Self Performance Evaluation

Now that I've been in business a few years, it feels time to do some re-evaluating to see what else needs some modification. I have compiled this questionnaire, put myself in the hot-seat and answered by rating 1-10, with the option of including additional comments. I would very much appreciate any and all responses to this. Fire up your (brain) engines--now's your chance to tell me how you REALLY feel! :) Let me know if I'm selling myself short on the ratings, or giving myself too much credit. 

I. Massage--This area is the most difficult for me to give a self-evaluation for, since I'm not able to experience my own work, thus, this area is especially important for you to offer feedback.

   Pressure: 9.

   Rhythm/Flow: 9.

   Intro/Closure: 9.

   Time Utilization: 8.

   Draping: 9.

   Overall: 44/50. 

   Strengths: Adapting to clients' various needs--from relaxing to deep, therapeutic techniques.

   Weaknesses: Beginning sessions with cold hands, not balancing time throughout the session as well as I'd like.

II. Spa Treatments: Bodywraps, Skin Polish, Hand/Foot Polish, Add-On Body Butters, Retail 

   Informing Clients of Available Offerings: 5.

   Quality of Products Used: 9.

   Efficacy of Spa Treatments: 8.

   Overall: 22/30.

   Strengths: Making retail products visible.

   Weaknesses: Not naturally suggesting products/services that clients might benefit from.

III. Atmosphere

   Location: 9.

   Ease of Finding: 8.

   Room Temperature: 8.

   Cleanliness: 9.

   Music: 8.

   Exterior Sounds: 8.

   Overall: 49/60.

   Strengths: Same location for 4 years; no hair or nail salon smells; nice, calming/comforting decor; recently cleaned carpets and converted all CDs to ipod use instead.

   Weaknesses: I forget to explain thoroughly to new clients that I'm at the back, downstairs, or where they should park; upstairs noise is mostly unavoidable--past hunts for the "perfect" massage room haven't been fruitful.

IV. Scheduling

   Online Scheduling Ease of Operation: 9--Please let me know if you ever run into issues with Clickbook.

   By Phone: 9.

   By Text: 9.

   By Email: 9.

   Date/Time Availability (M-F 5:15 & 7:00pm, M-W-F 9-10:30am, occasional weekends): 9.

   Proactivity: Rescheduling at end of sessions: 10.

   Follow-Up When A Client Does NOT Reschedule After Their Session: 7.

   Overall: 62/70.

   Strengths: Scheduling at the end of sessions is best--ensures clients get back in when they need it and can accommodate schedules best when booking ahead. Until recently, I had a poor-working system for following up with clients who haven't been in for a while or that didn't reschedule at the end of their session, but I feel I have found a better way to keep up with those needs now.

   Weaknesses: I am not always able to catch my phone when clients call, and don't do a lot of texting, so I forget to follow up later if I'm not able to respond immediately upon receiving a text or voicemail from a client. This is an area for me to focus on improving.

V. Time Management

   Arrive To Work On Time: 7. This is an area that I know I need to improve on, and am testing different ways to make that change (taking ownership of my time, versus blaming it on my inherited genes ;).)

   Beginning Sessions Promptly: 8.

   Ending Sessions At Their Full Length: 10.

   Balancing Time Throughout The Session: 9.
   Dependability: 10.

   Overall: 44/50.

   Strengths: A part of what makes me stand out from other massage therapists is that I intentionally spend a few minutes with clients to find out what their needs are prior to each session. Our bodies have different needs from day-to-day, and even my most long-term clients still don't have a "typical" massage.
   Weaknesses: Arriving to the office early to be set up and prepared the second clients walk in. As a family of 4 juggling 1 vehicle and trading off work and parental duties, this isn't always easy, but I also know I can make better efforts to achieve this goal.

VI. Communication

   Before Sessions: 10.
   During Sessions: 9.
   After Sessions: 9.
   Between Session/Post-Session Rescheduling Follow Up: 7.
   Continuous Contact: 9.
   Overall: 44/50.
   Strengths: I do believe I stand apart from other massage therapists in the level of time and attention I give clients to have a clear understanding of what outcome we're trying to reach at each session. I wonder sometimes if I talk with certain clients too much, but I try to let clients be the guide for the level of talking they're comfortable with. Some clients just naturally seem more at ease and relaxed when they ARE talking than if they're not, while other clients appreciate the quiet during their sessions. Please tell me if I have wrongly assumed which of these works for you.
   Weaknesses: I have been working on different methods to see what works best for me to keep up with clients and following up with them as we've discussed for me to do if they haven't rescheduled at the end of their appointment, and I know what I've tried in the past hasn't been as effective as I'd have hoped, but I do think I have a better method in place now.

VII. Professional Presentation
   Appearance: 9.
   Politeness: 9.
   Problem Resolution: 9.
   Fingernails Maintained: 9.
   Overall: 36/40.
   Strengths: I try to always look nice when I come to work and am anticipating purchasing new logo-embroidered shirts soon.
   Weaknesses: Sometimes I don't dress as nicely as I should, ie wearing jeans, and don't always have my nails filed before I arrive for my first client of the week. I go back and forth with myself as to how strongly I should enforce my reschedule policy. I want to be clear that my time has value and not allow clients to take advantage of that, but am not completely clear as to when/how hard I should put my foot down, and conversely, when to let things go and/or make more of a compromise for short-notice rescheduling. Input welcome!

VIII. Quality, Knowledgeable, Intuition, Value
   Knowledge and Understanding of Clients' Areas of Focus: 9.
   Non-Verbalized Sense of Stagnant Energy/Energetic Blocks: 10.
   Ability to Create and Communicate Treatment Plan Individually Suited to Each Client: 9.
   Ability to Meet Clients' Goals: 9.

   On-Going Follow-Up to Assure Client Satisfaction: 9.
   Services Provided Meet/Exceed Cost: 9.
   Overall: 55/60.
   Strengths: I feel I've gained a lot of experience in my 6 years as a licensed massage therapist that has added to my skill levels in treating clients, beyond relaxation-based massage. In the past 6 years, I've come to recognize more and more deeply that EVERYTHING in our bodies and lives are intertwined, am in awe of this, and love to share what I've learned with my clients along the way.
   Weaknesses: I admit openly with clients new and old that treating the lower back is not my forte, but as clients keep presenting issues here, I am enjoying the opportunities to try different ways of treating the lower back and soon enough won't have to throw out that word of caution anymore. I truly love to work with the upper back, shoulders, and neck, and wonder sometimes if I spend more time than clients would like there just because of that.
   

All in all: 356/420--85%. Room for improvement, but in terms of dealing with human bodies, I don't expect I'll ever "know it ALL," just so long as I continue to improve in my personal relations with clients and in my hands-on skills. :)

Beginning January 1, 2013, I will be raising my rates $5 across the board, as well as distinguishing between relaxation and therapeutic massage, which will be an additional $5-10. Read more about that here.

Two Best Words, Six Best Years

Today is a pretty special day for me. It's my 6th anniversary as a LICENSED massage therapist. Thank you. From the bottom of my heart, in all the ways each of you have supported me along the way. Without you, I wouldn't be celebrating this day today. Thank you.

The best of you are regulars, but those who are..less regular..are no less important to me. Thank you for your consistency, at whatever interval that is for you. Every single appointment supports the roof over my family's head, food in our bellies, and pays our bills. Thank you. 

So many of you have taught me so much and I appreciate your patience with me as I've grown. Thank you. 

At the risk of dragging this out and watering down my point, I'll leave it at that.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Upcoming Events: 2012

Happy new year!! Have you made resolutions, or just decided on some goals for the year? I prefer to think along the lines of goals or changes I want to see in my life, as opposed to resolutions. Resolutions bring with them the shadow of doubt and failure, but goals speak more definitively to me--something I really want to have happen. My goals this year are ... mostly to be more committed. Those things I wish I did better or more consistently--those are the things I plan to focus on. Flossing. Exercising (did you think I was perfect at this? I'm not!!) Blogging. Journalling for my boys. Reading for pleasure. Spending time with friends. Sharing love with everyone. Paying it forward. All of these things. It sounds like a lot when you put it all together, but I think it's really more about tightening up the strings that hold life together and which have been a little too sloppy in my life, and I'm ready to cinch up a bit. What are the things you want to work on this year? Write it down. Share it. Commit. 

I'll be taking some time off this month. Hubby has (paid--jealous!!) vacation from the 9th-13th. I was on the fence about whether I would also be taking that week off and blocking out my schedule or not. We didn't make plans to go anywhere or anything, so I didn't HAVE to. Sharing that with a client that was planning to book his next appointment in that week, he suggested I take the week off, that money will always come, but you never get the time back. He convinced me. Blame him. ;) But really, it won't hurt to call or email me if you're really hurting that week. I have blocked my Clickbook calendar out, so you will have to come at me more directly if you need some attention that week. 

I'm planning on having my next Save Your Hands! workshop on Sunday, March 11. I admit I have not been marketing for these workshops as well as I should, and that's another goal I have this year. I'd like to be utilizing and sharing the knowledge I've gained, so I'm buckling down and planning on doing at least 4-6 workshops this year. Some will be on weekends, some on week days, because therapists have different availabilities with their schedules too. Check my website for a list of dates. They'll be posted soon.

Please share your goals in the comments below. I'd love to help if possible.

A Dose of Inspiration: Keep Moving

So you know this much about success: Make goals, break them down, and start checking steps off your to-do list, right? An important piece to keep in mind is to keep moving. You sit down, and it's SO much harder to get back up and work on the next step. Keep your head up, take deep belly breaths, focus. Remember why you're doing it, how much better you'll feel when you've finished it, what difference it will make in your life, who else will benefit from the end result with you. 

Keep moving.

And don't be reluctant to pat yourself on the back when you reach your goal. I am a big proponent of rewarding myself for a job well done. The reward doesn't have to be huge. I'm a bit like Pavlov's Dog when I'm at work--I've developed a tradition of allowing myself one piece of Dove dark chocolate after each massage I give. Keeps my sweet tooth in check. ;) 

I'm also about to get my next massage scheduled--after many hard hours working in our backyard this week, it's almost done, and I am SOO ready to rest and treat my body to some TLC. And I highly recommend you do the same! ;) 

Got the second stump out yesterday.

Hard to believe there used to be 2 trees growing in the middle of the yard, then 2 big holes from taking out the stumps, huh? Can't wait to make it grass instead of dirt now!!

Yes, I know I need more massages than just after lots of hard yardwork, but I also know how much more enjoyable it will be to know that I won't have to do more yardwork still, after I've gotten a massage. Once the grass seed is down & covered, I will relax. Ahhh....can't wait!

A Dose of Inspiration: Just Do It

Sure, it's Nike's tagline, but it's a good one to remember anyway. Just do it.

How many times do you catch yourself daydreaming about the life you want to have? The new "thing" you have to have? The personal achievement that's just out of grasp? The experiences you want to have?

So...what's really stopping you? It's not impossible. Other people are doing and having those things too. Why aren't you? I'll tell you: You have to get past the "thinking" stage and move into the "action" phase. Stop making excuses. You deserve to have those things, so stop selling yourself short. What's in it for you in keeping yourself from it? How much better could your life be if you had that? 

Focus on that. Envision your life with this "thing." Looks good, doesn't it? Take a glance back at your life without it and notice the difference in your feelings between the two. Then, identify what's really stopping you. More than likely, you'll have to push yourself beyond your comfort zone to obtain this "thing," but, whatever it is, you can be assured it'll be worth it.

As someone who is self-employed, I've come to get comfortable with continually stretching my comfort zone, and it's really quite thrilling. Sure, I have times where it catches me off-guard and I wonder what in the world I'm doing, but then it comes back--that daydream--and I remember that I'm exactly where I'm supposed to be, doing exactly what I'm supposed to be doing. So I smile.

This post was somehow inspired by my first float from Barton to Carver on the Clackamas River this past weekend. There were SO many other people doing the same thing, that I really got the feeling as if we were all fleeing or evacuating the land. Being on a time restraint made the experience a little stressful instead of relaxing, but the experience of doing it made it worthwhile anyway. I wish I had had a waterproof camera so I could show you how the river and parking lots (and any other open spaces!) looked with such a flood of people there.

A Dose of Inspiration: Balancing Time

A week managed to pass me by without getting my last blog written. 

My email started piling up again.

I had a 3day weekend, enjoying time with family, soaking up some R & R with a sick kid.

Yep. Excuses. We all have them. So this morning, I set myself back on track, nevermind hitting snooze and all my other begrudgements. 

First things first, I spent 45 minutes on the phone correcting my order for brochures, business cards, etc. Couldn't let a terrific price slip by. And then....procrastination about that blog came rushing back. The email inbox daunting me all over.

Small steps. Chip away at the email, delete the things that are quick to make decisions about.

Harder steps. There's still more email than I'd like to see. Dig deeper. I read the posts on blogs of two other people--one is also a massage therapist, the other is a marketing guru. Both got me moving. And by reading them, a part of my goals were met (eliminating the email beast), my procrastination dwindled (taking action!!).

Besides meeting my goal of actually posting this blog, what IS my point? Balancing time is an on-going struggle for me, which I fully admit. But I'm also hoping to show my struggles in a way to help others realize they aren't alone, and to reach success in life together, one small accomplishment at a time. 

Tell me your struggles, tricks, and accomplishments in the comments below.

Play Hard.

The holiday season is well known for being a stressful time of year. While it's taken some practice, I've enjoyed this season more by learning how to manage my 24 hours in the day, and you can too.

Being self-employed can make things a little more challenging at times, or maybe takes longer for the light bulb to click on and register a better idea or way of doing things. Sometimes, it takes 12 times to be told the same thing before recognizing a brilliant idea or needed change. Sometimes, you just have to sleep on it for 5 or 6 months and feel just a little slow in realizing how simple it really is. This much I know from personal experience.

To anyone else that may benefit from my experiences, I offer my knowledge to you. 

Create structure. Develop systems. Within these, don't forget to include "play" time--be it with your kids, a hot soak in the tub with the door locked and the phone turned off, or indulging in your choice guilty pleasure. Budget your finances and time alike. And, make comprises with both. Account for all things needed and desired. 

Your dreams and happiness are within reach. Do NOT allow yourself or others to encourage you to sacrifice your dreams or happiness. Understand, the old adage "work before play" holds true. Your dreams and happiness are your "play," and your work is whatever it takes to reach them--working to pay off bills from before you finally understood when you heard it the 12th time, getting up early to hit the gym or hit the books--whatever it may be in your life that is in your way. Deal with it head-on. Take one step at a time, leave one bite on the plate, work an extra hour each day. 

The feeling you get when you reach your goals and begin to live the life of your dreams is unimaginable. And even when you think life can't get any better, you start to dream again...of what else is possible in this life. And you can do it.

Play hard.

PS--this blog was inspired by rug burns I got on my arms today while playing with the kids at JJ Jump. Deep. :)

Changes vs Mental Blocks

How many times have you decided you want to make a change in your life? Lots I'm sure. How many times have you achieved your goal? Many less if you're like most of us.

I'm seeing more often, or at least more clearly, that people often say they want to make changes in their lives, but just don't give it what it takes to get it done. It amazes me how many times I have to read some suggestion before I believe in it enough to utilize it, but once I do, I reach my goals so much faster and wonder why I hadn't just done it the first time I came across it.

What I am understanding better now, is that as much as we will decide we want something in life, we aren't always ready to get it right away. Sometimes other changes have to take place first to prepare us, or help us see that what we thought we wanted doesn't really help us fulfill the needs of our souls. 

That's getting deeper than I intended here, and I'll get back on track.

In terms of our bodies, we may be holding tension and need a massage to feel better, but don't always book the appointment. We instead make ourselves believe we don't deserve it, or can't afford it. I understand. I've been there. Heck, I AM there. Here's my confession: it's been 4 months since my last massage. For a while, I had a mental block against letting myself get another one because I still owed my therapist buddy from our last trade. I've now repaid that debt to her, and even got my appointment booked with her, but had to cancel thanks to a darn cold. And now our schedules are not matching up and I'm really starting to feel how overdue I am. 

My mental block is gone now, and I am fully ready to go do some "market research"--that's my fancy way of being able to write off paying for a massage--and try out a different therapist. I do love to trade with my usual buddy, but I also like to pick up on new techniques from other therapists too. And I need a massage.

I also feel like I give a better massage after I've gotten one. I suppose it refreshes in my mind how my client is feeling during their session and what I can do to make it their best massage.

Hopefully, by next week, I'll be able to share all about my latest massage and have a few new techniques to put to work. 

When you are ready to experience them for yourself, I will be here, and will be happy to help you reach your goals.

What Are You Doing RIGHT NOW?

I've begun a habit of asking myself throughout my day whether the action I'm taking RIGHT NOW is helping me or prohibiting me from reaching my ultimate desires in life. It's an absolutely amazing thing. I find myself accomplishing so much more than I previously allowed of myself. 


For me, it means getting up at 6am when my husband leaves for work to start my day, and having a routine to my day. Working in the afternoons and evenings for so long, having a morning routine isn't something to which I'm accustomed, and, as some of my clients might share, leaves me pushing the clock to get to work before they arrive for their massage. 


My recent discipline developments have lead me to create more than just "goals" that I'd like to accomplish on a daily or weekly basis, which always seemed like a good idea, but never really stuck. Now, I have a schedule to my day, allowing me to know exactly what I should, or more importantly--should NOT be doing, in my quest to reach my biggest goals in life.


What is happening now, is that all the things I've wanted to do or have is really becoming reality. My email inbox is under control and is no longer what I look to when I feel like I should be doing something productive, my follow up with clients is getting done, the kitchen isn't loaded with dirty dishes (for those who don't know, we don't have a dishwasher!), the house is cleaner altogether, I'm going to the gym on a more regular basis, and I feel SO much better.


Most everyone dreams of success, and hopes one day they'll have it....but how will you know? What would YOUR success in life look like? What are you doing to reach that dream? What are you doing that is hindering your chances of reaching that dream? How can you make different choices to get what you want? Are you really okay with allowing what is currently holding you back to remain as it is? Or, are you willing to push yourself outside your comfort zone to reach your goals? 


I hope to have inspired you to know that you CAN have the things you want in life. Be prepared for the journey, and begin by taking small, consistent steps. It is a journey, and if you try to run too fast for too long, you will get tired and fall. Your intensity must be built up. Break down your dreams into smaller goals. Begin with making a different choice today, tomorrow, each day this month, and smile when you start to see the effect. You can do this. Your dream life is waiting for you, you just have to allow yourself to stretch a little further so pretty soon, it's just within your reach. 


Yes, you can!

My 2010 Marketing Plan

Ahh... don't you love that sense of accomplishment when you finally get something done that's been on your to-do list for what seems like forever? The kids blessed me with a longer than usual nap yesterday, giving me some much needed quiet time to really chip away at my goals for this year.

What really made a difference in setting these goals, is that I was more specific in what I wanted to achieve. Until recently, my goals seemed to always be based on just a general number of client sessions per month, not taking into consideration whether they were 30, 45, 60, 75, or 90 minute sessions, or whether it wasn't even massage, but a bodywrap or other spa treatment instead. I suppose my 2010 goals didn't get quite as specific as they could be, now that I'm thinking deeper into it, but I've at least based my goals on the financial step I'd like to reach.

I'm still a bit on the fence about sharing exact numbers, maybe not due to my own feelings towards them, but more in regards to other people's feelings about income. I've never really understood why people are so secretive about money. I'll keep much of this information on a general, percentage standpoint, though I'm sure it wouldn't be too hard to punch a few numbers into a calculator and come up with the exact. If you are really interested in knowing, just ask.


To begin, I had 206 total sessions in 2009, which is equal to 58% of 2010's goal of 351 sessions, based on the most commonly booked 60 minute sessions.

My total income in 2009 is equal to 67% of my goal for 2010, and 2009's total take home is equal to 66.6% of 2010's goal. I like that those numbers are pretty close, and am not too daunted by my goal of a 33% increase...so far! However, I'm also looking to reduce my total business expenses. 2009 is 117% of my goal/budget for 2010.

If I reach my monthly income goals, 31.3% goes towards business expenses, things like my massage room lease, student loans, stamps, ink, printing, continuing education, license renewals, linens, laundry, products, etc; 23% for taxes, maybe that will take the edge of my annual surprise!; leaving 45.6% for personal profits, ie. paying household bills and keeping tummies happy.

So to reach these monetary goals, I need to have 29 non-discounted 60 minute massage sessions per month, which would keep my schedule at 78% capacity throughout the year. I believe I worked in a few vacation days when figuring those numbers. If my schedule only books up to 70% capacity, I would need to increase my 60 minute massage rate by $6.86 to continue to meet my goals.

How will I keep my schedule at 78% capacity to avoid raising my rates, you ask? I've got a list of things to do and, as I found when beginning this post, a few more things to add on also. I don't want to list it all out here... so let's see if, as a client, you notice my efforts!