Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Megan Gallagher. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Megan, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Risking taking is a huge part of most people’s story but too often society overlooks those risks and only focuses on where you are today. Can you talk to us about a risk you’ve taken – it could be a big risk or a small one – but walk us through the backstory.
I was 35 years old, working in the corporate world of media, doing everything i had set out to do early on in my career of choice. I was making good money, had all the snazzy “Adult” things you get with a corporate career, on paper it all looked great. But, it felt awful. It was a time of massive change in the industry, uncertainty of job security, and I was deep in the middle of anxiety wondering if at the end of the day, I would still have a job. Something had to change. So, i signed up for school for massage, with the thought process that at age 35, if I didn’t take the leap and change, I most likely never would, and the thought of living in all the angst and uncertainty every day, was like signing up for a whole list of physical ailments I surely didn’t want. I went to school, for a year on top of my full time job, and being a single parent of 2 young kids. And, 9 months after finishing school and practicing massage part time on the side to keep my brain engaged in all I had just learned, I was faced with an opportunity to either move with my current job (not really a comfortable option) or start my own business in massage, full time. At the time I had 6 regular clients. I leapt! I left the security of a regular salary job, with little to no knowledge of what shape my business was going to be, and started to saying “yes” to everything ahead of me, and figuring it out as I went.
It’s been 5 years roughly since I made that jump, and while my business is still growing and changing as the months and years go on, it has been by far the risk worth taking. My clients continue to grow, I’m teaching, and am able to show up for my kids as their mom now in more intentional ways. My daughter even joins me in the classes I teach as an off season training for herself. She”s 11. 5 years ago, I was one hundred percent scared, but following my gut, and that is risk I would gladly do again.
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 got into Massage Therapy at the age of 35, after an almost 15 year career in radio/television/film working as a producer/talent. I needed to make a change, and I had always had an interest in Massage Therapy, so I took the leap. I’ve always had the mindset of, whatever you do in life, make it your own. Before I was even done with school, I was already looking for ways to standout in the field, choosing modalities, and tools, that were not commonly practiced. For example, there’s a form of massage called Ashiatsu, which is barefoot massage, using your feet, instead of your hands. At the time there were maybe 6 people in the state practicing it, so I chose it as my first continuing education course, so that I could jump in and help make it more known. That moved on into many other certifications, that I use and implement in my business today. I own MB Muscle Therapy, a therapeutic movement studio that focuses on movement of the body, helping clients feel stronger, both physically and mentally, so they have the confidence and tools to move their bodies better and without pain. I specialize in Thai Massage/Assisted Stretch therapy, and teach movement workshops to help educate and implement the use of mobility training to sustain body longevity for all the activities you would want to accomplish and participate in.
I like to use relatable stories to help people understand what’s going on in their body, and also simply just meet my clients right where they are at in life, whether coming back from an injury, or experiencing an emotional time, it doesn’t matter, i honor the current space, and work from there.
I’m a firm believer that knowledge is power, that your body is a great communicator once you connect with it, and that moving your body, does a world of difference every where else in your life.
We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.
from 2018 – 2021 I worked as an independent contractor with a team under one umbrella name. It was an amazing training ground, filled with lots of support and opportunities to grow. In early 2021, it became evident that my vision for what I wanted my business/dream to look like was taking shape and it was time to move on, and do my own thing. I sat down directly with the owner, was honest about my vision, and what I wanted to do, and expressed how much i supported her vision and dream as well. Everything was on good terms, and we remain colleagues and friends to this day. Speak your truth with kindness, and you will prevail in what is meant for you. Upon leaving to open up my own space, I was met with delays, I had to simplify my client load, and rent a temporary space while mine was being finished. I was set to move in for late March, I didn’t actually move into my space until mid July.
Just as the door was opening and my space was finished and ready for me to move in, my husband passed away very suddenly of a heart attack. It’s been almost 2 years and I still miss him every. day. Needless to say, I took some personal time, and simplified my schedule again, and eased back into work slowly after I moved into my space.
When I made the decision to follow my dream, I was provided a great many opportunities to demonstrate just how much I wanted this dream to take shape and come to life. Many roadblocks and frustrations, grief, you name it, came across my table, and MB Muscle Therapy is still continuing to grow.
How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?
The Pandemic. Spring of 2020. The world had deemed it unsafe to touch people. As you might have guessed, massage therapists make their living, by offering healing touch. It afforded me time to look at all the aspects, and think about how I was going to operate in a time when massage was not allowed. That’s when I discovered mobility work, training, and certifications. if I couldn’t provide “hands on” work, I could educate people on how to utilize tools themselves to help maintain a strong and healthy body. Without that pivot, MB Muscle Therapy wouldn’t have been born, and those tools would not be implemented and used in my practice today. Pivots, while scary, are sometimes necessary. 
Contact Info:
- Website: www.mbgallagher.com
- Instagram: @mbmuscletherapy
- Facebook: @mbmuscletherapy
Image Credits
Photo Credit: Monica Justesen Photography