Ever heard of a bridge business? (Not selling bridges; think something spanning between two things.) How about massage bridge business?
No? I’ll explain everything in a minute. But before I do, I want to ask you another question: Is massage your dream job?
Don’t worry no clients are looking over your shoulder. Be honest.
If you don’t see massage as your ultimate dream job but as something that works for you now until you can become a musician, writer, artist, educator, consultant, software developer, chef, entrepreneur or whatever it is that ignites your passion, there’s something that you need to know.
You’re more likely to get what you want if you implement a massage bridge business.
Okay, no more suspense.
A bridge business can be boiled down to this: a way to replace your current source of income by acquiring a money-making skill that is applicable to the industry where your dream profession/business resides.
Forget Luck
Hmm…that sounds like a lot of work…maybe I’ll just NOT to do that and hope that I get lucky…
About getting luck, my plan was to use the famous novelist Kurt Vonnegut as a “luck” example and then show you how unlikely that would be now, but my plan took a twist right from the get-go.
I thought Vonnegut was lucky because many, many years ago, I remember reading a preface to one of his books (or an interview with him, I can’t remember) where he stated that if he hadn’t met so-and-so, he’d still be selling Saabs.
So I went to search for that information. However, I couldn’t really find any “luck” in the Vonnegut archives. Instead I found a person who worked his butt off, took advice when it came from the right person, and persisted.
Wow, so, if Vonnegut didn’t rely on luck between 1950 and 2000 to make it, could you imagine a writer today relying on luck?
Hardly.
The Internet giveth writers opportunities, but the competition on the Internet taketh those opportunities away.
In fact, the Internet makes all markets highly competitive–probably even the market your dream profession/business is in.
Wait! There’s hope.
The hope is you.
And massage can help.
The Perfectness of a Massage Bridge Business
In a lot ways, massage is a perfect bridge business.
For one, massage gives us schedule flexibility. Personally, I used this flexibility to become a writer, teacher, coach, business consultant, personal trainer, and business owner.
AND massage can teach us vital business skills that we can use to go after most any dream.
For example, Rick, an MT who comes to see me for massage, wants to be a professional musician. He puts many hours into practicing his guitar, teaching guitar and playing live whenever he can.
But recently Rick’s dream took a hit. The band he was playing in broke up and his guitar students disappeared.
Rick is severely bummed. And it looks like to me that he’s now just clinging onto that idea of the lucky break.
Here’s where massage can help.
Rick works for a massage spa chain and has only casually thought about seeing clients on his own.
When I bring up the clients-on-the-side thing to him, he squirms. I’d bet a grand that I know one of the thoughts that’s making Rick squirm. It’s “I want to be a musician, not an MT”.
Okay, I get that. But what if he could use massage to acquire a skill that could make him money in the music industry? Then he’s one step closer to his dream.
Here’s what I mean. First, being able to massage a person is not a skill that transfers so well into the music industry.
“Hey, I’ll rub your back if you produce my album…0kay, okay, how about 5 back rubs?”
However, marketing, writing copy for ads, designing websites, promoting events, and mastering a niche social media are massage business skills that could lead to being a member of a professional band.
I hear an objection. It’s an objection that I would’ve voiced when I was trying to break into the writing market.
“But I need all that time to work on my craft.”
Here’s my answer now to me then: Sorry, you’re just going to have to do both. It’ll be a little rough for a while, but there’s an endgame.
Here’s what it could all look like:
6 Steps to a Massage Bridge Business
- See (some) clients on your own.
Rick starts to see clients on the side. He sublets a room at a chiropractor’s office on a per massage basis. So there’s no money to be paid upfront. He just pays a fee for each massage that he does.
- Pick one massage business skill to master.
Rick picks one social media platform to understand. One is important because Rick is going to want to drill down and master this platform. Let’s say it’s Facebook.
- Learn that skill online and apply it to your business.
Rick creates a Facebook page for his part-time massage practice and learns how to build and grow a community. By the way, there are tons of free classes on the Internet that Rick could take to help himself out.
- Get really good at that skill.
As Rick starts to increase his traffic and gets people to come in for a massage via his Facebook page, he experiments with Facebook ads.
It’s about time for another objection.
“Wait, wait, wait, but I’m not really passionate about Facebook.”
My answer: Good. If you half like it or don’t really like it all, then you won’t get stuck there. It’s a means to an end. It’ll make more sense with this next step.
- Shop that skill around within your dream job industry.
Rick has massage clients coming in because he understands how to market with Facebook. And he now has a skill that is very valuable to bands.
He can take that social-media marketing skill and shop it around with bands and recording studios while he’s still making money doing massage.
Now, think of all the people in the music industry, like musicians, producers, and technicians, he’ll start to get to know. This is where stuff happens.
- Make connections in your dream industry.
Rick gets paid to do Facebook marketing for a recording studio and local bands, and is able to replace his massage income. He’s also has a network of peeps in the local music industry and is in a position to form a band.
See the dream coming together?
Massage Bridge Business Is No Walk in the Park
If you’re over 4o, you get that what I’m advocating is going to be hard—but I think that you’d also agree that what’s harder is waiting and hoping because that will most certainly result in a dream deferred (Langston Hughes).
And by the way, I’m absolutely 1000% (not a typo) NOT saying that this strategy is only for MTs 40 and under.
The massage bridge business is for my MT friend in her 60s who wants to start a massage-teacher consulting business. It’s for my MT friend in his 40s who wants to create and sell massage tools. It’s for anyone, any age, who wants to actualize a dream.
Use Massage to Launch You
So, if massage isn’t your dream job or if it’s only one of your dream jobs or was your dream job but not anymore, use massage to move forward. Make massage a massage bridge business.
First, pick a massage business skill that you can get good at and then get good at it by applying it to your massage practice.
Next, take that skill and make money using it in your dream industry.
While you’re doing that make connections.
If you’re bridge business or dream needs a website or a blog, I can help you with that for free.
For a website: How to Build a Website Fast and Cheap.
For a blog: How to Start a Blog.
Also, if you want my latest everything, subscribe to my email group.
No cost.
No commitment.
You can stop anytime. (Unlike some massage spas’ agreements. Sorry, couldn’t resist.)
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