4 Things I Wish I’d Let Go Of Sooner
as a self-employed massage therapist.
Welcome back to another Monday with the Mavens. We created the Massage Mavens blog to connect with and educate self-employed massage therapists working to grow as business owners.
It can be lonely working for yourself – and we’re here to remind you that while you’re in business for yourself, you don’t have to be in business by yourself.
While we cater our content to independent MTs, all massage therapists are welcome here; whether you run your own independent massage therapy studio, you contract in a clinic, work in spa, or you are still in school.
4 Things I Wish I’d Let Go Of Sooner
When you go into business for yourself, people are going to have opinions about your studio.
Clients, both prospective and current, networking partners, consultants, other massage therapists, and even your friends are going to have opinions, advice, unsolicited input, and more. It’s human nature.
It’s also human nature, especially in an industry like ours, to take things personally. Our studio is not only our career and our livelihood, but usually our passion project, our home away from home, and a piece of our identity…so even things said in passing can feel very personal.
At the end of the day, however, if your studio is going to be successful, it’ll need a pretty thick skin. (And as you are your studio, it’s your skin that I’m referencing, here.)
Here are 4 things that I let get under my own skin - and I wish I’d let go of sooner:
1. Listening to opinions on what my brand should & shouldn’t be.
If you want to be a pain-management resource, be it. Don’t let Susan in your networking group shake your faith because “she wouldn’t book a massage for that…she just wants to relax.”
If you want your brand’s primary color to be a happy, vibrant hot pink; do it. Don’t let the muted tones of the day spa down the street cramp your style.
Build your studio, your brand, your clientele to be exactly what YOU want it to be. Otherwise what are we even doing here?
2. Getting upset when people say “masseuse.”
Yes I know this one is controversial… but why has it become okay to aggressively reprimand people who simply don’t know any better? They don’t subscribe to a nightly news segment on the state of our industry…they’ve got plenty of actually important things to worry about. I keep it light, set them straight on what’s what, and move on. It’s not worth my energy to let it bother me.
3. Comparing myself to other Massage Therapists.
To be clear, I will absolutely emulate the things I love! I carry makeup wipes in my restroom now because a therapist across town had them for clients and it’s genius.
But don’t compare someone else’s journey to yours. After all: Picasso and Da Vinci were both masters…and not at all alike
4. Worrying what someone else thinks.
Nothing I say or do here, or on social media, or in my newsletters, or at networking groups is harming anybody. In fact, it’s the opposite. The more I do what I’m doing, and the more people know about me, the more people I have the chance to help; so I’m going to keep on doing it.
You can’t help people while also being the world’s best-kept secret. So shed the fear of being judged by complete strangers who have no actual impact on your life, and get your name out there!!!
What else have you learned to let go of as you’ve journeyed into self-employment?
Thanks for stopping by!
As always, we’d love to hear how our content has helped you improve either your studio, your mindset, or your revenue as a self-employed massage therapist.
Rachel Martin, LMT, is an independent massage therapist living in Denver Colorado. Having built her solo massage studio to capacity, she now spends her free time helping other massage therapists do the same. Check out Six Figure Studios, Queen Street Marketplace, and The Techy MT to learn more.
