The Massage Pundit

This past weekend, I attended the annual FARB conference in New Orleans.  FARB, the Federation of Associations of Regulatory Boards was formed in 1974. Members come together for the sharing of information; public boards of all types are welcome to join, as are industry supporters such as testing companies that provide exams to the membership and the law firms that represent the Boards.  The Federation of State Massage Therapy Boards (FSMTB) is a member, as is the North Carolina Board of Massage & Bodywork Therapy, and it was on our Board’s behalf that I attended.

The conference was quite enlightening. It was my first time attending this particular meeting, and the panel included speakers from various boards, everything from medical boards to social work, optometry, and even mortuary boards. Debra Persinger, Executive Director of the FSMTB, was one of the dozen or so panelists.The primary topic of discussion was the various problems facing public boards today and how those can be addressed. It seems that no matter what kind of board was represented, we all have the same problems: unethical behavior from licensees, problems with public perception about what a board actually does, problems with education and exam breaches, lawsuits, interference from lobbyists, and a lack of transparency, among other things.

The first speaker was Meghan Twohey, a reporter from the Chicago Tribune, who for a year or more has been reporting on problems surrounding the medical profession in IL. She has repeatedly been denied access to medical board records surrounding physicians who have been accused of rape and sexual assault–and who have not been disciplined–they’re still out there practicing on the public. It really brought to light how professions with powerful lobbies can close ranks around their members and continue to abuse the public trust.

Persinger spoke about various problems with massage and bodywork exams, including one association who is still giving handwritten exams in public libraries with no security measures at all in place. A representative from Pearson Vue, who administers the exams for both the MBLEx and the National Certification Exams, explained that Pearson Vue is now using something called Palm Vein technology to identify candidates at their test centers. It is reportedly much more reliable than fingerprints and should eliminate the problem of proxy test-takers who use fake ids to take a test on behalf of someone who can’t pass it. READ MORE….

Alexa Zaledonis, the new Chair of the National Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage & Bodywork, is starting off her term with a bang. In a joint statement issued today with Paul Lindamood, Executive Director, Zaledonis states that the NCBTMB is about to undertake a major initiative to improve the CE Approved Provider program. The statement acknowledges that this evolution is necessitated by the fact that there are now over 1700 providers, and that what worked in the beginning is not necessarily going to serve the purpose in the future. The folks at the NCBTMB are aware that times are changing, and it’s time for a Spring cleaning.

The statement says in part:

We also anticipate a move toward comprehensive course-by-course review and auditing of all AP offerings. NCBTMB has reviewed the processes in place, as well as the needs of the profession, and the conclusions suggest:

• a review of course content against a more robust set of criteria for every class is    imminent
• the requirement for a specific set of teaching qualifications is compelling
• a stratified system of course designations is fast approaching to differentiate entry-level and advanced CE

In the old paradigm, once an instructor was approved as a provider, additional classes could be added to the list of offerings without the individual class being vetted for content. Unfortunately, some people have taken advantage of that to bend the rules.

According to the Approved Provider Reference Guide, appropriate continuing education is meant to go beyond what is expected of an entry-level therapist who has 500 hours of education. READ MORE…..

Every time I turn around, it seems that something is on the horizon that affects CE providers–and the therapists who are obligated to get CE in order to maintain their license.  The latest salvo has been fired from the state of Maryland, where legislation is afoot with big changes in the CE environment. According to the Maryland Chapter of AMTA, the proposed regulations mean that NCBTMB-Approved Providers can no longer offer classes in Maryland unless they have been pre-approved by the Maryland Board of Chiropractic and Massage Therapy Examiners at least 90 days in advance; CE offered by community colleges and online classes will be subject to the same rules, and providers will have to pay $25 per course unit for approval. CE hours earned at AMTA conferences won’t fly unless they have been pre-approved and the fees paid. This is going to be voted on this coming week and the MD Chapter has been making a big effort to drum up enough support to kill the changes. If you haven’t weighed in yet, you’ve got until the 18th of January to call your legislators and protest. Every time something like this happens, I get a lot of email from people asking me what they can do about it. The short answer is do it right now–don’t wait until the bill is passed to complain. You can send your comments and questions to vallonej@dhmh.state.md.us

As a provider myself, there are certain states I’ve never visited because of the hoops you have to jump through. New York, as I reported last year, requires a fat fee of $900 to be a provider, and a New York-licensed massage therapist has to perform the hands-on portion of any CE training. I don’t pretend to hold myself in the same class as Erik Dalton or Ben Benjamin, but it does seem strange to me that someone with a PhD can’t perform the hands-on portion of their own class unless they have gotten themselves licensed in NY. READ MORE….

One of the greatest things about this profession to me is all the regional and national conventions and meetings.

I belong to AMTA and I am very active in my state chapter. I’m usually fortunate enough to get asked to teach a class at our meetings, but I’m going to be there either way. I wouldn’t miss it for anything. I also attend the National Convention every year, and it’s just a blast. Being around a thousand or more people who do what you do is something you should experience, if you haven’t already.

This past year I attended the World Massage Festival in Kentucky and I participated in the awesome World Massage Conference, which is a totally virtual event…both events were highlights of my year. I also went to the inaugural meeting of the Alliance for Massage Therapy Education. I skipped the Federation of State Massage Therapy Boards meeting last year due to some conflicts, but I’m hoping to hit that one this year, too. I just got back from attending the Massage School Makeover event in Miami. In 2011 I am also looking forward to the American Massage Conference in Atlanta, the World Massage Festival in Cullowhee, Vivian Madison-Mahoney’s Take it to the Top Summit in Gatlinburg, the AMTA National Convention in Portland, another World Massage Conference, and who knows what else is going to materialize! They are all great events, and they all have one thing in common: massage therapists!

I have in the past borrowed a favorite phrase from my friend and colleague Felicia Brown: collaborative competition. Normally I use that in the context of therapists themselves.  This time, I’m speaking of all these meetings. Many times at these meetings, I run into a lot of the same folks. It’s actually one of the nicest things about attending–besides seeing old friends, there’s also the added benefit of making new friends and potentially advantageous business contacts.

When it comes to these events, I take the same attitude that I do with massage in general, and that is there’s enough to go around. I’ve complained before about meetings that don’t welcome certain organizations to their events, and I will continue to do so.  I am not shy about expressing my opinion. Feel free to disagree with me if you want to. I’m not insulted by that. I wouldn’t be writing these blogs if I didn’t have a thick skin. I don’t like professional jealousy–I actually think of it as un-professional jealousy–when it comes to massage therapists, and I don’t like it any better when it comes to conventions and meetings. I think there’s enough to go around. READ MORE…

Today is the beginning of a New Year, and I always view that as an opportunity for a fresh start. I’ve heard from a lot of therapists this year who are struggling in their practice. Most of them blame it on the economy. Yes, the economy has been bad….in my rural North Carolina county, we have the second highest unemployment rate in the state. I live in a small town of 4000 people, and the entire population of our county, which is the largest area-wise in NC, is about 60,000. There are numerous foreclosures in the newspaper every day, and few job listings. In spite of that, my business had the best year so far in the 7 years since we opened and I exceeded my goal of getting 365 new clients this year by more than 100, so I really can’t buy into the “bad economy” theory where massage is concerned. In fact, I think when people are stressed out over the economy, a massage is still an inexpensive method of wellness, or a treat for those who view it as such. I think people who couldn’t afford to take a vacation this year got a few massages instead, based on my client experiences.  I’d like to share a few words of advice that I think works for anyone who is willing to take it. I’m not saying you’ll be rich by the end of the year. I’m saying that adopting some new habits will improve your circumstances.

1. Get Organized. Yesterday on New Year’s Eve, I posted on my Facebook page that I spent the morning packing up my files from 2010 and getting my file cabinet ready for 2011 with fresh new folders. I’m a big believer in organization. I am a follower of Suze Orman, the financial advisor, and the one thing she says that sticks in my mind is that “Clutter in your home and office is a sign of clutter in your financial life.” Amen. I think I can attribute a good bit of my success as a business person to being organized. Someone asked me yesterday if I could teach them to be organized. All I can say to that is really very simple, it just takes a little effort. I keep a folder in the back of my appointment book labeled “Due Bills.” Anytime a bill arrives, it goes there. I check that folder daily and I pay them on the due date. I could pay them the day they arrive, but then I wouldn’t have the use of that money…and I believe I should be able to use it as long as I can. I don’t pay late, because I don’t want any late charges. As soon as the bill is paid, the check stub is stapled to the invoice, and it goes in a file. My files are labeled for advertising, rent, taxes, utilities, in alphabetical order, and the folders are in hanging files. That way, at the end of the year, you remove the folders, file them neatly in a box in alphabetical order, and put in new folders for the new year. Mission accomplished.

2. Track Your Advertising. Why spend money on something that doesn’t give you a good return on investment? For the first five years I was in business, I kept a log on my desk with a column for every venue I was advertising in, and one column labeled “referrals.” EVERY person who came in was asked where they heard about my business. It’s not necessary to do it for five years; one year is enough to give you a good idea of what’s working and what isn’t. If you’ve spent money on weekly ads in the newspaper and only gained three people from it, it’s time to let that go and spend your money elsewhere. Don’t keep throwing away money on something that isn’t working.

3. Analyze Your Expenses. I get a lot of office supplies at Staples, and anytime you get more than $50 worth they give you free shipping, so that’s convenient. It was so convenient that I used to order everything from them, including toilet paper and paper towels. One day when I realized I was about to be out of toilet paper, I went to a janitorial supply place in town and was shocked to find that a case of toilet paper was less than half the price of what I had been paying at Staples. DUH! Lesson learned. Shop around for the best price. Scrutinize your bills and your bank statements every month, too. While most of those things are computer generated, there is a human somewhere punching in the numbers, and they’re just as apt to make a mistake as the next person. I have found mistakes that saved me a big chunk of money, including getting bank charges removed etc, by carefully scrutinizing every bill that comes in. You also have to shop around for services. If you’re paying $30 a month to lease a credit card machine, you shouldn’t be paying a penny. Any reputable company will GIVE it to you as long as you are using their processing service. Look around for the best rates you can get on everything. Spending a little time doing so can save you a huge chunk in the long run.

4. Keep in Touch. If a client disappears, do you contact them? You should. If someone who has made more than a few visits to my office quits coming, I call them or send them a handwritten note. No one has ever found it invasive, or if they have, they haven’t said so to me. I have found out that some have lost their job, or had some family tragedy or sickness that got in the way of their getting massage. At least by contacting them, I have let them know that they were important to us. READ MORE….

The World Massage Festival brought glad tidings to over 50 massage therapists yesterday when founder Mike Hinkle held the drawing for the Christmas in July contest, gifting all of them with free tuition to the 2011 Festival that will be held July 14-17 in at Western Carolina University in Cullowhee, NC.  That’s what I call “community service.” The $350-value tuition covers all the classes you can pack in over the course of the three days. The plan was to have a winner chosen from every state in the union, all the Canadian provinces, DC and the American territories; only 5 states didn’t have anyone enter the contest. There was also an international winner chosen, who was from Poland, and two winners chosen from Canadian provinces (the others didn’t have any entrants).

Mike Hinkle has one mission: to help as many massage therapists and industry supporters as he can. Recognizing that people want great continuing education at an affordable price, he started the World Massage Festival in 2006 as an alternative national event.  The WMF is not associated with any of the national organizations–who are ALL welcome to be there. Politics are not a part of the Festival; vendors are not excluded based on which organization competes with another and that kind of thing. All who wish to sponsor an event or have a vendor exhibit are welcomed with open arms. The Festival still needs sponsors for 2011, and I in particular urge those who have been turned down at other places due to politics to get on board.

There’s a vendor exhibit hall that anyone can enter at no charge, including members of the public who’d just like to know more about massage; there’s some very exciting live entertainment happening (I get to be the emcee), and the lineup of classes and instructors is nothing short of downright impressive. The 2011 theme of the conference is “Research and Education is Our Future.”  Over 40 instructors, including Ruth Werner, President of the Massage Therapy Foundation; Nancy Porambo, AMTA National Vice-President; Dr. Ben Benjamin, and so many more will be presenting more than 285 hours of CE classes.

I cracked Mike up last year when I started touting the Festival as the “Woodstock of massage gatherings.” I called it that because it’s three days of peace and harmony…a big family reunion. I ran into so many friends at last year’s event in Berea, I couldn’t even spend time with them all. There was picking and grinning going on, too, as well as a number of free student events, social gatherings, and just a general good time. The Massage Nerd was there making free videos for anyone who wanted one. You couldn’t beat the whole thing with a stick.  READ MORE….

I always seem to get in the mode of reflection during the holidays…taking stock of my life, business, my accomplishments, my shortcomings, my failures, my plans that fell through, and those that exceeded my expectations. This past year has been one of ups and downs for me. On the upside, it’s been a good year for my business in spite of the recession. On the down side, my husband’s construction business has taken a huge hit for the past couple of years, and it’s affecting our finances and my attitude. I need a swift kick in the pants, because in the final analysis, it’s damn inconvenient, but it isn’t going to break us.

I spend a lot of time on social networking, mainly Facebook, and besides being good for building business relationships and keeping up with friends, it has provided a reality check for me on an almost daily basis.

I have a fair amount of followers on Twitter and a lot of FB friends, many of whom I’ve never met in person. Most are massage therapists who read my blog or have read my books, attended a class or listened to a webinar. I get little glimpses into their lives on Facebook. I see a lot of massage therapists struggling with their businesses and some who are jobless altogether. I see tragedies every day; somebody loses a loved one, or someone’s beloved pet dies. I see the posts of several who are battling cancer, and a couple with children that have cancer, and the positive attitude they keep amazes me.

Transparency, when defined in the context of non-profit organizations and public boards, implies that said organizations are accountable to those they represent, that meetings and communications are open, that full financial disclosures are made public, and that all business practices are an open book. It’s an ethical obligation.

I’ve recently posted on my blog my second annual series of reports on the financial health of the non-profit organizations representing the massage profession. As my disclosure states, I am neither an accountant nor a financial expert. All of the information I used to prepare my blogs was taken directly from www.guidestar.org

Guidestar was founded in 1994 as a clearinghouse of information on non-profit organizations. The IRS Form 990 and any other filings required of non-profit organizations, as well as other data collected by them, is published on the website. They have data on every entity registered with the IRS as a non-profit organization.

It is a rule of the IRS that information on non-profits is publicly disclosed, including the compensation of key personnel. The organizations listed with Guidestar have the opportunity to post their filings themselves, and if they choose not to do that, Guidestar gets it straight from the IRS. I want to make it clear that the information I blogged was not some big secret that I received from one of my anonymous sources. It is public information and anyone who goes to the trouble to look it up can find it. I just saved you the trouble by publishing it in my blog, for those who are interested. READ MORE….

This is the second year that I have written a series on the financial status of the non-profit organizations associated with the massage therapy profession. I am not an accountant or a financial expert. All the information in my blogs on this subject is available for public viewing on www.guidestar.org, which is a clearinghouse of information on non-profit organizations.

There’s good news, and there’s bad news. The bad news is that like some of our other non-profit organizations, the National Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage & Bodywork has taken a substantial financial hit during the past reporting year. In this particular instance, it can’t be blamed entirely on the recession; the MBLEx has taken a big chunk of change out of the exam revenues of the NCBTMB–over one million dollars in the past year alone.

Income from the sale of the mailing list decreased by over $30,000, which may also be indicative of the financial status of other businesses and organizations who have previously purchased the list. There’s always a trickle-down effect during a recession.

The good news is that recertification revenues actually rose by over $187,000; it’s good to know that I’m not the only one who values my National Certification enough to keep it up.

I also have to applaud the NCB for the way they have cut expenses. Their belt-tightening is nothing short of impressive. When revenues go down, expenses should go down (albeit not at the expense of customer service), and apparently not all our organizations get that concept, as I have pointed out on a previous blog or two. I think the general public relates well to that…when you earn less money, you have to spend less money.

Compensation to officers, directors, trustees and key employees was decreased by $418,000. Other salaries and wages were decreased by almost $160,000. Legal fees were down by more than $321,000. Advertising and promotional fees, office expenses, conference and convention expenses, printing expenses and other expenses decreased. Altogether, the NCBTMB cut expenses more than 2.4 million dollars from the previous year.

Paul Lindamood, CEO, drew a salary of $230k. Board members are also compensated at the NCBTMB; Chair Neal Delaporta is listed as devoting an average of 17 hours per week to the NCB and was compensated $55,000 for that service. Other Board members received anywhere from $3000 to over $13,000 for their part-time service. Former COO Laura Edgar Culver received more than $128,000. READ MORE….

This is my second year of doing an annual report on the financial status of the major non-profit organizations of the massage therapy profession. I am not an accountant or a financial expert. This information was taken directly from FORM 990, the Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax, which is published on Guidestar.

If there’s such a thing as a poster child for good finances in these economic times, it’s the Federation of State Massage Therapy Boards.

It was reported at last month’s annual meeting that the Federation had paid off their $700,000 start-up loan 27 months early.

The 990 shows an increase in total revenues of over $1.2 million from the previous year, a decrease in liabilities, and an increase in assets. Of course expenses increased, but when revenues take that big a jump, so do the expenses related to generating those revenues, particularly the money paid to the exam administration company. That amount increased about $600K, due to the rapid increase in the number of students taking the exam. The Federation’s revenues come from the MBLEx and from the annual dues paid by the member boards, currently numbering 40.

Executive Director Debra Persinger received an annual raise of $38,500. The FSMTB also moved into more spacious offices in Overland Park, KS this year and as announced at the 2009 meeting, added another staff member. Persinger had previously been the sole employee since the inception of the Federation. READ MORE….