Today we’d like to introduce you to Brandy Fish.
Hi Brandy, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
Honestly, I didn’t know what I wanted to go college for. Until my friends kept telling me that I needed to go for massage therapy. Then I saw a commercial for a school that was only like 25 minutes from me, I called set up an interview and a few hours of talking, I liked the program and enrolled to start in April 2011. Typically, massage therapy programs are only 6 months long to complete, but my program I went for 2 years. Only because I graduated with my associate’s degree in Massage Therapy in December of 2013, I went for my higher degree because I knew that I would want to teach others. I started my career off at Massage Envy to just get my foot in the door, but I knew I wanted more and I partnered with another massage therapist to start our own business in 2015. After we got our business taken off, I decided to go back to school to get my Bachelors in Exercise Science because I knew I wanted to be the one to offer more to help my clients. So, throughout the first 6 years of my career, I managed to build a successful massage business, I even had a great year in 2020 and that was during the pandemic (even though I started this year off with getting rotator cuff surgery). I also worked with a Semi-Professional football team as their massage therapist/trainer.
I am now going to fast forward to October of 2024. This is the month that I decided to move back to Tennessee. It was time to come back to my home state. When I arrived here, I was still waiting on getting my TN Massage License, so I got a job as a bartender while I was waiting for my license. Then February of 2025 is when I met Lauren Laurino of Mountain Mobile Massage by a having a 4-hour long phone interview. During our talk, she asked me to become her East TN Manager for Mountain Mobile Massage. Lauren saw something in me and saw that I was a go-getter and had big dreams/plans for my career. I told her about the class that I have been working on for the past 2 years and had emailed it over to her, so she could review it. After she reviewed it, she loved the concept of the class and we worked together to get it submitted to NCBTMB on Mother’s Day of 2025. After waiting almost 2.5 months, Lauren called me up to give me the news that L.U.Y.A: Level Up Your Assessment was approved. I was so excited to get that first class approved. From there, we worked together to get it scheduled to start teaching in 2026. The debut of the class was taught Jan. 9th & 10th, 2026 in Gatlinburg, TN at Margaritaville Resort. Then not even a week after teaching the first class. We had other states reach out to us to bring the class to their area. Our L.U.Y.A: Level Up Your Assessment class is going to taught in Minnesota, North Carolina, Ohio, Wisconsin, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, and Florida just for 2026.
I know my career is a Licensed Massage Therapist, along with certifications as a Personal Trainer, Strength & Conditioning Coach, Corrective Exercise Specialist,, Physiokinetix Mobility Trainer. But I am also the Roommate Coordinator for the World Massage Festival. The World Massage Festival is where Licensed Massage Therapists from all over come together for a week of learning, fun, networking, and making new friends. This week is where we take classes to get our continuing education credits that we need for our licenses.
I have recently taken on the task by becoming the Director of the TN Massage Championship & Education. The championship will be held May 15th to 17th in Gatlinburg, TN at Margaritaville Resort. The massage championships internationally in Denmark. Then the American Massage Championships started at the World Massage Festival in 2023 and now we have state championships across the US. Many people always ask us what happens during these events. Well, we come together to learn from each other. We all might work in the same field, but we all bring something different to the field. During a championship, the Licensed Massage Therapists perform in categories of their choosing to showcase their techniques, flow, body mechanics, creativity, and communication. Not only are championships for us to come together, but it is also a great time for vendors to come out network with massage therapists. Even though, this is called the TN Massage Championship, but therapists from other states can registered to participate. They can place for their state, but the Overall Winner can only be a Licensed Massage Therapist from Tennessee, The biggest reward for winning overall winner: they receive a trophy, Free admission to the World Massage Festival, and Free admission to participate in the American Massage Championship.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
It wasn’t a smooth road to get to where I am today. With being a single person and not really having family around me, I was working full-time while going to school full-time. But I always looked ahead of what my main goal was and that was my education was going to pay off in the end. During my career, I did have to have left shoulder surgery to repair a full thickness tear in my rotator cuff in February 13th, 2020. My surgeon released me March 23rd, so I could schedule my physical therapy. But this was also the year the pandemic hit us and forced us to stop working. But I was going stir crazy from not working due to recovering from surgery. I started my physical therapy, reading the executive orders being released and contacted the massage therapy state board. Wisconsin had licensed massage therapists as essential workers, so I was able to work. Once I was cleared from physical therapy, got the all clear that I could work. I moved my massage office out of the salon I rented a room in and moved into a chiropractor’s office. I was able to get everything set up within 3 days and returned to work before the end of April. Working during the pandemic, I was 2.5 to 3 months booked with a waiting list. I made 3 minor changes to keep everyone safe and not one client or myself never got sick.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I love being a Licensed Massage Therapist. I never knew what I wanted to go to school for and I am so happy I did. I have been doing this for 16 years now and still love every minute of it. Massage therapy offers many different modalities from Swedish to Therapeutic to Sports to Thai. My first 3 years in the field I knew I wanted to do more to help my clients on top of massage therapy. That is when I decided to go back to school in 2016 for my Bachelors in Exercise Science. I am more on the specialty of medical massage, sports, therapeutic massage work. Like I tell my clients, I am not type of massage therapist that is going to just spread oil on you. I will be the type to assess your posture and determine what muscles need to be worked or what exercises you can do to help improve your posture. I think as massage therapists we all bring something different to the massage table and the only thing I can think of that sets me apart is being able to offer not just massage, but fitness also. I love how I can help all my clients with all their Health & Wellness needs.
Is there any advice you’d like to share with our readers who might just be starting out?
I would start massage school with head held high, keep your mind open and ready to learn new things. While going to massage school, you are going to be learning so much, along with the muscles, pathology, different massage modalities, kinesiology, and more. Yes you are going to learn a lot about the muscles and pathology in school, but honestly you are going to your hands-on training out in the field after you get your license. Being out in the field, you will learn which modality you are going to want to specialize in, it could be Swedish/Spa style to Therapeutic/Medical to Massage/Fitness. Or maybe you want to completely different and want to do Thai/Eastern style massage. You don’t have to settle on one modality. Always remember this don’t get discouraged in the first year of being licensed. It takes time to build that clientele up. The best way is to get out there and do chair massage events at businesses in your community. Talk to you community, hand out business cards. The best marketing tool for massage therapists is hands-on marketing.
Really there wasn’t anything I wish I knew going back to school. I know I was nervous because I was out of school for awhile, it felt weird back in the classroom. But I learned as I was getting farther in my massage therapy program. That I was a better college student than high school student. Because I knew I was going to school for what I loved and was excited about. Make sure to choose the career you are passionate about and see yourself doing in the future.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.tnmassagechampionship.com
- Instagram: brandle98
- Facebook: Brandy Fish
