Buy The Damn Bolster
Why Investing In Your Studio Is The Right Choice
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.
There are *hundreds* of ways to improve your business – entrepreneurship is an ongoing journey, and our solo massage studios will continue evolving until the day we retire.
But today we’re just focusing on one very simple way to improve your business. .
One way to increase your revenue.
One way to help you stand out from the crowd.
One way to level-up your client experience and build lifelong loyalty.
So keep reading, and let’s get your show on the road.
Today’s one thing is a prenatal bolster.
Just buy the damn thing already. (Here’s a link to one).
Depending on where you shop, it averages about $500. Bite the bullet and make the investment.
Prenatal massage is gaining popularity.
Prenatal massage is easy on our hands - and sprinkling these sessions into our otherwise Deep Tissue day is a great way to give ourselves a respite while still earning money and helping mamas.
Prenatal massage is intimidating for many MTs. This means that if you bother to learn the ropes, get the equipment, and offer it ethically, you’ll be effortlessly setting yourself apart from the crowd.
But despite the growing popularity of prenatal bodywork, there is still a stubborn resistance to buying the bolsters.
Here are the two most common reasons I hear that massage therapists resist investing in a bolster. They are accompanied by reasons you should ultimately get one:
It’s “too expensive.”
No. False. I will agree that it’s an investment. But my agreement only extends that far. A bolster will pay for itself in no time. If you take on one extra session per week, it pays for itself in a month, before interest even kicks in on the credit card you bought it with.
Plus, spending money in your business once in a while sets the intention that you are ready for growth and the abundance that will follow.
It’s “not actually safe” for pregnant women.
Also false. I used to worry about this one, too. “A massage therapist somewhere online told me it wasn’t safe so now I believe her” was very much lingering in the back of my mind. But instead of believing a doomsday naysayers I saw online once, I sought out the advice and expertise of three medical professionals who actually deal with mamas and babies all day long; a chiropractor who specializes in pre/perinatal adjustments, an OBGYN, and a pre/perinatal Physical Therapist. They all set my concerns at ease.
Long story short, there *may* be some situations where the bolster isn’t appropriate, but those are all high-risk pregnancies anyway… and a run-of-the-mill MT is not offering prenatal massage to high-risk mamas. We refer those out.
The main points I was told were:
“If mom isn’t comfortable? Don’t use it.
If mom feels pulsing down her legs? Don’t use it.
Otherwise, go for it. She’ll love being able to lay face down comfortably for the first time in months. You’re not putting her there for hours. It’s 30 minutes. She’ll be fine, and more relaxed than she’s been in ages.”
So. Whether you already offer prenatal massage, or are thinking of offering it soon; buy the bolster.
You won’t regret it.
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 The Bodyworkers Business Collective, Queen Street Marketplace, and The Techy MT to learn more.
