Summer is Where Your Clients Are
One of the biggest lessons I learned early in my career wasn't about anatomy or technique.
It was about people.
For years, I wondered why my schedule always changed when summer arrived. Clients disappeared for weeks at a time, appointments became harder to fill, and I caught myself thinking, Where did everyone go?
Then one day it hit me.
They hadn't disappeared.
They had simply gone outside.
Here in the Pacific Northwest, summer isn't just another season—it's almost a celebration. After months of gray skies, people head to the trails, the lakes, the beaches, farmers markets, festivals, golf courses, company picnics, community events, and family vacations. We spend our precious sunny months making memories because we know they won't last forever. Outdoor recreation has long been one of the defining characteristics of our region, and participation continues to be a major part of life in Washington and Oregon.
That realization completely changed the way I thought about my practice.
Instead of waiting for clients to come back to me, I started asking myself a different question:
Where are my clients spending their time, and how can I meet them there?
That question opened doors I never expected.
I found myself providing massage at sporting events, charity races, corporate wellness days, company picnics, retreats, golf tournaments, festivals, farmers markets, and educational events. Every one of those experiences introduced me to people who may never have walked through my clinic door otherwise.
More importantly, it reminded me that massage therapy doesn't have to stay inside four walls.
Sometimes the best marketing is simply showing up where your community already gathers.
Summer also offers something equally important: an opportunity to reconnect with our existing clients in ways that don't feel like advertising.
Maybe it's sponsoring a local event.
Maybe it's volunteering at a charity run.
Maybe it's partnering with a fitness studio for an outdoor recovery day.
Maybe it's offering chair massage at a farmers market or speaking at a wellness fair.
When we become visible in our communities, people stop seeing us as "someone who does massage."
They begin to see us as part of the community itself.
Don't Forget About Yourself
There is another lesson summer has taught me.
Take the vacation.
For many massage therapists, summer is our busiest season. It can be tempting to keep adding clients, saying yes to every opportunity, and telling ourselves we'll rest later.
But "later" has a habit of never arriving.
Burnout rarely happens because we don't love massage.
It happens because we forget that we're human before we're healers.
Every year I intentionally set aside time for my own adventures. Sometimes it's camping. Sometimes it's the beach. Sometimes it's simply spending time with family or wandering somewhere without a schedule.
Those experiences don't take me away from my work.
They make me better at it.
When I return, I have more patience, more creativity, more energy, and more empathy for the people sitting on my table.
Our clients don't just need technically skilled therapists.
They need healthy therapists.
Therapists who laugh.
Therapists who rest.
Therapists who have stories to tell.
Therapists who remember what it feels like to simply enjoy life.
Your Summer Challenge
As you head into the heart of summer, ask yourself two questions:
Where are my ideal clients spending their summer?
When am I spending time taking care of myself?
One question helps grow your practice.
The other helps sustain your career.
The therapists who thrive over decades learn that both are equally important.
Wishing you a summer filled with sunshine, meaningful connections, and enough time away from the treatment room to remember why you chose this profession in the first place.
See you out there.
— Essie Hicks, LMT
Dreamspace Natural Therapeutics
