We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Amy Robertson a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Amy, appreciate you joining us today. What do you think it takes to be successful?

You’ve got to have that hustle.

You have to be willing to put in the hard work—every single day. No days off. If I have a lighter day with only two or three clients, I’m still working—researching new techniques, marketing myself on social media, reaching out to clients who haven’t scheduled in a while, or observing another provider’s work. No matter what, I’m always hustling.

At the same time, as contradictory as it may sound, rest is just as important. My job is hands-on, so I have to take care of myself too. That might mean opting for a lighter workout, taking a nap, reevaluating my diet, or getting bodywork done on myself.

Amy, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

Like many, I changed careers near the end of COVID. Healthcare burnout is real, and after 24 years, I was ready for a change. At the time, I was working for a therapist who owned a stretch studio. One Monday, while observing him, I was impressed by his skills and thought to myself, I could do that.

So I did.

The very next day, I toured a local school in Austin. They had one available slot for me to start that Monday. I made a split-second career change in a day, and a year later, I was graduating and preparing for my boards. As graduation neared, we were assigned to create a business plan and identify a target community to market to. My focus was geriatric massage. Toward the end of my medical assistant career, I worked in orthopedics and sports medicine, so I naturally connected with that community. As an athlete myself, I also leaned into the sports medicine side of bodywork.

After passing all my licensing requirements, I took a job with a struggling company. Then, while hospitalized for an illness, I lost my job. In this industry, there’s no PTO. I was terrified—I had only just started building a small personal clientele, and suddenly, my primary source of income was gone. I fell asleep alone, crying in that hospital bed.

Sometime in the middle of the night, I woke up to a Facebook message. A woman who owned a local weightlifting gym was looking for an on-site massage therapist. The one she had for over five years had retired, and she had seen my name pop up in community pages multiple times. Thankfully, she reached out. After meeting with her, I knew—this was my opportunity, and I was going to take it. I had to make it work.

I’m not your typical massage therapist. I do bodywork. I specialize in both sports and geriatric massage. My background in orthopedics and sports medicine gave me a deep understanding of injuries like ACL or rotator cuff tears, but it also taught me the importance of rehabilitation—staying consistent with physical therapy exercises even after treatment ends.

Many clients come in expecting a relaxing session. And while the body does need that at times, that’s not usually what you’ll get with me. My business is Wicked Good Bodywork because, well, it’s wicked. It hurts. It’s intense. But it’s necessary to break up adhesions and get you moving. You’ll feel wicked good tomorrow. My work often includes aggressive stretching, deep tissue techniques, trigger point therapy, and myofascial release.

For my geriatric clients (55+), I take extra care. I have extensive knowledge of joint replacements, range of motion limitations, and how different diagnoses and medications affect the body. For example, clients on blood thinners bruise more easily and have thinner skin, so I adjust my pressure accordingly.

I’m incredibly proud of the community I serve—from young athletes pushing their limits to senior citizens striving to maintain mobility. No matter their needs, I’m here to help.

love my job, I love my clients, and nothing compares to receiving a message the day after a session telling me how amazing they feel!

Can you open up about a time when you had a really close call with the business?

I only make money if I put my hands on a client. So if I need time off or I get sick there is no money coming in.
One month shy of my year anniversary, I got sick and was in and out of the hospital. Thank goodness for my clients and a small emergency fund. My clients know my work ethic and they know that I’m not going to cancel on them for no reason. They were very understanding about moving their appointments and getting back on immediately. Missing almost a whole month of income can be detrimental to a small business.

Where do you think you get most of your clients from?

My clients are always referring new clients to me or tagging me in a post on social media. Building solid relationships with my clients is important. They’re trusting me with their bodies and if they’re happy they’re going to let others know.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.wickedgoodbodywork.com
• Instagram: yoyoamyjo
• Facebook: Wicked Amy Jo

Image Credits

All mine