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 Eric Grose on
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I graduated Clemson University with a degree in Agricultural Engineering. I began my career with a company in the eastern part of NC as a Site Prep Engineer for a large scale animal producer. After one year I moved back home to SC and began farming on one of the states largest hog farms at the time. 15 years later, I developed a health problem and I tried massage and realized how well it worked. That was the beginning of my transformation from farmer to massage therapist.
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Thanks for your interest, Mike ~ These days I'm just concentrating on humans, but I did do some equine massage over the summer at one of the horse shows. It's one of the jobs I've had that brought me to this point, after all!
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Permalink Reply by Mike Hinkle on
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I like your style, Samantha! You have the right attitude
Samantha J. Bennett said:NA for nursing home while in school, Assess Representative for a hospital radiology dept, and also worked in a doctors office as a patient service representative. It was really there that i decided to get back into what i really wanted to do as a massage therapist. At the doctor's office i took over the doctors nursing home rounds charting and scheduling. I found it sad that more than not the diagnoses i was writing down for them were anxiety/depression/ sedatation due to behavior problems,etc... Things that massage therapy and touch could help. Then I remembered going back to my nursing asst. days while in school to get my CNA license and remembered how much the patients would like us to come in and give them some attention and really pay attention to what their needs were. I've always been about helping people- the patients i help have just turned into clients that i get to help more hopefully.
P.S.- I found if you can share your talent with others through on-site massage such as volenteering time to others in nursing homes, or charity events, or even working for a business, client in their home for a holiday party or b-day....it breaks up the "confinement issues" some might have to working in a small office /strip mall setting most of the other times. fyi :)
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From Farmer to Massage Therapist! Now that's a real career change! Glad you are with us!
Eric Grose said:I graduated Clemson University with a degree in Agricultural Engineering. I began my career with a company in the eastern part of NC as a Site Prep Engineer for a large scale animal producer. After one year I moved back home to SC and began farming on one of the states largest hog farms at the time. 15 years later, I developed a health problem and I tried massage and realized how well it worked. That was the beginning of my transformation from farmer to massage therapist.
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Permalink Reply by Kerry Lewis on
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i worked at a bank for almost 7 years. I was/am an abstract artist as well :)
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Permalink Reply by Jennifer Brice on
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I was on my way to becoming a mathematician. I had two and a half years of college behind me, and I loved what I was doing, but I couldn't decide where I was headed. I didn't want to spend more money on classes that I would end up not using, so I did not finish my degree program. Instead, I took some advice I had received from many of my friends and family, and I went to school to become a massage therapist. I have absolutely no regrets; I love what I do! (I still think about finishing my math degree, but I still don't know what I would do with it.)
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Permalink Reply by Marcy Bertling on
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I was a hospital medical transcriptionist for 5 years, working in a cardiac catherization lab, then medical records. After the birth of my first daughter, I started my own business working from home doing medical transcription for doctors' offices. I continued to do this over the next 10 years while moving every 2-4 years, as my husband is in the USAF. Over the years I received monthly massages for relaxation, stress relief and pain relief while being a stay/work -at- home mom and I decided I wanted to be able to offer the same to others once my youngest started school. I absolutely LOVE our profession!
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Permalink Reply by Rosie Klauk on
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I have been in the banking industry - assistant manager for the HO branch office, then later ventured into Mortgage operations for a competitor's bank. I have also been a special education teacher (K-2) which actually lead me to my career and passion for Massage Therapy. I am now a full time Licensed Massage Therapist ( NY) since 2004 and tell people that I finally found what I wanted to be when I grow up :)
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Permalink Reply by Matthew Voelker on
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I had been accepte in med school, but taking time off med school to train for the Olympic trials in the High jump. waiting tables in Los angeles at a sushi restaurant, thinking how I could use my degrees in biology and chemistry but still control my schedule and make a decent living while training for the HJ 6 hours a day. Wow, I could have never imagined 6 years later, my own massage practice serving so many conscious individuals and a life ahead that is just a blessing! ....floored and thankful. Won't it be nice when massage is seen as necessary as medical doctors services and insurance covers it? Hopefully sooner than later. We do need some kind of change/movement in that direction. (not meant to be political, but perhaps that is impossible with the current cultural situation, but for another forum...)
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Permalink Reply by Jacqueline Freeman on
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Had horses when I was a kid, then I went to art school, trained as an EMT and founded a crisis center. Five years later I started a holistic health center on Martha's Vineyard that I owned for eight years. During that time I trained in Hellerwork Structural Integration and a few years later got on faculty for the Hellerwork SI school. I thoroughly enjoyed doing that for many years, a life changing training.
In the early 90s my husband started his SI practice with horses. I watched him mentor students and saw how much they loved the work so I decided to start the equine bodywork school we now run at our biodynamic farm. Right now I don't do bodywork myself, instead I help a lot of people train and get started working in the equine field. Much fun!
warmly,
Jacqueline Freeman
The Equine Natural Movement School
www.EquineNaturalMovement.com
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You stay as busy as I do. Dad says. "Stop moving and die!" guess you are from the same school. Great to have you with us!
Henry Hardnock said:I worked at PPG industries (float glass factory) for 28 yrs. working my way up from a factory worker to quality control inspector of glass. They worked a rotating shift (3 shifts) and then decided to go to a 12 hour shift roation which i was dead against but it was put in anyway. It was voted on 3 times and all 3 were voted down. how they finally got it to pass was allow the front office workers to vote. (go figure) anyway about the time the 12 hr came along a massage school came into town, based in Austin Tx, and as it were i had every other weekend off and the classes just so happened to fall on those weekends. Yea!!! well thats part of the rest of the story. I have been practicing for the last 15 yrs and has been a life altering change. I have had the wonderful experience of teaching massage basics since 1998 and producing what I feel are well qualified students. I have been teaching C.E. classes since 2000.
When my son annouinced he wanted to go to college a few yrs ago (my daughter was already in Med school) i decided to take on another job. massage is a well paying job but two colleges are way up there. So my other professional carreer is a Pharmacy Technician. I work in a Nuclear Pharmacy from midnite to eight. and then work my rehab massage from 8:30 to noon. This wont last and am glad i found the Pharmacy tech job because I have taken my retirement from PPG ind. and plan on phasing out the rehab and do more personal massage at my new location. which will involve my exsiting clients only.
My daughter has since graduated med school (I like to brag sorry) she is an OBG YN and is doing great, my son will be finishing his school this sept. and hopfully between that and his extreme heavy metal band will make a go of life. Acutally I like his music and he has inspired me to re learn playing the guitar.
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Sounds like a great life, Marcy! Thanks for sharing.
Marcy Bertling, LMT said:I was a hospital medical transcriptionist for 5 years, working in a cardiac catherization lab, then medical records. After the birth of my first daughter, I started my own business working from home doing medical transcription for doctors' offices. I continued to do this over the next 10 years while moving every 2-4 years, as my husband is in the USAF. Over the years I received monthly massages for relaxation, stress relief and pain relief while being a stay/work -at- home mom and I decided I wanted to be able to offer the same to others once my youngest started school. I absolutely LOVE our profession!
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