Make the Most of Massage

Author: Mark Liskey

  • Black Lives Matter and My Massage Business – Doing What I Say I’m Going to Do

    I hesitated.

    I was editing our massage business website and I had written a sentence. The sentence was edited and ready to be published, but my finger hovered over the publish button.

    The sentence was factual.

    It was what I thought.

    It was what I felt.

    You could say I was the sentence.

    Yet I wavered.

    The sentence was: We support Black Lives Matter and are taking a community approach to fight racism.

    I did hit the publish button, but I can’t deny the unmistakable pause, the flinch, the micro-retreat in the face of perceived danger because I feared, I feared what I couldn’t predict.

    And what I couldn’t predict was this: Am I going to lose clients? Am I going to go out of business?

    Sure, Ben & Jerry’s can speak up because they know who’s buying their ice cream—people that support their views or people who are so addicted to their Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough that they don’t give a f*** what Ben & Jerry’s think.

    But my marketing team (me) was a little underfunded to understand our customer avatar.

    So, I don’t have a good guess as to what’s going to happen next.

    I also won’t have a good guess as to what will happen after I create a website page that’s dedicated to explaining how we’ll fight racism as a business.

    And I won’t have a good guess as to what will happen when a long-term client says something that seems innocuous on the surface but underneath is steeped in racism, and I politely tell her that her comment is not tolerated here.

    There’s a reason why I’ve kept activism and business separate all of my life.

    It’s called I don’t want to jeopardize making a living.

    I don’t tell clients I’m a vegan.

    I don’t tell them I marched with women in DC.

    And I certainly don’t tell them I’m an atheist.

    Did you just feel the sink-your-business effect?

    Just one of those alone, veganism, women’s rights or atheism, may make you want to stop reading my blog right now.

    Shut up, Mark.

    You’re out of your box.

    Stuff it.

    Stuffing it is what I’ve done in the massage room for most of my career.

    Besides preserving my job, stuffing it does have another benefit.

    If when you stuff it, you can step away from your reaction, there’s an opportunity to actually listen.

    And as one seasoned massage therapist wisely reminded me last week: When a client is on your table and you provide her space to talk out loud without judgment, there’s room for her to change.

    In the vegan world there’s an evolutionary psychologist, Doug Lisle, who has a phrase for this subtle form of “activism”: Getting along without going along.

    De-escalate. Insert your thought, feeling, or example in a non-threatening way. Step back and let the person work it out herself.

    Massage, having to establish therapeutic rapport with a client, naturally sets us up for getting along without going along.  

    Denny, was a client of mine who was a dentist. We shared a connection around human rights, and he talked a lot about his experiences of discrimination as a person of color both growing up and professionally.  

    During some of the human rights conversation he’d talk about his faith and his strong connection to Catholic church. Then one day he boxed me into a corner about my beliefs where I either had to out myself or lie to him, and I knew he wanted the truth.

    So, reluctantly, I told him that I wasn’t a believer.

    He was shocked and then blurted out: How can you be so nice?

    Our business relationship didn’t end. Our passionate conversations didn’t end. But what did end was his perception that all atheists are d****.

    In the vegan world there’s an activist, Gary Yourofsky, who uses the opposite approach for change. It’s the enough-is-enough approach.

    The enough-is-enough approach is blunt force. It’s an assault. It causes guilt, shame and trauma to activate change.

    The video of the murder of George Floyd is this.

    Watch it once and you’re outraged, disgusted, and angry.

    Watch it again and you’re even more outraged, disgusted and angry.

    Watch again and again and again and you have to do something to make that video (now in your head) never happen again.

    Gary Yourofsky tells young adults not to look away from the videos of cows being punched and kicked, and baby chicks being ground alive.

    Chris Cuomo on CNN tells viewers not to look away from the police officers who slowly and tortuously murdered George Floyd.

    They know that trauma and re-trauma make you feel bad emotions, like shame, guilt, and sadness. These emotions spur brain change.

    After the Women’s March in DC, I was working on Bob, a client of 20 years. Bob is white, in his 70s and a nice guy.

    When he entered the massage room and as I closed the door he said: Wow, that person that just left was the prettiest woman I ever saw.

    He then went on and tried to engage me in locker room talk, assuming that since I had a penis, I shared his thoughts.

    I shut him down. Cold.

    Bob’s face turned red. He was embarrassed and ashamed. And he knew he would have to work his ass off to restore cred with me.

    He immediately apologized and went on about how he had never done that with me before.

    I let him talk without saying a word. Eventually, he stopped by saying that he would never do it again.

    He hasn’t.

    Has he changed?

    I don’t know.

    To me, that moment wasn’t about facilitating change. That moment was enough is enough, time for the hammer on the head.

    Both Denny and Bob stayed as clients even though I used different tools, getting-along-without-going-along and enough-is-enough, to handle the situation.

    But you should know that the enough-is-enough example with Bob is a little misleading. I had a long-standing relationship with Bob and we had tough conversations. You’re taking a risk if you choose the enough-is-enough method with a new client.

    For me, I’m consciously adding more enough-is-enough tactics into my business model.

    A statement supporting Black Lives Matter and a webpage dedicated to how we as a business are going to fight racism are outright enough-is-enough tactics.

    Since I can’t predict how people landing on my website will feel about this I have to accept that I may lose some potential clients.

    If that happens, there’s a remedy: I’ll put my energy into finding  clients through other forms of advertising, like referral sources.

    Not allowing, Susan, a long-term client to say a veiled, racist comment is an enough-is-enough approach.

    If I lose Susan as a client, I’ll find another client.

    I know I’m sounding callous, and I do care about my clients deeply.

    But here’s what I care about more: True equality.

    Sorry, Susan, I’m not waiting another 10 years for you to make a modicum of change towards being less racist.

    My four godchildren will be 11, 15, 17, and 19 by then. They need equality now.

    Well, that’s where I’m at with my anti-racism checklist for my business. How about you?

    Please leave a comment below and let’s keep this conversation going.

    Also, if you want my latest info, sign up here:

  • Black Lives Matter and My Massage Business

    Black Lives Matter and My Massage Business

    So, here we are.

    Where are we?

    Well, in the US, 112,000 have died from Covid-19 and we’re still counting.

    Forty-three million have filed for unemployment benefits since the pandemic.

    And we have one more chance to rout out systemic racism that permeates our lives and our institutions or as the retired marine general John Allen said, This may be the beginning of the end of the American experiment.

    Strong words, but what happens the next time a black man is murdered by police, the very people who are supposed to protect and serve all US citizens; do you think it will only be police stations that will burn to the ground?

    That is not a political statement.

    That is a prediction based on recent and deep US history.

    The political part comes here: If we don’t make a change we deserve to have our cities, towns and suburbs burn to the ground.

    And I’m calling me out.

    Mark Liskey, as a citizen of the United States of America, as a business owner in Phoenixville, PA, and as an inhabitant of planet earth, BE the change.

    As a US citizen continue to be part of this:

    And this…

    And this…

    And this…

    And this…

    And this…

    As a business owner in Phoenixville, PA let your customers know that you contribute to and support Black Lives Matter.

    Reach out to local, black business owners in the area and see how you can align to support a black business community agenda.

    Speak up against racism even if it’s a customer you have to confront. 

    DO.

    NOT.

    TOLERATE.

    SILENCE.  

    Oh, remember that community outreach program for people without health insurance that never took off?

    You worked with a local community leader and you created a  discount massage program for your town’s free health clinic whose patients include people of color.

    You know why it didn’t work, right?

    People going to a free health clinic can’t afford to pay for massage at all.

    So, do a free massage clinic day.

    Or a self-massage workshop.

    Or a partner massage workshop.

    Or do all of them.

    The point is, don’t wait for the community leader to get in touch with you. Get in touch with her. Nothing is going to change until you are the change.

    Now we need to talk about you, Mark, as an inhabitant of planet earth.

    Mark, I’m just going to blunt.

    You live in a bubble.

    It’s a bubble that when the light hits it just right you can faintly make out the letters USA.

    Every now and then your USA bubble is perforated by a pandemic or terror attack and you realize that your country is not the only country in the world.

    But as soon as the threat is gone a new USA bubble grows around you.

    But it’s even worse, Mark, because inside that USA bubble is another bubble.

    And this bubble is tough. It’s super-resistant to popping. And you sort of knew you were in it and you sort of didn’t.

    By the way, this bubble has a name.

    It’s called white privilege.

    Get out of your bubbles, Mark.

    And then use your white privilege to help people in the US and the world who don’t have it so that one day there is no such thing as white privilege.

    Well, you got your list, Mark Liskey.

    Get those check marks.

    Then we’ll talk.

    Until then, say their names again and again and again.

  • Coivd-19 Massage Therapy Guidelines: Safety and Operations

    Coivd-19 Massage Therapy Guidelines: Safety and Operations

    If you’re going to open up your massage business during the Covid-19 phase-in you must accept the fact that you can reduce risk, but not eliminate it.

    To completely eliminate the risk of spreading and/or contracting Covid-19 you and your client would need to stay home.

    That’s a tough massage to do.

    So, what kind of risk are we accepting?

    Well, we can’t social distance to do our job. So, not being able to social distance increases our risk of getting and/or transmitting Covid-19.

    Here are some other things: In the US, in general (I know that each area can be different), we don’t have reliable and adequate Covid-19 and antibody testing.

    We don’t smart test.

    We don’t have comprehensive contact tracing systems in place.

    And we we’re waiting for valuable pieces of information that could inform our decision-making, like do antibodies equal immunity? (No human fault here; that information takes time.)

    I’d say going back to work now means we’re accepting a fair amount of risk.

    Okay, so what can we do to make our actual work area and how we (and our clients) operate in that work area less risky?

    Simple: No one breathes in the massage room.

    Okay, probably a little too draconian.

    The answer is to institute a best practices approach.

    We’re going to get our information for best practices from 3 resources: (1) State, (2) CDC, and (3) OSHA.

    Here are the links to those resources:

    State Massage Therapy Guidelines

    For state recommendations/requirements you’ll need to go to your state massage board website or state website.

    OSHA Massage Therapy Guidelines

    For OSHA guidelines download this guide (page 14 for preparing the workplace and use of PPE: https://www.osha.gov/Publications/OSHA3990.pdf

    CDC Massage Therapy Guidelines

    For CDC guidelines go here: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/reopen-guidance.html

    Yeah, that’s some pretty dry stuff–and my brain doesn’t work well with dry. I need to see what the actual experience would be like. So, I created a Covid-19 Massage Therapy Guidelines – Safety and Operations resource from a practical standpoint. It starts with the client parking in our  parking lot.

    Here it is:

    Covid-19 Massage Therapy Guidelines

    Safety and Operations

    1. Client parks.

    2. If the massage room is ready for the client, then the client can come in. If not, the client waits in her car until the massage therapist tells her that it’s okay to come in via text or the massage therapist (with mask on) goes out and gets the client.

    3. Client walks in the building front door. Disinfectant wipes are outside the door so the client can use a wipe for a barrier.

    4. Bathroom door is open if client has to use the bathroom before the massage. Disinfectant wipes are in the bathroom and a CDC hand washing poster is on the wall.

    5. Client walks into the office (office door is open), goes through the waiting room and into the massage room. The massage room now serves as the waiting room.

    6. The intake is done in the massage room.

    Option #1: Paper Intake—Verbal

    Both client and massage therapist have masks on. The massage therapist has the paper intake form and reads the questions and writes the answers. The massage therapist gives the client a pen to sign intake (consent and office policy information). The pen is put in a container by the client to be disinfected later.

    Option #2:  Paper Intake—Client Fills Out Paper Intake

    The client fills out the paper intake and signs it. The massage therapist is holding an open file folder (with the client’s name on it) and asks the client to put the intake form in the folder. The pen the client was using goes into a container next to her chair to be disinfected later. There’s another container next to the client’s chair for her to put the clipboard in which will also be disinfected after the massage.

    The massage therapist has a separate clipboard with paper where she’ll write her session notes. She can look at the intake in the folder without touching the intake while writing notes on the separate piece of paper. (This approach would require a one-page intake form.)

    The note paper does not go into the folder until after the session is over. Once it’s in the folder it can be stapled to the intake after 24 hours.

    Option #3: Paper Intake—Client Prints Out Intake And Brings It In

    The client prints out the intake from a link on our website. She fills it out and brings it with her to the appointment. In the massage room during the intake, the client hands the massage therapist the intake. The massage therapist has disposable gloves on.

    After the massage therapists finishes the intake the pen goes into a receptacle for disinfecting later. The massage therapist then takes one glove off and disposes of it in a trash can. With the ungloved hand she picks up a folder and with the gloved-hand places the intake in the folder. She then carefully takes off the remaining glove by reaching inside the glove to pull off the glove so that it’s inside-out. She disposes of the glove in the trash can.

    Any post-massage notes are written on a piece of paper and inserted in the folder. Intake and paper can be stapled together 24 hours later.

    Option #4: Electronic Intake.

    Intake is done electronically before session or on client’s smart phone in the massage room before the massage. The massage therapist does notes on her smart phone.

    Here are four systems that meet HIPPA requirements and would do the job:

    (1) IntakeQ ($50/month per one person): https://intakeq.com/pricing

    (2) MassageBook ($25/month, unlimited people): https://www.massagebook.com/marketing/pricing/

    (3) ClinicSense ($30/month, one practitioner): https://clinicsense.com/pricing/

    (4) GoCanvus ($45/month): https://www.gocanvas.com/show_pricing_plans

    7. The massage is done with appropriate PPE. Both massage therapist and client have face masks on. When the client is face down a cloth droplet shield can replace the use of a face mask.

    8. When the massage is done the massage therapist leaves  the room by using a paper towel or tissue barrier between her hands and doorknobs. After the therapist washes her hands she goes back into the massage room does a wrap-up,  reschedules the client if needed and takes the payment. Both massage therapist and client have face masks on.

    9. The payment transactions is contactless via a chip reader that plugs into a smart phone (or the payment was done already online).

    10. The client leaves only having to push open the building front door. There are disinfectant wipes next to the door so that client can use one as a barrier if she so chooses.

    Disinfecting Between Clients

    Massage Room

    Dirty laundry: Face cradle cover goes on top of dirty sheets on the massage table. Dirty sheets are bundled by pulling up from each corner and rolled in. Dirty sheets are put in a laundry receptacle that has a lid.

    Disinfecting: All surfaces are wiped down with disinfectant wipes, including door knobs and anything the client or therapist may have touched during the session.

    Bathroom

    Disinfecting: All surfaces that may have been touched are wiped down with disinfectant wipes.

    Hallway and Doors

    Disinfecting: All surfaces that may have been touched are wiped down with disinfectant wipes.

    Massage Therapist

    PPE: Face mask is put in the laundry receptacle. New face mask is used for the next client.

    Time Between Clients

    30 to 45 minutes between clients will be allotted to disinfect office and prepare the room for the next client.

    Massage Room Safety Strategies and Modifications

    Trash cans now have a lid and foot pedal.

    Disinfectant wipes are next to the client’s chair as well as on the end table counter for the massage therapist.

    Additional Safety Measures

    We will use a forehead temperature scanner for both the client and the massage therapist before the massage starts.

    Okay, so that’s my Covid-19 Massage Therapy Guidelines: Safety and Operations Plan. It’s a living document. As new information and guidance comes along, it will be amended accordingly.

    Stay safe. Be healthy. And if you want to get my latest info for free, sign up below:-)

  • Covid-19: Massage Marketing Tips for Newbies and Not-So-Newbies

    Let’s accept the fact that the massage therapy phase-in during the Covid-19 pandemic is going to be messy and, in some cases, is already messy.

    In the US we’re doing it state by state and in some states—like my state, PA—county by county.

    Q2 was a disaster for massage income.

    Q3 will be lower than normal income.

    Q4 could be better than Q3 if there’s not a Covid-19 resurgence.

    That said, you’re still here, and I’m still here.

    And at the end of the day, we’re going to be better for it.

    “Better for it” is a big statement, I know. And I’m not saying it lightly.

    It doesn’t just pertain to our massage businesses, existing ones and new ones to be hatched. It pertains to all the things that we’ve had time to think about while being stuck at home.

    For me, “better for it” means that I’m going to reprioritize my health.

    “Better for it” means that I’m going to adjust my upcoming work schedule (when I can work) so that I have most evenings with my wife, Lisa, and our feline kids.

    “Better for it” means I have a plan for my business to succeed during Covid-19.

    But “better for it” is more than just the future.

    “Better for it” is now.

    Turn on the TV; you don’t have to lose a loved one to Covid-19 to get that life is precious, precarious, and then gone.

    Yeah, that’s deep stuff for a couple of advertising tips.

    But we’re in deep times.

    And it would be inappropriate, insensitive and a huge disservice to ourselves and to society if we didn’t allow the “better for it” feeling to motivate us to rigorously interrogate ourselves.

    Remember all the times you heard yourself say I can’t do that?

    Well, I’m remembering one that I had 24 hours ago.

    Our great nephew is graduating from high school in Ohio, and we just found out that the graduation is on. So, Lisa and I are going to make a spontaneous 14-hour round trip today. We’ll watch the ceremony from our car, and then we’ll drive 500 miles home.

    If I were working right now, I could hear myself saying: I can’t do a spontaneous trip and cancel clients. I have to work.

    Really, Mark?

    If you miss a day of work are your kitties going to starve?

    Or is missing a day of work going to cause irreparable damage to your savings?

    Does pausing to think about life mean you’re pausing your life?

    No. It simply means that I’m looking at myself in the mirror and saying: Really, Mark?

    And now I’m asking you: Really?

    Is getting back on the horse too hard?

    Is figuring out marketing once and for all so that your business is steady and you’re making the money you want NOT do-able?

    Here’s the thing, I didn’t come this far with you just to come this far with you.

    And I don’t think you did either.

    To-that-end, it’s time to start pressing the accelerator and executing your plan for the Covid-19 era.

    I interviewed Daniel Khiyayev of PPCDan.NEt. He is a marketing specialist. I asked him to give me marketing tips for the massage therapist with no money to spend on advertising and for the massage therapist with $100 a month to spend.

    It’s good stuff to get your brain in marketing gear for going from surviving to thriving in the Covid-19 era. And maybe at some point I will actually figure out where the camera is on my laptop. Lol. Here we go:

    If you want more free marketing information, sign up below.