Three Lessons

The woman who cleans the apartment every week is a whirlwind and a savvy and self-aware businesswoman. We chat if I'm here about business (while she flies around the apartment). Today we talked about insurance and hiring employees and contracts and a host of things.

At one point, she said (from the bathroom) "There are three things I've learned about business from running my own cleaning company." Here's her three things...

Always have a contract

In any professional relationship have a contract and read the contract. She's been on both the winning and the losing end of not reading contracts. The contract is the beginning and end of your business relationship.

AND contracts are negotiated, not just signed.

I've advised students and new massage therapists to take your own contract to a job interview. The fact that the spa/hotel/salon/group practice already has their boilerplate contract doesn't mean you have to accept it as is. If you bring your own, you can use the two of them as the place where you begin your negotiations.

Get everything in writing

No matter how good your relationship is with a businessperson, get everything in writing. Did you agree verbally to a rate change? Get it in writing. Did you agree to change who carries the insurance? Get it in writing. Did you agree to a change in duties? Get it in writing.

Everyone's memory is as susceptible to modification and mis-remembrance. Any conversation that's reduced to "you said..." vs. "no, what I said was..." is a losing conversation.

Remember it's business, not personal

Actually, she said "don't trust your employees", which made the employee working with her today laugh. She corrected herself and explained that she meant never mistake a business relationship for a personal relationship and vice versa. Remember and maintain those good boundaries.

You can have a cordial, even friendly, working relationship but remember it's always about work.

Trust your gut/trust yourself

It turns out, she had lots more lessons learned but I liked this one best. She said that when she first started in business, she wanted to be nice and she wasn't entirely confident in own judgement so she tended to do what others told her to do, even when her gut/intuition told her differently.

And she always regretted not listening to her gut.

A corrollary to this was to develop a strong sense of who you are as a business owner and keep that in your mind as you do business.

She actually had lots of other nuggets of learned wisdom that kept coming once she got started. You may see her and just see "cleaning lady" but she has multiple home and business contracts, has a staff, works hard, and knows that she is a small business owner.

She's very much like us and we could learn a lot from her.

Slogging My Way Through The Words

Writing. Writing. Writing. Writing. Writing.

I actually went to college for this??

I'm back at the Brisbane Square library today for another 2-hour session in the learning lounge. The lounge gives me access to a PC with Word, fast internet, Publisher, etc. etc. etc. and a printer. I have been coming here to do my writing several days a week because (1) it helps me break the isolation of working alone at home and (2) they've actually got decent office chairs for working on the PC!

It makes a difference.

It's funny that every time I come over to reserve a space, they ask me what I'm working on (directly or subtly). This learning lounge is meant to be for working, not just surfing the web. (They have another busy lounge for that.)

I've been coming here 2-4 days a week for several weeks now and they still ask me every time. I don't know if they're getting more or less suspicious.

The plan for today is:

1. Get a couple more pages of the NCBTMB Approved Provider application finished. It's not a horrendous application but (1) it's long, (2) it's detailed, and worst of all (3) you can't save your work.

Truly. You can enter all the info you want into this 35-page online application but you can not save your work. I found this so incomprehensible I actually called their offices (yes, from Australia) and they confirmed that, yep, that's how that works.

They agreed it's not ideal and suggested I print off each page as I get it complete. Since I don't have a printer in the apartment, I have to work on it here.

2. Whack away some more at chapter 1 of the "Travel Guide for the Spiritual Journey" book (my working title). I've finished a rough draft of the introduction and I'm now working on chapter 1. I've got a detailed outline but it's still a lot of work to turn that outline into readable prose.


Do I sound a bit whingey (translation: whiny)? I feel a bit whingey. I've done a lot of writing this week and my word brain cells are getting a cramp. I remind myself how fortunate I am to have the freedom and support to just write, something I've fantasized about (and, yes, I did go to college for this. I have a degree in journalism and spent 20 years making my living as a writer before switching to MT). But I'm kinda dragging today.

It is work. Struggling for the right word or sentence construction. Making sure I don't over-use phrases (and that is sooooo easy to do!). Analyzing the flow of information through the paragraph, the chapter, the book. Re-arranging and re-arranging and re-arranging. What if I put this sentence there? Does it read better if I swap these paragraphs? Oh but that would mean deleting this sentence and I really like this sentence! Am I using the same phrasing I used in the introduction (because I should be)? Am I still being engaging? Is this sentence too long? Should I expand upon this idea or is it self-explanatory? Do I sound arrogant? Do I sound simple-minded?

Work.

Maybe after my two hours are up here, I'll go grab my togs (translation: bathing suit) and head over to the manmade beach on Southbank and ogle the life guards.

It's a living.

Thinking About Money

I've been thinking about money lately. Not just about whether I have it or not but about the role it plays in our professional and personal lives.

Insight #1: Money Has No Intrinsic Value

If I hand you a random piece of paper with green ink and a profile on it, is it money? In the US, that's all our money really is (in other countries, they get to use a wider range of ink colors, darn it!).

It works as a medium of trade but only because we all agree to see it that way. Yes, there's that whole "backed by a heap of gold and silver in Ft. Knox" but have you ever actually seen that pile o' gold and silver? Me neither. I'm taking that on faith too. And I don't recommend you walk into a bank and ask to change your dollars for gold and silver.

If we all woke up tomorrow and decided that those pieces of paper didn't look all that valuable any more, our economy would collapse. Money is a mass delusion but a mass delusion we've all agreed to and gotten (more or less) comfortable with.

Insight #2: Money, Like Energy, Has To Move

I may get a little prejudicial with this.

Because money has no intrinsic value, because it is strictly a medium of exchange, I think it has be be, well, exchanged. It makes sense to lay a little aside for things you know you'll need it for in the future -- next month's rent, next year's vacation, your retirement -- but I think money actually....stagnates if you lay too much aside just because.

We've all met people whose whole sense of security comes from the number of zeroes in the bank / retirement / money market / etc. accounts. They can be reluctant to actually spend that money, however. It's existence in a place they can call their own is all that matters.

They often say they might need it for an emergency or "just in case". True enough. But I've met a few people who I think don't ever intend to spend it, not if they can help it. Money's whole value is that their name is attached to it and it's not going anywhere.

I also find these people tend towards a certain stagnation in themselves (yes, this is the prejudicial part). The more energy / attention / moments of your life you spend stacking up dollar bills just to have a stack of dollar bills, the less of that energy / attention / moments of your life are available for, well, living.

Insight #3: Money Picks Up The Energy Of Our Intentions

Yeah, I'm gonna go all woo-woo on you here. You have been warned.

American paper money is made from organic matter -- a blend of cotton and linen (Australian paper money is made from polymers). I teach in Energy 101 that all matter has an energetic signature. So, dollar bills have an energetic signature, even before anyone has done anything with it.

But think about how many hands a dollar bill goes through. Each of those hands has a feeling about the money, has intention for it, assigns some emotional and energetic significance to it. That energy has to end up in the fibers of that dollar bill somehow.

I wonder if money is some of the most energetically charged things we touch on a daily basis? What difference would it make to that cotton and linen if the energy we touched it with was the energy of thanksgiving and pleasure vs. fear and insufficiency? Joy vs. anger? A spirit of plenty vs. a spirit of poverty?

Does money live differently in your pocket -- and affect you differently -- if you accept with an open attitude of thanksgiving? And give it out the same way?

I don't have an answer. I just find myself thinking about this a lot lately.

On the Strength of My Own Determination

While I was at the AMTA conference in September, I introduced myself to each publisher that was there. I explained my business book and talked to them about whether it was something they would be interested in.

Most of them focus on textbooks and I don't really envision this as a textbook. Lippincott Wilkins and Williams (the biggest publisher in our biz) were at least intrigued. I got a biz card and said I'd follow up when I got back to Brisbane.

Which I did. And heard back on Friday that they are unlikely to be interested in the book. They feel they already have enough "massage business" books.

sigh

I'm glad she responded. She encouraged me to keep writing, if for no other reason than because I clearly believe so strongly in the book. And I will. I do believe in this book and I really want to write it.

I'll focus on self-publishing now (once I figure out how that actually works). I don't know that this book will ever be a best-seller, even in our small industry. But I still believe it has value. I still believe it's unique. And I'll keep writing.

Size Matters

Since I live in the heart of "downtown" Brisbane (the CBD), there are frequently people on the sidewalks handing me flyers, free newspapers, coupons, that sort of thing. On Fridy night, there were two young women in traditional Japanese costume handing out business cards for a hair salon / fashion boutique.

I was stunned when I finally looked at it to see how much information they had crammed into a 2 inch x 3 inch space!

When I taught business practices at PMTI, we talked about business cards as part of marketing. They are generally inexpensive to produce so there's no good reason not to have one. We spent a good bit of time in class talking about the practical challenges of a business card.

From my perspective, a business card exists to let a person know (1) who you are, (2) what you do, and (3) how to reach you. You can include a few other things but the challenge is normally to resist the urge to put everything about yourself on your card. It's not a resume. It's not an autobiography. It won't sell people on your practice by its lil' ol' self.

There needs to be enough on it to remind someone why they have it in their wallet when they pull it out again in 2, 4, or 15 weeks. Its design conveys, subtly, a general feel for your practice but you can't even take that too seiously. From my perspective, its purpose is to transmit basic data and facilitate contact.

From my perspective, the biggest mistake you can make with a business card is to not have one. (On you, at all times. In the immortal words of Kitty Southworth LMT "I will leave home without my underwear before I leave home without my business cards!")

But, yowsa!, the Ryota salon seems to have not gotten the message that "less is more". And there was more on the back of the card!

In contrast, I've laid their card next to a card I picked up at the recent AMTA conference from a publishers' rep.

When I pull either of these cards out of my wallet, I'll remember why I have them. But I won't get an eyestrain headache trying to contact the publishers' rep!

I think the salon would have been much better served with a 4x6 or 5x7 postcard (or maybe even better served with a simple brochure). Then they wouldn't have had to resort to 2 pt type.

Yet, everything I need to know is on there, including the name of the salon mascot, Lolly the dog. But at what price? This is a full color (though not glossy) card with 9 photographs! Not cheap.

I won't rule out cultural differences either. Perhaps there is a segment of Japanese culture where this kind of card is both common and expected. Except, of course, they're not handing these out in Japan. They're handing them out in Brisbane where business cards tend to look just like they do in the US.

Are they wrong to use this business card? Well, they certainly got my attention and I will remember them. But mostly I will remember it as an irritant and an example of what I wouldn't recommend.

When I Grow Up, I Want To Be....

Jeff and I have talked about the odds and practicality of extending our time here in Australia. We may have that option but if we do, I will need to find work I suspect.

I could look for massage work in a spa or group practice. Since I don't have a client base (or even my massage table and supplies) it's impractical to try to establish my own practice.

I could go back to my previous life and work as a writer, especially a technical writer. Though the software used to write technical manuals has changed in the last 10 years I'm sure and I haven't kept up.

What I find myself thinking about though is temp or retail work (though God help my sacrum if I have to be on my feet all day!). Something simple. Something without assumption of commitment or long-term relationships.

Something I can walk in and out of without much guilt or personal investment.

I don't feel the need to flex my well-developed professional muscles, either as a writer or an MT. I can be in it just for the paycheck and some co-workers.

I'm enjoying the simple and relatively unattached life here in Brisbane. There's a peacefulness to it that I'm coming to appreciate.

More On Touching Strangers

Compliments of NPR.

Touching Strangers: A Creepily Wonderful Concept

Touching Professionally and Non-Professionally

While I'm here in Brisbane, I'm taking the chance to meet some locals through an organization called CouchSurfing that I'm active in at home in DC. This morning I had tea with a beautiful young woman, Erica Field, who's a performance artist.

One of her favorite shows to take part in is called "Six Women In Front Of A White Wall" by the Little Dove Theater (she's on the far left in this pic). The premise is, as the name implies, 6 women stand in front of a white wall on stands, "acting out" somewhat in the Japanese Butoh tradition. The audience is invited to come up and touch the women. The women react honestly to the touch.

Erica talked about the profound nature of putting yourself up to be touched by strangers and the challenge of responding honestly. She talked about the profound things she has seen from audience members when they are invited to touch strangers but knowing that they will respond honestly to how they feel about the touch.

Of course, we talked about the intersection of that performance experience and the massage therapy experience. Vulnerability. Honesty. Touch. The necessity of being totally present to the experience.

I had a flash that it would be fascinating to have that performance performed at, say, an AMTA convention. How different would it be when the audience touches strangers every day (naked strangers to boot!)?

How different would it be for us to touch strangers with intention but not in our official roles as massage therapists? The balance of power shifts. While the audience is the one that decides whether or not to touch, the performers "control" the space by being the ones who initiated the experience and are the ones who will have the freedom to react honestly and immediately (something our clients don't always do). They're the "pros" in this setting, where we're the "pros" when we touch in session.

What happens when someone else is creating and has final control over the touch experience? Can we just....touch? Could we touch without the overwhelming urge to rub, to massage?

I hope I get a chance to see this performance some day. I imagine I will be one of the ones who want to touch but how will the performer respond to my non-professional touch? I hope I get to find out.

My Australian Office

Behind the couch, tucked between the kitchen and the TV. :)

When I Grow Up, I Want To Be...

After 10 years in any profession, it's a good idea to step back and give some thought to what you want out of the next 10 years. Otherwise, you are a prime candidate for burnout, even if you love your work. You don't need to switch careers but you do need to shake things up.

(Truth in advertising: I wrote a whole column on this for the DC chapter of the AMTA, so I'm sort of stealing my own lead!)

When Jeff and I decided to come to Australia, we decided I would use this time to write a book (or 3) I've had in my head. I'm also using this time to see what bubbles up for my practice. What new directions do I want to take? What leaps of the imagination might actually be possible?

It changes every week. An idea will just grab my brain with both hands and shake it while saying "we could do XYZ!!!" Last week, I was all caught up in the idea of renting a large-ish space and inviting other bodyworkers and allied professionals to rent space from me. Create the multi-speciality practice I've fantasized working in but do it as a landlord.

I spent a lot of time thinking about the logistics of that last week. Where would I find such a space? Should I rent or (gulp) buy? What would it take to get that kind of financing?? What part of the city? What would I be looking for in practitioners? How would I find them?

This week, that idea doesn't excite my brain as much. Today I find myself focusing on the "service" part of my practice, specifically the "pay what you can" policy I have. Where are the people who need and want massage and really can't afford it? What is a massively under-served community?

In DC, I live on the eastern end of Capitol Hill (over by RFK Stadium). Can I help bring massage and its healing to ward 7 and 8, even with my oh-so-white face? Would I be better off partnering with someone who's already working in ward 7/8? What about my existing, loyal, and loving clients who would find ward 7/8 waaaaaaaay the hell outside their comfort zone?

Next week....who knows? It's all part of my deeper psyche exercising it's imagining and envisioning muscles. Stay tuned. :)