"Watch your thoughts, they become your words;

Watch your words, they become your actions;

Watch your actions, they become your habits;

Watch your habits, they become your character;

Watch your character, it becomes your destiny."

~Lao Tzu

To leverage lucrative knowledge we share the philosophies and the highly acclaimed brilliant scholars who came before. One of the most poignant Ancient Chinese philosophers Lao Tzu, studied and taught Taoism; the creative force which runs through the universe.

Although we will not explore philosophy, we build a solid foundation upon which our business mission statement may be established. This quote helps us keep a positive and attractive selection of thoughts and words which yield productivity and keep us properly motivated towards short-term and long-term goals. The actions we take help mold the personality we wish to see in our everyday environments, both on a personal level and in our professional circuits. And once we know exactly who we are and what type of people we associate with, we know just how bold we can affirm dreams of success.

Throughout this coursework, we will explore unchartered thought processes and build a blueprint by which each student therapist may forge new pathways into their role as a Clinical Massage Therapist and business owner.

EXERCISE ONE

What thoughts, words or actions would you like to foster to elevate your mindset as a business owner/

Clinical Massage Therapist?

Which aspects of this quote resonate the most? Why?

SHIFTING GEARS

A gifted and skilled massage therapist coupled with a passion to rid the world of stress and painful knots is a jewel in every franchise owner's ornament box. The real reason that caliber of therapist reports in to a 9 to 5 independent contractor job is convenience over the stress of scheduling and the 'BIG LEAP' syndrome. The fear of failing is a huge factor that causes shrinkage of blooming 'super star therapreneurs.' Being in that box becomes a security blanket. Simultaneously, that box becomes smaller and more restrictive to the freedom of expression, preferences and lucrative financial gains, the longer the therapists remain sequestered.

A journey of a thousand miles

Must begin with a Single Step

~Chinese Proverb

Develop A Business Perspective

Step One. Leverage a Mentor and Coach

Removing fear removes multi-faceted doubt which has the propensity to combat those attractive thoughts we mentioned in the beginning of our lesson. The best confidence booster is to call in the pros. As much satisfaction it gives your client to be instructed how many visits it would take them to achieve increased range of motion or decreased pain value only at 2 on a scale of 10, when 11 has been the only value registering for nearly a year, is the equivalent emotional reward each massage therapist should exude.

Mentor. A Business mentor offers business development skills that assist with growth and operations optimization. The mentor has expertise and shares wisdom and strategic perspective. Advises.

Coach. The coach identifies strengths and weaknesses in the business vision and goals. The coach motivates and guides the business owner through planning stages. Accountability.

Your mentor assesses your personal and business skills for an overall analysis of business sense. Then he or she advises the perspective business owner of potential action plans to take.

On the other hand, the coach highlights the soft skill strengths and weaknesses and develops a plan, specific to results-oriented business goal time lines; startup business bootcamp as it were.

It is the most ideal circumstance that the mentor is also the coach. The absolute best of both worlds!