We were lucky to catch up with Nancy Saunders recently and have shared our conversation below.

Nancy, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Let’s go back in time to when you were an intern or apprentice – what’s an interesting story you can share from that stage of your career?

I feel so fortunate that in 1992 my career as a professional Massage Therapist started with Colorado Athletic Club in Denver, CO. I was an employee and the Massage Dept. Director for more than 10 years. I learned you can still be an Entrepreneur while working for someone else by building my Clientele and learning the ropes of running a Business. Let me explain the concepts I learned and still use 30 years later at my own clinic, Saunders Massage Therapy, and with my Bodyworkers Business Coach Clients.

Pretend the Athletic Club was a “City” of 3,000 people. It is my job to gain their attention and help them realize receiving Massage Therapy on a regular basis will improve their health/athleticism/injury recovery/mental balance.
This was accomplished by:

-PSYCHOGRAPHICS – I recruited & hired a highly qualified staff. Each Massage Therapist was unique and had a niche treatment style or type of Client they wanted to attract. By promoting these attributes, Clients were successfully paired with the best MT to help them. Most of the staff stayed with me for 10 years because they had built a lucrative Clientele.

-ADDED VALUE – Each MT maintained a steady & consistent schedule of Clients. This achievement was important because they connected with each Client, listened to their heartaches & jubilations, remembered & anticipated their needs and followed up with homecare advice for support between MT sessions.

-NETWORKING – In our Athletic Club “City” are other professionals that could mutually benefit from working together.
The Massage Therapists would speak with the Tennis Pros and Personal Trainers encouraging referrals for MT sessions by highlighting the benefits of MT in muscle recovery and improved athletic performance.
Aerobics Instructors would let us introduce ourselves in class with a 30-second elevator speech of who we are and how we can help them.
The Nursery was happy to watch children while a parent received some much needed stress relief.
And the Membership Sales staff enjoyed rewarding people with a gift card for a revitalizing Massage session.

-PLANNING – Running a successful Massage Therapy Dept. has a lot of moving parts and many opportunities to interact with the people and professionals in our “City”. This is why you are always thinking & planning (3) months in advance.
What are the dates for Health Fairs, Tennis Tournaments, Membership Appreciation Events, Gift Card Holidays like Christmas, Valentine, Mother’s/Father’s Day? Is there a clever marketing campaign to create/print/distribute? Are there fun hand-out gifts to order? What about Social Media posts?

-BUDGETS – And then there is MONEY. How much can you make? How much should you spend? How do you track it?

Whether you are an Employee, Independent Contractor or Sole Proprietor, the bottom line is, always think and act like an Entrepreneur.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers

Nancy Saunders, R.M.T. is the Bodyworkers Business Coach. I train Massage Therapists, Acupuncturists and Bodyworkers by combining theoretical concepts with real-world perspective and experience. I have triumphed over difficult issues in my own career and will be more empathetic to my Coaching Clients while providing down to earth solutions and action plans.

As a Sole Proprietor of Saunders Massage Therapy, I have an incredible passion for the Bodyworker profession. I LOVE being my own Boss and in order to be successful, the office needs to be run like the CEO of a Business and not a hobby.
After 30 years in this Client-centered Business, my goal has been to share my knowledge and experiences with self-driven Entrepreneurs. Those who are truly motivated to change their lives.

My Coaching Clients want More:
-More Clients, More money, and More stability
-More independence to run their Business and gain recognition.
-More connection with their Clients

My Coaching Clients are Bodywork Professionals who:
-Recently Graduated from Massage Therapy School and they soon realize the need for more Business Education.
-An Employee practicing at a Corporate Massage entity for a few years. They are ready to be independent and want to start their own business, but are unsure what to do first in setting the steps in motion.
-Are an Independent Contractor or Sole Proprietor. They have had their own Business for a few years and are on the tipping point of success or failure.

Change takes courage and I help bolster the confidence of Bodyworkers while walking them through the necessary Business steps. I help them define what is working in their life/career and what is not working.

Together we strategize on success and identify missed opportunities by analyzing Psychographics.
-Why should a client choose YOU?
-Beyond monetary benefit, what value do YOU provide Clients?
-WHY do you stand out?
We will compile this objective data and create an efficient and effective way to communicate and connect with Clients.

Nancy Saunders, R.M.T. has your back.
When contemplating a career change and starting down the path of Entrepreneurship, choose someone impartial to be honest and talk about anything. Look for an experienced and empathetic individual who will listen and provide tactical advice, guide in areas that are unfamiliar and help optimize yourself and fulfill your potential. I would love to fill that role for you!

What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?

Convenience, Communication & Consistency In this automated Society, people are tired of talking to a robot in Customer Service. Or feeling like a number in a Franchise machine constantly re-introducing themselves.

Clients want a personal connection, trust, and relationships. They need us to listen & be attentive to Client needs; deliver what we promise. I provide this added value to every Massage Therapy session.

Never underestimate the value and reassurance of communication with Clients.
-A classic handwritten note in a stamped envelope stands out in the junk mail and bills. It shows that you took the time to personalize a message.
-An email or text is a good follow up to see if they are doing well or need to set up an appointment.
-And a newsletter keeps Clients informed on office updates, available therapy & health tips for homecare.
Clients will comment and actually thank you for the personal touch and thoughtfulness.

The consistency of offering a high quality service will establish your reputation by word of mouth, on-line reviews and a fully booked schedule.

Have you ever had to pivot?

Aahhh, yes. When I was evicted from my office building. It was the best thing that ever happened to me!

Let me start with the Learning Lessons to heed:
-Negotiate the needs for your Business in the Lease Agreement and prompt the Landlord to uphold the contract.
-Keep all communication in writing; contract, letter, email, text. This is documented proof that both parties understand their obligations
-Be prepared to walk away. Trust there is always something better and retain a Lawyer.

I rented an office space for many years and grew a successful Massage Therapy practice in a great neighborhood.
Everything was friendly at first. I thought it was an advantage that the Landlord had his office in the building.
But as the years went by the Landlords Employees got noisy & disruptive or brought barking dogs to work. The outside & inside of the office building were getting shabby, janitorial cleaning for the building shared bathrooms went down to once a week and the hallway lights were turned off to save electricity.
There were more shenanigans happening, but you get the point. This office building was no longer ideal.

But I was scared.
I was scared thinking I would never find another office space and all my Clients would leave me.
I worked hard and was proud of the professional Massage Therapy Clinic I had created for my Clients.
I was successful & established in a great Denver Neighborhood & Business District.
So I put up with crap and would try to discuss improving the building with the Landlord. Yet I was scared that if I complained too much they would evict me.

Finally, I had enough! An incident happened that was the last straw for me and out came all my bottled up complaints.
And yes, they evicted me. It was the kick in the butt I needed to explore my options. And it worked!
I upgraded to a much better office space in a well-maintained building mere blocks from the old one.
When I negotiated my new Lease Agreement I was wiser and had a list of questions and amendments before signing.

Landlords are in it for the money. They may be friendly but they are not your Friend. Keep it Business not Personal.
-Don’t let fear & abuse dictate your Business. There are always better options available.
-Do your research scrutinizing a potential office space with a long list of observations & questions.
-As a Tennant, YOU are the paying Customer. Stand up for yourself and get what you paid for and deserve.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://saundersmassagetherapy.com/bodyworkers-business-coach/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BodyworkersBusinessCoach
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nancy-saunders-owner-saunders-massage-therapy-b6532167/
• Other: https://www.abmp.com/podcasts/ep-13-your-client-s-session-boulder-massage-therapy-institute-instructor-nancy-saunders

Image Credits
Nancy Saunders