The Massage Client interview will help you to assess the clients physical situation as well as their emotional and mental state about their interest in healing.  While massage therapists are not trained in dealing with the emotional and mental states, it is important to observe massage clients state of being.

Gathering information is the basis for assessing your clients needs and being able to create a session plan for them and an ongoing plan.  Massage therapists are of course not allowed to diagnose conditions but they are allowed to assess.  Assessment is collecting and interpreting information from the client as well as any other parties involved such as a doctor who has referred the client or a parent if the person is under age.

Having this information will help you to know first off if this person is a candidate for massage and secondly to help you provide the best massage service for the client.  If you are able to focus on the needs of the client your chances of success in working with the client increase as well as the chances that the client will become a repeat client.   It is part of the process of building trust with the client and setting the therapeutic relationship in place.

Clients will often be coming in the door still thinking about work, their travels, their families and whatever else is currently going on for them.  They may be a little nervous about seeing you especially if they have never had a massage at all in their life.  They may be wondering if you will be able to help them achieve their goals or help them with whatever issue they are having.  Having a effective website can help you to start building trust with people by telling them right off some of the things to expect and educate them about the process of massage and how the muscles work.

Giving a client your full attention may also require that you take time in between clients that you need to process your own thoughts and get them out of the way.   It may require that you set up your appointments so that you have enough time to do that with say 15 minutes in between sessions.  It is also important to arrive for your appointments on time or earlier to prepare for working with clients.   If you are late to a client or are distracted when a client arrives it is one of the first things that a client will see which could lead to them being slightly defensive or untrusting.  Making a good impression is important.

Doing  a thorough intake will depend on what information you need to make a good assessment to begin your massage work and make every massage a Great! massage.   The client interview is where you go from problem solving to building a solution with the client.  When the client is involved in their own care it can be very empowering in itself.  Many massage therapists have a tendency to want to make the massage session about themselves.  They do that by thinking that they already know what they are going to do before they have gotten all of the information that they need.

Peter De Jong talks about empowering clients in his book “Interviewing for Solutions”

Empowering clients means ‘helping people discover the considerable power within themselves, their families and their neighborhoods. (Saleebey 1992)

In order to do that with clients it requires setting aside your own agendas as much as possible while you explore your clients needs with them.

Listening is the key.  It is difficult to listen without reacting in any situation – business or personal.  On one hand you are asking questions and trying to listen but also you start evaluating when you hear clients begin to tell their story.   One thing you can try actually is to pause 5 seconds after the client speaks to let your thoughts stop and to make sure you really listened.   It is also difficult to set aside all those things that you learned in massage school that you may be thinking about from the moment the client walks in.

Learning to listen is a process in itself.   It requires that the massage therapist feel listened to first so that they can set aside their own thoughts during the interview process and be more present with the client.   Supervision is one of the best ways to get that listening first and feel heard yourself.  In doing so it can help reduce your reactions and your need to give advice and “fix” everything.  It is part of our nature to want to be helping but often helping is hurting more than it actually helps.

Mirroring the client by just repeating back to the client what you heard them say is a great way to begin to learn to listen and also just in doing that a person can feel validated.  It allows them to connect with their own thoughts and feelings about the situation and allows them to come to know themselves more.   Peter Jong in “Interviewing for Solutions” recommends focusing on their strengths and not the negative things that they might be saying.

Diana Thompson in her book “Hands Heal” says this about client interviews:

A deep and meaningful relationship, productive for both the patient and the practitioner, is the primary goal of the interview process.

The interview process can often start when they are looking at your website and checking you out.   The therapeutic relationship actually begins before that – when the client is just thinking about getting a massage so the client/massage therapist has already begun even if the massage therapist is not aware of it yet.

To be a good listener it requires practice and as I said before – feeling that you are heard yourself.   Turn off your phone and any other distractions.  Turn off the music.   Talk face to face with your client on the same eye level.  Make direct eye contact but don’t stare.   Watch their bodies as they talk and notice the non-verbal communication that happens all the time.  While you may be talking about symptoms it is often the feelings that will tell you more about what is going on.    They client needs to feel listened to and feel validated.   It isn’t about analyzing them or going outside our scope of practice but it is important to understand how people feel about whatever is going on with them.

Reflective or active listening is the process of telling clients what you heard (or saw or felt) around their situation.  Often people will not be in touch with their emotions.   Reflecting back to them in a compassionate way can help them in their healing process.

The intake form is one of the best ways to begin the interview process.  While there are many pre-made forms out there to help you start, I would suggest trying to create your own form to ask your own questions in the way you want them to go.

It may also be helpful to inform the person about why you are asking so many questions and how it will help you in your massage session.

If you are working with injuries or health conditions you will need to focus your questions on the symptoms to begin with.  This often gets the person talking and opening up so you can know what to ask next.   Find out when and where it hurts or what things make the pain better.  Use pain scales to get more direct answers so that you can compare them before and after the session to show the client their own improvement.

The first part of the massage is also part of the assessment.  Your hands are really the best tool to see what is really going on.  It is also where you begin to put all of the information together to create the best massage possible for each client.

Another thing to consider in your client interview session is the amount of time it takes to do an effective interview.  The first time a client comes in will be much longer usually.  You will have to take that into consideration when setting your fees for massage and scheduling your appointments.   You can add extra time onto the massage session and ask the client to come in 15 minutes early for filling out the forms and asking questions or you can make it part of the session time.    You can also have the forms on your website and have clients download them and fill them out to bring with them to their first session to save time.

Resources for Massage Client Interviews:

The Balanced Body: A Guide to Deep Tissue and Neuromuscular Therapy with CDROM (LWW Massage Therapy and Bodywork Educational Series) (3rd edition):  By Donald W. Scheumann Google Books

Basic Clinical Massage Therapy: Integrating Anatomy and Treatment (Lww Massage Therapy & Bodywork Educational Series.) By James H. Clay, David M. Pounds Google Books

Foundations of Massage By Lisa Casanelia, David Stelfox -Google Books

Articles Online

Medical Conditions in Massage Practice: Intake Forms and
Questions, Part I By Tracy Walton, LMT, MS Massage Today

Medical Conditions in Massage Practice, Part II: The Client in a Physician’s Care By Tracy Walton, LMT, MS

Medical Conditions in Massage Practice, Part III:
Interviewing for Medications By Tracy Walton, LMT, MS
Share your comments or information on how to interview massage clients.

The most important part of starting a business is to have a plan of action mapped out before you begin.  Having a map will ensure that you will arrive at your destination of “success city” on time!  Like a road trip across the country, you must map out your planned route to ensure that you are on the right track as you go.   Below are the 6 stops I recommend you put on your “business map” and take to ensure you arrive at your destination on time and ready to go!

One of the most important steps in starting your business will be choosing a business name.  This is the starting point of your road map.  Many therapists will spend extra time on this step as it is an important one.  Don’t get stuck too long at this top and let it stress you out.  While choosing a business name is truly important, this isn’t something you want to hold you back for months and months.  Make a decision and move forward once you do.  Brainstorm by making a list of different names that come to your mind and interchange them in different, unique ways.  Meditate and brainstorm in a quiet place and listen to what comes to your mind once it quiets down.  One other option is that you can always brand your business around your own name.  After all, your unique massage session comes directly from you, why not utilize and brand your own name as your business name.  You can always expand and add on a new DBA (doing business as) later on.  Nothing is ever set in stone…remember that!

The next stop on your map should be to brand your business with your vision, beliefs, mission and the specialized work that you do.  I believe this to be the most important step in building your business because this is what makes you unique and helps you stand out from the rest.  Do this right and you will have a brand that is unique and without competition.  Take time to mold and cultivate this step.  This is what is going to attract your clients to you like a magnet.  Those that resonate with your message and vision will be banging down the door to get a massage from you!

Another very important aspect of your business and the next stop on the map is where you will actually be providing your massage sessions.  This can range anywhere from a chiropractic clinic, to a spa, mobile massage, seated/chair/onsite or a fitness club.   Keep an open mind to the opportunities that present themselves and make sure you set up shop in a place that you energetically feel good about.  Make sure your space is visually appealing, clean and clutter free.  As much as your clients love your massage, if your location doesn’t make them feel good, they just might end up going somewhere else.  Take some time to find the right location before you make a final decision.

The next stop should be the marketing efforts you put forth to begin attracting clients into your massage business.  Things like creating your attraction marketing website, setting up a marketing funnel, target marketing to specific demographics and joint venture agreements.  These are all things that, when done correctly and without desperation will begin attracting clients into your business.  Make sure you position your marketing towards solving your potential clients problems and/or offering a solution to an issue they are looking for a resolution to.  This is the time where you will reach out to your marketplace in a creative manner and stand tall, with posture as an expert in solving unique problems.

The second to last stop on your map is to provide world class customer service from start to finish each and every time you interact with your clients.  This includes your phone conversation, the greeting your client receives when they arrive, the consultation, the massage (and all of the details that go into your session), the closing of your massage, waiting outside the door after the session to ask how they are feeling, providing homework or feedback, discussing future sessions and asking if they would like to reschedule with you before they leave.  Each and every moment of interaction with you needs to be very detailed, thorough and focused on your client and their needs.  Master this stop on the map and you won’t have an issue with maintaining loyal clients for life.

And last but not least, the final destination on your massage business plan road map is to maintain your business with the highest level of massage therapy, customer service, education, dedication and sincerity that is necessary to continue to stay in business.  You have to always be aiming to achieve higher and higher, never getting complacent or lazy about the success that you have achieved.  Make sure that you treat your clients with the respect that they deserve at all times and never take their patronage for granted.  Nurture you existing clients while constantly attracting new clients and you will see your business thrive in no time.

Now that you have a road map that, if followed and studied correctly will lead you to “success city”, make sure you commit to making your dream of owning a massage business come true.  Dedicate most of your time towards taking action and don’t give up.  Just knowing how to do it isn’t enough, you have to actually implement the things you learn on a consistent basis to make your dream come true.  Take baby steps and spend 1-2 hours of action every day towards building your business and maintaining.  Never stop learning and taking action and in less than 1 year you can have the massage business of your dreams!

I finished my course work too late to qualify to take the exam the following month so I had to wait about 6 months to take the next exam.  It was the first year that Texas was having state exams for massage therapists and had not quite set a schedule.  In the meantime I had a temporary license and worked a few hours a week at a gym and gave free massages to anybody that would lay on my massage table.  I finally took the test and got my massage license.   I put an ad in the classified section of our local newspaper and decided to work out of my home.  The first day of the ad I came home and had 4 appointments, one right after the other.  The next few days were just as successful.  It was very tempting to quit my current job but I held out a little bit longer.  Later I found out that all therapists advertising in the newspaper for the first time were just as busy at the beginning.  It was just the male clients trying out the new therapists. 

I quit my job after a few months, when it seemed that I had a more steady client base.  One of the reason that I liked being a massage therapist was because it allowed me to spend more time with  my daughter.  I would make sure I jotted down all her activities in my appointment book and then clients were schedule around her.  It allowed me to do volunteer work at her school and be a home room mom.  My new occupation allowed me to be home for my daughter and also be available for other members of my extended family when they needed me.    The times that business was slow I tried not to stress about it and instead concentrated on what I was able to do. 

I later discovered that I could make more money by making hotel calls to see clients.  My daughter was older and she was very flexible.  A few times she did her homework at hotel lobbies or had activites with friends or cousins while I worked.  We always made it work to our advantage.  I took a job at a resort spa as she started her last year of junior high school.  It was a great place for me to work  during her high school years.  I was able to see her off in the morning, go to work in the daytime and pick her up after school from band practice.  I was still able to put my daughter’s activities on the day planner and work around her.  I worked at the spa for 6 years and quit when she left to start her sophomore year of college.  The resort where I worked drastically cut my pay shortly after 9-11.  I had never completely stopped seeing my own clients so I rented office space and started up my own private practice again.  By this time Texas was requiring continuing education for massage therapist so I had started teaching classes on my own.  I advertised my workshops and traveled to teach, especially to areas where there was a short supply of  instructors and classes. 

The downturn of the economy put a damper on class attendance the past year and half so since then I have been busy concentrating on making sure I maintain and build up my private practice client base.  A few years ago I quit making hotel calls and last year I gave up making house calls.  It was a financially painful decision but it is less stressful now.  I am currently working on new classes and intend to be back out on the road teaching continuing education by September.  

My occupation as a massage therapist allowed me to be a full-time mom.  There are not any grandchildren in sight yet but I am hoping that it will also allow me to help my daughter with her children.

1957: I am born! Raised in New Orleans, LA, I am the oldest of eight children and surrounded by an extremely large extended network of relatives. My role as caretaker started almost immediately as the eight arrived in only a twelve year span. Many years ago, even while in elementary school and throughout high school, I was absolutely sure that Nursing was the direction for my life. Upon graduation, I was accepted to an accelerated program at Charity Nursing School, in New Orleans, which started only a month after I finished high school. I thought this was quite a feather in my cap, but soon found out that all my other classmates had already completed the basic college classes of English, Math and Sociology. I was struggling under the class load, but making it. A consistent criticism of me, by my instructors, was that I was spending too much time with the patients….and not enough on charting!  It didn’t really occur to me then, but I find this so telling now!! Over time, my interests had always drawn me toward alternative medicine and health modalities. You see, I am a toucher!! I touch and I hug and I stroke and I rub! I believe in touch as connecting, calming, and healing. Go figure!!

As life often shows us, choices and paths tend to lead us in many directions. I never finished Nursing School! Having my 3 children became a higher priority, so I dropped out with only 1 ½ semesters left. Obviously not one of the best decisions I’ve ever made (the dropping out part)……but, choices are made! Life progressed and it was apparent that I would have to bring in some money for the family. However, I did not want to give up the time I wanted with my children. So, over the years, I was…..an Avon Lady…..a Tupperware Lady, Amway distributor, travel agent…..even owner/desktop publisher of a local Wedding Guide! All allowed me to be available to my children as class room mother, fair chairperson, playground coach, cub scout and girl scout leader………. and available to my home and husband.  We were considered by all of our friends…..the perfect family. We hosted all holiday meals and parties…..Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year,  Mardi Gras, Easter, July 4^th, Halloween……our home was the gathering place. This went on for 17 years until my husband and I divorced.

1994: My children are 10, 12 and 14. They now spend every other weekend and two weeks out of every summer month with their dad. Oddly, a new job drops in my lap right at this exact time, managing a U.S. reservations office for a resort in Belize, Central America. Part of my job is to travel to Belize 4 or 5 times a year to train front desk staff and familiarize myself with the country.  This was the perfect job, of sorts, since I had always been struck by wanderlust…..and the perfect distraction for those times I was without my children.  In 2000, with my nest becoming very empty, I was approached to manage a 24 room dive resort located in Belize! At first, I was torn, but my children threatened to disown me if I did not take the job.  So, with their blessing and encouragement, I moved to Belize! The plan was to use that window of time while they were in college (and claiming ‘not’ to need me around for awhile) and return when they started getting married and threatening me with grandchildren.  Of course, they loved the two week expense paid vacation they received every year!

2001: Belize was a wonderful adventure, as well as, an immense spiritual journey. My experiences there were intense. Seven months after I arrived, my little village was hit by a Category 5 Hurricane Iris which practically wiped out the little sea level peninsula. My resort survived, but I slept on the main building front porch for a week and spent the next three months rebuilding and repairing the resort to re-open with only a handful of the staff. During that time, my closest friend, who was also the chef at the resort, died of a heart attack. As Belize is a third world country, death is not handled in the same detached manner as we do here.  It fell on me to handle all details personally, even as far as transporting his body in the back of my truck.  Boats sank, dive shops burned, generators failed, guests are stung by scorpions ……..managing a resort is fun, but it is also 24/7! Over the course of my time in Belize, I managed three different resorts…… two dive resorts and one mountain resort! Managing there is more like being a ‘house mom’! I was able to develop such wonderful relationships with staff and guests alike. From sunrise to midnight, it always required an up close and personal approach. It was wonderful and special……and exhausting…….and I loved it!!!

2007: The time has come for me to return to the real world! My middle son lives in Austin and my daughter says that is where she will move soon, so this is where I come!  I drove from Belize through Mexico with my two cats for three days!! I crossed the border into Texas on May 31^st, 2007 and arrived in Austin the next day! It was great!! I loved Austin. The city offered me the music and funkiness of New Orleans, as well as, the green and nature of the greenbelts and surrounding hill country, which reminded me of Belize. My challenge, since I had arrived, is that I had become somewhat of a mis-fit! I had become that “over-qualified” job applicant! I realized I did not want to be a part of a more corporate hotel world! I AM a Caretaker!!  Also, I had come to realize that over these past 14 years, I had been on a quest for something that was closer to filling my soul while living my life.

As I was deciding on my options and searching the internet, Massage Therapy just kept appearing! I am a firm believer that all in life happens for a reason and exactly when it is meant for you. I have lived an extremely blessed and full life, but something had always seemed to allude me. Over these past years, I realized over and over again, that I had spent most of my life caring and nurturing others, no matter what industry I have been in. Unfortunately, there was not much left over for me. I was at that crossroads in life where soul-searching and deep contemplation are the norm. I am blessed!! My life has been interesting……I have been given exactly what I needed at various moments in time! I am who I am because of my experiences. It is my desire to continue caring for others, while focusing on my own fulfillment, relaxation and health through massage.

2009: I am a Massage Therapist!! I have started and run many types of businesses! But never with the passion I feel for this chapter of my life!! I am so excited to start.        Hence………

the Next Chapter!

During that time I naturally started to think “what else is out there for me?”  I literally woke from a dream one morning and I just knew that I was supposed to become a massage therapist.  It was like someone had visited me while I was sleeping and had a conversation with me telling me to become a massage therapist.  It was that strong of an intuition!  A week later I was enrolled in school and started my program just a few months later.

My path of self employment started when, after graduating I began going on job interviews.  I kept feeling a strong sense of loss of control over my future each and every time I talked to someone about working for their company, scheduling, pay, uniform etc. The thought of working for someone else and having to give up my freedom was so unappealing to me.  I didn’t want to be back in that position yet again.  I listened to my intuition again and it was then that I decided to become a self employed massage therapist.

The crazy thing though is that I knew NOTHING about business whatsoever.  My school didn’t exactly prepare us for all of the hard work and energy that goes into starting your own business.  I didn’t even know where to start.  I only knew that I wanted to be a self employed massage therapist.  That was the one thing I consistently held onto as I started my journey.

Once I made that final decision, I spent about a year fumbling around without direction or knowledge.  I spent a lot of time just doing a lot of nothing, waiting for people to come to me.  I just didn’t get it!  I had no idea that I had to actually start from scratch and create an actual business centered around ME as a massage therapist.

So after a year of that nonsense I was officially fed up.  My main motivation at that point was to earn enough doing part time massage to leave my daytime desk job.  Something clicked in me at that point and I realized I HAD to take accountability for my success and future if this was ever going to happen.  I had to become my own boss!

I got my hands, eyes and ears on every ounce of education I could regarding how to create a successful business.  I took the knowledge that I was learning and combined it with my own personal life knowledge and created a system that I began implementing.  During this time I was renting a room from a chiropractor and within 6 months of taking charge and accountability for my business, I was consistently booked with massage clients on a part time basis.  I left my daytime desk job that I had worked at for 7 years after only 6 months of REALLY hard work.  I am so grateful to have had my day job during this time, as I was able to put myself through school at night and build up my business during evenings and weekends.  Having that job took the pressure off of me financially while I built up my business.  My main focus while I built up my business was being able to support myself financially.  I was so thrilled that it happened so soon once I figured out.

About 14 months after leaving my secure daytime desk job I opened up my very own massage practice…Urban Healing Arts Studio in Seattle, WA.  Since the day I opened my studio I have been booked consistently and earn a great living.  However, I have begun to feel the demands of trying to keep up with so much work and so little time.  I now have 2 massage therapist that work with me, renting the space while I am not utilizing it.  They have been wonderful in assisting me in my overflow, at the same time working diligently to build their own business.

In addition to subcontracting massage therapists, I earn passive income in others ways that I have become very passionate about through my journey of self employment.  Around the same time I opened up my own massage studio, I began researching ways to earn passive income through my business.  The toll of doing massage full time was beginning to wear on me and I was realizing the importance of planning for your future and earning residual income.  Through my research I found a great business model for myself and became involved in network marketing through the health and wellness industry.

I am also extremely passionate about empowering massage therapists to take action and begin creating their own successful practices, as well as earning long term passive income while doing so.  It’s important that we secure our futures first and foremost, while doing the work our heart desires.  If we work smart, not hard we are able to secure ourselves financially.  In turn we have the power to spread love and light throughout the world one massage at a time!

I want every massage therapist that doubts themselves to know that we all go through fear and frustrations when creating our own businesses.  It’s in those fears and frustrations that a new you will emerge, stronger and more empowered than ever.  You will be amazed at what you are truly capable of.  If a small town girl with no college education can do it…ANYONE CAN!

For massage therapists that is often a difficult concept to grasp.  MT just want to do massage.  Well OK that is good but limiting yourself to working on one client an hour really limits your income potential.  If you could reach more people at one time by supporting massage therapists in some way or another by writing your own ebooks or massage related products, you would be helping more people.

In supplementing my income from other sources I found that it helped me to feel more relaxed about promoting my massage business and being a massage therapist.  When you have additional money coming in especially when you are just starting up or when it gets more difficult to get people coming in with economy challenges, having not to worry about how you are going to eat can help you keep focused on your goal of doing massage.

I find the online world to be so full of opportunities.   You can create websites on your hobbies or interests or just about anything!

You can also just simply use affiliate programs on your massage office website.  This is  a program that will pay you when people click through the special links to purchase products.  You just have to choose related products.  My biggest seller is a stretching program from the Stretching Institute.   Since your website will get many people who are not looking for massage or who are local, it is a good idea to try to make money from those visitors!  Every thing helps!

I have always just had a plain and simple card that has my plain and simple contact info on it – name, address, phone number etc.   I would just go to a local print shop and order with one of their basic designs.   I now use Vista Print because they are so simple to use.   I have a section on the back for appointments and that is about it.

I am not totally convinced that you need to spend a bundle on a designer and having marketing slogans on them.   One of my favorite books called “Marketing Massage” by Monica Roseberry talked about what really makes for a successful massage therapist.  She traveled around the country asking people what it was.  She found that there were many massage therapists who were very successful with just a simple business card and marketing plan and there were also many who spent thousands on business cards and brochures who didn’t make it.  What makes the difference in your success in this business is really more about your commitment to making it happen and your perseverance.   How long can you stay with it even through all of the challenges and up and down times?

Carrying your business card with you at all times and giving it out when needed is one of the simple things you can do in building your business.  The other thing though is really having a highly optimized website that you can send visitors to and get their email address by offering them a free report and/or newsletter.

It is also important to know who your ideal client is so that you can target your marketing efforts towards those people and are not blindly handing out your business cards to people who will just throw them in the trash.

Will having a specially designed business card be worth it?  If your unconscious beliefs about success are steering you a different way – no amount of money will make the difference.

Do you have expensive business cards?  Are they working for you?

I had 2 clients who came twice a year – one for over 18 years – one for over 15 years but unfortunately he moved away.  Right from the beginning I was a big believer in the idea that people should get a massage once a week all year long.  I was a big fan of it myself getting regular massage in trade usually back then.  We took trading seriously and made it a priority over clients even.  I have heard some massage therapists say they have problems with trades because people will cancel if they have an opportunity to take a client.  I can’t say it didn’t ever happen, but it was rare.

One of the things I did early on was to start an incentive program for coming regularly.  I offered a discounted price when people paid up front for 5 massages at a time.   I remember my first client who paid that – I was sort of shocked actually.   I had never met him and he sent a check in the mail and said he wanted to make an appointment.  He had never even experienced my work!

I still offer that to long time clients.  I stopped offering it awhile back to new clients but after writing this I may consider starting it up again especially since I am charging much more and there are so many ‘rewards’ type of programs out there now that I think people are almost expecting them.

What I did to create such loyal weekly clients really was to tell everyone stories like Bob Hope gets a massage every week.  After I got my first weekly client I would also tell other people about it.  It was almost as if it made them jealous or something and it became a goal of theirs.   I also think it gave them permission to do it themselves!  Many people back then (and still now even) think of massage as more of a luxury.   I never thought that.  I always thought it was a necessity.  (It was for me!)

I think creating loyal massage clients has to do with learning to communicate with clients and also listen.  I have had many people just say that I was a good listener.   I make it a rule to let clients lead the conversations.  I also do ask a lot of questions about them – their condition, activities and such and try to find out what their needs really are and then try to give them more than they expect.

I started out renting a massage office from a health club in Downtown Seattle.  I had a few clients in the beginning but it was slow going.  I did get a part time job mainly because I wanted extra money to go through Hellerwork sessions.  The other big thing I did was show up everyday even when I didn’t have clients.   I would hang out at the front desk and hand out locker keys and towels and got to know the people as they were coming and going.  I had a small name tag that said my name and massage therapist on it.   I would sometimes leave for a long lunch and take a ferry ride across Puget Sound and have lunch in this little town.  When I came back I would often have a client waiting. (no cell phones back then!)

I also worked on the staff at the health club quite regularly.  They were a great referral source.   I did a few free events like the stair climb event to raise money for some cause and sometimes offered free foot massage.  I also got a massage chair to work at these events and in the club when I wasn’t busy.  I actually don’t think I got any clients from doing these things but it made me feel better that I was doing something to build my business.

The biggest thing I think I learned from doing Free chair massage was how to talk to people about what I do.  Being the introvert that I am – that was no easy task.   But one day I was talking to a guy who always went out running who would always be stretching by the desk where I was at.  He would always say something like ” I have to get in for a massage sometime” but he would never book an appointment.  One day I asked him about his running and found out that he ran races too.  I started asking things like How far do you go, how fast do you go, does anything hurt and when I finally connected the two – what his needs were and what massage could do – I said something about how massage could help his running.  He signed up immediately for a massage and was a regular client for about 10 years!

Around the same time I started my first website -www.thebodyworker.com .  I started it mainly because I had been collecting info to start an apprenticeship program for a friend of mine.  The program never started but I had all of this info so in 1999 I just decided I would put it all into a website.   I had fun learning everything.  I didn’t know anything about computers.  My friends kids had taught me how to surf the internet and use the computer.  I called it the ‘click and go’ method.   I learned everything about creating websites on my own from reading and mostly from using Site Build it! which I found in around 2002.   I created my first site using SBI! – www.massagetherapycareers.com   (I no longer own it!  I sold it in 2009! for  a nice sum that made it all worth it and funded my future endeavors!

I didn’t really start making money with my website until around 2004 I think it was when I started adding Google Adsense ads to my site.  They had been around for a year or two but I kept avoiding using them because I didn’t think anyone would click on ads.  One day I tried it an put in on my top 25 pages of a now 800 page site, and was shocked to see that I had made $100 in about a month.  So of course I started putting ads on every page and the rest is history.

Now I am creating this website using Wordpress that I have come to learn how to use and teaching massage therapists to share their story and learn to market the site.  Creating residual income is essential in any field.   Having other sources of income as a massage therapist can help support you to be able to keep doing massage in the way that you want to do.   I think you will find that the more resources you have the more successful you will become as a massage therapist!

So that’s my story and I am sticking to it!  Share your story with others by becoming an author for this site and learn to make residual income from websites!