Ivy Hultquist's Blog (14)

“An invisible red thread connects those who are destined to meet, regardless of time, place, or circumstance. The thread may stretch or tangle, but will never break.” ~Chinese Proverb

The first day of Spring I was handed a twenty pound beautiful, groggy, confused, and sick little girl.  We had very little in common, yet a red thread had drawn us together for some time now.  She began her morning in a village in China.  She left the wonderful foster…

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I walked into work months ago and the office manager said a lady stopped by the office and wanted to meet me. The lady was moving to town and going to open a new massage business at the new chiropractor’s office. I did not think much of it. Massage therapists had come and gone in my small town. I had an established business and pretty much forgot about the newbie coming to town.

Months later I went up to…

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Within the past month, I have voluntarily subjected myself to the following:



* HIV Test

* TB Test

* Full Physical

* Sex Offender Registry Clearance

* Local Police Background Check

* Local Fingerprinting

* FBI –Biometric Fingerprinting

* Home Inspection (I will liken this to a massage establishment inspection.)

* A Passport Photo (It might as well be a mug shot if it is like my last one.)



My husband and I have entered the exciting and… Continue

If you follow basketball, you it is that time of year, March Madness. As an Iowa resident, I tuned in Thursday to watch the University of Northern Iowa Panthers take on the number one ranked and seeded Kansas Jayhawks.



UNI, the smallest state college, had not beaten a number one ranked team since 1962. Very few people had faith in the underdog when picking their bracket winners. My husband, a UNI alum, did not pick them, Obama did not pick them, and most everyone else in America did… Continue

First off, I would like to thank my wife, Ivy, for letting me hijack her blog post this week!



I recently read the Massage & Bodywork article, “Massage Franchises: The Impact on the Profession” (twice, in fact). Even though I felt the article was fairly slanted, I will withhold my feelings about massage franchises for the purposes of this discussion. As a marketer, I just feel there is so much more to say on how franchises will affect the market of massage therapy, and what… Continue

Last night I got in bed and turned on The Food Network for its sedative effect. A new show, The Best Thing I Ever Ate, was on at the time. This show invites celebrity chefs to come on and talk, like the title says, about the best thing they ever ate. I shut the television off and began to think the best thing I ever ate. I thought about the portabella/avocado panini I had in Santa Fe, shitake mushroom rolls at my favorite restaurant, and several other… Continue

Today, I took my daughter to the library for story time. As we collected our craft project, one my favorite touch studies came to mind. Many of you may have already heard it, but it always reminds me about the simplicity of massage and touch when I start making it all too complicated.



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Within the past week, the Iowa winter has officially gotten to me. I happen to believe I tolerate winter as well as anyone else in the Hawkeye State. February typically brings the promise of warmer days, melting snow, and glimpses of spring. With incessant snow showers in the forecast, not a day over thirty degrees, an eight foot drift in my backyard, and getting our vehicle pulled out of the snow twice in one night; winter has worn out its… Continue

I often think about what advice I could give to massage professionals who are struggling with their new businesses. I wanted to build a steady business with regular clients, but struggled with one particular aspect of the business. Something others may also struggle with… rescheduling. Maybe it was because I was twenty, or a lack of confidence in my new skills, but asking if clients wanted to schedule another massage caused me a great deal of anxiety.



Nearly all my… Continue

On May 25th, 2007, my career as a massage professional changed more than I ever could have imagined. When my husband handed me the most beautiful baby girl I had ever seen; my priorities and focus immediately shifted to a far greater, demanding, rewarding, and amazing job.



I was able to work nearly a week past my due date. I was comfortable and had the energy and desire to continuing working. I had every intention on returning to work after my maternity leave, at least part-time.… Continue

I admit it; I enjoy seeing what other people are up to on Facebook. In between the new wedding, vacation, and baby pictures are status updates about my friends’ daily lives, including: waking up with hangovers, supper plans, bra colors for breast cancer awareness, and complaints about the weather. I know there many who are using Facebook as a way to market their businesses and keep in touch with family and friends. While social networking creates a great way to keep in contact with friends,… Continue

This last week my father also celebrated his 40th year in practice as a chiropractor (Forty years!). In 1969, he graduated Summa Cum Laude from Palmer College of Chiropractic and opened his practice in my small rural Iowa hometown at the ripe age of 23. At that time, the chiropractic profession was only seventy years old. The day he opened his practice, my mom saw a car pull up in his parking lot from their home down the street. Her excitement was later dampened when she found out it was… Continue

This next month I will celebrate another year as a massage therapist. I have made it well past the 3-6 year average career length. Looking back at my class photo, I tend to question why there are so few still practicing - Less than 25%. How many of your classmates are still practicing? Why do you think you, and so few of your classmates are still practicing massage professionals?



So, my question this week is, Why do so many move on from the profession?



Is it-

Burn out… Continue