FBITKO's Massage Interview
How would you like someone that contacts you for a massage to feel when they leave?
I believe in the Boy Scout campground rule when it comes to people: leave people in better condition than you found them.
Obviously, that means on a physical level with massage...it’s amazing how often that is overlooked with other masseurs. I listen to my client’s needs and adjust accordingly while still keeping my own distinct style. It can also mean mentally and emotionally: giving someone a massage shouldn’t be clinical or just routine, it should build a connection that has a positive impact on self-esteem and confidence.
I hope from the moment a client contacts me until well after their session that they feel valued...and that they received good value.
That shows in lots of little ways: respecting your time and privacy by allowing you to self-book on my website, maintaining a spotless, and tastefully appoint massage studio with private bathroom, or remembering the details of how you prefer to be touched or what’s been happening in your life.
How often do you travel? Do you prefer to travel or are you more of a homebody?
I live to travel! I’ve been lucky enough to have a day job that brought me around the world and let me ‘live’ in some incredible cities for a month or two at a time. I live in Toronto, but my heart belongs to London, Rio, Chiang Mai, and Rome! I finally crossed India off my bucket list this year, and when the world is allowed to start traveling again would like to travel to Peru to stay at an ********* retreat.
What distinguishes you from all the other Masseurs?
That I actually give an amazing massage? That I’ve actually studied massage? That I leverage technology to provide the most secure, streamline customer focused booking system used in the industry?
Actually, what really distinguishes me, is that I believe this is about more than offering a service. It’s a human connection that goes beyond massuer/client. I want to have a relationship with my clients that allows them to open up, be vulnerable, and get the very most from my touch. There is a great intimacy in the type of massage I practice, both physical and emotional, and I believe I benefit and learn just as much from each massage as they do.
Why did you become a Masseur?
As I write ‘Chapter 2’ of my life, I’ve benefited from massage and touch as an integral part of self-care and connecting with my body. As men, we're conditioned to believe our physical body is just there for utility: sports, lifting stuff, and ***. But it also carries all of our lifes experiences, and through massage we can unlock the wisdom and release the negative energy that is stored within every muscle. As I study psychology, I love exploring how those things connect to somatic health, and massage is the perfect way to do that.
Is extensive training necessary for a Masseur in order to be successful?
I believe some people are naturally in tune with their own physicality, and therefore are more apt to understand someone else's. That said, it's been an important part of my journey to understand the 'why' behind some of the techniques that come naturally, and to learn ways of working with the body that set my massage apart. I've studied Thai massage in Chiang Mai, Ayuverdic massage in India, and am a certified Reiki practitioner and Reiki Master. I employ all of those with myofascial release techniques and some of my own secret moves to give a uniquely therapeutic and sensual massage.
What are your hobbies, what do you like to do in your spare time?
I’m doing my Masters in Psychology and the Neuroscience of Mental Health. Excited to pursue what has long been an interest into something more academic....which is a full time hobby this work pays for. I’m also continuing to build certification in other therapies: Yin Restorative Yoga and TRE (Tension & Trauma Release Exercises) are up next!
For fun, love cooking, great restaurants (I’ve travelled to countries just for a meal), and love music enough to DJ sometimes as well! My bolognese sauce is the best you’ll have outside of Italy 🇮🇹
Tell us a little about yourself, if you were to pick something what would you like your clients to absolutely know about you?
In a world full of good masseurs you need to differentiate yourself and offer something that makes you a compelling choice. I spent two months in Thailand and India learning skills and techniques that could elevate my massage. Bringing Reiki energy, trauma informed body work, and other eastern medicine philosophies to male massage is important to me: there’s an opportunity to make a deeper connection and unlock something really powerful in my interactions with clients. When that happens, it’s magic.