work at her spa. I soon realized that my favorite thing about  doing a facial was giving clients a shoulders, neck and face massage. However, I personally  never had a massage before, so I scheduled my first massage. I could not believe how great I felt afterwords!! By then I was convinced that I was going to become a MT.

Q: How long have you been doing massage?

A: 5 years

Q: What is your favorite thing about being an MT?

A: It is helping people find physical, mental and even emotional relief. It amazes me how somebody can come in my office looking tired, drained, sad or worn out and leave looking refreshed and happy. I also enjoy learning about the human body, we are all similar and unique at the same time, which makes my work always interesting. We are definitely "wonderfully made."

Q: What do you feel is the most challenging issue for massage therapists?

A: If you run your own practice like myself, I would say that the most challenging issue is to find the balance between being an exceptional therapist and  a good business person. You have to take CE classes, read literature, do research and study  in order to become skillful at your craft while doing marketing, accounting, secretarial work and so on. 

Q: What advice would you give to other MT’s to help build their business?

A: Be passionate about what you do. Human touch is very powerful, your clients will be able to feel through your touch if you love what you do. Your hands will tell them, without words, how much you want to help them...whether if you care or not. 

I find that the best way to remain passionate for what we do is to get bodywork ourselves. It is amazing how getting a good massage can make you fall in love with your profession again.  I also recommend taking CE classes to become a better therapist.  If you combine compassion with great bodywork techniques, the results will be happy clients who not only will continuously book appointments but refer more clients to you. 

Finally, take the time to listen to your clients and make sure that you address their needs. Remember to be flexible and adaptable. Be humble and willing to accept honest feedback and constructive criticism.

How To Tell if Your Client Received Their Email Reminder

Like most online schedulers, Bodywork Buddy sends automated email reminders to your clients for their upcoming appointments.

Unlike most online schedulers, Bodywork Buddy includes an email log so you can see when emails were sent and even when they were opened by each client.

To see if your client received their email reminder, go to dashboard > account > email services > scroll to bottom "sent email history". Here you will see the most recent emails sent from the system in your account.

If an email is labeled "sent", it hasn't been opened yet and the date/time stamp indicates the time it was sent. Once an email is opened, the status changes to "opened" and the date/time stamp indicates the time the client opened it. It also lists the type of email sent (appointment confirmation, appointment reminder, testimonial request, etc).

You can find the email logs for each client from within the client file as well.

This is handy if you've ever wondered if your client received their email reminder, or to find out when the email address you have for a client is not valid or undeliverable.

Email reminders cut down on no-shows and help enforce your policies. (Not to mention that they make you look like a rock star with their professionalism.) Bodywork Buddy emails include an area to add your own text as well as lists your cancellation policies.

Want to try it out yourself and eliminate no-shows and last minute cancellations? Sign up now for the free trial of Bodywork Buddy and we'll import your existing client list for you for free, so you can get started right away without needing to do a bunch of data entry!

How Do You Find Balance?

I've recently gotten back into doing yoga, and it's been amazing. Over the past few years with doing Bodywork Buddy, I've slowly started spending more and more time on the computer and less time doing the things that fill me back up and take care of myself - like yoga. I didn't realize how much I was really needing this until I started taking classes again.


It's helped me be more in the present, not only in class and other areas of my life, but specifically in my massage practice. I've found myself working more slowly, taking more time in each stroke, and watching the clock less. Even changing up my routines and techniques more while really listening to my client's bodies. Of course, I'd like to say that I alway do this ... but after 16 years of doing massage, the truth is sometimes I'm just on autopilot. 


It's been refreshing to see my work in a new light since doing yoga regularly. I wasn't expecting this result from starting up a yoga practice again, it's been a pleasant surprise. I'm really enjoying my massage work more lately, and I feel like I'm doing better work with my clients.


According to Karina Braun, Yoga will help you as a massage therapist to gain awareness in your body and help you to improve your posture and alignment while you work. Increasing flexibility while helping to prevent injury, yoga can help you do massage for years to come.

What other things do you do to help fill your cup and keep you balanced to be a better massage therapist?

*NEW FEATURES* Canceled and Missed Appointments Reports

You can now generate a report for canceled and missed appointments within Bodywork Buddy.

For missed appointments: from dashboard > reports > missed appointment > date range > generate report.

For canceled appointments: from dashboard > reports > canceled appointment > date range > generate report.

We're currently working to add in the ability to print these reports as well. This should be available soon!

Are you a solo massage therapist looking to make your life easier with your practice? Check out the FREE 15 day trial of Bodywork Buddy and see how we can help you get organized and have more control over your massage practice!

Member Spotlight: Jessie Zarling

Today's Bodywork Buddy Member Spotlight is Jessie Zarling from Sussex, Wisconsin. Jessie owns Relaxing Relief Massage.

Q: What inspired you to be a massage therapist? 

A: I've kind of been doing massage since I was about 9 years old. When I was a kid, my Dad would get a lot of back pain and I would rub his back with this pain relieving gel he had. Somehow I was able to relieve some of the pain he was having. Not exactly the way I would work now, but I think I had a natural knack for it. I also remember giving my cousins massages at my Grandparents' house on my Grandpa's recliner. I have no idea how I started doing it, but I did it all the time, because I wanted to. Going through middle and high school, I thought I wanted to go into PT, but then realized I wanted to go more manual therapy and less exercises. Massage just seemed to be the right path for me.

Q: How long have you been doing massage?

A: I graduated school in November of 2009, so almost 6 years. Self-employed for almost two.

Q: What is your favorite thing about being an MT?

A: I love working with my regulars, and seeing the continual progress we get from session to session. Working for myself is a close second ;)

Q: What do you feel is the most challenging issue for massage therapists?

A: I think the most challenging thing is the way the general public sees massage. There are a lot of people who see the truth and benefits, which is fantastic, but there's still a long way to go for the rest.

Q: What advice would you give to other MT’s to help build their business?

A: I'm still building myself, but taking care of my clients and getting their word-of-mouth has probably been the best thing for me. Don't cheapen yourself by advertising with daily deal sites. In my experience from past jobs, the clients that those attract are mostly deal-jumpers and people not willing to pay your regular prices. Have patience. Rome wasn't built in a day.

Product Review: Nirvana 2in1 Massage Table

I've been using the Nirvana 2in1 Massage Table from Got Your Back in my massage practice lately and am loving it.

I'm pretty spoiled with having a lot of different tables at my massage studio because I use many for teaching Ashiatsu DeepFeet Bar Therapy classes. I like to switch up the table I use in my everyday practice and here's what I like about the Nirvana 2in1 table:

• The removable breast recess, which can then be put back in place for supine work. Or you can leave it out for different access to neck area while working supine.
• There's a nice little dip for the neck area when laying prone.
• Arm sling that is easier to add or remove than some others I've tried.
• The table top is cushy and the black color looks super sleek.
• Weight capacity of 550 pounds makes this table a good choice for ashiatsu work as well. (Static capacity is 2750 pounds.)

The only thing I've been having issues with so far is removing the face cradle, but I think it's just because it is still new and hasn't been removed a lot. (And really, there's no need to remove it often, I can simply drop the face cradle down when working supine.)

Overall, this is a great table - especially for the price! 

$339.00-$369.00 gets you:

• Table with breast recess cutout and neck contour
• Adjustable face cradle
• Arm sling
• Carrying case
• Limited lifetime warranty
• Shiatsu release

Are you in the market for a new table and have a limited budget? You can get a lot of bang for your buck with this table from Got Your Back.

*NEW FEATURE* New Client Star

Over the weekend, we added a new feature that has been requested by our members. Now when there is a new client / client's first visit in your schedule, a star will appear next to their appointment in the calendar and on the dashboard in Today's Schedule.

How To Block Off Time In Your Calendar

In Bodywork Buddy, your open business hours are highlighted in green in the calendar day and week view.

Click into the day you want to block off time. A popup window will appear with options of General Event, Confirmed Appointment, or Completed Appointment (Session).

Click the General Event button. Fill in info with any details needed, including length of time if you're not choosing an all day event. (You'll also have the option to drag the event longer or to a different timeframe in the day once it's created.)
Be sure to have "busy" selected.
Click the green "save appointment" button.

The event will now show in the calendar in light gray with the title you gave it. (Shown here with title of "closed".)

You can click on the event and drag it to different days or times in the calendar, or you can grab the lines at the bottom of the event to drag it to last shorter or longer in the day.

You can still schedule appointments in this timeframe if you want by clicking into the green area to the sides of the gray general event. (But clients will not see these times available online if you've chosen "busy" for the event.)