massage and bodywork professionals
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What Did You Do Before Massage?
I know, I'm nosey. I was a travel writer.
For six years, I got to travel to Bed & Breakfasts and get massages, all for free, and write about it. So my roots are in traveling, meeting people and hearing their stories. Now I travel around and do The World Massage Festival & Massage Therapy Hall of Fame.
I found the adjustment to a single location massage establishment, inside a strip mall, very confining. So I started a way to stay "in the massage world and travel!" But that is another story!
What's your story? What did you do before massage? Tell us of your travels and what massage is like where you are, especially if you massage outside the U.S. We really like pictures, if possible.
If you get bored come see me at my page http://www.massageprofessionals.com/profile/MikeHinkle
Thanks and welcome to Massage Professionals!
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Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Michele Peterson, BS, CMT on
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I did a lot of boring administrative work, mostly payroll and collections, and then worked as a Chiropractic Assistant while working on my BS in Natural Health.
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Permalink Reply by Tasha Almazan on
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My experience was similar. After 5 years as a recruiter for a staffing agency, I was looking for some part time work and saw a massage therapy school looking for a recruiter and it was a natural fit. After about 3 months, I thought it would be interesting to take a class so that I would have a better understanding of some of the questions I was receiving. After 1 night of class, I was hooked and signed up for a 1,000 hour program! Shorly after I left my position at the staffing agency and joined the school full time. I continue at the school and just recently opened my own practice.
Laura Allen said:I got my first job in a restaurant at the age of 13, washing dishes after school and on weekends. I bought my first restaurant when I was 19 and stupid--and it was a learning experience. During the next 20+ years I owned three more that all made me a good living. I looked at my husband one day and told him I figured I had cooked 875,000 meals, and I was done. Within two weeks I sold the last place and was hired to be a massage school administrator---the owner of the school used to eat in my place and I asked her for a job--and the second day I was there I decided to attend massage school. The rest is history!
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Permalink Reply by Catharine Fallin on
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Then: Geographical Information Systems (GIS) Data Specialist, GIS HR Manager, Transportation Planning Assistant. Fantastic jobs, learned so much, and something more was pulling me forward.
Now: CMT & Reiki Practitioner, business owner, Movement & Body Awareness Instructor. Love what I do, am grateful for all the jobs/experiences I've had that brought me to this amazing profession.
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Permalink Reply by Kenneth Gordon Line on
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I drove a semi-trailer as a city driver for 31 yrs in St Louis, MO
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Permalink Reply by Linda Lewis-Weissinger NCTMB,CMT on
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I was a Cosmetologist, Esthetician. I became allergic to chemicals of my industry. I had been doing massage in my salon also but decided to go back to school and get NCTMB instead of be grandfathered in as a LMT. Glad I did.
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Permalink Reply by Mike Hinkle on
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Wow a lot of school and service there!
Lisa A. MacGray said:I was a Lifeguard, Swim Instructor, Deli Clerk, and a Diet Aide (delivered food to patients in hospital) (All before 1985). Then after my divorce in 1985 I got my Associates degree in Secretarial Science so that I could support me and my 3 year old son. I worked as a secretary and then a Retirement Plans Analyst during the 22 years that I worked for a large Pharmecuetical Company. During that time I finished my Bachelor's Degree going to school nights and weekends and earned a degree in Psychology. Then I had a chance to take a package and make a much needed change in direction. I did some part-time, ad hoc jobs while I was training to do massage and getting established as a massage therapist. During that time, I worked as a Victim's Advocate at a Battered Women's Shelter, a Yoga Instructor and a self proclaimed "Organizer." For the past year and 1/2 I've been working as Massage therapist and love it. Couldn't have picked a better career.
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Evette, Now you can breathe......
Evette D Smith said:My former career was comprised of employment with a major pharmaceutical company and a major beverage company with 26 years total in corporate america confined behind a desk and computer while prioritizing a corporate "to do list". Acquired a wealth of skills, organizational, supervisory, managerial, human relations, etc., not to mention top computer skills set. Then...I was laid off once and then laid off again! After the second layoff, I was selected as one of the finals for an assistant to a Superior Court Judge. I asked that my name be removed from the list. I had gone to a job fair and was blessed to discover massage therapy education as an option for a career so I chose massage instead. I have been practicing since December 2005 and loving every second of it. I am in business for myself! No more Layoffs!!!
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Permalink Reply by Heidi Krenzke on
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I was an Administrative Assistant, decided to get into massage on the side for some extra cash, as I was going through a divorce. Loved setting my own hours, especially being a single parent of 5, I needed to! Then I decided to go into it full time, start my own business, been 6 1/2 years and still lovin it!
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Way to go Kristy! You set yours goals and reached them! Glad to have you with us. What's next?
Kristy Gable said:I was working as a security screener (TSA). I'd done it for three years. I hated it. It's an unforgiving,stressful job. My doc pretty much told me if I didn't get my stress level under control I'd have a heart attack by 30. I have a bs in criminal justice but I wasn't sure what I wanted to do. An ad for bsom came on and mentioned they'd move locally. I'm a big believer in the universe telling you stuff. So I visited campus. I juggled school and work for 12.5 months. I got my license and resigned from tsa shortly after reaching 5 years. I fell in love with massage and haven't looked back. It was the best move I ever made.
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And you are right... It is worth it!
Barbara Eriss said:Great Question!
I'm a former technical writer (hi tech), sales & marketing coordinator for a successful magazine (& soccer mom). All the years on the computer had left me w/ chronic neck & shoulder pain.
Massage therapy healed me.
I left the cubicle (& security) to train & work in a field I thought was important, meaningful & always interesting.
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Permalink Reply by Andrea McCully on
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I really love how everybody has something in common...we all come from different backgrounds and circumstances but we all agree that the change to massage therapy was worth it and has been very rewarding! I like that!
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Permalink Reply by Kim Lee-Thorp on
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Ten years ago, I moved to the beach to take an early retirement retire from 20 years of Silicon Valley High Tech rat race. I planned to enjoy my kids, garden, read, exercise, etc. but found being at home much more difficult than I had ever expected. Turns out I glorified that housewife role when I wasn't able to be one an really had no idea that it is the most difficult thankless job on the planet!!! In college, I had dreams of working in the medical field and actually passed the MCAT to get into medical school. Over an extended Christmas holiday, I agreed to work for my boyfriends roomate in what turned out to be one of the first networking company in Silicon Valley and had a great ride on the internet revolution that will go down in history as powerful as the industrial and other revolutions. After I quit work and found out how hard being at home was for me, I took a massage tech class, fell in love with it and now have a great little practice a few blocks from home doing massage, nutrition and doula work. It now feels like this was the long way around to my dreams of helping and healing and I that circle is complete ~ Kim
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