We all have motivating factors that have pointed us into the direction of Massage Therapy.

What were yours? We come from a wide range of influences:

• Were you a client or patient of massage and it helped you heal?
• Did you have a job in the health and wellness field and it was a progression for you?
• Did you have a high pressure job and needed a change?
• Were you retrained from a previous career?

There are numerous possibilities of scenarios; no matter your reasons, we all felt a desire to help others. For me, it was a transition from being an athlete and personal trainer and at that time the best trainers I knew were LMT’s.

I have found my journey to be quite unpredictable especially the first 15 years. I went from working clinically, working with athletes, managing massage programs for spas, becoming a CE provider, work as VP of sales and education for a product manufacturer and now as a consultant and practitioner.

There is an increase of career opportunities in the massage/spa world as it develops and changes with new demands on businesses as they grow and prosper. I see this as a good thing; more practitioners are stepping into management therefore have the potential to benefit the overall communication, productivity and harmony in the workplace.

I have no intention of leaving the massage/wellness industry but I do acknowledge the wear and tear 20 years of massage has had on my body. This makes it more important than ever to develop our skills outside the treatment room because it can provide new opportunities.

We are in an exciting time of growth and possibilities so we need to evolve with the industry while we maintain balance and integrity. This is not easy and there will always be challenges put in your way but these trials make your resolve even stronger to support your peers and clients.

Our journey appears to be a never ending organic process which I am proud to be a part of.