We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Monique Jenkins. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Monique below.
Hi Monique, thanks for joining us today. We’re complete cheeseballs and so we love asking folks to share the most heartwarming moment from their career – do you have a touching moment you can share with us?
As a Certified & Medical Massage Therapist at a rehab facility, I met a 72-year-old black man who was hesitant about massage therapy due to a belief passed down from his mother about not letting anyone touch your crown. Fortunately, having southern roots I am familiar with the saying, and couldn’t believe he had never had a massage let alone any other services. He had suffered a stroke and was told he wouldn’t regain movement in his right arm, after several visits to the rehab facility, I finally convinced him to try massage therapy because he would have nothing to lose and everything to gain, by the end of the session he could open and close his right hand. Something the doctor said was impossible. It was a defining moment that reaffirmed the power of massage therapy and showed me the profound impact it can have.
Monique, 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?
Hello, I’m Monique, the owner and chief relaxation officer of Massage by Monique in Citrus Heights California. My journey into massage therapy began with a dream to care for a professional athlete, but I quickly found my true passion in helping others through therapeutic healing touch.
I offer a variety of services from the signature holistic harmony – hour massage to specialized wellness workshops every third Wednesday at 11 AM and the creative Mimosas N’ Massage podcast. Additionally, my On-The-Go Massage service brings convenience and accessibility to clients and my Self-Care Essentials online store offers products curated to support a sustainable lifestyle.
What sets me apart is my dedication to creating personalized treatment plans continually educating myself and ensuring that each clients unique needs are being met. I love the instant gratification of helping clients feel immediate relief. My goal is to make wellness enjoyable and approachable which is why I infuse creativity into everything I do.
Through corporate wellness services, the Mimosas N’ Massage podcast, and workshops. I create a space where wellness is seen as fun and uplifting. I am here to support your wellness, journey with expertise empathy, and a touch of creativity.
Are there any books, videos, essays or other resources that have significantly impacted your management and entrepreneurial thinking and philosophy?
Russell Simmons impacted the way I meditate which helped to shift my thought process and philosophy and never mind he’s a great businessman, but he made meditation for me digestible in a way that was comfortable. There was a TV show he just appeared on and he was teaching the kids how to meditate and since then I’ve use that method of what he taught for my own personal philosophies around meditating but also it goes back to the “inch by inch” saying. Some of the books that really helped before, throughout my journey and present day are “the subtle art of not giving a…”, boundary boss, by Terry Cole, the four agreements, these 3 are favorites “personal Branding” by Ben Smith, currently reading “you deserve to be rich” by Rashad Bilal, and Troy Millings. & paradigm keys: solution-based mind reprogramming book, by 19 keys. These books have already made an impact and not only how I’m thinking about things futuristically, but also my approach towards time management, consistency, and discipline.
Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?
Being black in America. Do you know how many times I’ve been discriminated against how many times I’ve been turn down for a position before I had my private practice because of my skin color not because of my qualifications because on paper, I’m overqualified with all of the certifications I have, all of the continuing education I do year after year with, all of the knowledge and experience I have (this coming April 2025 will be 16 years as a certified Massage Therapist, and I was doing a Massage long before I went to school and got certified for it). I can remember as a child walking on my mom’s back or she would ask for me to give her a massage, now at that time, I didn’t know what I was doing, and I never would’ve thought it would end up me owning my own business in the wellness industry. But being black in America has made me resilient I’ve been told no you can’t get funding. No, you can’t get a loan for $5000 or more if you want a loan or capital for your business you have to be in business for two years before will even consider giving you money when tech start ups have multi million and billion dollar valuations right from inception. I’ve been told several times I have to be twice as good just to get the same recognition as white america. Every time I tell a man who looks like me I’m a massage therapist the first question I am asked, is, do I do happy endings, and my response is always the same. I don’t just tell them no, I educate them, so it becomes a teachable moment and they know moving forward not to have that same approach with any other therapist. Also, doctors and attorneys not all, but some don’t respect the profession when we know the clients better than almost anybody. We see them more often. They tell us way more and no we didn’t do as much schooling, but we typically have a lot more information to diagnose them then the doctors do. I could easily complain or be bitter, but that doesn’t breed results. I’d rather take action keep pushing forward and progress. So you ask what illustrates my resilience the answer is life and my experience with being black in America. This is the most ruthless place on earth and not only have I survived. I will continue to thrive.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://Massagebymo.com
- Instagram: @massagebymo
- Facebook: https://Facebook.com/massagebymo
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/massagebymo
Image Credits
Q’s Photography – professional photos