Why I left the BIG massage

More then anything I needed the experience ( I needed bodies) but the biggest lesson was how much I was willing to put up with. First, I gotta say I know a lot of therapists that thrive in environments like Big Massage. It just works for them and I have a lot of respect for those folks that go in there and get it done. I'm not like that...like at all. I'm a problem solver. I like puzzles and challenges. I also like building professional relationships with people and helping them feel better. When I was in school and had to take notes on people during clinics I was taken back by the repeat ailments people were coming in with. Some of those people had been visiting for years. I instantly questioned what it was I was setting out to do. I did not want to be the kind of therapist that treated someone and made them feel better but then after a couple of days, everything went back to the way they were. That is dumb. That certainly doesn’t make me want to go back to that therapist.

Like everyone else, post-school I went to work for Big Massage. I only did it part-time. I still maintained “full-time” personal training cause I had a pretty full book of clients. At Big Massage I knew that I would have a full book since it was a semi-busy place and there were not a lot of therapists performing deep tissue and sports massage at that time. In order to really perform well at deep tissue or sports massage, you really need a thorough sit down with someone but I was quickly realizing that during 50-minute sessions you really did not have a lot of time for anything. You were highly discouraged to spend more than 1-2 minutes doing an intake or follow up. You also could not have the client’s information so I could not contact them post-treatment or help them if they had questions on their homework. I always have homework for people. It gives people ownership of their health but it also lets me know their level of commitment as well.

As far as behind the scenes at Big Massage…OMG, there was always some crazy drama going on. I’ve never worked somewhere that had THAT much turnover in my life (And I’ve been in the fitness industry for over 10 years). Therapists were overworked. Paychecks always had mistakes. Supplies would often be scarce at times or non-existent. We had malfunctioning equipment. Tips were being stolen at the front desk.

It was abundantly clear what the problem was to the therapists. The owners had absolutely no knowledge of massage or the spa business ahead of buying a franchise. They had absolutely zero passion. They just did not care. When I had my initial job interview the owner could not even give me any eye contact. That' is freaking weird AF. It was almost a source of entertainment to go in there a couple of times a week just to see how screwed up things would get.

In the end, I severed my relationship with that place. I did get valuable information from my short time there that I will always keep with me. First, it is imperative that you like what you do. You should never dread going to work. I was starting to get some heavy anxiety. Second, I want to service clients the ways I feel has their best interest….ALWAYS. If I need extra time with someone then I’m sure going to take my time. And lastly, I do not want to be a permanent crutch for a client or patient. I want to help people be able to take control of their health. If they have a kink they know how to handle it. Education is paramount for me.

I think the days of Big Massage are limited. As therapists, we need to follow our own path. Every single therapist I talk to has a grand plan and what they want. We all get into this work because we love helping people. People look forward to getting on the table. Therapist LOVE hearing that their clients felt amazing after treatment. Big Massage does not care.