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Why Thai? |
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Those who have followed our company know that we are very slow to add classes to our program. From starting fifteen years ago with a single class; Marketing Massage, to present, we now teach just thirteen classes. We have added less than one class per year despite the fact that we are constantly solicited from teachers who want to teach for us. Why the slow growth? The reason is that any classes we add must satisfy some very specific requirements before they can be considered by us. There are the three primary criteria we look for, and only if these are fully satisfied can we offer the class on a nationwide basis. Recently we have added Thai Massage to our offerings. Below are the three criteria we look for, followed by an explanation of how Thai Massage fits. 1. Relevance to our Company Mission: Our company is called the LMT Success Group for a reason. Our goal is to provide education that massage therapists can use to prosper in a long term successful massage career. We choose to teach only relevant topics or techniques that are firmly established or strongly trending. We are particularly interested in emerging therapies that have been proven to be popular, but are still not widely offered by others. This gives our students a strong competitive advantage in the marketplace. We also look for techniques that are not only popular in terms of public acceptance, but profitable as well. We believe that offering your service, no matter how popular, at approximately one dollar per minute, is not the path to a successful massage career. Overhead costs cut that number in half, and when you consider that you are not working every hour of the day, there is just not enough money there for a profitable full time business. All of the techniques taught in our program have been proven in the marketplace to be well priced, popular, and can earn the therapist a minimum of $100 per hour. Why Thai? Is Thai Massage an emerging trend? Look no further than the large spas, which are usually the first to jump on trends. They are now all offering it, some even constructing special “Thai Massage” rooms. To get an idea of the possibilities of Thai Massage, consider the growth of yoga. Fifteen years ago, yoga was a very obscure practice mostly performed in Ashrams. Now it’s taught in every gym in America and the equipment is sold at Wal-Mart. What happened? What happened was that the demographics for yoga were absolutely perfect. In the last ten years, the largest and most influential consumer group in the history of America; the “baby boomers,” all turned fifty and decided that weightlifting and jogging were no longer for them. They turned to less physical, more spiritual activities that enhanced both their core strength and fading flexibility. I believe that Thai Massage, which has also been called “assisted yoga” will explode in popularity right behind the yoga boom as the baby boomers hit sixty and beyond. The demographics for Thai Massage are now absolutely perfect. Another extremely positive factor affecting the marketability of this work is the fact that your clients are fully clothed throughout the length of this service. This eliminates the sexual stigmas often associated with massage, and relieves clients of the “body issues” which often keep them off your massage table. It also relieves you of the often awkward draping and boundary issues associated with traditional massage, and best of all, relieves you of doing laundry! In terms of profitability, it is always a good idea to latch onto the boomer market, as they are the most financially powerful group in America, as well. Thai Massage commands a premium fee that consumers will pay for without hesitation. It is often the highest priced service in a spa. At the Mandarin Oriental Hotel in Miami for example, the service costs $270 for an eighty minute session and $360 for 110 minutes! (Link) Granted, the fee you pay in a spa also includes some major “ambiance” which you probably couldn’t provide, but even at half their fees you are still generating considerably more than one dollar per minute in income! 2. Ease of Application: No matter how much you are earning per hour, it is meaningless if the physicality of your work severely restricts your working hours, or worse, renders you ultimately unable to work at all. So we look for techniques that render a maximum effect with minimum physical effort. Why Thai? Thai Massage practitioners often comment that they finish a session feeling refreshed and invigorated, as if thy have had a Thai Massage themselves! The technique is all about using your body weight and body positioning for maximum effect, and the result is a much less physically demanding service than traditional massage. There are no oils and lotion to purchase and bring, no laundry to do, and no table to lug! The service is performed on a Thai mat on the floor. After the session, just roll it up and walk out the door! 3. Excellence in Instruction: The most important factor, as the two above criteria are moot if our instructors cannot convey the technique to you adequately enough for you to offer it. We hire only instructors who are active in the business, with their own successful practices. We hire only experienced instructors who can offer you information with insight, humor and detail. We look for, and often get, the best massage therapy instructors in America Why Thai? What do the following Spas have in common: The Ritz Carlton Spa in Naples, Florida, the Spa at Couples Resort in the Caribbean, The Mirbeau Spa in New York, and the Marco Island Resort and Spa in Florida? All have recently added Thai Massage to their treatment menu, and all have hired Martin Misenheimer to teach Thai Massage to their staff. Martin has trained over 700 hours in Thailand and is the most sought after Spa trainer in America. He has a successful Thai Massage practice in New York and teaches a thorough and detailed class in a very patient and relaxed manner. In addition to tending to his practice and leading local seminars, Martin is also the Director of the Thai Massage Training Institute at the Pura Vida Spa in Costa Rica, where he teaches week-long Thai Massage intensives twice a year. It is safe to say that Martin is the most accomplished Thai Massage trainer in the United States. Where Thai?If you have decided that Thai Massage might be for you, we have set up several different venues where you can learn it, some of them exotic, exciting and fun! You can take our 15 hour Level One training in Ft. Lauderdale, Houston, Las Vegas or Colorado Springs. In Las Vegas the class is part of our week-long “Success School” which we run prior to the giant International Cosmetics Esthetics, and Spa Conference Trade Show held at the Las Vegas Convention Center. In Colorado Springs the class is held at a quaint Bed and Breakfast Inn located at the base of Pikes Peak. Delicious gourmet breakfast and lunch and three nights lodging is included! You may also choose to take Level One Thai Massage on a luxury cruise ship, as it is being offered on our May Bahamas Cruise, included in your cruise fare. Or take both Level I and II in the spectacular beauty and serenity of a mountaintop spa in Costa Rica in April. Class sizes in all classes are limited (only six students accepted for Colorado Springs, for example), so if you are interested in taking Thai refer to our schedule page; then you may sign up online or just give us a call. We look forward to seeing you in Class!
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