InTouch

I was excited to attend The Alliance for Massage Therapy Education’s 2nd annual conference in Charleston, SC last month because I knew it would be an inspiring and valuable experience. I certainly was not disappointed. The conference was attended by massage therapy authors, CE providers, school owners, instructors, exhibitors (BIOTONE included) and several stake holder organizations (NCBTMB, FSMTB, etc). This dynamic group of 125 participants all came together to discuss “Bringing Teaching to the Next Level” for massage therapy...

I talk a lot about the need to have goals. Successful businesses don’t just happen. You need to carefully think about what you want to achieve and set a course of action to get there. But no matter what goals you set, the marketplace changes and you need to respond accordingly...

Here are three current consumer trends that should be foremost in your business building radar:

• Clients in the current economic climate are more interested than ever in value.
• Baby boomers are not only planning on not dying, they want to look and feel good not doing it.
• People prefer treatments that are an investment in prevention and health.

If you live near Longmont, Colorado, you have a great opportunity to volunteer your time and showcase your skills to the community while you do it. The American Diabetes Association is looking for volunteer massage therapists to help out on August 20th for its big fundraiser the Tour de Cure Colorado bike ride. Last year, more than 1600 riders participated in the event which raised over $800,000...

The Alliance for Massage Therapy Education (AFMTE) is holding their second annual conference August 18 – 20 in Charleston South Carolina to discuss the theme Bringing Teaching to the Next Level. This event brings the best of the best together to work toward creating a standard of excellence in massage therapy education...

In an ideal world, every client values your service, praises your skills, shows up on time and pays promptly. But we don’t live in an ideal world, and there always will be clients who either test your patience or diplomatic skills. You know those clients. They are the ones you dread because they complain too much, are always late and even worse don’t pay at the end of the session. How many times have you heard, “I must have left my checkbook or credit card at home?” With these clients, the chemistry is just off.

Close your eyes, take a deep breath, let it out slowly and smile. This statement is printed on the back of my business cards for a reason. It is to remind my clients of one of the most important functions in life – to breathe joyfully. Joyfully? Absolutely...

“You've got to accentuate the positive, eliminate the negative, latch on to the affirmative and don't mess with mister in-between.”That song may not be familiar to all of you, but this old song is a favorite of mine because that’s how I view running my business. In fact, most successful business owners I’ve met share this view. Running your business is not a 9 to 5 commitment...

Where there is congestion, FLOW cannot exist - without flow things get stuck. Although not impossible, it is difficult to feel at ease when things are stuck. Nasal congestion can make you feel like your head is going to explode, traffic congestion can frustrate even the calmest of us, mental congestion can paralyze our decision making processes to the point of complete self-destruction and bodily congestions cause pain, restricted movement (of both body and internal processes) and diseases such as atherosclerosis and cancer...

Do you like Coca Cola or Pepsi? Are you a Mac user or do you have a Dell PC? Do you prefer Holiday Inn to Marriott? Every day we make decisions about the products and services that we incorporate into our lives. A large part of that decision making has to do with our personal connection to the offering...

I can’t believe I just finished celebrating another great birthday at the Las Vegas Spa show. I genuinely enjoy the wide diversity of participants in these classes which include massage therapists, estheticians and spa directors. I am always delighted to discover that we all share a common goal... to provide the best possible experience while delivering the most effective results...

Everybody Deserves a Massage Week is coming up. This year it's July 17-23. I'm a huge fan of this wonderful grassroots promotion sponsored by Associated Bodywork & Massage Professionals (ABMP). You have an opportunity to contribute to your community and raise visibility for massage therapy at the same time...