We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Andrew Campbell. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Andrew below.

Andrew, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Can you open up about a risk you’ve taken – what it was like taking that risk, why you took the risk and how it turned out?

Before I was licensed massage therapist, I was a retail pharmacy manager. I had a salaried position in the nation’s largest pharmacy chain, that provided guaranteed pay, benefits and opportunities for growth within the safety of the health care industry. Why would I want to leave that?

The hours were often long, as the pharmacy operated 24/7/365, the company and patient expectations were high, and the work itself was unfulfilling at best. Even still, it was safe.

One of the biggest drawbacks though was that working on holidays, including Thanksgiving and Christmas, was a requirement for management. I grew accustomed to this, which also meant that I grew accustomed to not seeing my family on those days. After years of missing Thanksgiving dinners and unwrapping gifts on Christmas morning, it was one patient interaction that would ensure that I would never miss another.

During my final Christmas in the pharmacy, many patients that day greeted me with a “merry Christmas” or exited with a “happy holidays”, but one person made a remark that day that would change the course of my career, “I’m sorry you have to be here today”. So was I. It was that day that I decided that I would never spend another holiday away from my family, working.

I knew there were two ways to change my situation before the following Christmas, work or education. After assessing the options available to me, I took a risk only a few weeks later and enrolled in massage therapy school. My intention was to finish school by the end of that year, leave the pharmacy behind and then embark on a new career path. I went into it with no assurances that I would succeed, only my own determination to do so.

I was starting over in my 30s, while it seemed most people my age had already settled into their careers. For the next nine months I balanced the responsibilities of work with school. The hours were long, and I hardly had a day off that year, but each day I reminded myself of why I was doing this, and that my situation was only temporary.

I ended that year accomplishing what I set out to do, sitting at home with my family on Christmas, as a newly licensed massage therapist. I didn’t know at that time all that I would go on to achieve in this profession, but I know now that none of it would have been possible if I hadn’t taken a risk and started over,

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.

I am an Idaho Licensed Massage Therapist and Massage Therapy Instructor registered with the Idaho State Board of Education.

Additionally, I hold certifications from both the American Sports and Fitness Association (ASFA) as a Stretching Instructor as well as the National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM) as a Stretching and Flexibility Coach.

In practice, I provide a carefully crafted combination of relaxion massage and passive stretching exercises, used to elicit a parasympathetic response in the body. The therapeutic result of these techniques is the alleviation of stress and anxiety, both of which, if they have physical symptoms, are also reduced. The therapy that I provide is unique in that it is a physical approach to mental health. It is also not specific to the individual, but is instead, appropriate for anyone.

Located in Coeur d’ Alene, Idaho, I have two locations. to serve my clientele. One is my family owned and operated salon, Wanderlust Salon & Massage, as well as Coeur d’ Alene Massage School, of which I am also a graduate and an instructor.

I am honored to have been awarded by my community the titles of Best Massage Therapy in North Idaho in 2022 and 2023, Best Massage in Spokane and Coeur d’ Alene, and Face of the Industry in Spokane and Coeur d’ Alene in 2023 and am a current nominee for Best Massage Therapy in North Idaho for 2024.

In addition to my private practice and my role as an educator, my current pursuits include the creation of educational programs for the continued development of established therapists, as well as writing a guidebook for newly licensed therapists, with an anticipated 2025 release.

If you could go back in time, do you think you would have chosen a different profession or specialty?

Massage therapy has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my life, both personally and professionally. It has provided me with financial security, freedom of time, and cherished experiences like I never had before. My clientele as well as my students have allowed me the opportunity to share my knowledge with them, and to see how that has benefitted them is truly gratifying. If I could go back, I would definitely choose this profession again. The only thing I would do differently is make the choice sooner than I did.

Other than training/knowledge, what do you think is most helpful for succeeding in your field?

One of the lessons that I teach my students is, do not try to be all things to all people in this field. All too often, massage therapists take more trainings and earn more certifications, just to offer more services. No matter how much a therapist has to offer, they will still not be the best fit for every client. So, instead of offering more services to build their practice, I recommend that they focus their attention instead on what sets them apart from their competition. You won’t attract all of the clients that they do, and that’s okay. What you will attract though are the clients that are best fit for you.

Contact Info:

• Website: andrewcampbelllmt.com
• Instagram: @andrewcampbelllmt
• Facebook: @andrewcampbelllmt