Today we’d like to introduce you to Pauline Haughton.
Pauline, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
In 2008, I was working in the Mortgage industry. We all know what happened there and I had to retain in a new field. My chiropractor one day suggested the idea of Massage Therapist, as she knew I had a sporting background and thought I would be very well suited. She was right.
I interviewed a few schools and choose to go with the American Institute of Massage Therapy. The course was 7.5 months long. The wait time with the State license took another 6-8 weeks. In June 2009, I acquired my license and was now earning an income from Massage Therapy. I learned a lot of the ground rules from my first job with elements therapeutic. Business ethics, customer service, marketing, scheduling After that, putting myself out there as an Independent Contractor wasn’t really that difficult.
Between 1987-1990, I was involved with the British Women’s Olympic Weightlifting team. I was British Champion for all of my weightlifting career, received European and World titles for my weight class. (52kg)
Has it been a smooth road?
It’s never smooth. Number one, being able to maintain a job, maintain your household while in school was probably one of the biggest challenges I have had. Now that that is over, just keeping ahead of things, marketing, customer services, scheduling and always dealing with appointment changes and cancellations and keeping instrumental as this is what pays the bills.
Making sure I get regular massages myself. Not just because my work is physically and I actually need the work done, but it’s also a continued learning path for me. Getting in the 24 hours of continuing educational credit for the bi annual renewals that massage therapist must have.
Finding the right partner or business location. After a couple of mis-matches I decided it was less complicated and less of a challenge just to keep my business predominately mobile. The only aspect of my business that is so called stationary is my stretching segment, this is performed inside the Bruce Zone Fitness center on Davie Blvd.
We’d love to hear more about your business.
Massage Touch By Pauline is predominately a mobile business. What this means is that the business travels to the client. Being home or office. Massage Touch By Pauline provides in home Therapeutic, Sports and clinic massage as well as chair massage for the office for a minimum duration of one hour.
Sports massage is really my specialty. But this does not mean my clients have to be professional sports people by any means. The technique itself covers a wide range of people and any limitations they may have. I am known for my ‘Stretching’. And because people have recognized this to be a very beneficial part of the massage, I have since developed a service just for stretching. I call it my ‘StretchSpot’. I provide a 15 or 30 minute service. Clients get to be stretched from head to toe for the duration or stretch specific body parts.
I am very involved in a local Martial Arts school and you could call me the resident massage therapist. Members here get 15 min Stretch or Bodywork services.
What am I most proud of? I am still here.
My business is convenient. This is really what people pay for. I come to you. In the privacy and comfort of your own home or office. There’s no traffic, no parking, no amount of time away from home or office.
You get your massage and in a few minutes your relaxing or back to work.
Is our city a good place to do what you do?
I think this is a good city to start a business. There’s lots of people. And lots business to go around.
People still need to be educated on the benefits of massage and bodyworks. You have to work all the time to find and keep a good turnover of business, it can be done.
Pricing:
- One hour in home custom massage $80
- One hour and half custom massage $120
- One hour Corperate chair massage $75 or $25 – 15 mins. Min of 6 people required
- 30 Min Stretch Therapy (Bruce Zone) $50
- 3x 30 min Stretch Therapy (Bruce Zone) $120
- 10x 30 min Stretch Therapy (Bruce Zone) $360
- 7x 7 Custom Massage series ($70) $490 (save $70
- 30 minute Introductory Stretch Therapy session $25
Contact Info:
- Address: 3400 Davie Blvd., Fort Lauderdale, 33312
- Website: MassageTouchByPauline.com
- Phone: (954) 618 8706
- Email: info@massagetouchbypauline.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/massagetouchbypauline
- Facebook: Facebook.com/massagetouchbypauline
- Twitter: Twitter.com/massagetouch
- Other: Massagebook.com/pauline_haughton
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