IN TOUCH WITH ... Julia Griss
In touch with Julia Griss of Pringle Bay, Western
Cape
I have been practicing massage since 2002. Before I changed my profession I used to work in the public relations, marketing and fundraising industry. I worked in a number of varied jobs over the last 25 years. I started off, straight out of university, working for Penguin Books where I was appointed their public relations officer. From there I progressed to working for PR agencies. Some of the clients I worked with were Nashua , Edgars, Alpha Cement and Vynide (part of AECI). As varied as this profession was, I wanted to make a difference in the world. I joined the Baxter Theatre as their fundraising manager. This was my work over three years before deciding on a different profession altogether.
I chose to become a therapeutic massage therapist because I wanted a profession that would enable me to assist others on a physical level. It’s a profession that allows me flexibility and also a great deal of enjoyment. I love what I do. I practice on an eclectic mix of people from sportsmen, to people with chronic back and shoulder injuries, to people who are terminally ill.
My field of interest is the mind/body connection as it relates to massage therapy. In terms of my practice I am particularly interested in helping women who are peri-menopausal and anyone who is going through any major life transition. Most of the women I see are going through enormous emotional and physical changes. Some of them are disconnected from their physical bodies and only when menopausal symptoms show, do they become aware of the need for self-care. Massage helps enormously because it encourages homeostasis in the body and alleviates the stress accompanying such life changes. With my coaching skills I am able to deepen their awareness of their emotional state and encourage them to think deeply about their journey into dealing with the ageing process.
My patients are varied, depending on whether I work in Pringle Bay or Cape Town . In Pringle Bay I see a lot of tourists from surrounding guest houses and residents who come over weekends and holidays. In Cape Town I see mostly sports people and professional businessmen and -women.
My greatest strengths are my hands and my ability to use them to help others. I also have tremendous patience and empathy. People find it easy to relate to me.
My personal philosophy is to be curious and never be afraid to learn something you love. When you come from that place in your work, people recognize it and respond positively.
I define business success as the ability to feel satisfied with the work you do and still earn a reasonable living out of it.
The best business decision I made was to work for myself and be independent to dictate my own hours and terms of work. I have worked in healing centres, shared rooms and worked on my own. No doubt working with others gave me a lot of business referrals. I also joined a business network that built my business and taught me a lot about professionalism. I belonged to Business Matters for two years and I interacted with people from a wide variety of professions. A lot of therapists work alone and are no longer part of mainstream business. Through the network I was encouraged to view my own practice as a business and to market it more aggressively. I was also kept informed about the different professions out there. By talking about my work, I helped educate people in the group about the multiple benefits of massage.
What I like least about working for myself is the erratic nature of the income and the seasonality of this profession. I have counteracted the erratic nature of my work by investing wisely and supplementing my income with sound investments that deliver a good interest rate. In the lean times I offer freebies and deepen my knowledge through studying and attending courses, which is how I learnt about life coaching. It’s important to have a good savings plan and to keep track of expenditure and income. I don’t look at my income on a monthly basis but as an annual income. In this way if I have a ‘slow’ month I know the rest of the year will balance out financially. It’s important to develop a healthy attitude to wealth management and to not just see it in monetary terms. Massage therapy is rich with opportunities to learn and grow. At the same time you are doing good in the world and still being paid for it. I would much rather have job satisfaction with a fair income, than do work I hate and be paid well for it. I do a lot of reading on personal development and keep informed on financial markets and the economy. I visualise the income I want and work at getting it. Life always surprises me with rich experiences that I learn from.
The most rewarding aspect of being a massage therapist is the ability to help others and be of service to them.
I see the future of TMT in South Africa as becoming less ‘alternative’ and more mainstream. I think more people are becoming informed and educated about the multiple benefits of therapeutic massage. In order to grow as a profession we need to improve our ongoing education, service delivery and become relevant to a wider group rather than the privileged few.
I joined MTA because I feel informed and educated on the latest developments in my industry. I also have a group of professionals to turn to if I need help or advice. It helps my clients understand I am bound to a professional body that can offer me some protection and assistance.