Are You a Massage Magician?
Join Massage Mastery Online for a fascinating event called “Success Is an Inside Job” being hosted by Diane “the Massage Mentor” Matkowski and Allison “the Massage Rebel” Denny. Anne and Eric will be talking about the tarot of success.
Most of you probably know that the tarot is a deck of cards designed during the Renaissance. The cards depict the whole of human experience. Many of the cards are based on archetypes. An archetype is a character type that recurs in different times and places in myth, movies, literature, and ritual so frequently as to suggest that it embodies essential elements of universal human experience.
These archetypes include characters such as:
- The Innocent
- Every person
- Hero
- Rebel
- Explorer
- Creator
- Ruler
- Magician
- Lover
- Caregiver
- Jester
- Sage
One of the archetypes that we’ll look at is the magician, sometimes represented as an alchemist, wizard, or mage.
In myth and legend, the Magician contains and channels the powers of nature to transform the elements or manipulate animals and humans through special skills learned in a mystical institution. To use their transformative powers, they must maintain a deep continuous connection with the world around them.
So, in our lives and careers, Magicians remind us to:
- Maintain our connection with the world around us to channel our power.
- Transform what we see around us into something that has value.
The Magician’s connection with the world is a source of power
A Magician’s power comes from the profound quality of the discussion they hold with the universe.
Unlike true magicians, most of us are not paying attention to the conversations we’re having. We’re absent or listening with only part of our mind and spirit. Real conversations require fierce attention, fierce listening, and fierce self-honesty.
With magician energy, we can deepen the conversations we’re having with the world, with certain situations, and with the people we care about. We can ask, “Are these conversations satisfying?” “Are my conversations healing?” “Do my conversations deepen my connection and sense of belonging?” If not, “What conversations do I want to have with the world, with situations, and with the people I care about?”
Anne finds the idea of having deeper conversations with the world grounding. For example, sometimes, when she’s out on a hike, she worries about a project and thinks, “I need to get back to my computer and work,” or her mind is simply agitated and she’s somewhere else. She asks herself, “Can I have a better conversation with this trail right now? Can I fully engage in this trail and the sights and sounds of this hike?” Then, she commits to having a better conversation with the trail. She begins to really see what’s around her. She hears the beautiful sounds of life in nature. She feels what’s all around her and suddenly she’s lost in the beauty instead of lost in her worries. Now the trail revitalizes her spirit. Now she rests in the present moment.
Think about these Magician – inspired questions:
- What conversations am I having with my romantic partner, friends, family members, and colleagues? Are these conversations satisfying?
- What conversations am I having with my work and my career? Do these conversations move me forward?
- What conversations am I having with my joy, my fears, my heart, or disappointment? Do these conversations wound me or heal me?
The Magician would tell you to channel your power into showing up and paying fierce attention to the moment. The Magician would say, listen with your whole body, speak courageously without shame or blame from your heart, and look for ways to positively shift the conversation.
The Magician as an agent of transformation
The Magician also tells us to transform what we see around us into something that has value.
One of the reasons Eric has been successful in his massage practice has been taking marketing ideas that have been used successfully by other businesses in other industries and transforming them into strategies that can be applied to our massage practices. Here are a couple of examples:
As Eric was contemplating the idea of getting clients to come in more often, he looked at fitness clubs and borrowed their membership model. It was an option offered to his clients, and he had about 10% of them sign up for monthly massages. It guaranteed that these individuals would be coming back regularly, and it had a significant impact on his overall income. And this was about a decade before Massage Envy came on the scene and transformed the concept to a whole different level.
Here’s another example: Before the Internet became what it is today, consumer goods companies would send you samples of products in the mail: laundry detergent, toothpaste, snacks, cereal, and things like that. This was a primary marketing strategy at Proctor and Gamble. Eric recalls getting a sample of Dove shampoo for men. He liked it, and decades later, he’s still buying it regularly. But it made him think, “How can I do what Proctor and Gamble is doing and give people samples of massage?” I know they’ll like it, and if they do, they are likely to become lifelong customers, just like him as a Dove shampoo customer.
So, he did a test, giving away 450 gift certificates to a local law firm. These were half-hour gift certificates. He found that on average, 80% of redeemers usually upgraded for a fee to 60-minute sessions. So, he was actually getting paid something for giving away his massage. In addition, about 40% booked another session or bought gift certificates for others, and about 20% stayed as long-term clients. For years, this strategy was a game-changer for his clinics and was his primary marketing strategy. He published the strategy as a book, 60 Clients in 60 Days, and thousands of therapists have successfully implemented the strategy to make their own practices successful.
So, in our careers, the Magician reminds us to be collectors of great ideas, to look around and model excellence, and to transform what we see around us into something that brings value to life.
Think about these Magician-inspired questions:
- What is your idea of excellence in the massage profession?
- Which therapists, businesses, organizations, or products do you admire, and why do you respect them?
- What can you model from other massage businesses to use in your own practice?
Remember, you can also look outside the massage profession for inspiration. Think about the businesses you frequent. What do you love about these businesses that keep you coming back for more? What can you model from these businesses for your massage practice or business? The Magician says, “Be influenced by things you love.”
Success Is an Inside Job
Anne and Eric will be exploring the idea of channeling the Magician in your personal life and your professional life. In addition, we’ll be looking at other archetypes as represented in the tarot and how they can manifest in our lives to either bolster our success or prevent us from achieving success. Any archetypes we don’t cover through our presentation will be discussed in a comprehensive handout made available to attendees of the event.
They will be joined by some of the profession’s top minds, including Til Luchau, Whitney Lowe, Benny Vaughn, and Cal Cates. Diane Matkowski has gathered these educators to share their journey in the world of massage and illuminate the truth that success starts from the inside. Live participation earns 18 NCBTMB-approved CE’s!
Success Is an Inside Job is a unique event in that it is about personal development and not just about building your business. It’s about turning adversity or disasters into successes. It’s about bringing who we are into our professional life. It’s about waking up every day knowing why you’re awake and what you’re here to do.
It consists of seven weekly broadcasts, every Monday, starting January 17th. The speakers will do a presentation followed by a Zoom call where you’ll have a chance to speak with the presenters directly. They’ll pull some of the most important takeaways from their discussion and discuss with you how you might incorporate some of the lessons they’ve learned about success into both your own personal and professional life. There are various pricing tiers so that everyone can participate. For more information go to: https://bit.ly/InsideJob-EricAnne
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