While the whole situation is sad and deceitful, there are certainly some lessons we can all use.  People keep asking how something like this could happen to massage therapists.  Someone mentioned something like: 1. Build credibility by aligning yourself with respected therapists 2. Self-publish a few books. 3. Market yourself like crazy.  (I simply can’t find the original comment to quote or person to credit, with 1000’s of comments and posts that keep appearing and disappearing… My apologies.)

Many leaders in our community focused on correcting issues that occurred.  If you need information about becoming the owner of your domain, here is some information: 
What to do if your web designer registers your domain name. 
Who has control of your domain.

Others focused on "Common Business Sense" and "An Ounce of Prevention".  It's great information.  A good number of us know how to be savvy consumers.  Most of us silenced our inner voice because the marketing was good.  Here's the kicker: 

The Great Sheet Debate. 

For some reason, I see some variation of this question more often than any other topic in massage groups.  I’m not sure if I should be embarrassed to admit this, but I have never really given much thought to my sheets.  I love this time of year when I can pick up a few sets on clearance from the back to school sales! (Target is especially awesome for this in my opinion.)

I used to be strictly a flat sheet user.  I have these giant rubber bands and they were awesome for keeping the bottom sheet on the table.  I think I mostly liked them because let’s face it; flat sheets are easier to fold. 

I have a few dislikes:

• White sheets.  They are too transparent.  They stain easily.  I don’t think they wear as well.  After a few months, they look dingy and old.  
  
• Flannel sheets.  They take too long to dry.  Not as many fit into the washer and dryer.  They take up way too much space in the cabinet.  I especially hate the flannel sheets that are specifically made for a massage table.  These sheets always feel a smidge too small and I feel like I am going to break a nail trying to get the things onto the table.  I hate the feeling of wrestling a sheet.
  
• I strongly dislike microfiber.  I feel like I’m serving a gourmet meal on a Styrofoam plate.  I also don’t like how grabby the fibers can feel.  They are silky feeling and dry quickly, I simply don’t like them.  
  

I like cotton or a cotton rich blend.  A decent amount of sheets fit in the washer and they dry in a reasonable amount of time.  My clients like the feel of them as well.  Cotton is also a great choice for my climate.  It’s breathable which is perfect for our hot, humid summers.  Toss on a blanket and turn on the table warmer and my clients are just as comfortable in the winter.    

Like I mentioned before, now is a great time to pick up a few sets of sheets!   Hello clearance sales! 

If you have a suggestion for what to do with the extra pillowcases I have collected, I would love to hear it! 

#31 in the 31 in August Blogging Challenge. 

I let my clients know about the NCBTMB in a little post titled Board Certified – I Don’t Buy It.  I think most of my clients are well informed consumers, and I try to pass along relevant information to them.  I don’t personally put a lot of weight in Board Certification.  I think it is lame.  The requirement for 250 hours of hands on practice… Well, just read my blog and you’ll get my true feelings.  (I would request that if you feel passionate about leaving a comment, please do so here.  That post is for my clients and is not the forum for colleagues to have a discussion.)

What I don’t understand is why therapists would choose to LIE about being board certified.  If you choose to pay for it, great, that is your choice and you deserve to put the initials and little logo on your card.  I think that board certification may be important for some therapists; I’m just not one of them (anymore).  If you don’t want the added cost for something that has very little weight in the big scheme of things…. Just own it! 

It’s pretty easy to see who is board certified.  They list every therapist on their website here. 

Putting extra initials on your business card with the official NCBTMB logo when you haven’t paid for it is wrong.  If it’s really important to a client to use a board certified therapist, they will be checking the website and know that you are lying.  It’s negative energy put into something that isn’t really worth ANYTHING.

Board certification does not make you appear to be a better therapist in a state that has decent licensing requirements.  Your credibility should be earned by the work you do, the education you seek, and the relationships you build with your clients.  It is not earned by a certificate that can be purchased by almost every therapist in the state just mere months after graduation. 

There may be some very valid reasons for choosing to be board certified.  Go for it I guess, I just think your money would be better spent on some better things.  Marketing ethics may be a great place to start. 



#27 in the 31 in August Blogging Challenge

Blogging should come with a warning label.  Here are just some of the side-effects I’ve encountered since starting my blogs:

• Random moments become inspiration.  It could be lyrics in a song, a quote from a show you are watching, or just some random person walking by you on the street.  I’ve also gotten inspiration from Facebook, casual conversations with friends, family, and clients. 
  
• I realized I am not so bad ass or original.  Just when I think I have something to write about that no one has ever written about before, a blog or article pops up and there are my thoughts, right there in black and white.  Sometimes, I think I can’t say it better than they did.  Other times, I have a totally different perspective on the subject.
  
• My laundry may not have been folded and put away promptly from the dryer.  
  
• My cat became a possessed creature that must sit on my lap in place of the keyboard.  I don’t understand this particular phenomenon.  
  
• I began to think differently about a particular subject.  Every once in a while the epiphany is painful. 
  
• I randomly pull out my phone or a notebook to jot down a quick note about something to write about later.  
  
• My friends may preface a statement with either “Please don’t write about this” or “Your clients may be interested in the answer to this question.” 
  
• I may spend 20 minutes writing a post and 2 hours looking for the perfect picture. 
  
• Not everyone will like or agree with what I have to say.  Be prepared to stand behind what you write. 
  
• Rarely, the people that need to read your blog do.  
  
• Some days I start 20 different ideas and can’t complete a single one.  
  
• Other days I can’t keep up with every idea that pops into my head.  
  
• In the shower, I think of the perfect way to edit that one sentence that is not flowing right. 
  
• I may be late to personal engagements because I was on a roll and couldn’t find a stopping point.  
  
• I make spreadsheets to keep track of stuff, including posts and ideas.
  
• My geek factor has gone up by at least 20 points. 
  
• You may end up with a stalker or two. 
• Random clients reference something I said in a blog, because it was so completely out of context I end up dumbfounded in the moment.  

This is not an all-inclusive list of the potential side-effects of blogging.  Keep in mind, the rewards are well worth it!


#26 in the 31 in August Blogging Challenge.  

In which she sings loudly, with gusto, and completely out of tune, the finale.

I let you know about the professional and financial growth that blogging has manifested in my life.  This is by far the most unexpected, rewarding, and hardest to reconcile aspect the blogging challenges have had for me.  This may in fact be one of the most challenging posts I have written, but here it is. 

Personal Growth. 

I’m on the path to discovering my voice.  This may be the most challenging aspect for me, but I’m getting there.  I have never felt quite like I “fit in” anywhere.  I was never quite geeky enough for my geek friends.  I adore Joss Whedon, Wonder Woman, and The Avengers, but I have never read Harry Potter, don’t read graphic novels, and Star Trek references are lost on me.  Or smart enough for my smart friends.  I struggled to stay caught up in AP classes, and don’t have a ginormous vocabulary.  I still look words up on occasion.  I’m not even as funny as my funny friends.  Personally, I think I’m funny as heck, but my sense of humor is not universal.  What I am finding though is that I may have a decent mixture of part geek, part smart, and part funny.  It’s still being developed. 

I have gained confidence.  Enough confidence that I submitted a few blog posts to the MassageSchool.org blogging contest.  Two out of my three submissions were selected and I was even offered monetary compensation which felt weird so I asked the money be donated the MTF.   That’s pretty awesome.  You can read them here and here if you would like.  I lost the contest, the winning post was about flatulence and it was great. 

I conquered some fears.  I looked blogging in the face and I didn’t let it paralyze me with fear.   The thought that I wasn’t smart enough, funny enough, witty enough, just plain enough crossed my mind numerous times.  I know I am my own worst critic.  Learning to not compare myself to everyone else was a bit tough.  Some days I still catch myself doing it.   There are just so many other great bloggers to respect and admire. 

I also felt blogging was like hanging my ass out the window and well, who wants to see that? Getting over that was major and also very freeing.  I dance around the line of thinking I have something to say and wanting to stay completely private.  There is a lot of comfort in not being known. 

Having blogs shared by colleagues and mentors has also given me validation and a sense of accomplishment.  This was probably the most profound realization.  I thought my belief was:  I don’t care what other people think.  What I realized is that I care what some people think and that I’m not so evolved that I am above positive reinforcement. 

Blogging is just awesome. 

(I have also discovered my blatant overuse of the words “so” and “awesome”.)

When people ask what can I do to improve my website? I always tell them to start a blog.  I passionately proclaim blogging has been hands down the best thing I have ever done for my business.   And it’s almost free. The results were *almost* instant.  Or at least as instant as the internet can be.  I’ve heard some nay-sayers out there that say blogging can’t replace a content rich site.  I disagree.  Clients love the clean appearance of my website and they seem to be finding the information they want without any problems.  I’ve heard others say they think blogging is just stupid and they dismiss it completely without understanding it.  That’s fine as well, but understand that you may not have the best website money can buy for very long. 

Don’t know how to start or what to write?  Join the Business Blogging School, check out some of the blogging information that Allissa has put together.  There are awesome free resources available.  The only excuse to not do it is in your mind. 


#23 in the 31 in August blogging challenge.  

I have told you about how I “Ate the Frog” and how I have grown professionally as a result of the Blogging Challenge and support from the Business Blogging School. 

Financial Growth.

My business has been transformed.  More of my ideal clients have walked through our door and less of the random, not my type of massage client.  At least once a week a new client will come in and mention something they saw on the blog.  I hear things like:

“You had the best information on pregnancy massage, so I wanted to schedule a massage.”
“You seem more knowledgeable than other websites I looked at.”
“You are a woman after my own heart, a geek…”
“You get the way my body works.”
“No one has ever discussed massage for G-Neck, thank you.”
“I took a road trip and remembered your tips on stretching.”
“Your blog made me want to see schedule an appointment.”

Very specific types of clients have come through our doors this year.  I give full credit to the blog for that.  I wrote a couple of posts about pregnancy massage and have had more clients request that service since February, than the last four years combined.   A similar thing happened when I wrote about sports massage.  That’s not even the best part!  Those new clients have then felt more confident in referring their friends and family to Balance and Peace. 

My website is on steroids.  I have an advantage and I’m capitalizing on it!  Balance and Peace has more hits, more views, and a higher ranking.  On Google, I am usually in the top 3.  With Google Maps on a mobile device I am the first option!  I realize that not every client that has come to Balance and Peace because we were the first option has necessarily read the blog, but the blog is what got them here.  I included some screenshots of from my Google analytics to show the difference. 

Next, I’ll tell you a little about how I have grown personally from the blogging challenge; this I think was the least expected consequence!

#22 in the 31 in August Blogging Challenge. 

I hopped onto the Business Blogging School challenge back in February 2013.  (How I "Ate The Frog") It was a mini challenge that turned into something quite major.

I was not prepared for the ramifications of this wee blogging challenge.  It has impacted my life professionally, financially, and personally.  It has made my heart sing, put butterflies in my tummy, and even made me cry once or twice.  Mostly tears of joy, but a few from frustration, I won’t lie.  Even in those moments of frustration, I knew that I was thriving from the experience. 

Professional Growth ~ Where I start to sing loudly.

An unexpected thing happened.  For many blog posts, I had to review notes, textbooks, and even do some research on the internet.  During this process, I gleaned information that I either didn’t know or I had forgotten about.  What a great refresher for someone that has been in practice for almost 10 years.  I don’t begin to believe that I know it all; there won’t be a time when I will.  Revitalizing my brain has made me a better massage therapist.   My clients have noticed this as well.  They appreciate the new/old approaches to their therapy as well as the new information that I can pass along to them. 

I have connected with an awesome group of massage therapists.  After living in an area where therapists are not friendly or necessarily professional, it was nice to have a safe place to discuss things and be among those that understand.  Reading their blogs has also given me new insights into some areas of massage.  I have new modalities I want to explore, ideologies I want to investigate, and adventures I want to experience.  I’ve tried a new recipe or two and have incorporated some of the tips for living into my own life. 

I have been humbled.  I’m not even close to perfect.  New light has been shed on areas that I need to improve.  It can turn your world upside down, turn it over, and scramble it almost to the point where you it is unrecognizable.  Blogging makes you think.  You can’t just go through the motions.  At the end of the day, I’m a better therapist for it.

From my experience, writing the blog myself has been the catalyst for this growth.  This would not have happened if I had hired a ghost writer to provide the content catered to my clients and word stuffed with google words.  It has been organic and that is priceless. 

Next, I will let you know how massage has created financial growth in my life.  A sneak peak:  “My website is on steroids.  I have an advantage and I am capitalizing on it.” 



#20 in the 31 in August Blogging Challenge.  If you are ready to join the blogging commuity read more about it here.

In late January, Allissa Haines of Writing a Blue Streak posted a little link to sign up for a “mini” blogging challenge in February.  It was only “mini” in the sense the challenge gave us weekends off, 20 blog posts in 28 days. 

I had read here and there that blogging or “content marketing” was becoming an important aspect of online marketing.  When trying different things for marketing sometimes it is a little difficult to weed the crap out from the garden.  I had even played around with writing an occasional post.  People periodically mentioned a particular post, but nothing spectacular happened.  There were no fireworks.  


To be honest though, I hadn’t put much effort into it.   

Back to the February Challenge.

I hopped on over from the Facebook post to sign up for this challenge on the website for Business Blogging School.  (You should check them out, Dawn and Kelli are awesome!)  Once signed up, you join a Facebook group for the challenge and it felt like getting the secret handshake to the cool kid playground.  I honestly remember gulping. 

What the fuck did I just get myself into?

1. Twenty posts in twenty days.  I haven’t written a total of twenty posts. EVER. 
   
2. These people know what they are doing.  These are THE Witty, Knowledgeable, Mack Daddy, Bad-Asses in the blogging world.  I READ their blogs.
   
3. Do people really care what I have to say? 
   

I also thought:

1. This is the accountability that I need to really give blogging a try. 
   
2. Who better to learn from than people I admire. 
   
3. I could really use the encouragement and tips this challenge provides.  
   
4. What an awesome playground to feel connected to other people who have the same tribulations and triumphs that I have had in the massage business.
   
5. I can do this, even if I’m not perfect. 
   

I jumped in with all of my clothes on.  It ended up not being as bad as I thought it would be.  It was dare I say… FUN.  I was able to conquer the mini challenge.  It was rough.  I stumbled a few times.  I’m sure I even ended up with mud on my face.  But I made it, and the participants all celebrated each other.  Everyone supported, encouraged, and taught something to each other. 

Best of all, I reaped more benefits than I could possibly imagine.  I’ll tell you more about that tomorrow.  

I think I first read about eating the frog from Allissa, but I know there have been other references somewhere.


#19 in the 31 in August Blogging Challenge

#16 in the 31 in August Blogging Challenge

I sent this quick email to someone I share the office with.  I remember being in a place where every single massage made the difference between beans and rice or maybe some chicken for dinner.  It’s hard to discuss with family and friends.  They just don’t get it.  I’ve been doing this for almost 10 years and people still wonder when I am going to get a “real job”.   I also like the “It sounds like you need to do some more massages.”  “Have you advertised?” is another jewel.  Yep, thank you for that insight, my closest, dearest friend that doesn’t understand how they are not being supportive, but I still love you… kinda. 

Hey there,

I just wanted to send a quick note and check in.  How are things going?  I feel like things have slowed down a bit for you and I don’t want you to become discouraged.  It happens. 

I hope you aren’t in a situation where you are starting to feel desperate.  If you are, we need to stop that and get you out of it.  Refocus and redirect your energy in a positive and fruitful way!

Take a look at where you feel your weaknesses are and let’s work on that.  There are plenty of resources available.  While I don’t have all of the answers, I have been there. 

What else is going on with you?  Is there something at home causing you stress?  Have you looked at the whole picture to put things into perspective?

I’m here for you if you need me!  

Yours in peace,

Rianne


What would you add to a message checking in on a fellow massage therapist?