- Favorite healthy food? I just polished off a bag of baby carrots as I reached this question.
- Favorite indulgence? My indulgence shares the same name. Indulgent Trail Mix.
- Favorite activity? Actually, I am just going to refer you to the section below on what I do for fun.
- Favorite movie/book? My
favorite book of all time is called the “Celestine Prophecy” by James
Redfield. Movies are a different story. I love horror movies, some
science fiction, and I have a weird fascination with apocalyptic movies
involving weather. I would have to say that my favorite movie is a tie
between “The Day After Tomorrow” and “Twister”…and possibly a couple
animated features here and there.
- Favorite music for doing massage? I
pretty much like music that has sounds of nature in the background. It
seems to be the most relaxing for both me and the clients. I did get
caught off guard with one CD when a goat starting bleating in the
background. Both the client and I started laughing.
- Favorite music to listen to? OK,
I really don’t listen to music much on my own time. I should listen
more, but I don’t. Given the choice, I would probably have to say that
80s rock is probably my favorite. I’ll blame that one on my sister who
entered her teenage years in the 80s.
- Favorite kind of ice cream? Something with chocolate and espresso.
Background in massage?
I graduated in June 2012 with an Associates of Applied Science degree
in massage therapy from Rasmussen College in Rockford, Ill., and have my
NCTMB. I am a private massage practitioner/owner for Hand Over Hand Massage therapy & Wellness. In addition to this, I am a part-time
physician’s aide with Morsay Medical & Rehabilitation and a baker
with Schnuck’s Markets.
What do you like best about doing massage?
I like seeing and hearing my clients describe the changes they
experience after receiving one or more massages. It is beyond
satisfaction to hear that I had a literal hand in making someone feel
better.
What inspired you to get into this industry?
This is a good question, one for which I’ve come up with a few
answers. When I was younger, I used to give family members back
massages and rubs. My father always insisted that I give him those
hand-made coupon books for back massages as a Christmas gift. I also
helped with my mother’s physical therapy at home after a car accident
left her paraplegic. Because of this, I experienced first-hand the
power of human touch in a person’s healing process. Now she walks with a
walker and is difficult to keep up with.
Despite
these two truths, the fact that I was at a crossroads is the primary
reason I entered the field. I recently left a restaurant managerial
position that I was in for 10 years and knew that I wanted something
different. My
father was pushing me to go into the medical field. My interests lay
in complementary and alternative medicine, so I got intrigued when I
came across massage therapy in a college catalog.
What do you find are your biggest challenges – as a therapist? as a business owner?
I think my biggest challenge is that I want to do it all. Massage
therapy is a vast field with many different branches and branches within
branches.
As
a business owner, I think marketing might be my biggest challenge,
learning what works and what doesn’t without spending your entire
budget.
What one thing would you like to change/improve about the massage industry? As
I said before, a massage therapist can choose any direction from an
infinite selection of possibilities. Without limiting this, I do
believe that a minimal education requirement needs to be set for the
field.
What are you most excited about/interested in using with MassageBook? I
want accounting, SOAP notes, CRM, campaigns, e-mail, online booking,
etc. While all of these things are available online, I found myself
using multiple programs just for one client and session. I am most
excited to find a program that integrates all of this, doesn’t
nickel-and-dime me as some others, and remains consistently progressive
to the needs of the massage therapists who use MassageBook.
How do you think MassageBook can help with your business? As I
just mentioned, almost everything is in one spot. Massagebook has
ALREADY helped me immensely with this in allowing me to cut my business
expenses (from other programs) to minimal. For a sole massage
practitioner with minimal start-up, this was and is extremely
important.
Who are the important people in your life? My partner, my
family, and my best friends have all been incredibly supportive in my
growth. I couldn’t have done any of this without them. I am also very
thankful for the wonderful instructors I had, several of whom I am proud
to call friends.
What do you like to do for fun? I have to admit that I am a
massage therapy nerd. I like to hear, read, see, and do massage
therapy. Outside of that, I definitely have a “thing” for social media
and I really like to work out at the gym.
How do you like to relax?
The obvious answer is to get a massage. I am so glad I know people to
trade with. A lot can be said, though, about taking a moment to be
alone outside listening to the birds, etc.
