Your Massage Practice Podcast

Whatever stage you're in with building your private practice, the idea of being in business with others can be very attractive.  Today's episode covers some of the considerations you'll want to keep an eye out for in this kind of  endeavor.  My guest Leslie Clapp, LMT is currently one year into her co-ownership of The Amma Therapy Collective in Portland, OR.  She gives us some thoughts about how she and her colleagues got started, why, and what they're looking forward to!  Thank you to our episode sponsor OfferingTree.com.

Today's episode presses on that ever-present button of sales.  For some of us that's a word as "bad" as any.  For others, it's more of a mystery.  Either way, we need sales to make sure our massage practices are thriving!   I interview Laura Allen, a massage therapist of 20 years (13 of those years as an owner of a successful wellness clinic) about what she thinks are the most important aspects of this whole "sales" issue in a massage business.  You can find Laura at http://lauraallenmt.com/. Thank you to our episode sponsor OfferingTree.com.  

It's inevitable.  We ALL have insecurities in running our businesses.  And the faster we can see them and start to work with them when they arise, the better our practices will do.  In today's episode I break down two rough categories of insecurities, how they affect our massage business, and give you real-life HOW TO's to work with each kind. As always, I'd love to hear what you think! Thank you to our episode sponsor OfferingTree.com.

Do you find yourself handing out tons of business cards for your practice but not getting any new clients from it?  Today's episode comes out of a great question from a listener!  All of our marketing materials can help us grow our massage practices - but only if we use them well.  In today's episode I start by making sure you understand your marketing overall.  Then I go into lots of HOW TO with handing over your business card.  That way you can make sure that when you give someone your card, you're making it a no-brainer for them to actually schedule an appointment. Thank you to our episode sponsor OfferingTree.com!

Time management is an essential and often difficult aspect of being a successful practice owner.  In today's episode, we follow up with Amber about how it's going with selling her long-time practice.  Then we dive into HOW TO's on time management! Find Amber Cook at HealingWaze.com. Find Isabel's blog posts and programs at yourmassagepractice.com.

When it's time, having all the pieces in place to sell your practice makes a difference.  Listen to Amber Cook and Isabel Spradlin discuss the process and major considerations of selling your massage practice.  And don't worry if you're not anywhere near that time yet!  What they discuss helps make your practice stronger no matter what. Find Amber Cook at HealingWaze.com. Find Isabel's blog posts and programs at yourmassagepractice.com.

What is it like to go from part time to full time in your massage practice?  We hear from Abby Meyers of Abby Meyers Massage about what it was like for her in making that transition. I also review a CE on fascial therapy and give you a foundational checklist of things you should be keeping in mind as you are growing your practice. Thank you to our episode sponsor OfferingTree.com!  

Today's episode is all about listeners' questions!  I answer: How to decide whether to sell products in your practice (MLM and otherwise) How to respond if clients are reluctant to write a review for you because they don't want your schedule to fill (so it's easier for them to get in) How to manage session time if clients are pushing time boundaries If you would like to submit your question for our next Q&A episode, send me a message at https://yourmassagepractice.com/contact/ or simply leave your question in the comments below! Thank you to our episode sponsor OfferingTree.com!

It was Isabel's turn to be interviewed!  Amber Cook got the lowdown on how Isabel ended up specializing in post-surgical abdominal work.  Then they had a chance to talk about how Your Massage Practice came about.  And they answered a lot of listeners' questions as well! If you want to ask us questions next time, you can join us as we record our episode live on YouTube.  You can get notifications in advance about the recordings by following Isabel's blog at Your Massage Practice or by joining Amber at HealingWaze.

Setting goals and intentions is a really important aspect of any long-term practice.  In this episode, Isabel and Amber talk about the entire process each uses to set their goals for the New Year.  We love that we each do this a bit differently but still end up in the same place! What process do you use to set your goals and intentions in your practice? If you want to ask us questions next time, you can join us as we record our episode live on YouTube.  You can get notifications in advance about the recordings by following Isabel's blog at Your Massage Practice or by joining Amber at HealingWaze.

There are tons of ways to find inspiration while growing your massage business.  But if we're going to be successful, we need a lot more than just inspiration!  We need to know we're not alone in all of the work it takes to really make a business grow. In today's episode, Isabel and Amber talk about what it's like to do the work of growing a successful practice.  If you're feeling doubtful that you can do it . . . if you're feeling blue that it's taking so much work . . . or if you just aren't sure where to start, then this is the episode for you! If you want to ask us questions next time, you can join us as we record our episode live on YouTube.  You can get notifications in advance about the recordings by following Isabel's blog at Your Massage Practice or by joining HealingWaze.

Whew! We got deep with this one. Amber Cook (of healingwaze.com) and I talked about our massage practice thoughts on "customer service" and "client relationships". And it got real, real fast.  To have a full practice for the long term, it's essential to retain clients at a very high rate.  What we talk about in this episode is meant to help you understand the ins-and-outs of doing just that.  Because as much as it may seem like a no-brainer, there's a lot that goes in to building client relationships that stand the test of time and circumstance.   If you want to ask us questions next time, you can join us as we record our episode live on YouTube.  You can get notifications in advance about the recordings by following Isabel's blog at Your Massage Practice or by joining HealingWaze.  

In today's episode I interview Tiffany Ryan and Katherine Parker of yomassage.co.   These ladies are working their tails off to keep up with their new business.  I talk to them about what specific tools they're using to build a healthy business, their work as business partners, how they're figuring out their message and marketing, and more! All of the questions I bring to the table are with the mind of helping massage therapists grow their private practices.  As always, I love learning and celebrating in community with each other. Learn more at yourmassagepractice.com.

In our first episode together, Isabel and Amber talk about how money went (very differently) for each of us in the early years - and what it's like once your business is stable.  Building a healing practice is no joke and we are here to offer as much help as we can!   If you want to ask us questions next time, you can join us as we record our episode on YouTube.  You can get notifications in advance about the recordings by following Isabel's blog at Your Massage Practice or by joining HealingWaze.

Taking that big first leap into owning your practice can seem so daunting!  In this episode, Rosa Saidel of Rosa's Natural Healing Center shares her story of how she found the strength to do it and where that first big step has led her.  Rosa's openness and honesty about her journey gives us all a reminder of why it's worth it to do the work to make our dreams happen. Additionally, I review "Do You Suffer from Decision Fatigue" by John Tierney, answer the Question of the Day, and share even more in the teaching segment at the end! This podcast is the audio version of the sixth TV episode I produced for the Florida State Massage Therapy Association's Massage Television channel. Find me and so much more at yourmassagepractice.com.

In this episode, I interview Benjamin Eli Eichenhauer of Prime Vital Health and Revive Community Commons in Portland, OR.  Eli talks about the deep ways he has increased his community engagement both as a method of growing his practice and as a way of continuing to expand his work in the world! Additionally, I answer the Question of the Day, review I Thought It Was Just Me by Brene Brown.  And of course, I learn you some stuff in the teaching segment at the end! This podcast is the audio version of the fourth TV episode I produced for the Florida State Massage Therapy Association's Massage Television channel. Find me and so much more at yourmassagepractice.com.

Isabel Spradlin (yours truly) and Amber Cook (of HealingWaze.com) give you a little peek into their upcoming podcast episodes that will run the gamut of what, exactly, it's like to be a small business owner in the health and wellness field.  The first full episode will arrive on September 7, 2018!

One of the first things we work on in the OYP program is about the nitty gritty of starting a business.  That can include registering your biz with your Secretary of State, arranging your bank accounts, and making sure your “back-end” stuff is in good order.  In this podcast I talk about my personal experience with these processes as I was starting my practice. AND, of course figuring out how to pay for starting up my practice was a big deal for me and is for most massage therapists - especially the loan or debt aspect it. While paying off a total of $67K in debt sucked, having my full massage practice made it possible.  I do NOT recommend doing the credit card debt thing the way I did it (as I talk about in the video).  However, debt usually plays a part in every business, massage practice or not, so it’s good to have an idea of how it can work for you rather than sink you. Let me know your thoughts in the comments on the blog post!

Just how good can it be to have a full massage practice?  And what, exactly, does it take to get there?  In this episode I talk to Dana Davis, LMT of Midnight Sun Massage in Portland, OR.  She has had a bursting-full practice for well over a decade and she shares with us a huge amount of detail about what she did to get there . . . as well as what it's like to have the freedom of a full practice! Additionally, I answer the Question of the Day and review Mindset by Carol S. Dweck.  And, as always, we have our straight-up teaching segment at the end. This podcast is the audio version of the fourth TV episode I produced for the Florida State Massage Therapy Association's Massage Television channel. Find me and so much more at yourmassagepractice.com.  

I get frustrated when I hear business owners being advised to take big risks based on their gut feelings.  Yes, gut feelings are super important.  But when you’re running a business, you need to develop a more robust way of assessing risk.  That way, you don’t end up closing down your practice for the wrong reasons. Finessing our way out of our comfort zone is a requirement of being a business owner.  And this “choose the right risk” stuff is part of that.  I’m not gonna lie, it took me a while to learn. In this video I talk about dropping $1,000 I didn’t have on a useless Q&A call and how that led to me learning to take the RIGHT risks.  And it must have worked, because my practice is still thriving many years later. Please let me know your thoughts and questions in the comments on the blog post!  

I know when you're starting out it can seem impossible to find the money to get the professional help you need to grow your massage practice. . . and what's with everyone charging for this information anyway?! In this podcast I talk about the two biggest components to this topic.  The first involves the actual breadth and depth of work it takes to grow a long-term, stable practice.  The second is about the issue of money management within any successful practice. As always, I would love to hear your thoughts, please comment on the post on my blog!  

Being financially stable in your massage practice doesn't have to come at an ethical cost.  If you struggle with money or pricing in your practice, you're not alone. In this podcast, I share with you how to make sure you're not compromising your values system as you grow your practice.  I share how I perceive money - and how it's worked for me for the last decade in my full-time practice. To see the full blog post visit: https://yourmassagepractice.com/cosmic-money-laundering/

What happens when your successful massage practice births a whole new business?  Amber Cook, LMT founder of HealingWaze.com talks about how she has managed this big growth and expansion process beyond her full-time massage practice. Additionally, I answer 'The Question of the Day,' review Derek Thompson's Hit Makers, and much more! This podcast is the audio version of the third TV episode I produced for the Florida State Massage Therapy Association's Massage Television channel. Find me and so much more at yourmassagepractice.com.

So many massage therapists I’ve talked to think they’re “bad with time management,” which is not the case.  If you find yourself with time on your hands and mostly what you do in that time is worry, twiddle your thumbs, or get sucked into social media . . . it has nothing to do with your time-management skills. See the full post here: https://yourmassagepractice.com

This is a take on self-care as a massage practitioner and business owner that you may not have heard before.  With the right kind of reliable self-care, you can keep your entire business strong. For more information, and your free (no email required) worksheet click here.

If I had to guess, I would say that this is the number one thing most business owners (including us massage therapists!) miss.  This one detail can make your practice feel like a roller coaster rather than a stable business. And rememeber to get your free worksheet here (no email adress needed).

How do you manage the hands-on (and often very intuitive side) of being a massage therapist when there is so much nuts and bolts work that goes into running a succesful practice?  Angela Severson, LMT in Portland, OR talks about how she has managed this tension in growing her own successful, full-time private practice. Additionally, I answer 'The Question of the Day,' review Tina Gilbertson's Constructive Wallowing, and much more! This podcast is the audio version of the second TV episode I produced for the Florida State Massage Therapy Association's Massage Television channel. Find me and so much more at yourmassagepractice.com.

It’s so important to know that ‘marketing’ is not a dirty word – and that as a massage therapist, there are some very specific ways of marketing that will grow your practice fastest. This episode is the audio version of the 3rd video in the Don't Overcomplicate It series at yourmassagepractice.com.

You have enough to do.  Don’t waste your time over-designing or over-building your website.  Here, I talk about the most essential things your massage website needs in order to reliably bring in your ideal clients. This episode is the audio version of the 2nd video in the Don't Overcomplicate It series at yourmassagepractice.com.

It is so tempting to spend a ton of time on business-building efforts that feel productive, but that are not serving the long-term prospects of your business. This short, three-part series is meant to help you break it down and get started with just the most essential things that are going to immediately start building the long-term stability of your practice. This episode is the audio version of the 1st video in the Don't Overcomplicate It series at yourmassagepractice.com.

What are the possibilities once you've grown your full massage practice, you ask?  Rebecca (Becki) Ward, LMT of Massage Solutions of McDonough talks about her experience of growing her private practice so big that it turned into a thriving clinic! Additionally, I answer 'The Question of the Day,' review Michael Stanborough's Direct Release Myofascial Technique, and much more! This podcast is the audio version of the first TV episode I produced for the Florida State Massage Therapy Association's Massage Television channel. Find me and so much more at https://yourmassagepractice.com.