We Need Great Leaders
The massage industry is facing tremulous times, we need great leaders to rise up and guide others so they may live with passion, purpose, and peace.
When the kind souls of the world hurt we are there to help them with a light in their dark times. Right now we are hurting, the monsters of the world have stolen our sight and consumed our spirit. For many their inner furnace is dim, and their healing heart has lost hope. Throughout the years we have done everything to cope, but now as we look to the future all we know is fear. What is to become of the profession we hold so dear? If we continue on our path there will be no road to follow. It will slip between our fingers like grains of rice, and it will die. This is something I cannot allow. Massage therapy is one of the most beautiful blessings God has bestowed upon our wonderful world. It celebrates the light of life and helps us explore the magic of the moment. Massage is my purpose; my calling and legacy and I will do everything in my power to see it prosper. I am here on a quest to create something great, to build a coalition, and forge a new future. Join me, live your purpose and together we can show our brothers and sisters there is still hope.
The Fall of the Massage Industry
I believe our industry is heading toward collapse and I’ve known this since before I started my massage business. I created my spa because I knew that if something wasn’t done everything we love and live for would be destroyed. Dark times are on the horizon, and we must come together to collectively stop it. Jennifer Brand was designed to provide the highest quality massage experience in an economic climate of rising service rates and diminishing quality. Three years ago I knew that if my local market didn’t have an infusion of quality services, the mega chains and schools would destroy everything.
I believe a large part of the problem are the schools. I cannot account for areas outside of my region, but in Missouri our schools are producing absolutely ineffective massage practitioners. For years the schools have held the leash of the mega chains. They fed them a constant supply of food and the chains ate them up, as time went by the mega chains hunger became ferocious and their need to eat became so strong the schools could no longer keep up. This caused the demand for quality to drop, which increased the speed at which the meat grinder destroyed dreams.
The demand for massage therapy has grown over the years and is projected to increase over the next ten years. The United States Bureau of Labor Statistics projects the demand for massage therapy positions will raise by 21 percent from 2019 to 2029. This is a significant jump, as of 2019 the industry had 166,700 available jobs for massage therapy, and in 2029 this number is expected to be 201,100. [https://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/massage-therapists.htm#tab-6] Will there be enough new massage therapists to meet the demand? It is doubtful, as of May 2020 there were only 85,040 massage therapists in the United States according to The United States Bureau of Labor Statistics. [https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes319011.htm]
Research statistics have shown that the schools are dying, which could be another reason why the mega chains and local massage businesses do not have enough massage therapists.
The ABMP conducts a census of all state-approved massage programs documenting their results every two years and published the results in 2019. In this pre-covid analysis it showed that the total number of massage schools were at an all-time high in 2008 with 1,600 schools. As of 2018 it had dropped to the third lowest it had been in 20 years, with only 965 schools. [https://www.abmp.com/updates/blog-posts/number-massage-program-graduates-continues-decline]
Why have the total number of massage schools been on a steady decline? I believe Covid played a huge part in 2020, but that doesn’t explain their gradual decline for the last twenty years. In the most recent survey the number of schools dropped from 965 to 919.
The number of students graduating has also been on a steady decline. In the same study the highest number of graduates to enter the industry was 71,272 in 2004 and has continued on a dramatic decline for the last twenty years. As of 2020 only 20,598 massage therapists entered the workforce. [https://www.abmp.com/updates/blog-posts/massage-schools-stay-resilient-during-covid-19-pandemic]
Why have fewer students graduated? I Don’t know. Maybe word of mouth has spread in local communities about the poor satisfaction working in the industry? Maybe the same word of mouth as convinced prospective students to choose another career. Maybe it is because there were never meant to be as many massage therapists as there are. Our profession is a calling, you either have the natural aptitude to do it or you don’t. You have to be the kind of person who loves helping people and derives a deep satisfaction from the joy of others.
I think the chains have grown tired of the schools and want more control over the industry. It is my belief that soon they will begin starting their own training programs. I am certain they know they do not possess the ability to actually create quality massage therapists, and I don’t think they care. If they can push enough people through their curriculum, they will gain themselves a little more time. In Missouri new graduates do not have to pass the MBLEX to practice for one year. This is plenty of time for the franchises, they do not care about their employees or the industry. They want their money now and are not overly concerned about the future.
