My Origin Story:
In 1995 (man I feel old) I fell off the back of an armored personal carrier while serving in the U.S. Army. No bones were broken, but my back was in tremendous pain. After suffering through a week of Motrin and bed rest, I was desperate. One of my squad members recommended a massage therapist he used. After two more days of procrastination, spurred on by my ever present pain, I agreed to give it a shot. After the first hour session, I felt remarkably better and by the end of the week I was able to return to light duty. The next week (and two more massages) I felt whole again. The Massage Therapist (she hated being called a masseuse, coincidentally most massage therapist do) was incredibly knowledgeable and her enthusiasm was infectious. She loved to talk, especially about massage. By the end of my treatment, I was well versed in the wonders of massage, a few massage techniques and a small introductory massage book.
I took to my conversion like a fish to water, massaging friends, girlfriends, and co-workers alike. Reviews were good (who doesn’t love a free massage?), but at that time I didn’t take it too seriously until I left the service and returned to Florida. I bounced around from job to job, thinking I wish I could do something I enjoyed for a living. The nearest Massage School was an hour drive and I was taking the bus.
One faithful drive home had me come across a sign for Westside Tech “Now Offering Massage Therapy”. I threw my hands up along with my excuses. “Alright, I get it!!” I ended up with the last spot in the class. I loved every minute of it. After graduating, I was still resistant for a while doing other jobs, but eventually settled into massage full-time.
My Qualifications:
– I am a Graduate of Westside Vocational Tech and Florida Metropolitan University (Now Everest)
– I have worked as a Massage Therapist in numerous capacities since 2002
– My experiences include working at a salon and a chiropractor’s office
– Several years at Massage Envy as both a Therapist and Trainer
– Massage Envy Therapist of the Year Runner Up and Winner
– I have logged over 20,000 massage hours