Money Is Not A Four Letter Word
Being a good massage therapist and a financially stable adult are not mutually exclusive.
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.
Money is Not a Four Letter Word
Money.
Money, money, money.
It’s amazing to me that such a vital (and renewable) resource as Money gets so much negative energy. I remember being on a Facebook thread where an MT had shared that she met her goal of earning 6 figures in the previous year while working a sustainable schedule with excellent work-life balance – and instead of celebrating with her, it felt like half of the people engaging on this thread were shaming her for “only doing massage for the money.”
So. To clarify and save you the time of reading this post if you disagree with me: I am 100% on the Celebration Train for anyone who can smash their goals and build a thriving income doing what they love with a schedule they love. #bringonthetrolls
It feels like, as massage therapists, our industry has a collective chip on our shoulder about how what we do is and should be a labor of love – and it will and only ever should bring us a humble (read: entirely too small) income.
I call bullshit right here.
Bullshit, bullshit, bullshit.
Yes we love what we do.
And also YES. We. Deserve. Financial. Stability. And. Abundance. When. We. Earn. It.
And don’t take it from me - I’m just a money-grubbing massage therapist after all (I joke: I’m really a money-attracting massage therapist) – take it from Napoleon Hill, Tina Tower, Jen Sincero, or literally any other business development or money mindset professional. They all come to the same conclusion, and shout the same lesson from their own proverbial rooftops:
With More Money comes a greater capacity to Do Good in our own lives and the lives of those around us.
When we are strapped for cash and worrying how to survive the next round of bills, we do not have the mental, emotional, or energetic bandwidth to be our best selves. We are too busy worrying about basic survival. When our financial needs are met, however, we are positioned to enjoy life, contribute to our community, be present for our families, and so much more.
If you have struggled to shed that belief (that, let’s face it, someone else planted in your head for you) that massage therapists are doomed to a life of living paycheck to paycheck, let’s take this opportunity to enter 2024 with a new mindset about, optimism toward, and relationship with money.
On a personal note, I am nothing but grateful and excited that the revenue at my one-woman business has grown by over 340% since 2021 (while I’m servicing 20% fewer sessions than I was in 2021). I not only have a book of clients I adore, but I enjoy my work AND my play. I’m in a position to be squirreling money away for retirement, continuing education, emergencies, and (gasp!) vacations. Not to mention, I have the time, energy, and bandwidth to do more good in my community, and pursue additional passions (like helping massage therapists like yourself build the studio and income you deserve).
Let’s get you there, too.
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.
