The Body is Art
Freedom Massage owner Diane Matkowski shares her experiences in the massage and bodywork business in this unique book.
About the BookPraise for The Body is Art
From Massage Therapy Journal
This little guidebook, packed with clues, tips, and advice for running a successful practice, is written by a woman who walks her talk. Diane Matkowski runs a booming business in a suburb of Philadelphia, which she grew from a six-client private practice to a nearly 2,000-client center with five employees called Freedom Massage. With emphasis on how to take care of yourself, cultivate your intuition, develop your confidence and grow as a massage therapist, Matkowski offers the big picture of what it takes to become a successful practitioner in our profession. About half the book is dedicated to the inner work you need to do for your own health, learning and growth as a massage “artist,” and the other half is about the nuts and bolts of running a business. It’s always a challenge in private practice to balance being both an excellent massage therapist and an accomplished businessperson. Management skills come into play whether you’re working alone or inclined to expand into a larger clinic or spa with employees. Matkowski writes from her experience—both the mistakes and the achievements—on expanding your business opportunities, mentoring new colleagues into a practice and overcoming the pressures of developing a massage business. A pleasure to read, The Body Is Art will be particularly inspiring for entry level therapists, but will also serve as a review for the more experienced who need a boost.
From Massage Bodywork
Massage students may not think they’re entering business school, but the truth of the matter is hard to avoid. Therapists have to build their practice, create contracts, develop policies, and schedule their time. As the subtitle (A Mentoring Guide for the Business of Massage & Bodywork) of Diane R. Matkowski’s 127-page book suggests, this text offers mentorship about the everyday philosophy of handling your business and being your own boss.