Today we’d like to introduce you to Julia Sullivan.
Hi Julia, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I suppose you could say that my journey with massage began in my early 20s when I was doing martial arts (Aikido) in Chicago. Sometimes after practice, one of the teachers would teach us some massage techniques that we would practice on each other. I didn’t have much awareness of it as a career at that time, and at any rate, I had my heart set on going to Japan to teach English after graduation. After spending some time in Japan, I did some traveling before going back to the U.S. At the airport in Sydney, Australia, I picked up a holistic health magazine to read on the flight to New Zealand. There was a full-page advertisement for a massage school, and as I looked at it I grew excited and knew that that’s what I wanted to do when I returned home. I was 28 when I went to massage school at the New Mexico School of Natural Therapeutics. Some of the additional training I did included a couple of months at the Acupressure Institute in Berkeley, CA and two semesters of Anatomy & Physiology at a community college. I did massage for 2-3 years in those days, but I ended up back in Japan and China teaching English for a few more years. When I returned from China, I got a job I really liked as a proofreader/copy editor that was close to home. I didn’t really think of doing massage because it had been so long and the work was somewhat strenuous even when I was young. However, when I was laid off after some nine years, I found that it wasn’t easy to find an office job in your 50s. I got tired of sending my resume into the “black hole”, so when I saw a position for the front desk at a massage spa, I applied for it. Sure enough, they saw that I had done massage and contacted me right away. After a short time at the front desk, I transitioned into doing massage again. I don’t think I imagined that I would be doing it very long, given my age, so I never really gave much thought to starting my own business. However, eight years have gone by, and I’ve been feeling a need to take on some new challenge in life. When a room became available for rent in the Oak Ridge Chiropractic building where I go for chiropractic care, I decided to go for it. I think I was inspired by the fact that my sister is still running marathons at 70+ and concluded that I might just have a few more good years left.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
By far the most challenging thing for me has been the business and marketing aspect, but my husband encouraged me to step forward in faith and assured me he’d help. He’s been my IT Department for my teaching job, and now I guess he’s my Marketing Department too!
Since doing massage again, I’ve found it difficult to put in as many hours as I’d like due to physical limitations. I’ve been teaching English online at home to people overseas as a second job. However, in the past year or so, the number of students has dwindled, due to economic conditions in key countries like China. I’ve realized that I would have to look for either another part-time job or find a full-time job and get out of massage altogether. My clients have assured me that that would be a shame, and I hate the idea too. I’m not able to make enough money at the spa where I work without increasing my hours, but with my own business, I should be able to do so. So I kind of see this as a last-ditch effort to continue doing the work that I love, and I see no reason to retire as long as I’m able to do it.
We’ve been impressed with Bodywork with Julia, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Massage therapy has so many benefits, from helping people with pain and tension to easing headaches and insomnia, lowering blood pressure, reducing anxiety, etc. I really enjoy helping people with their specific issues, but also love giving general relaxation massages. Nowadays, it seems like a distinction is made between “therapeutic” and “relaxation” massage, but when I went to school, all types massage were considered therapeutic. I’ve gotten regular massages myself over the years, and I model my style based on what I know works for me–thoroughness, a nice balance of strength and sensitivity, soothing rhythm, etc.
What sort of changes are you expecting over the next 5-10 years?
Baby Boomers are much more aware of massage therapy as an option than the older folks were when I did massage years ago. Given the aging population, the repetitive stress issues caused by technology, and just the general stress and anxiety people are going through in today’s society, the industry outlook is very good. Hopefully, the day will come when most health insurance covers it, as it really is a medical necessity for some people.
Pricing:
- 30 minutes $40
- 60 minutes $70
- 90 minutes $100
Contact Info:
- Website: bodyworkwithjulia.com
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61578073714772
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/bodywork-with-julia-oak-ridge
