We recently connected with Michael Quinichett and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Michael thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. We’d love to hear the story behind how you got your first job in field that you currently practice in.

Massage Therapy was not on my bingo card lol

I’ve been a professional stage actor since 2006 and really enjoyed the career I had built for myself. I was able to perform in states all over the country, from Florida to Montana, from Arizona to Pennsylvania.

The main issue was the money. It was not good. I was accepting jobs from companies that paid very little because I wanted the experience of traveling the country, seeing new sights, and performing in bucket list shows and roles.

It came at a price.

So when I finished the Prather Touring Group’s 3 city tour of the hit Broadway musical “The Full Monty” I returned to my hometown area of Columbus, Ohio to figure out my next steps.

For the next number of years I began to work for temp agencies, specifically at warehouses, where I could stay in shape with the manual labor but also enjoyed the mindless pleasures of blending in and being a peon in a cog of logistics and assembly lines. I continued to audition for stage productions and would occasionally get flown out to do a gig here and there, but Columbus was my base. Soon afterwards I begin to do productions locally and eventually joined the board of directors of Imagine Productions, a queer centered community theatre within the area. That brought me a lot of joy and helped to quell the artistic side of my life that I really missed.

Fast forward to 2015. My partner and I are hanging out with our married neighbors and the wife asks me if I’ve ever considered doing massage. Her sister owns a spa in the area and is always looking for talented Licensed Massage Therapists. I say I’ve never even received a professional massage let alone considering it as a career, but I’m intrigued and would love to chat with her sister.

A couple days later I meet up with my neighbors sister Sheri in Grandview at her spa, Open Sky Day Spa around closing time. Before walking into the spa I am immediately impressed with the exterior of the building with its blue and white color palette, manicured flower landscape and its overall decor. It’s a small building but already feels inviting.

I walk in and I immediately smell essential oils and hear Aretha Franklin’s “Respect” playing on the Sonos. Okay, I can dig this vibe. Out from the hallway appears a brunette lady with a big smile, tattoos on her arms, and flip flops. She introduces herself as Sheri and then offers tea and water for me. I comment on how cool her tattoos are and she says this spa “is for the rejects.” She used to participate in a women’s roller derby league and a number of the female employees also participated. Badass. I gladly accept tea and she then proceeds to show me around the spa: the esthetician room with nail polishes and a couple foot massagers for pedicures, the different massage treatment spaces with various color themes such as the Fire Room, the Water Room, and the Sky Room, and such. We go back to the break room where I am introduced to a couple employees who finished their shift and were heading out.

We then go back to the lobby and she asks me why I’m interested in massage. I respond that I like the idea of a manual labor job, and I like the idea of helping people to relax. She then mentions that to work at the spa I need to be an officially Licensed Massage Therapist through the State Medical Board of Ohio. Sheri also mentioned that she’s always looking for people who can give deep pressure and I’d be a perfect fit because of my size. She additionally says that she has no African-Americans working there and that I’d be able to supply a niche the white people wouldn’t be able to fulfill. Very interesting.

I then begin to talk business and ask about earning potential, as the main reason I’m there is to maintain a living. “The earning potential is limitless when you own your own business” she says. Many massage therapists make 6 figures with their own business. Very nice.

Lastly she says if I go to school for massage, get my license through the State Medical Board of Ohio, and specifically attend her alma mater, The American Institute of Alternative Medicine (AIAM), she would essentially hire me on the spot.

That perked my ears. Essentially a job offer before I even go to massage school, and the idea of limitless earning potential if I own a business? Sign me up.

I spoke to my partner about it and he was over the moon. An emphatic yes was his answer, and so I went to AIAM to speak with an admissions counselor, got my money together, took a breath and enrolled in my first quarter of massage school.

I fell in love with massage school during the 1st class of the 1st quarter, Anatomy & Kinesiology I, wherein the first chapter we learned about what’s in a cell. Nucleus, Ribosomes, and Mitochondria, oh my! Didn’t know I was a science nerd but here we are!

4 quarters later I graduated Magna C*m Laude, pass the national Massage & Bodywork Licensing Exam (MBLEX), federal background check, psychological exam, and now in April 2016 I’m a Licensed Massage Therapist through the State Medical Board of Ohio.

I then get hired by Sheri at Open Sky Day Spa (OSDS) and worked there for 2 1/4 years before moving to California. Being an employee at OSDS was such a wonderful experience. I learned a lot from the other massage therapists, loved having coworkers in a fun loving environment, and was so grateful I decided to take a leap into the world of massage therapy.

Michael, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

Hi!

I’m Michael Quinichett, a Licensed Massage Therapist based out of New York City and owner/operator of Body Positive Male Massage Therapy located near Union Square.

I do somatic, inclusive, therapy. Somatic meaning “the body.” Inclusive meaning big & small bodies, black/brown/white bodies, gay/straight/bi/trans and queer bodies. Therapy ​meaning “healing.”

My massage style is a combination of Deep Tissue Massage and Thai Massage (aka Thai Stretching). I find that moving the body in 3 dimensional planes (versus just rubbing your body with oil under a sheet) creates a deeply relaxing, dynamic massage that most have never experienced before. Some look at my photos and think it’s Sports Massage. Some see Thai Massage. Some see Physical Therapy. I say “YES!” It’s all of those things. Bears, cubs, chubs, keyboard warriors, gym goers, yoga enthusiasts, couch potatoes, and dad bods can all see great improvements in their posture, energy, and mental health by receiving this type of dynamic movement.

I specialize in Body Positive Massage Therapy because while most of us may have insecurity about our bodies, larger people additionally have to deal with the public stigma and shame that accompany the internal feelings of not having the “perfect body.” Larger bodies are discriminated against in almost every facet of society. Employment, housing, family dynamics, social media, fashion, entertainment, sports, and politics are just a few of the industries that unfairly judge bodies. Everyone knows this and sees this, probably on a daily basis. While I primarily have male massage clients, I work on everyone regardless of gender identity.

Being a larger person myself I have a passion for helping folks uplift their sense of self, whether it be through very specific pain-relief based therapy or mental relaxation from the stressors of life. I want you to know that Body Positive Massage Therapy is a space for you to not just be tolerated or accepted but fully welcomed with an open heart and mind.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

Being a Licensed Massage Therapist in New York City was always the goal, but it was the 4th city in which I relocated and had to build my business from scratch. In addition to rebuilding my business I’ve had to overcome hurdles with my race, my size, and my sexuality.

First, I always knew I wanted my own massage business. “Professional Practice & Business” was one of my favorite classes in massage school and the teacher did a great job of keeping the students engaged with real life examples of how to run a solo practice, of which he had his own.

One day we were chatting about business cards and I told him my face will definitely be on the front. He was intrigued and I stated quite simply, “I’m black.”

Most folks who get massages in the USA are white women and the majority of LMT’s are white women. I need potential clients to know they are about to communicate with and/or book a massage with a big black gay man. The massage industry is full of unknowns and I don’t want my gender, size, race, or sexuality to be a surprise.

As a side note, you’d be surprised at the amount of folks that don’t want to be massaged by a black person, or a big person, or a queer person. Why? Who knows. What other people think of me is none of my business. As progressive and forward thinking we may think we are, on the opposite side of the coin are those that are very much entrenched in their same old family faiths, traditions, and mores that trickle into all aspects of their life, and that includes getting a massage.

These qualities I have (I would soon find out) are what would help to solidify my niche and put my stamp on the massage industry.

After becoming an LMT in Columbus Ohio I began to work as an employee at a day spa. That would pay the bills until I could get my own business running. But where to start? How do you find your own clients? Where in the city should my office be located? How do I get people to trust me? After all, I’m new at massage and still trying to figure out my own personal style of bodywork.

I found my niche in the most unlikely of places: the dating apps. Growlr is a dating app that caters to larger guys, “bears” if you will. Yes I had a profile, and while in massage school I added a note on my dating profile stating I was looking for clients to get cheap massages inside the school clinic.

Well I had a number of guys who took me up on that offer and mentioned they wanted to be my private client once I became a Licensed Massage Therapist.

I didn’t realize how many larger guys were looking for a massage therapist who could cater to their specific needs and could help them with their self image and self worth.

This would end up being the backbone of my business model.

I opened “Q’s Mobile Massage LLC” the Tuesday after Memorial Day, 2016. After 2 ¼ years of building and maintaining my massage business my partner and I decided to move to the Sacramento California area in September 2018. Now I’m in another city in another state and have to rebuild my business all over again.

Building a massage business in Columbus Ohio was relatively easy to my surprise. It was my hometown and getting referrals from friends and family was a simple task. In Sacramento I needed an actual business strategy, and that’s when I found out about Facebook Ads.

The combination of running targeted Facebook ads towards the LGBTQ+ community, creating a podcast called Queer Sacramento, and joining the Sacramento Gay Mens Chorus was the 3-pronged approach that helped me to gain visibility, likeability, and build my brand. That is until COVID.

Once again I had to shut down my business. A couple weeks after the beginning of quarantine I began wondering about NYC and how I could eventually move there and do massage. Naturally I needed to wait until this COVID-19 pandemic was over but how long would that be? In addition to that I was in a 12 year relationship.

Well the pandemic gave me time to reflect on my life and 3 weeks into the shutdown I decided to separate from my partner and in August 2020 I move to Palm Springs, California. As the months went by restaurant and commercial restrictions lessened and this became my opportunity to “step n repeat” my marketing practice of running Facebook massage ads and joining the Palm Springs Gay Mens Chorus (where I got to get up in drags and lead the chorus in the finale song of the Billy Porter star vehicle musical “Kinky Boots”).

The combination of the two proved to be successful, especially in such a small tourist town, over 50% LGBTQ populated town (the highest of any city at the time), and with an all queer city council.

This would work well for the next 2 years and then the tourism industry died over the summers. Palm Springs is hot and the dry summers were too much not only for the tourists but also the residents. As quickly as the real estate market in Palm Springs boomed in 2021, people started selling their condos in droves in 2023, moving away and it caused my massage business to move at a snail’s pace.

So now it’s mid 2023 and I’m visiting NYC to attend the Tony Awards. I’m staying with a friend of mine who has a two bedroom and he recently kicked his roommate out because of some illegal
activity. On a whim I ask if he’s looking for another roommate and he says “Well if it’s gonna be you, hell yeah!” We iron out the details and indeed in September 2023 I move from Palm Springs California to New York City.

I then obtain my massage license through New York State and open up my business, Body Positive Massage Therapy-NYC in Union Square.

That is the breadth of my resilience.

Putting training and knowledge aside, what else do you think really matters in terms of succeeding in your field?

Having a healthy understanding of what “success” means to you is invaluable. We know success can be measured financially, but what other values do you see as a priority? For me, I value freedom. Freedom is probably my most treasured value. If I don’t have freedom, I’m not successful. I need freedom to be able to travel, to rest physically, to rest mentally, and to rest emotionally.

Why gain the whole world and lose your soul?

Contact Info:

• Website: https://michaelqmassage.com
• Instagram: @michaelqnyc1
• Facebook: @michaelqnyc1

Image Credits

Steven Michael Photography.

IG: stevenmichael_photography