Conversations with Maryann Tidwell

Today we’d like to introduce you to Maryann Tidwell.

Hi Maryann, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start, maybe you can share some of your backstories with our readers.
My name is Maryann Tidwell, and I am a Licensed Massage Therapist, Infant Massage Educator (teaching parents how to massage their little ones). I am currently studying to be a Macro Coach (so I can also help clients eat properly without diets for the best version of themselves) and Essential Oil Extraordinaire.

How do I start? In the Summer of 2006, During a meditation, while we were on a houseboat at Lake Powell, I felt called to look into Massage Therapy as a career. I had only ever had a couple of massages at that time. When we returned home, I researched schools and enrolled to start in January of 2007, to be in business for myself right out of school and approve of Licensing. While going to school 14-20 hours/week (14 hours the first 7 mos and 20 hours the last 5 mos. of school), I also worked full time, had a toddler at home, a marriage, and a home to manage. It was a long year as I was away from home most waking hours as I worked 7-4, was home to make dinner, eat with my husband and son, and then off to school 7-1030 PM. Seven mos. Into the program, I started clinical, which meant I was also gone on Saturdays as the school was open to the general public, and we were required to be there for 5.5 hours to do 5, 60 min massages. Every 10 weeks, we had a new set of classes, new material to learn, study and practice with our classmates, and then in the clinic when those clinic hours started. Every day was a new day to reanalyze me and my end goal of being self-employed to allow myself the freedom to work around my family so that I would have more time with my child(ren) in the long run. I kept focused on the goal despite being told by my instructors, staff at the school, and people in my everyday life telling me, “you don’t go into business for yourself right out of school,” “you go work for someone else in the industry and gain experience,” “How will you survive without clientele?” To which I would always respond the same way, “Challenge accepted”!

For me, I operated with a mindset of “Anything worth having is worth fighting for.”- Susan Elizabeth Phillips

So, I did just that. I graduated and was licensed by January 2008. I found another Massage Therapist looking to share space, and I signed a lease with her, continuing to work my full-time job and doing massage on the few days/week that I had access to the massage space I had sub-leased. I did this for six mos. My clientele wasn’t bustling enough to replace the income of my full-time job. Still, I knew if I didn’t give my notice and allow myself to free up some hours to continue building my clientele, I may stay in my comfort zone and know that growth happens outside the comfort zone. I gave my notice (30 days) to my full-time job and started to check back in with the contacts I had made while in school. I did as much networking as possible in my spare time between circling back with contacts made, reaching out to wellness centers, and doing chair massage events at Whole Foods. Corporate locations hit the pavement with my massage chair offering business’ free chair massage to their employees since, as Massage Therapists, our hands are our best form of advertisement.

One of the contacts I had made reached out and let me know a local company was looking to have an LMT onsite for their employees to be able to book massage throughout their work day. The Employer didn’t pay for it. The employees would pay for it, and while it was much less than what they could get a massage elsewhere and less than I was making in my private practice, it still offered me the flexibility to have my location, plus I could make my hours at the corporation. I did massage there for almost 8 years while still having my location not to have all my “eggs in one basket.” I only kept my initial space for six(6) mos. It was further from home than I wanted, so I found a new location. Over the years, I have rented space inside, Midwife’s office, Naturopath office, and Yoga Studio, and now I have two suites in the same building of SOLA SALONS located at Gilbert and Germann.

I built my business of word of mouth 100%. I had never done any advertising, had zero online presence, and was thriving. I am beyond grateful for great clients who continue to entrust me with their bodywork and tell friends and family. A referral is one of the biggest compliments. In August of 2019, I was considering hiring an LMT as I had to turn away new business or work longer hours to take the new business. So to ensure I could keep an LMT busy enough, I created a google business listing and created a business Instagram account @nurturedtouch.

Fast forward to 2020 and the end of Q1, when COVID had become a Global pandemic, and I was ordered to close my business in April 2020, mandated to be closed until further notice. I wasn’t sure how I would continue to thrive, let alone financially survive. After all, I had rent on my studio that I had to keep paying, and at this time, the Governor didn’t say how long we would be shut down, but we knew it was at least until April 30. My lease on my space at that time would be up on May 15, so I went ahead and gave notice that I would be leaving on May 15. I had clients and friends that worked in the medical industry and were being told due to mask shortages. They would need to provide their own, so I decided to sew some and drop them off on their porch and, for friends who lived out of state, dropped some in the mail. You see, my mom was a sewing gal and quilter. She passed in 2018 of Breast Cancer, and I had one of her machines and some of her fabric, so this would cost me nothing for materials, and I now had an abundance of time. My mom had a very giving heart and would be thrilled to know her fabric was going to a good cause. Well, I started receiving messages from friends stating their co-workers wanted some of my masks and asking how much I charge. I didn’t intend to make and sell masks, but I had the basic skill set and a gap in the community that needed to be filled. Let’s be honest, I had massage rent to keep paid and was trying not to have to dip into business reserves/emergency fund or our personal emergency fund. So I did just that, I made masks. The Governor said we could re-open mid-May, but given that I work in clients’ personal spaces, I didn’t re-open immediately.

My current space was under construction. It was initially set to open at the end of May, but with the pandemic and supply chain constraints, it did it until July 5. I re-open my business in a new location with limited hours, not taking any new clients. In October 2020, I brought on another LMT, Sidney. Sidney and I went to massage school together, and I am so glad I had created a small online presence in Aug 2019 (unbeknown to me that the World was about to shut down). Her schedule gradually started to fill with new clients that I wasn’t able to take on my schedule. Clients were re-booking with her, and we were both staying busy. In August 2021, I took a second (2nd) studio in the same hallway as my building and hired another LMT, Clara. In January 2022, I brought on a third LMT, Ashlyn. In March, Clara spread her wings and went out on her own and so currently we are a trio of LMT with myself, Sidney & Ashlyn.

My current focus is on the Lymphatic System, so I am only taking new clients for my schedule who want lymphatic work. All other business is booked into either Sidney or Ashlyn’s schedule. There has been an influx of Lymphatic Massage requests; Plastic surgeons are now recommending lymphatic massage after plastic surgery procedures. However, it could be even more beneficial if the lymphatic work started before most surgeries, in addition to Post Op/after surgery.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Of course, starting any business will bring bumps in the road. Things that can’t be predicted. After all, we can only control the controllable. I try not to focus on the bumps, but instead focus on my response to them and the journey to get over them bump. I have been told many times that I have a growth mindset. I am grateful to have had such an amazing mom full of positive thinking. The first major bump I hit was The financial crisis of 2008/2009 did present some challenges, but nothing like the Pandemic. The Pandemic was huge, however, thanks to my basic skill set of sewing and a need in the community for masks, I could get through that obstacle. During the time I was shut down, and my business was closed from April-July (16 weeks) I kept in touch with clients through emails to share self-care tips they could be doing at home, etc. This helped me stay connected with my clients. Before the Pandemic, I didn’t do monthly emails, but I am grateful for the technology that allowed me to stay connected when we were all so isolated. As a result, I have made an honest effort to keep up the monthly emails.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I guess you could say I do anatomical art, LOL! No two bodies are alike, and it keeps me on my toes. However, in this case, the body is my canvas for Massage Therapy. The human body is AHHH-MAZING, and I feel so blessed to be able to work with it daily. And clients entrust my staff and me with their bodywork. The body communicates with us if we are listening and it is designed to heal itself when given the right environment.

I feel called to do this work. I am passionate about all things health, wellness, and the amazing abilities of the human body. As a Massage Therapist, there are so many modalities that I incorporate into sessions. I customize each massage to the client’s therapeutic needs. I guess you could say I specialize in custom bodywork, but I have been shifting towards working with the Lymphatic system and work with the Vagus Nerve. The Lymphatic System is an important system in the body and one of the most underpaid attention systems, despite being a critical player in all other body systems. The Lymphatic system is kind of like Cinderella. It does all the dirty work without much credit. Typically, the Lymphatic system isn’t paid attention to until someone has Cancer or other chronic illness/disease. However, it maintains fluid levels in our body tissues by removing all fluids that leak out of our blood vessels. The lymphatic system is important for optimal functioning in general and, specifically, our immune system/response. Therefore, it is important to keep our Lymphatic system working as it should, and regular lymphatic massage can help with this.

In addition, the Vagus Nerve is also a key player and connects the brain to all other organs of the body, so our organs can communicate with the brain. It is the longest cranial nerve. Disruption of Vagus Nerve function can be caused by excessive stress, disease, certain medications, inflammation, and infections.

I will be a forever student. I am constantly learning and reading about ways I can best help clients. However, it is a two-way street; after all, the word WELLNESS begins with WE, so what a client does between sessions to do their part in their health, well-being, and self-care is also important.

What sets me apart from others? I am asked this a lot, and I never compare myself or my business to others but instead keep focused on doing my best and only comparing to my yesterday’s self. I can’t be the therapist for everyone. I don’t even try, but I tell clients, “I will always do my best if your massage with me is a good fit, great. If not, please don’t let it detour you from receiving massage regularly. I have two other LMT who work with me, and if my business isn’t a fit for you, that is okay too. I keep a pocket full of referrals and we never take it personally if we aren’t not a fit for you!”

I am also an educator of infant massage and teach parents how to massage their little ones and all the amazing benefits of them massaging their children. I use a doll, and they are the ones massaging their littles. My clientele range in age, I have infants up to clients in their 90s.

Some things about my business, though, that may be different than most massage businesses are:
*Full 60 or 90 min hands-on time vs. 50/80 industry standard. We build time into the schedule between sessions to ensure you have that time instead of taking from your massage time.

*NO GRATUITY business model, which means NO TIPPING. My pricing is my pricing. I went to this business model about 5-6 years ago to BE THE CHANGE I want to see in our industry. This helps clients budget accordingly and removes any awkwardness of how much to tip or if they have to skip a session because they will just skip if they have to factor in tipping and can’t afford it that month. In addition, it helps them see the value in their health and well-being.

What were you like growing up?
From a young child until about 14, I was quiet and shy. I was super attached to my mom, hid behind her leg, and feared my own shadow until I was probably about 10. At 14, I moved out of state to a brand new school for my high school years. This brought me out of my “shell.” I was actively involved in school, on student council, involved in clubs, and those that know me from high school through the present day, never believe me when I share that I was once shy. I moved out on my own as soon as I turned 18, despite still having four(4) mos. of high school. I had worked since I was 15, continued to work, went to high school, and have no regrets about that decision.
Currently, my hobbies include:
– Reading
– Researching all things health/wellness and the human body.
– All things outdoors & spending time with my family, and creating memories.

Pricing:

• Pricing varies from $40 (infant-age 12)
• to $180 depending on service booked

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.massagebook.com/biz/NurturedTouchBodywork
• Instagram: @nurturedtouch

Image Credits
Kristen Forner Studios-Headshot and all photos with people Maryann Tidwell-Studio photos/massage space