Today we’d like to introduce you to Laura Sadler.
Laura, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
After experiencing several sports injuries and having a sedentary job as a graphic designer, I became prone to chronic pain. Sometimes physical therapy helped, but it was never a lasting solution. I found that I had to find a way to manage and eliminate my pain on my own. Through my experiences trying to figure out how to accomplish this, I realized that I want to help others manage their pain from soft tissue injuries. I eventually discovered Trigger Point Therapy and decided that medical massage was the perfect fit for me and now I specialize in helping people recover from injuries and chronic pain.
I feel that my experiences have made my practice unique because I’ve had firsthand experience with chronic pain. I have developed a ‘feel’ for soft tissue adhesions/trigger points and I think it’s because I’ve had to do so much work on myself. I can relate to what my clients are going through both mentally and physically and I can offer many solutions based on my personal experience. I see great results when my clients do the homework I give them and come in for regular treatment. It feels great to help people get out of pain and get their life back. It’s a wonderful feeling to love my job and know that I found my true calling.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
I think the biggest challenge anyone faces when starting out a business is finding customers. I think high schools and colleges should have marketing as a required course because I feel that is one of the main challenges people face in any field. It was the biggest hurdle I faced when I finished massage school and started out on my own. My school covered a little marketing, but when you start out, you don’t have a reputation or any word of mouth. I read books on marketing and did some internet research to get some education on the subject. I tried several things, some worked, some didn’t and it took about 3 years to get established.
When the economy tanked in 2008, I saw a huge drop in business. I had to hang in there and continue to be creative and luckily, I survived.
I have also faced challenges a couple times in my career when I injured myself and was unable to work. Most recently, I had a cartilage tear in my hip which required surgery. I was unable to work for 4 months. I was afraid I would lose my clients, but many of them remained loyal to me because the work I do is so unique and effective. I am so grateful to everyone that waited for me to come back to work.
Please tell us about Massage Spirit.
I’m a medical massage therapist and I specialize in treating people who have soft tissue injuries or chronic pain. I use a combination of Trigger Point Therapy, deep tissue and sports massage to achieve optimal results. What makes my massage practice different is that I only do focused massage. What that means is that I only work on the areas related to my client’s pain. I don’t do full body spa massage like most of my colleagues. That style of massage is great, but my focus is more along the lines of what a physical therapist would work on. I provide a more in-depth massage than most people get at PT, so I fill the gap for my clients in that respect. I pride myself on being able to give my clients’ advice that goes beyond their massage session. I give them protocols, homework and teach them some self-massage techniques so they can manage their pain in between sessions. It gives them peace of mind when they can manage a flare up on their own and not have to suffer while they wait for their next appointment.
If you had to go back in time and start over, would you have done anything differently?
I really can’t think of anything I would have done differently. When you start a business from scratch you are always going to have a learning curve. I have no regrets, I did my due diligence and paid my dues. It’s important not to let fear get in your way, to work hard and be patient with the process of building a business. It doesn’t happen overnight so it’s important to have a plan in place and follow through.
Pricing:
- 30 minute – $60
- 60 minute -$85
Contact Info:
- Website: http://www.massagespirit.com
- Phone: 818-562-7764
- Email: [email protected]
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MassageTherapyForPainRelief/
- Twitter: @massagespirit
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/massage-spirit-burbank-2
Getting in touch: VoyageLA is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
