hairyandfriendly's Massage Interview
How would you like someone that contacts you for a massage to feel when they leave?
I take pride in a being "a good Dad." There are a lot of boys out there of all ages who need a warm (and ***y!) father figure to feel close to, who gets them, who makes them feel seen, and feel safe.
I really enjoy providing that kind of positive Dad/Bro/Coach/Mentor role to younger guys who may have never experienced it in their own lives...
I say to first time clients, "I'll leave you with a smile on your face." They chuckle, but they know I mean it.
Oftentimes guys come in all nervous or shy or anxious - and thus, tense! - and I enjoy putting them at ease and making them feel comfortable to be themselves.
Why did you become a Masseur?
Humans need intimacy. Since caveman times, humans have had a deep need to be touched, to be hugged, to feel physical closeness with another body. Without it, we suffer. Tactile need is in our primal DNA.
Yes, there's ***ual intimacy but there's also simply personal intimacy - like feeling comfortable enough to confide something to someone without being judged or ridiculed.
Is extensive training necessary for a Masseur in order to be successful?
I trained for two years in Hawaii, which has the strictest massage therapist licensing requirements in the nation. We studied pre-med, learning every bone and muscle in the body. And we were required to complete a 500-hour internship in a medical or spa establishment.
Only half the students typically passed the grueling State Board exams!
Yes, professional training matters because you learn how NOT to hurt people! Having said that, a person either has "the touch" or they don't. Training can't teach that - it's simply innate and instinctual.
What advice would you give to someone who wants to be a Masseur?
Come at it with bucketloads of empathy. Try to put your own wants and preferences aside, and be selfless as much as possible.
Get a natural high from knowing you a helping another soul out by providing a safe and intimate space for them to let go and let down their daily shield that we all carry...
How often do you travel? Do you prefer to travel or are you more of a homebody?
I tell clients that I'm happy to travel to another county, another city, even if it's a 2 or 3 hour drive away.
They usually say something like they wouldn't ask me to drive all that way for them. But I spent my childhood in Southern California perpetually riding in the back seat of a car - long freeway drives are my natural habitat!
I appreciate when I have enough notice beforehand. That way, a client isn't in a rush asking when I'll get there and what's taking me so long! I am often at the mercy of traffic, road works, and weather - one can only control one's universe to a certain extent. ;-)