Last Tuesday found me in an ICU in central Louisiana, sitting next to a friend as he breathed his last. In 3-1/2 weeks he had gone from "what do you mean I'm riddled with cancer?" to the end of this earthly existence.
As you can imagine, it took everyone in his life by shock and was a whirlwind of grief, panic, and confusion. I am grateful I was able to be by his side when he died.
John was more than a friend -- and he was a great friend of almost 30 years -- he was also a key member of my informal "board of directors". I can't possibly know everything I need to know to run my business but when I look around at my friends and colleagues, I realize I have access to a great depth of professional experience.
John for business and financial advice
Adriana for marketing advice
Margo for taxes, taxes, taxes!
My husband Jeff for a reality-check
Kitty for imagination (and also reality check)
Rich and Lizzie for editorial help
Clare for building quality adult education
There are more.
John, a retired accountant and investment manager 14 years my senior, was particularly important for helping me develop my business, bite-sized courses. A primary focus of those is "translating" business concepts to language that makes them more accessible (and useful) to massage therapists. I often ran things past John just to make sure that in the process of "translation" I hadn't left solid business truths behind.
When I first talked to him about my very different approach to business plans, he huffed and puffed a bit ("that's not the way one talks about business plans!") (he was also English so saying "the way one talks" just sounded so much cuter coming from him).
But then he stopped, really thought about what I was saying, critically examined whether I was saying anything wrong and, God bless him, asked me good questions about massage therapists so he could understand why I felt the need to re-cast the traditional business plan.
And then gave me invaluable feedback on what worked, where I could get more info, and where I was perfectly right to present things in a non-traditional way. And a lot of encouragement to keep doing what I do.
We all need people to advise us on the things we aren't so knowledgeable about. It's OK (possibly even wise) to admit -- out loud -- what you don't know and ask for help. Sometimes, you need to pay a professional. Sometimes you can find support among your existing circle of friends and family (as long as you don't abuse it!).
I will miss John keenly for a long time as a great friend and fellow trouble-maker in the 4th pew on Sunday morning. I will also miss the wise advisor who encouraged me and supported me in ways I needed.
RIP John. I hope the angels sang you home.
Tuesday, September 23, 2014
Tuesday, September 2, 2014
Did We Bring This On Ourselves?
I was working with a new massage therapist recently. She wants to work for someone else while she gets her legs under her and can build a private practice. Gyms, spas, and chiropractors would not be great fits for her but a group practice would be.
When I started to list group practices that were geographically convenient and well-run, it ended up being a surprisingly short list. That's depressing.
Here's a hard but true fact: franchises like Massage Envy are successful in part because they fulfill a need we have and we aren't filling for ourselves as well as we could. In short, they give MTs a place to work who just need a place to work. They give those MTs a full schedule and an organized environment.
Yes, it comes with some significant disadvantages and they aren't always run in our best interest but I could say that about gyms, chiropractors, spas, cruise ships, and every other place we work as well. As long as most of the places we can work are run by non-massage-therapists, we will always be at a disadvantage.
Yes, there are MT-led group practices but (1) there's not enough of them and (2) some of them are run as poorly as places that aren't massage-centric. Too many of these businesses are being run haphazardly and by the seat of the owner's yoga pants.
I will be the first to say that many of us are not cut out to manage a multi-therapist practice and it would be a mistake to try. But there are those who could and who aren't. Why not?
Probably because they recognize how much work it is and they don't have the training or support to set such a practice up well. Or they have done it and they're doing it poorly because (again) they don't have the training or support to run it well.
Where is that knowledge, training, and experience in our profession?
There are coaches who can walk you through that one on one if you're willing to spend the time and money (and it would be time and money well-spent with the right coach). I don't think there are enough of them either, though.
What about the people already running successful well-respected group practices? Are they sharing their wisdom? What would happen if each person running a successful multi-therapist practice set up an apprenticeship or internship with the conscious intent to teach another MT how to run their own multi-therapist practice? How powerful a transformation would that create?
I would love, love, LOVE to see us leading us. I would love to see us employing us. I would love to see us owning franchises (and, believe it or not, there are massage therapists who own Massage Envy franchises!). I would love to see us grabbing the reins of our own profession and riding it boldly into the future.
Do you have the temperament, interest, and/or ability to run a multi-therapist practice? If the answer is yes and ...
... you're not doing it, why not?
... you are doing it, where did you learn how to do it?
When I started to list group practices that were geographically convenient and well-run, it ended up being a surprisingly short list. That's depressing.
Here's a hard but true fact: franchises like Massage Envy are successful in part because they fulfill a need we have and we aren't filling for ourselves as well as we could. In short, they give MTs a place to work who just need a place to work. They give those MTs a full schedule and an organized environment.
Yes, it comes with some significant disadvantages and they aren't always run in our best interest but I could say that about gyms, chiropractors, spas, cruise ships, and every other place we work as well. As long as most of the places we can work are run by non-massage-therapists, we will always be at a disadvantage.
Yes, there are MT-led group practices but (1) there's not enough of them and (2) some of them are run as poorly as places that aren't massage-centric. Too many of these businesses are being run haphazardly and by the seat of the owner's yoga pants.
I will be the first to say that many of us are not cut out to manage a multi-therapist practice and it would be a mistake to try. But there are those who could and who aren't. Why not?
Probably because they recognize how much work it is and they don't have the training or support to set such a practice up well. Or they have done it and they're doing it poorly because (again) they don't have the training or support to run it well.
Where is that knowledge, training, and experience in our profession?
There are coaches who can walk you through that one on one if you're willing to spend the time and money (and it would be time and money well-spent with the right coach). I don't think there are enough of them either, though.
What about the people already running successful well-respected group practices? Are they sharing their wisdom? What would happen if each person running a successful multi-therapist practice set up an apprenticeship or internship with the conscious intent to teach another MT how to run their own multi-therapist practice? How powerful a transformation would that create?
I would love, love, LOVE to see us leading us. I would love to see us employing us. I would love to see us owning franchises (and, believe it or not, there are massage therapists who own Massage Envy franchises!). I would love to see us grabbing the reins of our own profession and riding it boldly into the future.
Do you have the temperament, interest, and/or ability to run a multi-therapist practice? If the answer is yes and ...
... you're not doing it, why not?
... you are doing it, where did you learn how to do it?
Tuesday, August 12, 2014
Who Can We Trust?
There are a lot of people saying, in effect, "just ask/follow me! I have all the answers to your business questions!" (Possibly even this blog sometimes.) You can't follow them all, unless you're really fond of having a headache. How do you choose?
Last week I learned something important about who not to follow.
I want to offer more business instruction. Webinars, ebooks, live classes, etc. That's a significant re-jiggering of my professional life. I decided it would be wise to do a more formal "market analysis" than I've done so far.
The Small Business Administration has a partner organization that offers free business advice, coaching, and mentoring. These consultations are with retired executives who are volunteering their expertise and experience. I signed up for a consultation.
With just a few cursory questions, the mentor declared that my business idea was hopeless and would never work. He announced this 5 minutes after I sat down and spent the rest of the hour explaining to me why he was so well-equipped to make this decision, how big his former business was (retail furniture sales), how impressive all the other volunteers were (having run multimillion dollar businesses), etc. There were a lot of mistakes in his assumptions about our profession but he wouldn't shut up long enough for me to explain that.
My favorite of his reasoning? Since his organization offered, in effect, the same thing (business classes and mentoring) for free and they had trouble getting people to use their services, my plan couldn't possibly succeed. After all, I couldn't begin to match their qualifications and credibility.
He also chuckled lightly throughout the hour. This may have been sheer nervousness. I'm aware that when I'm really angry, it's almost impossible to keep that emotion off my face.
And I was really really angry. After I got over the urge to cry at being treated so dismissively. I walked out of there utterly determined to make my plans work, just to prove him wrong!
It's not enough to be "smart". When I need help with my business questions, I want someone who:
- listens well,
- asks lots of questions,
- is patient,
- shows compassion for my burning desire to make my business idea work (no matter how unrealistic),
- teaches rather than judges, and
- leads me through the kind of questions and research that will help me realize my idea is unrealistic if that's true.
The quote at the top of this post is from an Australian life coach, Ingrid Arna. She's right. Why shouldn't our business partnerships have a strong (positive) emotional component to them?
It's foolish to think "doing business" is all about what you've got in your head. If you've been a massage therapist for very long, you've learned that every aspect of it, including the business aspects, involves your heart and soul.
When you're contemplating doing business with someone else, listen to the parts of your body below your eyebrows. Does your heart expand when talking to this person? Does your gut relax and trust? Do you get excited about what you and this person can do together?
Is there love present? Love for your work, love for your profession, love for your business?
I will say, this guy helped me get real clear about what my approach to working with all of you is. I will:
- actually listen to you and ask a lot of questions, not presuming I'm so damned smart I already know all I need to know
- give you the education to help you make your own decisions, possibly including the decision to change your mind about what you want to do
- respect the passion that drives you to make your practice work, maybe even get excited about it with you
- use language you can understand
- explain terms and concepts in ways that fit in your world
- presume you're smart and deserve to succeed
- respect that your dream may be a little crazy but it's still worth a try
- NOT MAKE YOU CRY
Thursday, August 7, 2014
Did Your School Really Prepare You To Be A Professional?
I think Lauren Muser Cates is one of the blessings to our profession that we can never be thankful enough for. (OK, editor friends, did that sentence parse correctly?) In addition to her beautiful work with oncology massage, she also writes a blog about massage therapists for massage therapists. She can be funny, wry, and even hilarious. She can also be biting and spot on about some of the issues in our profession.
A recent post had me nodding in agreement from the first paragraph to the last (and not just because she mentions me by name!) She talks earnestly and pointedly about what it means to call yourself a "professional" and what behavior doesn't qualify as professional.
I realized that our strongest lessons about what it means to be a massage professional came first from massage school, from the faculty and the administration.
How did they run the school?
How did they move, talk, and represent themselves? Was it with dignity and compassion, and (yes) professionalism?
Was it clear they were as devoted to the profession as they were to making sure your check cleared? Did they attend conferences and participate in professional associations? Were they independent of any given employer of massage therapists?
Did they actually turn people away that they didn't think were wise to be entering this profession? Did they hold back students (or even "flunk" them) when it was clear the student was not able to meet the academic standards of the school? Did you have classmates that clearly couldn't learn this stuff but were passed through anyways? How many of your classmates came out of school reasonably able to pass either national exam (if required in your state) on the first or second try?
Were the faculty now or ever practicing massage therapists themselves? What was the experience of the administration with massage therapy? Did they even receive regular bodywork??
How did they talk about being a professional?
Did they have a clear idea of what you can and can’t do and still consider yourself a “professional”. Could they explain their reasoning? Could the engage in a back and forth about it?
Did they have these conversations with you in and out of the classroom? More than once? Possibly related to every aspect of what they were teaching you? Did they explain why this or that made you more or less of a professional?
Did they set a high or low bar for what it means to be a professional MT? Did they tell you it took more to be a professional than effectively rubbing oil on naked people?
How did they talk about our profession?
Did they denigrate our profession in any way? Did they -- subtly or overtly -- suggest that MTs who talk about "professionalism" are taking themselves too seriously? Did they -- subtly or overtly -- suggest you set your professional expectations low because, after all, you're just a massage therapist. Did they talk about reasons to be (or not) involved in professional associations, conferences, licensing issues, research, and the future of our profession?
Did they talk about being connected to other massage therapists after graduation? Did they talk about other massage therapists as your colleagues or your competition?
Or was it all about where to go to make the biggest buck and let someone else worry about all that other boring stuff?
I suspect too many schools would not do well if measured against these standards. Why? Because I read the invective and confusion out here in the misty reaches of the internet on too many massage therapists boards. I see the hate. I see the befuddlement. I see the hurt. I feel the hurt because it hurts me!
How did / does your school measure up?
A recent post had me nodding in agreement from the first paragraph to the last (and not just because she mentions me by name!) She talks earnestly and pointedly about what it means to call yourself a "professional" and what behavior doesn't qualify as professional.
I realized that our strongest lessons about what it means to be a massage professional came first from massage school, from the faculty and the administration.
How did they run the school?
How did they move, talk, and represent themselves? Was it with dignity and compassion, and (yes) professionalism?
Was it clear they were as devoted to the profession as they were to making sure your check cleared? Did they attend conferences and participate in professional associations? Were they independent of any given employer of massage therapists?
Did they actually turn people away that they didn't think were wise to be entering this profession? Did they hold back students (or even "flunk" them) when it was clear the student was not able to meet the academic standards of the school? Did you have classmates that clearly couldn't learn this stuff but were passed through anyways? How many of your classmates came out of school reasonably able to pass either national exam (if required in your state) on the first or second try?
Were the faculty now or ever practicing massage therapists themselves? What was the experience of the administration with massage therapy? Did they even receive regular bodywork??
How did they talk about being a professional?
Did they have a clear idea of what you can and can’t do and still consider yourself a “professional”. Could they explain their reasoning? Could the engage in a back and forth about it?
Did they have these conversations with you in and out of the classroom? More than once? Possibly related to every aspect of what they were teaching you? Did they explain why this or that made you more or less of a professional?
Did they set a high or low bar for what it means to be a professional MT? Did they tell you it took more to be a professional than effectively rubbing oil on naked people?
How did they talk about our profession?
Did they denigrate our profession in any way? Did they -- subtly or overtly -- suggest that MTs who talk about "professionalism" are taking themselves too seriously? Did they -- subtly or overtly -- suggest you set your professional expectations low because, after all, you're just a massage therapist. Did they talk about reasons to be (or not) involved in professional associations, conferences, licensing issues, research, and the future of our profession?
Did they talk about being connected to other massage therapists after graduation? Did they talk about other massage therapists as your colleagues or your competition?
Or was it all about where to go to make the biggest buck and let someone else worry about all that other boring stuff?
I suspect too many schools would not do well if measured against these standards. Why? Because I read the invective and confusion out here in the misty reaches of the internet on too many massage therapists boards. I see the hate. I see the befuddlement. I see the hurt. I feel the hurt because it hurts me!
How did / does your school measure up?
Tuesday, August 5, 2014
Your Marketing Headspace: What's True For You?
Two weeks ago I talked about general rules for marketing. These are truths that are generally true for all businesses or at least for massage therapists. We need to keep these in mind when thinking about how we market our practices.
There's a second side to this marketing headspace: what's specifically true for you. Some of the marketing decisions and realities you have to deal with are unique to you. When I sit down with MTs to help them jumpstart their marketing efforts, I explain that they need to have a clear picture of three things:
- What they're offering
- Who they're marketing to
- Themselves
What You're Offering
You aren't selling massage therapy. If you were, everyone with the same educational credentials would be the same. They aren't. What we're really offering is (1) an experience and/or (2) a particular outcome.
Are my sessions sports-oriented or am I all about the energetic body? Do I prefer working with athletes or geriatrics? Is my office warm and fuzzy or neat and medical? Am I likely to engage you in an extended intake or will I stay tightly focused, gettin you on and off the table as quickly as possible? Do I tend to form long-term relationships with clients or am I more focused on helping you rehabilitate a problem and move on?
How will you be different after a session with me? Lighter? More graceful? In less pain? Centered? Able to run faster and jump higher? More in touch with your own body? More flexible? Less emotionally "gummed up"?
This is a one-on-one industry. Each of us offers a different kind of experience and are better at helping to produce particular outcomes. What's yours?
Who's The Best Person For You To Market To
I've said this many times before but what the heck, I'll say it again: most of us are functioning with limited time, energy, and money especially for marketing. It makes sense to spend those resources connecting with the kinds of people that are the very best fit for us. It doesn't mean we won't work with someone outside that profile but our energies and resources are focused on the clients that are the best fit for us.
I don't market to athletes. If you're hardcore about your training or competition, there are other local MTs who are a better fit for you and I'll happily give you their name and number. On the other hand, I particularly like working with people who are using massage to endure the slings and arrows of middle age or of long-term conditions. I like ongoing relationships.
I'm going to use language and images to speak to these people. I'm going to put myself in places these people are more likely to be. I can't be everywhere and I can't be everything. I have to choose. We all do.
Who Are You
You are at the epicenter of your practice. Baby, it is all about you! What are you good at? What are you lousy at? What energizes you? What drains you? When are you at your best and your worst? You might as well accept these truths about yourself and take them into consideration when planning your marketing efforts.
I don't do networking events because I'm an introvert and they drain me completely.
I write newsletters and blogs because I'm a professional writer and I enjoy it.
I will build my own website (after finishing my WordPress class) because I've got some rudimentary technical skills. I pay people to provide graphics because I don't have those skills.
I will talk to groups because I'm comfortable doing that (despite being an introvert) but I know I may need extra downtime afterwards.
I will donate chair massage to organizations I am strongly attached to.
I don't offer a lot of discounts because, honestly, I get confused about what I'm offering at any given time!
I don't answer the phone after 9 pm. :)
It does me no good to try to fit myself into someone else's model of the "perfect marketer" because the odds are very high that I won't fit. If I had the money to hire a professional marketer I would but I don't so I'm stuck with me in all my glory and mess. When you are honest with yourself, what kind of marketing efforts make sense for the person you actually are and what are things you're just not going to be good at?
What are you offering?
Who are you trying to reach?
Who are you?
When you have solid answers to these three questions, you are well on your way to making better marketing decisions.
Tuesday, July 29, 2014
Calculating the Split
"The Split" is often a source of consternation and confusion for massage therapists. "What's normal" or "what's right" or "what's legal" are often bandied about by MTs who don't fully understand the Split.
Here's what most of us don't grasp: the portion of a massage session payment that the establishment owner keeps is payment for specific goods and services they provide for you. It's not (or it shouldn't be) a random number based on what any of us think we are "worth". It's a payment for goods or services.
No two business owners and no two massage therapists are exactly alike. Which is why you need to negotiate this as part of your contract and why it needs to be spelled out in your independent contract.
Ask yourself this:
And here's your bottom-line question: What goods and services have actual financial value to me?
Make a list. Don't list everything you get by working in someone else's space. List those things that have measurable financial value to you. Those things that would cost you a noticeable amount of money if you had to provide them yourself. Here's my list of what I'd pay someone for:
Marketing / full schedule = 15% [OR referrals (in a chiro / medical office) = 15%]
Room = 10%
Laundry = 5%
Payment processing = 5%
Scheduling = 5%
Supplies = 5%
I'll negotiate these numbers to a certain extent, of course but if, in effect, I can walk in, do my work, and walk out I will pay up to but never more than 50% of what I make. The more I've got to do, the less I pay them.
We need to think about The Split in a business way:
In practical terms, how do we pay them for the goods and services they provide? Through a portion of each massage. We could also agree to pay them a flat fee per month. Or a monthly fee for the actual cost of these goods and services. In our industry The Split has become the most convenient way to do this.
Quit thinking "they're only paying me $$ for each massage!" Start thinking "They want me to pay them $$ for the goods and services they provide. Are these goods and services worth this kind of money to me?"
If you don't know what your Split is paying for, you need to get clear with the business owner about that. If your Split keeps changing based on the owner's whims, you need to get clear with them about this. If the business establishment is adding on little fees on the fly, you need to sit down with the owner and specify, between you, what you pay for and nothing else.
You don't do this because you're mean or venal or greedy or aggressive. You do it because you are a smart business owner yourself and you know that getting clear on this leads to fewer problems in the business relationship down the road. It's what real business owners do.
Lots of business owners don't realize this is actually the thinking that is underneath The Split. They may rant and rave about "I need to make $$ from massage or I can't survive!" Possibly true, but not your responsibility as a contractor. You are in business with this person for your mutual benefit. You can like each other and hope for the very best for each other and strive to make each of you successful. But your relationship is still a business relationship and needs to be conducted like one.
What happens if the business owner won't do this? You are dealing with someone who is less professional than you are and, I promise you, that will come back to bite you in the piriformis at some point. How long are you willing to wait for the Munch On Your Backside to happen (because it will happen)? Plan accordingly.
Here's what most of us don't grasp: the portion of a massage session payment that the establishment owner keeps is payment for specific goods and services they provide for you. It's not (or it shouldn't be) a random number based on what any of us think we are "worth". It's a payment for goods or services.
No two business owners and no two massage therapists are exactly alike. Which is why you need to negotiate this as part of your contract and why it needs to be spelled out in your independent contract.
Ask yourself this:
- What would I pay the establishment owner for at the end of every session if I had to pay as I went along?
- What goods or services do I receive that make my work possible?
- What goods and services are easier for me to have them provide than to have me provide?
- What would cost me time and money if I had to provide them for myself?
And here's your bottom-line question: What goods and services have actual financial value to me?
Make a list. Don't list everything you get by working in someone else's space. List those things that have measurable financial value to you. Those things that would cost you a noticeable amount of money if you had to provide them yourself. Here's my list of what I'd pay someone for:
- Doing the kind of marketing that gives me a reasonably full schedule
- [OR If I'm a tenant in a medical office, referrals of their clients to me]
- A massage-appropriate room (with table!)
- Doing the laundry
- Handling the scheduling (and doing it well)
- Massage supplies (lubricant, linens, music)
- Processing payments for me
Marketing / full schedule = 15% [OR referrals (in a chiro / medical office) = 15%]
Room = 10%
Laundry = 5%
Payment processing = 5%
Scheduling = 5%
Supplies = 5%
I'll negotiate these numbers to a certain extent, of course but if, in effect, I can walk in, do my work, and walk out I will pay up to but never more than 50% of what I make. The more I've got to do, the less I pay them.
We need to think about The Split in a business way:
- They are paying us 100% ($70 / $80 / $90 / $whatever) to provide a professional massage to their clients.
- We pay a certain percentage of that back to them for any goods and services they provide that make it easier for us to provide professional massage to their clients.
In practical terms, how do we pay them for the goods and services they provide? Through a portion of each massage. We could also agree to pay them a flat fee per month. Or a monthly fee for the actual cost of these goods and services. In our industry The Split has become the most convenient way to do this.
Quit thinking "they're only paying me $$ for each massage!" Start thinking "They want me to pay them $$ for the goods and services they provide. Are these goods and services worth this kind of money to me?"
If you don't know what your Split is paying for, you need to get clear with the business owner about that. If your Split keeps changing based on the owner's whims, you need to get clear with them about this. If the business establishment is adding on little fees on the fly, you need to sit down with the owner and specify, between you, what you pay for and nothing else.
You don't do this because you're mean or venal or greedy or aggressive. You do it because you are a smart business owner yourself and you know that getting clear on this leads to fewer problems in the business relationship down the road. It's what real business owners do.
Lots of business owners don't realize this is actually the thinking that is underneath The Split. They may rant and rave about "I need to make $$ from massage or I can't survive!" Possibly true, but not your responsibility as a contractor. You are in business with this person for your mutual benefit. You can like each other and hope for the very best for each other and strive to make each of you successful. But your relationship is still a business relationship and needs to be conducted like one.
What happens if the business owner won't do this? You are dealing with someone who is less professional than you are and, I promise you, that will come back to bite you in the piriformis at some point. How long are you willing to wait for the Munch On Your Backside to happen (because it will happen)? Plan accordingly.
Friday, July 25, 2014
Are We Nothing More Than Cannon Fodder?
From Wikipedia:
Cannon fodder is an informal, derogatory term for combatants who are regarded or treated as expendable ... generally used in situations where combatants are forced to deliberately fight against hopeless odds (with the foreknowledge that they will suffer extremely high casualties) ... derives from fodder, as food for livestock. Soldiers are the metaphorical food for enemy cannon fire.
I was going to write about marketing this week but I've got a burr up my butt and I'm going to share it with you, you lucky people.
I read a couple of massage therapist boards on the internet. This week it seems like every third post is some form of "I'm being taken advantage of but I don't know what to do about it" or "they say I have to do [fill in the blank] and that doesn't seem right but I don't know!" or "the workplace is so toxic but what else can I do as a lowly massage therapist?"
I'm not angry at the MTs posting. Most of them are young and/or new to the field (though not all of them). But I am very angry at the schools running these people through their "professional training programs". There are way too many schools teaching people how to rub oil on naked people but not really preparing them to be massage therapists. That sucks.
Preparing someone to truly be a massage therapist includes giving them a realistic picture of the work world for massage therapists and giving them the tools to navigate that work world. As near as I can tell, more than half the schools in this country are turning out the massage equivalent of cannon fodder -- you are just meat to fill the pockets of business owners. Don't ever forget you can be replaced!
We are a profession in an active state of evolution. Evolution should be towards something bigger and better. That is not where too many massage therapists are being led. I'll be damned if I'll sit back and watch us "evolve" into professional serfs. So listen up, kids, here are some truths about the massage therapy workplace.
We are not as educated as PTs, OTs, chiropractors, and doctors. But in a room with them, we're the experts about massage therapy.
Yeah, you spent months and months and too much money getting your massage education. In the workplace, no one cares (nor should they). That's not the reason you should get respect. The reason is this: if you're the only massage therapist in the room, you are the one that knows the most about massage therapy! Quit allowing yourself to be cowed by their educational background!
If you don't believe you're a valuable asset, no one else will either.
Yes, you're the expert on massage if you're the only MT in the room. But you may not be the only MT in the room. Or you may not be the first MT they've worked with. So you're green and insecure and they know it. They aren't going to respect that.
The answer: conquer your insecurity. Your insecurity resides securely and entirely in you. You need to fix it and you need to interact with the work world with confidence even if you are completely faking it. All confident people are faking it at some point.
The green-ness? Of course you're green. That doesn't mean you're worthless and should accept crap. They'll be charging money for your work. If it's good enough for their clients then it must be worth something!
The only real power you have in a professional relationship is your willingness to end it. Be willing to end it when it becomes abusive, dismissive, or wrong. Walk the bleep-bleep away!
What is it Dr. Phil likes to say? You teach people how to treat you. No, you aren't directly responsible for some manager / owner / other kind of professional treating you like s**t but you are directly responsible if you put up with it. You. Are. It's only "taking advantage of you" if you let it happen.
Quit expecting them to take care of you. That's your job.
If a client is acting inappropriately, you don't have to ask permission to end the session. You are the massage therapist in the session, you end the session and inform management that you're doing so.
For the love of all things holy, you don't have to wait for a client to actually sexually assault you before you're "allowed" to end the session! You're the professional. If, in your professional opinion, the behavior is out of bounds (and they did teach you about boundaries in your school, right???) then end the session.
If management doesn't like it they can take the chance of being groped next time.
You don't have to be nice to your clients. You have to be professionally courteous. They aren't the same thing.
Too many of us can't differentiate between rules of social engagement and rules of professional engagement. You have to be "nice" at family reunions and at your partner's company holiday party. You have to be professionally courteous with your clients.
That doesn't preclude you from being sympathetic and friendly and gracious with your clients but it does mean you don't put up with bulls**t because you're afraid of being seen as "not nice". You aren't friends just because you work together. You're colleagues. And the person on the table? Also not your buddy. That's your client.
If the client is out of line, say so clearly and directly. Don't know how to do that? Figure out your go-to phrase now (maybe with some help from other MTs) and practice it as long as you need to (out loud!) till you know you can say it when you have to.
If you are contemplating setting a client straight on boundaries and the voice you hear in your head is your mom's telling you that's not a nice thing to do, that's a pretty clear sign you're operating from social rules rather than professional rules (also, unless your mom is also a professional massage therapist, tell the voice to shut up).
They make money off your hands. You have concrete measurable $$ value to them. Quit acting like the beggar at the gate.
"But they'll fire me!" (whimper whimper) If you're an employee they might. That can happen virtually anywhere to anyone. There are no guarantees. You should always be prepared for that. But remember, while they're trying to find your replacement and bring them up to speed, they aren't making any money from you or them. You are their INCOME. Start acting like that matters.
If you are an independent contractor, your contract spells out the conditions under with either party can terminate the contract early. Which means your contract needs to define (1) the length of the contract and (2) the conditions for early termination. But, wait, their standard contract doesn't have either of those things? Don't sign it until it does. Those are basic requirements of a legal independent contractor relationship.
They won't hire you if you don't sign their contract as-is? Then they aren't someone you want to work with because the odds are that down the road they will, intentionally or unintentionally, take advantage of you.
Any contract is only as strong as your willingness to take it to court.
That's true for everyone, including the person / organization you're signing the contract for. Yes, they might take you to court (and they're even more likely to threaten to take you to court) but that costs money and time and energy. Are they really going to do that?
Same goes for you. Don't threaten it if you aren't going to follow through.
If someone is regularly violating the terms of your contract, they aren't going to stop.
They aren't going to suddenly have a change of heart and be all nice and fair and sweet. If they have a history of doing it, they'll keep doing it. Tell them -- once -- that they've violated the terms of the contract. Give them one chance to straighten up (this is not baseball, they don't get 3 strikes). If they don't respect your backbone and the contract after your warning, walk away. It's the only choice you have.
Private practice is not easy and it takes anywhere from 2-5 years to build a full client base. But it's all yours when you do.
Private practice is not nirvana. It's not like free money just flowing into your hands. And your schedule won't be full 6 weeks after you open. But if you're sick of working for other people, figure out how to do it.
There is no shame in having a second job so you can still do massage therapy.
There are tons of us who can't make a full-time income from massage. It's not easy. It's no shame to have something else with a steadier income stream. It doesn't mean you're not a "real" massage therapist. It's means you're a real person who deals with the reality of their life.
Independent contractors are not employees. You must understand how independent contracting works.
You are working with another organization as an IC, not for them. You have a contract with them, you aren't employed by them. I'm not just splitting hairs. It really matters. Not understanding the difference is at the root of a lot of massage therapy conflicts.
The split isn't because they're greedy. It's because they're providing you with specific services. Make sure it's worth it.
What are they providing for the money they're keeping? A room? Linens? Lubricants? Music? Scheduling? Laundry? Payment processing? Marketing / clients you didn't have to find yourself? These things are all very valuable and worth something. You get to decide how valuable they are to you. Don't just passively accept whatever number is on the contract they flourish in your face.
Seriously, sit down and figure out how many percentage points each of these things is worth to you (and that's the bulk of what it's worth paying for; anything else they throw in there, like office decorations, is gravy). Tell them what you're willing to pay them for. And make sure the contract spells it out! Which leads me to....
Learn to negotiate!!
Oh, Lord have mercy, if you can't / won't / don't know how (and won't learn) to negotiate you've just made yourself cannon fodder and I can't help you. If you are going in as an independent contractor or a potential employee, you can negotiate! The deal's not set in stone just because they already wrote it down. It's only words on paper. They are real easy to change.
You can't compare how much you make per massage in private practice with what you make per massage as an employee. That's like comparing apples to...lawn furniture.
I'm not going to spell it all out here but they are two very different ways of making income. You can't just say "I make more per hour in private practice/independent contracting" and assume that's therefore automatically the best deal.
When you've got a good working relationship, don't take it for granted.
Not all working relationships are doom and gloom (though more than I like to think about based on what I read on Facebook). Some are great. Some are with managers / owners who understand and respect massage therapists. Who strive to create a pleasant professional supportive work environment. Who will have your back when Mr. Happy Pants shows up. Who pay on time (and accurately). Who honor their contracts. Who provide good snacks (wait, snacks? Where did that come from? Must be dinner time).
Treat them like the treasure they are. Take care of them too. Speak well of them to others. Think of it like finally finding that great boyfriend / girlfriend. They're worth doing what it takes (within reason) to hang on to them.
I'm not yelling at you, honest. I'm not angry at you. I'm angry for you. I'm hyper-pissed-off at schools who either didn't prepare you or set your expectations too low (maybe to stay popular with local employers? Only a guess.). It's the #1 reason I teach business classes; it makes me crazy to see massage therapists taken advantage of or leave the field entirely because they don't know these things.
This is still a profession where the vast majority of us are self-employed, either in private practice or as independent contractors (yes, ICers are self-employed). It is our job to take care of ourselves. We have to have confidence, a sense of our worth, and a vertebral column (yes, backbone). Without those, being treated well is entirely up to chance. The odds are slightly better than, say, the lottery but not as much better as you might think.
You are a professional, valuable, and half of a business transaction. Make your half solid.
Confidential to Aries: wow, that massage this afternoon really shook some things up! Thanks!
Cannon fodder is an informal, derogatory term for combatants who are regarded or treated as expendable ... generally used in situations where combatants are forced to deliberately fight against hopeless odds (with the foreknowledge that they will suffer extremely high casualties) ... derives from fodder, as food for livestock. Soldiers are the metaphorical food for enemy cannon fire.
I was going to write about marketing this week but I've got a burr up my butt and I'm going to share it with you, you lucky people.
I read a couple of massage therapist boards on the internet. This week it seems like every third post is some form of "I'm being taken advantage of but I don't know what to do about it" or "they say I have to do [fill in the blank] and that doesn't seem right but I don't know!" or "the workplace is so toxic but what else can I do as a lowly massage therapist?"
I'm not angry at the MTs posting. Most of them are young and/or new to the field (though not all of them). But I am very angry at the schools running these people through their "professional training programs". There are way too many schools teaching people how to rub oil on naked people but not really preparing them to be massage therapists. That sucks.
Preparing someone to truly be a massage therapist includes giving them a realistic picture of the work world for massage therapists and giving them the tools to navigate that work world. As near as I can tell, more than half the schools in this country are turning out the massage equivalent of cannon fodder -- you are just meat to fill the pockets of business owners. Don't ever forget you can be replaced!
We are a profession in an active state of evolution. Evolution should be towards something bigger and better. That is not where too many massage therapists are being led. I'll be damned if I'll sit back and watch us "evolve" into professional serfs. So listen up, kids, here are some truths about the massage therapy workplace.
We are not as educated as PTs, OTs, chiropractors, and doctors. But in a room with them, we're the experts about massage therapy.
Yeah, you spent months and months and too much money getting your massage education. In the workplace, no one cares (nor should they). That's not the reason you should get respect. The reason is this: if you're the only massage therapist in the room, you are the one that knows the most about massage therapy! Quit allowing yourself to be cowed by their educational background!
If you don't believe you're a valuable asset, no one else will either.
Yes, you're the expert on massage if you're the only MT in the room. But you may not be the only MT in the room. Or you may not be the first MT they've worked with. So you're green and insecure and they know it. They aren't going to respect that.
The answer: conquer your insecurity. Your insecurity resides securely and entirely in you. You need to fix it and you need to interact with the work world with confidence even if you are completely faking it. All confident people are faking it at some point.
The green-ness? Of course you're green. That doesn't mean you're worthless and should accept crap. They'll be charging money for your work. If it's good enough for their clients then it must be worth something!
The only real power you have in a professional relationship is your willingness to end it. Be willing to end it when it becomes abusive, dismissive, or wrong. Walk the bleep-bleep away!
What is it Dr. Phil likes to say? You teach people how to treat you. No, you aren't directly responsible for some manager / owner / other kind of professional treating you like s**t but you are directly responsible if you put up with it. You. Are. It's only "taking advantage of you" if you let it happen.
- If someone regularly short-changes your check and you keep coming back to work, you're letting them take advantage of you.
- If someone regularly schedules you on your day off and you come into work on your day off anyways you're letting them take advantage of you.
- If they won't block Mr. Happy Pants from scheduling massage and you do a session with him anyways you are letting the owner and Mr. Happy Pants take advantage of you!
Quit expecting them to take care of you. That's your job.
If a client is acting inappropriately, you don't have to ask permission to end the session. You are the massage therapist in the session, you end the session and inform management that you're doing so.
For the love of all things holy, you don't have to wait for a client to actually sexually assault you before you're "allowed" to end the session! You're the professional. If, in your professional opinion, the behavior is out of bounds (and they did teach you about boundaries in your school, right???) then end the session.
If management doesn't like it they can take the chance of being groped next time.
You don't have to be nice to your clients. You have to be professionally courteous. They aren't the same thing.
Too many of us can't differentiate between rules of social engagement and rules of professional engagement. You have to be "nice" at family reunions and at your partner's company holiday party. You have to be professionally courteous with your clients.
That doesn't preclude you from being sympathetic and friendly and gracious with your clients but it does mean you don't put up with bulls**t because you're afraid of being seen as "not nice". You aren't friends just because you work together. You're colleagues. And the person on the table? Also not your buddy. That's your client.
If the client is out of line, say so clearly and directly. Don't know how to do that? Figure out your go-to phrase now (maybe with some help from other MTs) and practice it as long as you need to (out loud!) till you know you can say it when you have to.
If you are contemplating setting a client straight on boundaries and the voice you hear in your head is your mom's telling you that's not a nice thing to do, that's a pretty clear sign you're operating from social rules rather than professional rules (also, unless your mom is also a professional massage therapist, tell the voice to shut up).
They make money off your hands. You have concrete measurable $$ value to them. Quit acting like the beggar at the gate.
"But they'll fire me!" (whimper whimper) If you're an employee they might. That can happen virtually anywhere to anyone. There are no guarantees. You should always be prepared for that. But remember, while they're trying to find your replacement and bring them up to speed, they aren't making any money from you or them. You are their INCOME. Start acting like that matters.
If you are an independent contractor, your contract spells out the conditions under with either party can terminate the contract early. Which means your contract needs to define (1) the length of the contract and (2) the conditions for early termination. But, wait, their standard contract doesn't have either of those things? Don't sign it until it does. Those are basic requirements of a legal independent contractor relationship.
They won't hire you if you don't sign their contract as-is? Then they aren't someone you want to work with because the odds are that down the road they will, intentionally or unintentionally, take advantage of you.
Any contract is only as strong as your willingness to take it to court.
That's true for everyone, including the person / organization you're signing the contract for. Yes, they might take you to court (and they're even more likely to threaten to take you to court) but that costs money and time and energy. Are they really going to do that?
Same goes for you. Don't threaten it if you aren't going to follow through.
If someone is regularly violating the terms of your contract, they aren't going to stop.
They aren't going to suddenly have a change of heart and be all nice and fair and sweet. If they have a history of doing it, they'll keep doing it. Tell them -- once -- that they've violated the terms of the contract. Give them one chance to straighten up (this is not baseball, they don't get 3 strikes). If they don't respect your backbone and the contract after your warning, walk away. It's the only choice you have.
Private practice is not easy and it takes anywhere from 2-5 years to build a full client base. But it's all yours when you do.
Private practice is not nirvana. It's not like free money just flowing into your hands. And your schedule won't be full 6 weeks after you open. But if you're sick of working for other people, figure out how to do it.
There is no shame in having a second job so you can still do massage therapy.
There are tons of us who can't make a full-time income from massage. It's not easy. It's no shame to have something else with a steadier income stream. It doesn't mean you're not a "real" massage therapist. It's means you're a real person who deals with the reality of their life.
Independent contractors are not employees. You must understand how independent contracting works.
You are working with another organization as an IC, not for them. You have a contract with them, you aren't employed by them. I'm not just splitting hairs. It really matters. Not understanding the difference is at the root of a lot of massage therapy conflicts.
The split isn't because they're greedy. It's because they're providing you with specific services. Make sure it's worth it.
What are they providing for the money they're keeping? A room? Linens? Lubricants? Music? Scheduling? Laundry? Payment processing? Marketing / clients you didn't have to find yourself? These things are all very valuable and worth something. You get to decide how valuable they are to you. Don't just passively accept whatever number is on the contract they flourish in your face.
Seriously, sit down and figure out how many percentage points each of these things is worth to you (and that's the bulk of what it's worth paying for; anything else they throw in there, like office decorations, is gravy). Tell them what you're willing to pay them for. And make sure the contract spells it out! Which leads me to....
Learn to negotiate!!
Oh, Lord have mercy, if you can't / won't / don't know how (and won't learn) to negotiate you've just made yourself cannon fodder and I can't help you. If you are going in as an independent contractor or a potential employee, you can negotiate! The deal's not set in stone just because they already wrote it down. It's only words on paper. They are real easy to change.
You can't compare how much you make per massage in private practice with what you make per massage as an employee. That's like comparing apples to...lawn furniture.
I'm not going to spell it all out here but they are two very different ways of making income. You can't just say "I make more per hour in private practice/independent contracting" and assume that's therefore automatically the best deal.
When you've got a good working relationship, don't take it for granted.
Not all working relationships are doom and gloom (though more than I like to think about based on what I read on Facebook). Some are great. Some are with managers / owners who understand and respect massage therapists. Who strive to create a pleasant professional supportive work environment. Who will have your back when Mr. Happy Pants shows up. Who pay on time (and accurately). Who honor their contracts. Who provide good snacks (wait, snacks? Where did that come from? Must be dinner time).
Treat them like the treasure they are. Take care of them too. Speak well of them to others. Think of it like finally finding that great boyfriend / girlfriend. They're worth doing what it takes (within reason) to hang on to them.
I'm not yelling at you, honest. I'm not angry at you. I'm angry for you. I'm hyper-pissed-off at schools who either didn't prepare you or set your expectations too low (maybe to stay popular with local employers? Only a guess.). It's the #1 reason I teach business classes; it makes me crazy to see massage therapists taken advantage of or leave the field entirely because they don't know these things.
This is still a profession where the vast majority of us are self-employed, either in private practice or as independent contractors (yes, ICers are self-employed). It is our job to take care of ourselves. We have to have confidence, a sense of our worth, and a vertebral column (yes, backbone). Without those, being treated well is entirely up to chance. The odds are slightly better than, say, the lottery but not as much better as you might think.
You are a professional, valuable, and half of a business transaction. Make your half solid.
Confidential to Aries: wow, that massage this afternoon really shook some things up! Thanks!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)