Paul Kohlmeier, Massage Therapist

Hard work but fun

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"Massage Therapy is a great fit for where I am in life. I love doing it. It's fun every day and it has a certain amount of flexibility. It's a wonderful occupation.

"If you're thinking about working in this field, do some research. You'll find most Massage Therapists love what they do. It's hard work, so if you don't think you're up to it, don't start. But it's very, very rewarding."

Where I work

My business partner and I started Symmetry Massage Therapy nine years ago. We're located on Stradbrook Avenue in Winnipeg. We have a receptionist and ten Massage Therapists on staff who provide treatments to our clients.

Because of our large staff, we can offer services smaller companies may not be able to offer, such as facia work, Craniosacral therapy, Shiatsu message, Tuina massage, aromatherapy massage and various Chinese and Japanese styles.

Available for questions

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"I do five to six treatments a day. Any time I walk out of my treatment room I'm usually barraged with phone messages and people to call back.

"I always try to stop and say hi to everyone in the waiting room, whoever's client it is.

"It's very important to me to be a strong face at Symmetry Massage so people know who I am.

"If they have any concerns with what they're doing or the services they're receiving, they can phone me."

Physical work

I spend the Massage Therapy portion of my day in my treatment room, which is nine feet by twelve feet. I do a number of treatments during the day and it is certainly is very busy and very physical.

I am constantly lifting peoples' limbs or heads and pushing and pulling them into position so I can do my work and administer treatment. I take fifteen or twenty minutes between treatments to relax, grab a bite to eat.

Creating solutions

Every day is interesting with chances for me to be creative. Problem solving is one of the biggest things I do. Whether it's managing people, creating treatment plans or brainstorming for advertising, I'm always creating.

When a client comes in, they're usually in pain. I assess them, try to determine what is going on in their body and build a treatment plan. Every client gets different treatment, depending on their pain and physical condition.

Myth about massage

One of the biggest myths is that Massage Therapists only do relaxation massage. Out of the twenty-five to thirty treatments I do a week, maybe one of them will be a relaxation massage.

It's not typical for us to do it at my clinic. We don't advertise that way and we certainly haven't drawn clients that way. Certain people come in stressed and want to relax after a bad day. We can do that but it's not the primary thing we do.

Close family

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"My parents, they're still happily married and having a great time. I have two sisters. One has just given birth so I'm an uncle for the first time. That's very exciting. 

"I lived on a farm, three miles from my closest neighbour who was my age. So my sisters and I often would play together or do chores together. It forms a very tight family group. It's quite nice."

Supportive parents

I was ready to start my own business and when the opportunity arose for me to buy the building we're in, I phoned my Mom and said I wanted to talk. It was 10:00pm on a Friday or Saturday night. I drove out to Stonewall and talked with my parents until three in the morning.

They brought up a bunch of good points but never tried to dissuade me. That's the kind of environment I come from. Anytime I needed anything, it was there. It was a very supportive atmosphere.

Balancing three roles

Because I'm a Massage Therapist and a business owner, it's like having two full-time jobs. When most people finish their job and go home, I'm just starting another job where I have things I need to take care of before I can go home.

There are times when I put off some of the administrative tasks that can wait until the next day so I can go home and do something fun. The work still needs to be done and often on deadline, but I try to be as flexible as I can with my work.

Listening to music

I always have the radio on. These days, I'm listening to BOB 99.9 FM and reliving my glorious youth. They play music from the seventies, eighties and nineties. I listen to Power 97 occasionally but I find them too repetitive.

I also listen to a lot of Internet radio, which is quite interesting. There are a couple of radio stations in France I enjoy. There's a really neat website called Pandora.com that is worth checking out.

And of course during massage sessions, we have a variety of styles of music for clients to relax with.

Manitoba is great

Manitoba summers are second to none. The people here are amazing. Winnipeg is the only city I've been to with plenty of options for things to do while having a small-town feel. I can't walk through a mall without seeing someone I know.

I love the endless opportunity in Manitoba. There's so much to do: go to the beach, snowshoe, even play soccer. I've been playing soccer since I was six. Right now I'm on a Senior Men's team based in Stonewall that plays all over Winnipeg.

Job is relaxing

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"As a Massage Therapist, your job tends to be relaxing. There's nice relaxing music. The lights are dimmed. Your client is lying there and they're relaxed.

"It's actually quite fun. You can get into some interesting conversations."

Varying schedule

My Massage Therapy schedule is fairly fixed because I take appointments during certain times, which differ depending on the day, including Saturdays. As a business owner, my schedule is flexible.

Sometimes I can push things back to another day while at other times if I'm working on something important and time sensitive, I can work until one or two in the morning. That's the way it is. Running a business can be stressful but it's part of the job and I take it in stride.

Tools of the trade

I use a computer to book appointments and for billing. I have my electronic leash to my business, my Blackberry, so I can be contacted even when I'm out of the office.

My massage table is the most technical thing I use and it really isn't all that technical. It's not hydraulic, nor is it electric. The physiotherapist on staff tends to use machines, but the main thing the Massage Therapists at our clinic use is our hands.

No two days the same

My business is constantly throwing me curve balls. I hope each day will be a regular day where I do some massages, tackle some paperwork, do some planning and leave for the day.

There are other days when someone walks in and tells me that they're leaving because they've found a different job. That's just the way it is. I never know from one day to the next what I'm going to be walking into.

Work is play

I love doing Massage Therapy. When I haven't done it for awhile, I kind of crave it. Every time I put my hands on someone, it's like play. It's not a job. It's definitely fun. I play everyday at work. Life is too short not to play.

I make jokes with my clients. I'm the worst when it comes to being silly and playing jokes or pranks. We hide stuff on each other in our treatment rooms. There's always a practical joke to play. I'm the owner, so no one can get in trouble.

Business role stressful

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"There's always stress as a business owner. You're responsible for everything. The government is literally who you report to. They have stiff penalties if you don't do it right.

"You certainly want to do well. You have your own goals you want to achieve. That movement towards the goal, if you're not moving, it starts stressing you out after awhile."

Part of a team

There's the teamwork aspect because we're a bunch of individuals working in the same office but I don't work directly with other Massage Therapists and we don't collaborate a lot. Clients tend to see the same therapist.

Teamwork comes more into play when it comes to our clients. A client coming in our door has a team of health care professionals behind them.

I need to ask the right questions and make the connections so I can work as a team with their chiropractor, acupuncturist, physician or physiotherapist.

Working for legislation

Other provinces, the US and Europe are moving towards legislating Massage Therapy. There is no provincial legislation in Manitoba. Until a few years ago, there wasn't even city licensure.

Locally, people in professional associations are encouraging legislation for the profession. They're doing a really good job but it's not moving forward.

I think the industry has to be represented. The government isn't listening yet because there's no research to say that we can do harm.

Reading, writing and research

Reading, writing, researching and working with documents are important in this job. Every day we write reports on what we've done with our clients and our treatment plans.

There is a push in the field right now to do research. If there are new conditions that we've never seen before, we use the Internet quite a bit to research how these conditions will be impacted by the massage treatment we'll be giving.

Making a difference

I like to think I make the world a better place one client at a time. People come to me when they're in pain or having physical trouble. Sometimes they're emotionally or mentally stressed, but more often my practice deals with injuries and accidents.

If I can't help them I'll refer them to people who can. I think if they've left and they're better than when they came in, fantastic. If they're a lot better, even better. It's real work where I affect peoples' lives.

Mentoring my mentors

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"Because my parents own their own business, our relationship has changed over the last ten years. Now my business is almost more successful then theirs so I'm starting to mentor them.

"I do a lot of self-education, read a lot of books, subscribe to newsletters about business. I'm current with what's happening so when they're having problems they'll ask, ‘What do you think?'

 "It's a neat relationship."

Learned transferable skills

Before, during and after university, I worked at a number of jobs. I worked at Winnipeg Supply, at a restaurant, as a security guard and in clothing retail. How to deal with people was the greatest skill I learned.

In security, I learned how to defuse situations and prevent a problem from escalating. Retail taught me how to sell to people. I worked for great managers and lousy managers. Every job provided me with a skill set that is applicable to everything I do today.

Getting involved

We are very dependent on the people in our community. Our existing clients ask us to get involved in fundraisers. They've supported us by patronizing us so we'll support them by providing on-site Massage Therapy for a fee and donating it to the group.

It's a way for us to get out there and support the community that supports us. We are not independent of anything. You have to help others to help yourself.

Challenge yourself

My advice? Take different jobs. Change jobs. Do jobs that challenge you. Get a little life experience. Save a little money. Find out what you're good and bad at.

Graduates who go from high school right into Massage Therapy are not very self-confident when they come to my office for an interview. They don't know how to sell themselves because they've been in school their whole lives.

A licence is important, but so are personality, confidence and a sense of responsibility.

Practical advice

Tell people you're thinking about going into Massage Therapy. Ask people who they see. You'll find out quickly whose name comes up a lot.

Once you've found that out, go talk to those Massage Therapists. They'll more than likely be willing to talk to you.

Offer to volunteer at a clinic to see how it's run. Do your research. Each of the three schools is good. They all teach slightly differently and cater to a different kind of Massage Therapist.

Living in the moment

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" I'm not a person who plans a lot so I don't look forward say, ‘This is what I want.'

"I like to see what options are there and then make my decisions at the time.

"What do I want most in life right at this very moment? I don't give this a whole lot of thought."

Early retirement

I would like to retire at forty-five. At this point, I'm working to try and grow Symmetry to the point where I don't have to be there all the time. I can work if I choose to or work less while still making money. I would like to have more time to travel and be with family.

I think my business will continue to grow and seize opportunities. We're working on running things more efficiently. Over time, I could see opening up another location or two.

Globetrotting

I'd love to see more of the world. It's important to me to see how people interact and how they live, even if I don't know the language. This year I'm going to my first international soccer game: the World Cup in Germany. I can't wait.

When I return, I'll head out to Panorama, BC to cycle with a group of friends. I would love to get to Newfoundland, Thunder Bay, Vancouver and Victoria. I was in Japan for a month and want to go back because there's more to see.

Ongoing learning

For six years I've been studying Acupuncture, traditional Chinese medicine. I will finish my internship by late fall.

After that I'll look at taking business courses through the Manitoba Small Business Centre, a phenomenal resource. I'd like to learn more about accounting instead of just handing things over to my accountant.

I would like to be a better public speaker and improve my leadership skills. These things take a lifetime to master, so I'll always work on them.

Growing industry

I suspect changes to the industry will be with legislation and changing skill requirements. I don't see it happening any time soon, but we'll see.

I think the future's bright for Massage Therapists. Everyday I have a new client walk in. In many cases they've never had a massage.

If that happens everyday, where someone who's never had a massage before comes in, chances are we're not maximizing our usage of massage in the population, so there is still room for growth.

Job market info

The links below take you to federal and regional government information on employment, education, salary ranges and long range prospects for this career.

The official title for Paul's occupation is "Massage Therapist" and its NOC* code is 3235. He is also a "Small Business Owner", NOC* 0014.

Manitoba Job Futures (NOC 3235)

Human Resources and Social Development (NOC 0014)

Who Hires? - Manitoba Labour Market Information

*Each occupation has an official name and unique number called the 'National Occupation Classification' code or 'NOC'.

Education

High School

Useful High School Subjects for Massage Therapists:*

- Sciences
- Math
- Health
- English

*Source: JobFutures.ca

Useful High School Subjects for Business Owners in Health Care:*

- English
- Sciences
- Health
- Math
- Business

*Source: JobFutures.ca

For those out of school, Adult Learning Centres can help you get or upgrade your high school diploma, including adding subjects that are required for work or further education. All Manitobans are normally entitled to 4 free courses.

After High School

Wellington College of Remedial Massage Therapist Inc

Remedial Massage Therapy

Massage Therapy College of Manitoba Inc

Massage Therapy and Remedial Massage Therapy

Professional Institute of Massage Therapy Ltd

Advanced Massage Therapy

University of Manitoba

Faculty of Physical Education and Recreation Studies

University of Winnipeg

Department of Kinesiology and Applied Health

Skills

Useful Experience/Skills for Massage Therapists*

- Multidisciplinary teamwork
- Business procedures
- Interpersonal communication skills

Source: Job Futures.ca

There is not yet an Essential Skills* profile for this occupation.

The most important Essential Skills* for Small Business Owner/Operators are:

- Oral communication
- Problem solving
- Decision making
- Job task planning and organizing

*For more information on Essential Skills and their importance to this occupation, go to: Essential Skills - Small Business

Professional resources

Massage Therapy Association of Manitoba
A not-for-profit association representing Massage Therapists in Manitoba

Association of Massage Therapists and Wholistic Practitioners
A national professional association that promotes standards and ethics, while providing opportunities for professional development and public education

Canadian Massage Therapist Alliance
A national organization promoting the art, science and philosophy of Massage Therapy

Small Business Development Branch
This branch of the Canada/Manitoba Business Service Centre provides information and support to Manitoba entrepreneurs.

Related careers

Physiotherapists (NOC 3142)

Therapy and Assessment Professionals (NOC 314)

Medical Technologists and Technicians (NOC 321)

Other Technical Occupations in Health Care (NOC 323)

Physical Therapy Aides or Chiropractic Aides (NOC 3414)