Blogging has become one of my hobbies. What I like about it is that it is easy to use.
The thing with blogging though if you want to make money on something, you have to blog regularly - like once or twice a week at least. Some people may be intimidated by that amount.
There are free blogs you can set up at places like blogger.com but my favorite is wordpress. You can set up one for free at wordpress.com.
I also have written an ebook on how to set up a wordpress blog using my favorite webhost - ez-web-hosting.com. You can purchase the ebook at my site www.workless-playmore.com
The reason why you may want to host your own blog is so that you can get your site found by the search engines and have more control over your settings and information. You can also get your own domain name and that really helps in getting traffic. Chose a domain name that represents what you write about or do. It is all explained more in my ebook along with what plugins and settings to use to get traffic.
As you probably are realizing, Site Build it! has regular sales but they aren’t as good as the last Christmas sale where you can buy one and get one free.
The Valentines Day Sale is on now where you can get one website building system for $299 and get the second one for $100.
If you don’t know what Site Build it! is all about, it must be your first time on my blog or site. You can read more about what it is but the short version is it is an online business building system that helps you brainstorm, develop and create a website through which you can make money - supplement your income or make a living online. You can read more on my website www.thebodyworker.com or massagetherapycareers.com
ABMP reports in their 2007 member survey report that Close to 83 percent are women. AMTA report that their members are 85% female and 15% are male. Male’s entering the massage profession find themselves in the minority which is a very unusual place for men to be.
One of the most FAQ’s on my website -www.massagetherapycareers.com is about the demand for men in the massage profession. FAQ- Is the massage profession for men?
Women have played the role of nurturing for so long that many are drawn to the massage profession to continue their work of helping others. I actually just had the thought that maybe it is also the reason why so many people struggle as a massage therapist. Through my own process of learning and discovering the hidden side of helping (see the code of the caretaker category) and seeing it in the massage therapists that I work with and interact with online and in person, I have seen that so many massage therapists confuse helping with running a business. (This is a whole other post for later!)
So what are the challenges for men in the massage profession?
Women clients find themselves uncomfortable being touched my men in some situations. The abuse of women by men sets up the bad image that males are faced with as a massage therapist. Men are skeptical of getting massage by men as they may also feel threatened sexually or they just prefer to have the nurturing of a woman.
Whatever the reasons many men are left out in the cold when looking for a job because men do not seem to be in demand in the massage profession. But how much of that is actually create by the massage profession itself?
In about 2002, I asked a male massage therapist, Ryan Hoyme (who went on to create www.massagenerd.com) to write an article on my website -www.thebodyworker.com about what issues males are faced with and how he overcame those issues.
Through the years he has also gotten many inquiries and replies to his article and he has posted them on his website at www.massagenerd.com.
The thing is that there are many successful men in the massage profession. Many have gone on to become teachers and develop their own methods of massage and bodywork. Many have written books.
Keith Grant- Massage School teacher and writer who is very informed about the politics in the massage profession and is working to create standards for the massage profession. His website is www.ramblemuse.com
Joseph Heller -Studied with Ida Rolf and created his own version of Structural Integration called Hellerwork.
Milton Trager- Tragerwork and Mentastics.
These are just a few of the many males in the profession who have created a name for themselves. They all have done it by working on many people and studying the body.
I also wonder if part of the problem is that men are not used to being discriminated against. It is a new feeling for them to be faced with. Massage schools are also telling them they will have difficulties and so when they are faced with hiring challenges they may take it personally.
The thing is that if whether you think you will or will not have issues or challenges as a male in the massage profession - you are right.
Focusing on the problem will keep you stuck on the problem. Focusing on the solution will keep you focused on creating what you want for yourself.
If you find that you are always finding the spa or job that is against hiring males, it is just a good opportunity to look at your own resistance and fear of working in the massage profession as a male. Most of the time it is some unconscious thought process that is keeping you from finding your ideal job.
One of the things you can do is to join or start your own peer supervision group that can be men only or a mixed group. Talking about these issues is one of the most important things we can do as a profession. Being able to share your concerns and yes- feelings is how the images of males as being a minority in the massage profession can begin to be changed.
