Today we’d like to introduce you to Emma Crystal.
Hi Emma, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
Where do I begin? I was one of those kids who spent a lot of time in clinics because of my legs/feet. Apparently, one leg was a little shorter and one foot was crooked. My mom caught it early, got me to Shriners and I wore leg/foot braces up until I was around 7 years old.
When I got to college at good old St. Olaf in Northfield, MN, I discovered dance. Who knew such a thing existed?! My now straightened out legs and feet got set on the path of a professional dancer. Go figure.
After college and a short stint back home to Memphis, I made my way to New York City. There I discovered I could add my singing and acting skills to my dancing and musical theatre became my thing. I toured Europe and the US in Broadway musicals and various other shows for over 16 years.
In 2011 found myself back in Memphis. While I continued with theatre, choreographing, directing, and performing, I was making my living as a computer tech. I know. None of it makes sense. LOL!! It seems I have an affinity for computers and the way they work, including (and especially) software. Computer work paid my bills and put my daughter through college. After a while, though, I started to think there was a bigger contribution I could be making to the world. I didn’t know what it was, but the feeling was STRONG.
One day at a staff meeting, one of my tech co-workers had a horrible migraine. His face was beet red and he was holding his head. I came up behind him and began massaging his neck and shoulders. After a few minutes, he lifted his head and said, “What did you do?!” I thought I’d hurt him. Yikes! I jumped back, apologizing. He said, “No, no! Don’t stop. Whatever you did, my headache is gone!” I didn’t know what I’d done, either, but somehow the massaging relieved him of his headache.
Circumstances with work changed, and I found myself looking forward to the next phase of my life, looking for a bigger way to contribute to the world. I thought about my tech co-worker and his headache one morning, and I thought, “I’m going to massage school!”
The rest is history. Leaving that job was the best thing I could have done. Due to some technicalities, they had to pay me unemployment. Because the payments didn’t begin immediately, they had to pay me back pay, plus some. It was enough to pay for massage school AND housing/food until I graduated.AMAZING!
My dance experience paid off tremendously during massage school and to this day. I know muscles. When they hurt, I know which ones to massage. I know which stretches to do to help relieve pain. AND I know how to set up spreadsheets to track my business progress. LOL! All of my life experiences prepared me for where I am today.
You said I could include as little or as much detail as I’d like. Be careful what you ask for. HAHAHAHA!!!
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?
This has been a road full of lessons. Smooth, but with zigs and zags along the way. I’ve learned to trust my instincts and take action when I’m prompted.
My biggest struggles initially were the men calling my business phone looking for “happy endings.” It only took a couple of times for me to realize that I needed to change my mindset in order to attract the kind of clients I was looking for. It’s really interesting how that works. Once I decided that I’m really good at what I do, things got better quickly.
Also, I carry this card in my wallet: “I have a service to render. My business is massage therapy. Whomever needs my service, whomever I can peculiarly and personally benefit, those whom I can particularly aid in improving their body, mind, and spirit, are now irresistibly drawn to me NOW, today, this moment.” Ernest Holmes (He didn’t say the “massage therapy” part – I made it personal.)
Perverts didn’t figure into the equation. LOL!!!
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Right now, we’re a massage therapy establishment, specializing in ashiatsu massage. Couples enjoy our specials where we serve a scrumptious dessert and beverage. We also offer corporate chair massage, where we go to different companies and give much-needed chair massage services to well-deserving, hard-working people.
Chair massage is always fulfilling because employers usually host chair massage events as an appreciation of their employees. What could be better than stopping in the middle of your day and having your back, neck, and shoulders massaged? Heaven!
Our clients thoroughly enjoy our ashiatsu services, as well. Using the feet allows for deeper pressure without pain. Feels amazing! We combine all our services with stretching of the muscles, as tightness is often the culprit causing pain. Part of what sets us apart is the attention we’re able to give to each client. In addition to using the pressure number system, we take care and listen to the client’s description of trouble areas and address each one. No cookie-cutter massage here!
We begin and end each session on time, an important feature for busy professionals. We also offer online booking, so you can choose the date and time that’s right for you. We like to give clients “homework,” easy exercises they can do to avoid and/or alleviate pain. Most times, the homework involves stretching, easy movement, and repositioning pillows during sleep.
Another winner is that we can come to you! During the worst part of the pandemic (and after we were allowed to go back to work), many of our clients wanted us to come to them instead. Our facility is super clean – we have air purifiers running, we spray the massage tables and the air with disinfectant as soon as a client leaves the premises, we continuously wipe down common areas, door, toilet handle, and light switches.
We use hand sanitizer before entering treatment rooms and antibacterial cream on hands and feet. AND we wear masks! We don’t want anyone getting sick, so we take every precaution to ensure our clients’ and our own safety.
All this attention to detail kept us alive and vital, even during the pandemic. We were shut down for three months, during which time we took a good look at how we were doing business. We were able to implement changes that helped us to come back strong. Consequently, revenues have doubled, despite the shutdown. Talk about pride!!!
In terms of your work and the industry, what are some of the changes you are expecting to see over the next five to ten years?
We’re growing into a therapeutic bath spa. Because most hotels have removed their bathtubs, and new housing is being built without bathtubs, we’re finding that more and more, people miss the relaxing healing that a nice, hot bath can bring. Just mentioning it now makes me want to get in a tub and float.
The spa industry, in general, is experiencing exponential growth, as we learn about more holistic ways to care for our bodies. Combining massage with bath services is a winner all around. Every time I say the words out loud, someone says, “When do you open?!!!”
We’re in the build-out phase of Amani: A Cleansing Place, LLC. Memphis Massage Masters, PC will continue to operate under Amani’s roof. We’ll also be offering bath products. We hope to be open before year-end 2021, but with the delivery slow-down, it’s difficult to pin down a date. Meanwhile, we’ll continue to offer great massage services where we are.
Pricing:
- $80/60-minute massage
- $120/90-minute massage
- $40-$80 travel fee (if we come to you)
- Specials – Call us!
Contact Info:
- Email: memphismassagemasters@gmail.com
- Website: www.memphismassagemasters.com
- Instagram: @memphis.massage.masters
- Other: www.acleansingplacemamphis.com
