To complement the MASSAGE Magazine article, “Best Practices: Danielle Katz, in the March 2013 issue. Article summary: Danielle Katz, 32, of California, specializes in deep-tissue and trigger-point massage. She graduated from Twin Lakes College of the Healing Arts in Santa Cruz, California, and has been practicing for more than nine years. She is also executive director and co-founder of the nonprofit organization Rivers for Change (www.riversforchange.org), and splits her time between Los Angeles, the San Francisco Bay Area and a river near you.
If you knew then what you know now, what would you have done differently starting out?
A: I would have set clearer intentions, breaking down exactly how many clients I want to see each day, week and month. I would have also enforced more days off early in my career, received more bodywork, and learned to set boundaries for myself and how much I work; saying no to a booking if it stretched outside my ideal schedule, for example.
How do you define business success?
A: When a client has finally found the self-care tools he needs, so as not to rely on me as much. When a client has transitioned out of chronic pain and is living a healthier and more balanced lifestyle. Business success is about setting clear goals, including the number of clients I want to see each week and the amount of money I want to earn, and then hitting those goals.
How do you define session success?
A: Listening to my clients’ needs and responding accordingly. A successful session often results in a few aha moments of discovering patterning conditions, understanding where trauma, pain or injury stems from, and helping the client take the next steps to move through it.
What is the most rewarding aspect of being a massage therapist?
A: It is endlessly rewarding to be part of someone’s journey toward well-being. I feel constantly grateful to my clients for their trust in me. At the end of the day, knowing I may have helped someone out of pain and given him skills to lead a more balanced life—it doesn’t get much better than that.