WallyMassage's Massage Interview

Do you remember your first client ? Tell us something about that first day when you decided to be a Masseur!

It was the opening day of my massage career. I actually had to work on a client outside the comfort of massage school. This was different than my massage school internship. During an internship, the client expects you not to be that great of a therapist. But, I had rented a hotel room in Fort Lauderdale and my upcoming client was expecting me to perform what I was professing to know: massage therapy.

I was nervous that I would forget the order of the moves that I do. There were so many to remember. So, I wrote them out in big letters and taped them behind the hotel room door so the client wouldn't notice upon entry. At some point, I remember panicking mildly realizing that I was moving too fast through the session. So I slowed my strokes and tried to get creative and fill the upcoming time.

Finally, the time came for my eighty-year-old client to flip over. He did flip over and so did his toupee. It was like an engine hood to foreign car had come loose from its levers. I stood behind his head, and with my hip, pushed the toupee back onto his head hoping the glue would stick this time. It remained in place for the rest of the session.

Some people say that being a Masseur is addictive. Would you miss your Masseur days ?

After fifteen years of doing massage, there are definitely aspects of my job that I would miss and not miss should I stop doing massage work. What I won't miss is constantly being out of town and missing out on dinner parties and relationships. I also won't miss the driving time between cities wondering if this will be the trip when my engine light will display. Hotels are another aspect of my job I won't miss. Backbreaking work can stay in this category also.

The part I will miss is the clientele. Whenever I open my hotel room door it's like Christmas morning. You never know what kind of client experience you'll have until you're way into the session. And because I'm a part-time nudist, I enjoy getting naked with my guys. That part I'll miss the most. I also like being my own boss and having the flexibility to stay in a city longer so I can visit with my family.

Tell us a little about yourself, if you were to pick something what would you like your clients to absolutely know about you?

I write music, song ballads mostly. I play guitar and am recording my first song in August. I've hired a singer and a violinist. We're recording at a local recording studio in Houston. I write songs from my experiences. I have only been able to write a song on command...once. It was for my best friend's birthday. I'm not an artist that can write five songs a week. I don't know how people do that. They have my utmost admiration. One of my heroines in the songwriting world is Taylor Swift. That woman is amazing. I actually have a picture of her on my vision board hoping that one day she'll record my music.

Why did you become a Masseur?

I had a massage club consisting of five men when I was in my thirties. I started a massage club to get free massage work from others who were also interested in the craft. We all met either on Craigslist or on a site that matched like-minded massage folks with each other - I can't remember the name. I worked for a nonprofit at the time and there wasn't a lot of extra money to get massage work, so my massage club filled a great need in my life.

One night I struck up a friendship on a social app with a massage therapist and told him I'd like to do a trade. After hearing that I do it as a hobby, he agreed and invited me to his hotel room to swap massage work. That trade led to a friendship that is still strong today.

On one of his journeys to Houston, we went out to dinner and I shared with him that my employer of twenty years was going out of business and I was still shell-shocked at having to leave the job of my dreams. He pried me on what I was going to do for work. My only response was a stare into nothingness.

A couple of nights later, he was very excited and insisted that he had found me a job. It was the traveling massage gig. And, voila! That's what I'm doing today.

What distinguishes you from all the other Masseurs?

I treat my clients like long-lost friends while maintaining respectful boundaries. There is no tude in my massage relationships.

I also let each of them know when I'm in town. I don't rely on the massage sites to send me clients.

I stay in very nice hotels so that the clients don't feel like they're embarking on a sketchy experience.

I don't do drugs at all. I rarely ever drink.

I accept more than just cash. I accept credit cards, Venmo, Cash App and Paypal.

I only work on four clients a day so that each client gets my full energy.

How often do you travel? Do you prefer to travel or are you more of a homebody?

I'm a total homebody but I have to travel to make a living. Usually, when I go to a city for massage, I will usually fill all four massage slots for the day. But I love coming home.

How do you like clients to feel about the experience when they leave?

I want them to feel acknowledged and stress-free. I also want them to feel like they got a good massage for the price.

Is extensive training necessary for a Masseur in order to be successful?

I have met massage guys who were ****ing amazing at massage but who never went to school. My only caution about doing massage without having gone to school is that you can hurt your client without knowing it. And, you can do it quite easily.

For example, there are parts of the body to which you should never apply any significant pressure. The back of the knees, the folds of the arms, and the nerve plexus in the neck should only receive a very gentle glide.

You can also crack a rib if you apply too much pressure on the front side or on the backside.

How long have you been a Masseur and how long do think you'd like to continue?

I've been doing this work for fifteen years and my time in this work is coming to an end. I want to find a career that contributes to my community or to the planet. I have started looking for careers already. I'm getting older and the work that I do is back-breaking and I feel like I need to contribute more.

Do you consider yourself a successful Masseur?

I've been able to pay my bills and save some money. I also get to be my own boss, eat what I want on the road, and meet some amazing men. I've done this work for fifteen years. So, yes, I'd say that my massage style (the way I treat clients, the way I conduct the session) makes me successful on the road. Clients line up for me when I'm on the road.

How would you like someone that contacts you for a massage to feel when they leave?

This is a duplicate question. Here's what I wrote in the other question:

I want them to feel acknowledged and stress-free. I also want them to feel like they got a good massage for the price.

What are your hobbies, what do you like to do in your spare time?

I play guitar and songwrite; I cook Barefoot Contessa recipes; I bike ride; I escape to the movies and, yes, I always buy the popcorn; I visit and review local coffee shops; I am currently waiting for a friend to get his coffee roaster installed so that I can roast my own beans; I trade massage with friends; I live vicariously through my best friends as I watch their dream house get built; I live on the beach and love to escapt to Fort Lauderdale. When in Houston, you can always find me near a pool; I try to work out more than I do; When I travel for massage, there's always an audio book qued on my cell.

What advice would you give to someone who wants to be a Masseur?

Most importantly: Use Google Voice to keep track of your clients in different cities. Having a list of clients really helps your sales the next time you return to that city. I've never relied on the sites alone for my sales. You have to build a client base and I have found Google Voice such an easy solution for this. You can also text clients from your laptop. Google Voice will give you a different cell number that you can give out to your clients.

Check out the cost of massage school: My school cost me a monthly payment. Some qualify for a free massage education depending on your state.

Set boundaries: If people cross them, be polite about it. Don't curse at them.

Decide on the kind of massage you're gonna do: Will your massage sessions be at the standards set by massage school or will your sessions include nudity and touch.

Whenever you feel burnout creeping up on you, raise your rates: There's nothing better for this than getting compensated adequately for your work.

Stay connected to a support system especially if you're on the road: Loneliness can be a big part of this work especially if you travel