Issue link: https://www.massageandbodyworkdigital.com/i/434495
WHAT IT TAKES TO CRE ATE A LIFELONG CAREER F r e e m u s i c d o w n l o a d s f o r C e r t i f i e d m e m b e r s : w w w. a b m p . c o m / g o / c e r t i f i e d c e n t r a l 61 Perseverance Through Artistry After 25 years as a floral designer, Evelyn Steyskal wanted to pursue greater challenges in life and set out for a second career in massage therapy at the age of 43. In December, after nearly 27 years serving clients, Steyskal put her massage table away for the last time and began her retirement at age 70. She decided it was time to travel, see family, and enjoy her good health. She's earned it. "I've been on a steady, five-day-a- week schedule for a long time." Steyskal says she's seen massage flourish and flutter through good economic times and bad. She watched the massage school she attended open and close, and she's seen the number of therapists in her small town of 1,200 peak at 13. They've come and gone, but Steyskal has remained. From the beginning of her career, Steyskal worked hard to build her client list. It wasn't an overnight success, but a slow, steady ride. "I started in my home, bought all the equipment I needed, and sent out letters to all the friends and businesspeople I knew personally to see who would want to try massage. I knew I could always close up shop and do something else if it didn't work." Steyskal's business, Cameo Massage, grew through word of mouth, and in 1988 she decided to lease an office space in Palo Cedro, California. She's Evelyn's Top Tips 1. "Take care of yourself. Eat right, exercise, drink water, and get massages. I get a 1½-hour massage once a week; I've been trading with someone for 20 years." 2. Consider your tools. "I've had an electric table since 1999. It's easier for the client and for me. It's been a lifesaver. I also wear Z-Coil shoes and have a Body Support System I've been using for more than 18 years." 3. Build a calm, relaxed pace into your work. "I space out my massages so I can take a walk outside. I try to put 20–30 minutes between clients, giving me time to change the sheets, answer the phone, and refresh the room." been there ever since. "It's the perfect size, with enough room for one table and a waiting room." And it's been filled with clients since the first day she opened her doors. In fact, Steyskal says 75 percent of her clients have been with her 20-plus years. And she's still turning clients away even today. "I figure I must be doing something right." And what's kept clients clamoring for more of Steyskal's hands-on work over the years? One component of massage therapy Steyskal has especially embraced is its artistry. "When you're working on someone, it's almost like painting a picture—working the grooves of the muscles, the curves of the body; it is artistic." After nearly three decades, Steyskal is still able to recognize the simplistic beauty in the work she does, the artistry it entails, and the appreciation her clients have for her as a result. She says these are the aspects of bodywork she'll miss the most in her retirement. Moral of the story: Be persistent in your quest for success. Don't let challenges hinder your forward progress, but also be realistic in the journey—it doesn't happen overnight. Have faith in the work you do, and remember it's not only a place of science that you're working from. Massage is also a craft reliant on artistry and compassion. Word-of-mouth advertising is what has kept massage therapist Evelyn Steyskal in business for nearly 27 years. Photo by Stacie Porter.