BryanKelly's Massage Interview
How would you like someone that contacts you for a massage to feel when they leave?
First and foremost they should feel overwhelmingly satisfied with the experience, whether their goal was to get relief from chronic pain and tightness, or to have a thrilling and exhilarating erotic encounter, or maybe to really connect with someone on a deeper level, or just a nice balance of all of these. I know from my own experience how frustrating it can be to spend time and money on a massage only to walk out feeling pretty much the same as you did walking in, just lighter in the pockets. I want my people to leave thinking "wow I feel much better" and if I'm lucky maybe even feel like they made a new friend.
What advice would you give to someone who wants to be a Masseur?
Listen to your clients. Remember that you are there for them and not everyone is looking for the same thing. Consider things from their point of view, it can be very intimidating for some people (particularly the shy ones) to reach out to a stranger for such intimate service.
Know what you're capable of, know your strengths and weaknesses and don't make promises you can't keep. Pace yourself; if you try to see too many people the quality of your product will suffer. It may be difficult to turn people away if you're not feeling your best but in the long term it's the best strategy and your clients will appreciate it.
Is extensive training necessary for a Masseur in order to be successful?
Certainly training is beneficial but if a person doesn't have a natural talent for massage and a "good touch" then no amount of training will suffice. In fact the person may stop listening to his clients simply because he thinks he knows better.
Learning to be a skillful bodyworker is more like learning a sport or a musical instrument or really any artistic and physical pursuit, it's great to have exposure to lots of techniques and approaches but it really comes down to practice with various body types and the desire and effort to really give an effective pain free massage.
Do you consider yourself a successful Masseur?
I am very happy with the path I've chosen, so if happiness is the key indicator of success then I would definitely call myself a successful masseur.
Why did you become a Masseur?
I really love being my own boss. I get to create my own unique massage experience, everything from choosing which techniques to use to how to market myself. I can even decide when to take off and enjoy a little "me" time. With some skill and patience you can create your own niche, and take pride in having developed a successful massage business.
Some people say that being a Masseur is addictive. Would you miss your Masseur days ?
Man would I ever! There's nothing more rewarding than making people feel great and I love to introduce clients to new techniques and approaches that are "outside of the box" so to speak and hear them ask me "why doesn't everyone do massage this way?".
What are your hobbies, what do you like to do in your spare time?
I have an eclectic range of pass times from writing and doing research for my book to playing in competitive sports leagues. But lately my passion has been music. I am approaching 1000 hours of drumming practice and I am (finally) starting to get pretty good. As a masseur you have a lot of on-call hours to fill so its important to have challenging and healthy ways to pass the time.
How long have you been a Masseur and how long do think you'd like to continue?
Ive been at it for more than 10 years, always learning, always improving, and there is no end in sight. I hope to be making people feel great for many years to come.
