The Radical Massage Therapist Podcast

“It seems to be the story of my life; right place at the right time” - Shawn Markwick, RMT  ... Shawn Markwick is in his 25th year as a Registered Massage Therapist and this year it will be his 14th season with the NHL as the Ottawa Senators' massage therapist.  He taught massage therapy for 7 years and was one of my massage therapy instructors. He loves to teach and share his knowledge, encouraging collaboration between all healthcare professions.  He is an excellent mentor in the profession.  He worked with Team Canada for the World Championships 2014 in Belarus and also works with Cirque Du Soleil when they are in town (and when his schedule permits). He is a passionate RMT dedicated to helping each and every one of his clients to feel better, which can often lead to a 10 hour massage day. His schedule is full during hockey season which can have him working 80 hour weeks between touring and seeing massage clients at two separate clinics.  When he is not traveling or working, he is helping out at home with his wife Angela and his 3 children Lindsay, Emma, and Ben. "Right place at the right time" may be how Shawn feels he has come into some incredible career opportunities but, in this episode, you will also learn that he is one of the hardest working RMTs who has truly earned them. I hope you enjoy! www.theradicalrmt.com

"I named my company in a way that reminded me to slow down and kept me researching ways to slow down so that I could share it with other people." - Megan Hoskins  Megan Hoskins, owner of Slow Medicine company is a Registered Massage Therapist since 2004 and a yoga instructor with over 26 years of experience.  Her business is located in Toronto and it brings wellness programs into the workplace to encourage movement. She also created online programming so it would be more accessible and affordable.  During this time of Covid-19 she stays connected to her community by offering massage training for couples on Instagram Live and a hydration challenge on her website. She encourages other massage therapists to consider what other skills you can offer or to learn a new skill during this time that ties in but, could pivot your business.  She is a wife and a mother of 2 young boys.  It was a pleasure speaking with Megan, and I hope you enjoy this episode! www.theradicalrmt.com

"You will always find a subtle sparkle if you keep your eyes open" - Kat Pugliese ... Kat Pugliese brings an uplifting tone to this episode as we discuss "balance" between her massage therapy career and creating as a musician, singer, and songwriter.  Her new EP "Found" is available on all music platforms!  She is a certified yoga instructor which gives her valuable tools to teach her massage clients home care.  Kat encourages self-care as self-love and shares her own go to's and recommendations for massage therapists during this time.  Ashiatsu therapy is one of her main techniques and she loves it as something unique to offer her clients.   Listen to the episode to learn more about Kat! Enjoy! www.theradicalrmt.com

"This is an opportunity for us collectively to reassure our clients and the general public that we are doing everything we can to take their health and safety into account" - Ian Kamm, RMT ... Ian has over 23 years of experience in and around massage therapy and his passion for the profession is not letting up.  He has an excellent reputation among RMTs for his courses held in favourable warm destinations (Vegas, Turks and Caicos, Mexico, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, and more). He also teaches at Sutherland Chan helping to bring the next wave of RMTs into the world with some business sense.  He has an innate ability to explain the complicated or confusing and he thrives on it. He says that teaching has helped him to develop this skill and he is often sought out for his explanations not only by his students but, the general RMT population as well.  Ian works in his own clinic and has a loyal clientele who will gladly drive across the city of Toronto for his signature techniques.  Ian not only finds opportunities to travel for his courses but, he loves running and triathlons so when he can, he loves to do both in one destination!  I was very excited to chat with Ian and I hope you enjoy this episode! www.theradicalrmt.com

"I wanted to feel that satisfaction that I got from massage in a way that you don't get when you're doing an office job" - Annie Milović ... Annie Milović considers herself Canadian even after 21 years of living in Edinburgh, Scotland. She works part-time as a massage therapist out of her home and works flexible hours as a civil servant for Scotland. She used to be a political adviser on Parliament Hill in Ottawa and it never occurred to her that she could be a massage therapist.  Annie loves learning and seeks out opportunities to learn which is how she discovered the benefits of giving a massage though she had always been getting them before.  She describes the way her work life is balanced between the little control she has at her office job and the complete control she has over her massage practice. We talk about the job satisfaction one gets from massage in a way that you don't get at an office job. How does her day differ in Scotland compared to Canada and how does the massage profession match up to Canadian trained RMTs?  She has even inspired a few of her co-workers to give their own interests a go and see that maybe it's not that scary after all.  I hope you enjoy this chat with Annie Milović! www.theradicalrmt.com

“Having individual modalities available, you can actually individualize the course of treatment.” - Marty Royal ... Marty Royal is a sports massage therapist practicing for 15 years in England and works with football clubs combining his hands-on time with complementary modalities such as compression therapy and cryotherapies. These modalities improve recovery time with athletes and help Marty be more efficient with his soft tissue and deep tissue therapy. He is a full-time firefighter and wants to transfer to more therapy time once he retires. I hope you enjoy this episode with Marty Royal. www.theradicalrmt.com

Technology is here for better or worse. Evidence-based practitioners will take an interest in measurement and technology.

"If you want to feel really good about yourself, then open your own business"- Emily Burns, RMT ... Emily started her career path in massage therapy after deciding that her undergrad and future in psychology would mostly be research-based when what she really wanted to do was work with people. She has recently transitioned from an independent contractor to working for herself in her own space and she loves that “[she] gets to do what [she] wants and nobody cares.” From her undergrad days she was interested in brain injuries, and head and neck trauma which is what she enjoys treating most in her practice. After she experienced her own concussion in 2016 and works on her own recovery, she has more tools and confidence to help her own clients who also have concussions. She is a wine nerd and is pursuing courses which may lead to a second career as a sommelier. Emily is teaching in the massage therapy program and wants her students to be good massage therapists, not just have a goal to pass the exams. ​We talk about negotiating as a woman, touch on applying minimalism when making a career decision and also how women gravitate towards caring professions and it seems expected that we should give more without compensation. I hope you tune in to this episode and enjoy learning more! www.theradicalrmt.com

"I think the best massage therapists are problem solvers" - Emily Burns, RMT ... Emily started her career path in massage therapy after deciding that her undergrad and future in psychology would mostly be research based when what she really wanted to do was work with people. She has recently transitioned from independent contractor to working for herself in her own space and she loves that “[she] gets to do what [she] wants and nobody cares.” From her undergrad days she was interested in brain injuries, and head and neck trauma which is what she enjoys treating most in her practice. After she experienced her own concussion in 2016 and works on her own recovery, she has more tools and confidence to help her own clients who also have concussions. She is a wine nerd and is pursuing courses which may lead to a second career as a sommelier. Emily is teaching in the massage therapy program and wants her students to be good massage therapists, not just have a goal to pass the exams. ​We talk about negotiating as a woman, touch on applying minimalism when making a career decision and also how women gravitate towards caring professions and it seems expected that we should give more without compensation. I hope you tune in to this episode and enjoy learning more! www.theradicalrmt.com

"I'm more let's get in the trenches and get our hands dirty and do the best job we can to get people's lives turned around!" - Scott Grisewood, RMT ... Scott Grisewood has been a Registered Massage Therapist since 1994. He was one of the first practitioners to introduce Shockwave Therapy in Canada and developed his own treatment approach using this new technology on his massage clients. Now, he travels around the world treating hundreds of professional and amateur athletes with his "portable human performance lab." This includes a few key pieces of equipment that give him precise assessment results that help in his treatments and it provides key information to the athlete, coach, and trainer. ​Scott owns Shockwave Therapy Centre in Barrie, Ontario, Canada and enjoys living close to his family which now includes some grandchildren. The technology that Scott uses is fascinating and I hope you enjoy hearing about it maybe for your own practice, or because you can help direct a patient/client to someone using this same technology to help them breakthrough an injury or to reach the next level in training. It is also a nice reminder of how fortunate we are as massage therapists to apply our knowledge and skills in ways that are outside the box.  Also, check out Part II of this episode where Scott covers more about the technologies and why we should embrace them as evidence based practitioners! www.theradicalrmt.com