Business was going ok to good. I worked for mobile spas here in LA, got a lot of work and requests from them, and I had a few private clients on my own. Not bad at all. But, when the mobile spas weren’t busy, I wasn’t busy either. I didn’t had that many clients of my own to fall back on. Also, if I had an argument with the owner of the mobile spa, the phone stopped ringing. If we worked it out and were friends again, the phone started ringing again.

One day I realized that I had made myself very dependant on these people for work. I hadn’t put much effort in finding and building clientele on my own, because it was easy to sit on the couch waiting for the phone to ring. I had become lazy. Mentally and physically. What came first? Had I become mentally lazy, because I hadn’t been working out any more? Or, did I stop working out because I had become mentally lazy? I don’t know. But I did know that I had to change something; I had become lazy and given up control, and I had to get back behind the wheel.

First thing I did……….I started running again. I always loved running. It’s such an easy thing to do. You put on your shoes, get out the door and start right right away. No need to go anywhere. But, the best thing that I like about running is that it clears my head. I get the best insights and ideas while I’m running. I might be stuck on a particular problem or thought, and find the solution during a good run. It literally gets things moving for me.

As soon as I started running again I wondered why had I given up on it? Running is so “me”. The first few runs, I didn’t get very far, but within two weeks I could run a nice distance without being exhausted the rest of the day. It actually made me feel fit and strong. Again, I don’t know what came first, but I felt really fit and strong physically as well as mentally. And best of all…………..I became focused. I focused on what I really wanted with my work and I realized that I wanted to grow my own clientele and business. I actually had a very clear idea of what my business would look like and what my ideal clients would be. Working for others took away focus and energy from that goal, so I quit working for the mobile spas and started my own business. My clientele grew 75% in only a few months. I feel fit, strong and focused, but best of all…..I feel happier. I’m convinced running has a lot to do with it. Nowadays my mantra is; Wanna grow your business? Start/keep working out!

A bit about myself. I’ve been a massage therapist for over 8 years. I’ve trained in Amsterdam, Holland, where I’m from, and in the US, where I’ve been living now for 4 years. My background is nursing (RN) and Psychology, but massage is where my real passion is. Massage is such a positive thing to do and it can make a true difference in someones life. I believe the world would be a more peaceful place and people would be much happier, if everyone would get massages.

I’ve had a private practice in Amsterdam. People would come to my office for a session. Since I moved to Los Angeles 4 years ago, I’ve discovered mobile massage services. I go all over LA with my table or chair and I’ve completely fallen in love with this kind of service. For a client, it adds an extra aspect of relaxation to a session, as they don’t have to go through traffic before and after the appointment. For me, I love the fact of not having any overhead costs and the freedom that comes with it. I love all the different places that I go to and yes, sometimes traffic is bad, but with some good music in my car to listen to, it’s all pretty ok. Providing mobile work in Amsterdam was never an option, there’s just no way to get around with your car and table, so now this is one of the advantages of living in LA.

In future blogs I’d love to share many topics with you that involve being a massage therapist and running a business, from specific massage techniques to being an entrepreneur. I invite you to share your thoughts regarding massage and being in the massage profession as well. I hope we can learn a lot from each other.

Information about my work can be found on www.360massage.com and www.myminimassage.com.

All the best to you,

Martine