Time Out...

When I was in school for massage therapy one of the last classes you took was one on business and marketing. Part of the assignment was to come up with a name for your company and some marketing materials. 

Side trip...

For those of you who might not know before I was a massage therapist I was an account executive in an advertising agency and before that I was a bookkeeper for a variety of companies. I ended up teaching the class as much as taking it. 

So anyway...

I had already been toying with names for my business. I had decided that I really didn't want to work for a chain or for a chiropractor so that left doing it on my own. A lot of therapists just use their names, but I wanted a business name. I settled on Time Out Massage. 

When you are a kid you look at time outs as punishment. You have to sit over here alone and think about what you did. As an adult that seems like a gift. Kind of like naps. You don't appreciate them when they are part of your daily routine but you miss them when they are gone. I liked the idea of a massage being a time out for adults. 

I created a whole marketing plan and marketing material including brochures and business cards. They were...well...good enough to get an A. 

When it came time to actually open my business I used an incredibly talented designer to craft a logo, pick a standard font for me to use, and come up with a color palate for all of my materials. I used all of that to have polo shirts done with my logo on them, business cards that were completely designed and beautiful, gift certificates, intake forms. It was all branded and beautiful. 

I loved my logo. I love my color palette. It was all wonderful.

What I ended up not loving was the business of massage. Which I had been worried about for years. It was the thing that had kept me from going to school for a long time. I liked giving massage. I was always the one in the office who was good for a shoulder rub or hand massage. I liked going to school and learning about massage. The muscles, the tissues, the benefits, the contraindications. Using words like contraindication. I mean, it was all great. But I hated the grind that running a massage business was. I mean you are constantly trying to find and establish clients. You have to work evenings and weekends with only a small handful of people being able to see you during the day. Every new client was a crap shoot on if you were even going to like them. 

I did it for a few years and then just pared down to where I was working on only friends. Then when I found out my injured shoulder was not going to get better I hung it up completely. And I didn't really regret it. I mean, I sort of regretted the money and time I put toward it, but I was lucky enough to have worked out a couple of good deals with employers to pay for my tuition and a couple lucky runs in Vegas paid for my table and my chair so...

But still. My "career" didn't last long. Looking back I probably would have done better trying to set up a storefront with other therapists and running Time Out Massage as an alternative to the other chains out there. But, honestly, I would have gotten tired of that too. 

So...a few years after I stopped the practice I sold my table. It was actually harder than I thought it would be to let it go. The day I packed it up and sent it off to its new home I was bummed. It was final then. Time Out was no more. 

Except...

Mari, who I went to school with, has decided to open her practice again. She had taken a few years off while her three youngest were all well, YOUNG. Now that just the littlest isn't in school she's ready to get back to work. She's honestly really good. I loved having her as a partner in school because I knew even when she was learning a modality she was going to be good at it. She's also just one of the best people I know. Like really good. Makes you feel better knowing she's in the world and that she's raising kids so there will be more of her out there. 

So when she called me a few months ago with a "you totally can say no" request it didn't take me more than a second to say yes.  

She wanted to use my company name. Aww...

And last week she put out the first business card with Time Out on it. She has her own logo, and it will be her own company, but there was a moment of bittersweet seeing the name. 

I was a good therapist. I liked being able to say I was a massage therapist. I like owning my own company. Even if it was never a really profitable one. I knew going in I was trading in a higher paying career for a lower paying one. It was a good transition out of corporate America for sure. And I did love my name and my logo so much. 

But I really hated the business of massage therapy. 

So I'm glad that Time Out lives again. I'm really glad it's Mari who is using the name. Not only does this feel like it's been handed down to family, she is the best therapist I know. 

I'm including a link to her Facebook post. If you're local I highly recommend giving her a call!