We were lucky to catch up with Shawn Milton recently and have shared our conversation below.

Shawn, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. We’d love to hear the story behind how you got your first job in field that you currently practice in.

Sometimes you’re just in the right place at the right time. My very first job as a massage therapist was working for a very well-respected chiropractor named Dr. Mark Harris at Harris Chiropractic. Dr. Harris was warm and cared deeply for his patients. He taught me how to communicate effectively and actively listen to the patient. I worked for him for over 11 years. Small family-owned practices can be challenging at times, but the mentorship I gained from that experience is definitely a huge contributing factor for why I care so much today.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I got into the more therapeutic side of massage therapy from the start, taking almost twice the needed clinical hours before I took my state boards. I never wanted to be a “relaxation massage therapist”. Not that there’s anything wrong with that, but it just wasn’t something I wanted. That was 18 years ago. Seven years ago I opened Active Holistic Therapy where we focus on treating TMJD, plantar fasciitis, mobilizing scar tissue as well as a ton of preventative and post op care.

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

“The customer/client/patient is always right.” Thats definitely the biggest lesson I had to unlearn. I’ve always been a people pleaser. Unlearning can be a tough path you just have to take one step at a time. Teaching my clients that 1) we are a team and we can solve problems together and 2) that everyone is unique and some approaches aren’t as effective for them as others has been so important to the success of my business. I think it’s better to live by “A well-informed client working together with their therapist is the way to affect meaningful change”.

How did you put together the initial capital you needed to start?

As far as funding my business, I’ve always stayed in the mindset of slow, meaningful, organic growth. I’m never going to be a millionaire overnight because that’s not where my goals are at. I’ve never taken out a loan, and I don’t take BIG risks. I want to be effective and help my community heal. Small steps, enjoy the journey.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://activeholistic.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/active_holistic_therapy/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/activeholistictherapy/?_rdr

Image Credits

Image Credits:

Brian Macaione

Bmdvpro