I’m a huge fan of self-directed learning as a way of supplementing a lot of the classroom learning that we do in massage therapy school. Why?

  • Schools teach you what they want you to learn. This doesn’t necessarily have anything to do with your interests, passions, and goals.
  • Schools have a limited number of resources, both material and human, while the shared knowledge available in the world is anything but.
  • Learning is what we do every day, whether we like it or not. The better we get at becoming aware of and directing this process, the more effectively we can channel our lives into paths that excite us.
  • School is crazy expensive. It just is.

So while official continuing education credits are important, I don’t want to look a client in the eye and say that I only learned for 48 hours in the last four years. It would be a.) unprofessional, b.) unflattering, and c.) untrue.

With that in mind, I absolutely have to share two amazing learning resources for students and massage therapists:

Marketing With Personality

Allissa Haines has a new ebook called Marketing with Personality. While aimed at massage therapists at all levels, this is an especially fantastic resource for newly- or yet-to-be-licensed massage therapists. Why? Because despite your lack of experience, your limited toolbox of techniques, and your relative cluelessness about traditional marketing techniques, you have one thing going for you that nobody else has: yourself. Allissa’s ebook is all about using your personality as a powerful marketing tool. At $0, it’s a steal, so there’s no excuse for not getting your copy right away!

Massage Learning Network

While Massage Learning Network is still under development, it promises to be an amazing resource for massage therapists at any point in their careers. As of this writing, there are already over 50 short, informative tutorials on the site, covering topics from techniques, to business, to job hunting. And if you’re a student, there is even some material designed specifically for you … by yours truly! I’m incredibly excited about the project and the people involved in its development. Massage Learning Network is launching this fall, so sign up now to be notified as soon as it does!

In other news …

Presents in the mail! My mentor sent me gift package from Pure Pro, and I cannot explain how in love I am with the Peppermint Pedango. The oils are also fantastic, especially since I can use them on my favorite practice client who won’t use most of the massage products I bought for school, due to their ingredients interfering with homeopathic remedies. Having to use cooking oil for a massage = embarrassing. Now I’m good to go!

I’m also gearing up for the AMTA Ohio chapter job fair this weekend. I’ve got me resume all updated (with thanks to Kelli Wise, who looked over my old one and made suggestions for improvement), and I’m excited for a day full of workshops and networking, all for free! If any Ohio folks are planning on being there, leave a comment so we can plan to meet up!

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