Darren is a massage therapist from up north with very interesting backstory which he shared on his last visit here. This time he came in to talk to us about his month in Peru where he took part in eight ceremonies involving ayahuasca and san pedro. Listen to Darren’s story and what he learned in the jungle.
Enzo is a Canadian trained massage therapist from Italy. He has had a successful practice in Italy for the last seven years but this country keeps calling him back. Enzo returned to Canada to get licensed here and found a clinic to work at. Listen to his story about becoming an international student, practicing in Italy, and his current goal of permanently relocating here to follow his dream and change his life.
Nicki is back from sea after a month as the spa manager on a Canadian cruise ship with Adventure Canada where she got the experience of traveling to the territories, Greenland, and Labrador. She came by just before departing with not too many expectations and in this episode we got the stories of what it’s really like to work as a massage therapist on a ship. From sea sickness to long days and late nights, meeting new people and seeing uninhabited places, Nicki’s adventures made for another fun recording with three massage therapists and a microphone.
Michael is a Licensed Massage Therapist in Vegas and a business coach for therapists. His story starts with his wife encouraging him to get into massage because he had a natural talent, to another therapist eventually asking Michael to coach them because he seemed to have a natural knack for business as well. With almost 20 years experience now, listen to some advice from Michael about customer service, client communication, and his hiring process when he’s looking for therapists. You can find more about Michael at https://michaelortizjr.com
2rmtsandamic.com
June is not a massage therapist. June was brought to us by one of our massage therapist colleagues who wanted her to get a chance to tell her story because she’s so incredible. June has a background in nursing, caregiving, and dialysis and eventually she got into palliative care which is how we got the honour of meeting her. Andre brought her to us just weeks after his mother passed because June was his angel on earth that made his mother’s last days just a little easier. Listen to June’s story and check out andrermt.com under end of life care to learn more.
Jenny and Jane are massage therapists with a lot of experience in different clinic settings. After 30 years in practice, they have learned what they like and don’t like when choosing a clinic to work at. Jenny wanted to address some unfortunate situations she has encountered with clinic owners. We wanted to also discuss things to ask during the interview process and maybe how to spot red flags. Listen to Jenny and Jane’s experiences with less than ideal clinic owners. Is it her? Is it them? You decide...
Victoria is an athletic therapist and a multidisciplinary clinic owner in a smaller town in Ontario. She reached out looking to see if we knew any therapists looking for work as her clinic is booming and the demand for massage therapists is high. It got us into a talk about the benefits of being a massage therapist or body worker in a rural community. Victoria talks about how amazing it is to be a part of her community and all of the perks of life outside of a big city. Any RMT looking for a change of pace could easily walk into a full practice and if they are a joiner, a new sense of belonging and community that they may not get in a city. Check out Victoria’s clinic at https://vcathletictherapy.ca
Ben is a Massage Therapist in Nebraska and fellow podcaster and educator. He is the co-host of “Ben and Nate’s Questions that we Ask Massage Therapists on the Internet” along with Nate who has been a guest with us earlier this year. Ben is so used to being the one to ask the questions that this chat was half us interviewing Ben and half Ben interviewing us. Listen to us asking questions on the internet.
Andrew is a massage therapist in Palm Coast, Florida that we met at the AMTA convention last year. He and Mark bonded over massage, the buffet, and music. Andrew describes his practice as “not your typical massage” and so of course his music wouldn’t be your typical massage music. He decided to use his creative side and has created massage music using AI technology that is not your typical massage music. Check out his YouTube channel for different genres of music with the theme of massage at https://youtube.com/@thehammerecords?si=x6Y6dDYBCAAWeEIT
Mike is a Massage Therapist from western Canada who has been involved in sports- both as an athlete and a therapist for the Jamaican bobsled team- and education teaching at massage therapy colleges. Between his experience as a therapist and what he witnessed in the world of massage therapy education, Mike became inspired to open his own college to help advance the profession. While waiting for his college approval, Mike is teaching continuing education at Stone College and inspiring therapists with a passion for sports. Check out the courses at https://stonecollege.ca
Voula is the general manager of Amoena Canada, a German company that was the first ever to create a breast form. The mission at this company is to help you regain confidence post surgery, help with proper healing, comfort, lymph drainage, and improve spinal health and balance. Listen to Voula teach us about what proper balance in your breast tissue means and how it will affect other areas of your life. You can learn more at https://www.amoena.com/ca-en
Angie is a certified cash flow specialist and is venturing into the world of sole proprietorship after teaching finances to high school students for the last two decades. She has recently taught a workshop to RMTs using her anti-budget system and the feedback was so great that she wanted to reach more therapists who may be struggling with similar issues. Listen to hear some tips and tricks from an expert who can help you hold onto more of your cash to spend on the things you care about.
Our resident RMT and travel expert Nicki is back but this time she’s not coming to tell us about an adventure she has just returned from, but an adventure she’s about to embark on. Nicki will be working for the next month aboard a ship as the Massage Therapist to the passengers. We invited her back to tell us about her decision to take this working trip and of course we got up to so much more!
Michael Feraday, the executive director and CEO of the Registered Massage Therapists Association of Ontario (RMTAO) is back on our show and in studio for the first time ever! He dropped by to update us about what the RMTAO has been working on in terms of making change and moving the profession forward. There’s some exciting stuff happening behind the scenes and hopeful prospects for new and seasoned therapists. Listen in and don’t forget that it’s renewal time!
Ksenia is a LMT in New Jersey and a new listener. Born and raised in Russia, Ksenia is a lifelong learner and clearly loves challenges. She’s studied in both Russia and USA, holds multiple degrees and certifications, is a body builder and fitness competitor, but is the most passionate about massage therapy. She’s only been in the profession for about a year and is dealing with a bit of imposter syndrome. Listen to Kenia’s journey and some advice for newer therapists who deal with imposter syndrome.
Tara and her business partner, Kim, are both experienced Massage Therapists as well as women who have been through their own health journeys with perimenopause. They reached out because they have created a course specifically for RMTs and soon to be other complementary healthcare professionals, to recognize and deal with the symptoms of perimenopause within our scope. Listen to this important discussion about all that can be linked back to hormones and how women in mid life have been slipping through the cracks. You can learn more about The Comprehensive Guide to Perimenopause and Menopause at their NEW website perimenopausewhispererpodcasthub.my.canva.site
We had Tiffany on in 2020 when she had to make the heartbreaking decision to close her clinic during the COVID lockdown because it was lease renewal time and there was just too much uncertainty. Here we are 5 years later and her life looks completely different. She has relocated to Nova Scotia and had a fantastic career working with a wonderful team at a Naturopathic Clinic with a truly multidisciplinary approach. She has recently had the itch for more challenges and it’s a good thing! An autoimmune diagnosis has made Tiffany realize that as much passion and love that she has for being a RMT might not be enough to keep her here.
Vern is a Massage Therapist that joined us for the American Massage Conference in Orlando this past spring all the way from Trinidad! We were so honoured that she made the trip to spend the weekend with us and wanted to hear her story. Well…let me tell you…I was not expecting her journey into massage to be so…accidental? Purposeful? You be the judge. Vern found her true passion, loves what she does, and is eternally grateful for the mistake she made all those years ago…or was it divine intervention? Listen to Vern’s story of becoming what she was obviously meant to become.
Remo is an experienced RMT in Ontario and a Sport Fellow with the Canadian Sport Massage Therapists Association of Canada (CSMTA). He has worked with elite athletes and been a member of the association for more than two decades and has been all over the world with athletes. His experiences really highlights the crucial role of the CSMTA in preparing therapists to work with the highest level athletes and their coaches. Listen to Remo’s story and what the CSMTA is doing these days to make a career in sport massage more accessible for upcoming candidates. Check out the association at https://csmta.ca
Michelle is a Massage Therapist in Ontario whom we spoke to a couple of years ago when she decided to take her practice off of the table and onto the mat. She was inspired by another therapist we interviewed and she took the leap to get training from him. Fast forward to today and her entire practice is mat based and she’s moving into the world of teaching other therapists how to get out of their box. Listen to how Michelle’s business is going, why and how mat based work changed her practice and her life, and why she’s decided to educate other therapists to work this way.