

Folding Towels - A Podcast for Massage Therapists with Jackie and David
Jackie Kerin and David Clayton
Jackie Kerin and David Clayton met over a massage table in Adelaide (Australia) back in 2015 - now they bring their quirks, and passion for the industry to this brand-new podcast. Discussing all the things they never told you about in massage school - complex cases, difficult customers, maintaining boundaries, administration, being in business and making decisions, and the never-ending pile of laundry. Most importantly, staying passionate to do what you actually trained to do and love. Folding towels is the massage class you wish you could take; with all the questions you wish you'd asked.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Oct 13, 2026 • 47min
Episode 142: Changing Careers at 52 - Jenny Kelly’s Path into Massage
David joins Jenny Kelly at her clinic in Manly to talk about changing careers at 52 and finding her place in massage therapy.After a long career in fashion, Jenny returned to study in 2020, despite being unsure whether she could get her head around anatomy after time away from formal learning. Inspired by the remedial massage that helped her return to running after injury, she began practising from home before establishing in her own dedicated treatment space - Vivre Massage Therapy for Women.We discuss finding a niche with active women, balancing remedial work with a nurturing treatment experience, and the realities of building a practice one client at a time. Jenny also shares how supporting her brother through palliative care led to her volunteering with parents at Bear Cottage, and the community effort behind her (over) 1,000 km fundraising run.It is an honest conversation about starting later, continuing to learn, and creating a practice that feels like your own.Find Jenny at https://www.vivremassagetherapy.com.au/ or on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vivre_massage/Support the PodcastIf you enjoyed this episode, follow the podcast and consider buying us a coffee via the link in the show notes.👉 Got thoughts on this topic? Let us know on Facebook and on Instagram👉 Support the podcast: [buymeacoffee.com/foldingtowelspodcast]👉 More episodes & resources: [foldingtowelspodcast.com.au]Please share this episode with another therapist. If you have a professional story worth discussing, visit foldingtowelspodcast.com.au and select Be Our Guest.Theme Music: Simon Pettersson "All Alone" (2020), Licensed use through Audio Hero Inc

Sep 29, 2026 • 42min
Episode 141: Jenny Yeh – Before You Say Yes: Choosing the Right Clinic to Work In
Jenny Yeh, a Western Australian remedial massage therapist and owner of iCare Health Massage, shares her journey from Taiwanese childcare to fertility, pregnancy and infant massage. She recounts accepting a clinic role that revealed troubling hygiene standards, then walking away. Jenny also explores comparing job offers, spotting workplace red flags, assessing clinic values and finding patients who fit your passion.

Sep 15, 2026 • 53min
Episode 140: Your Brand Is What Clients Remember You For
Branding is more than logos, colours, and polished websites. This practical conversation explores trust, communication, consistency, personal identity within clinics, finding a niche, and building referral networks. It also tackles authentic social media, generic wellness language, stock images, overproduced branding, and the ethical risks of exaggerated treatment claims.

Sep 1, 2026 • 51min
Episode 139: Marty Fry – Bringing Movement and Breathing into Practice
Marty Fry, a Tasmanian remedial massage therapist, movement trainer, and educator, shares how observing athletes shaped his career. He discusses blending soft-tissue therapy with mobility, balance, strength, proprioception, and breathing through his Move, Stretch, Breathe classes. The conversation explores scope of practice, referral, movement curiosity, mentorship, and protecting therapists’ long-term wellbeing.

Aug 18, 2026 • 58min
Episode 138: Five Overlooked Niches for Massage Therapists
They explore five overlooked client groups that could benefit from specialised massage care. Topics include serving people with smell and chemical sensitivities, working sensitively with clients who have scars, adapting for neurodivergent sensory needs, managing hypermobility and connective tissue concerns, and opportunities with active older adults. Practical adjustments to communication, products and environments are discussed.

Aug 4, 2026 • 52min
Episode 137: Steve Landells - From Bearings to Bodywork
Steve Landells, remedial massage therapist and owner of Total Massage Care in Margaret River, shares his nonlinear journey from farming and bearings to bodywork. He discusses martial arts influence, a shift from deep mechanical techniques to gentler methods, the role of mentors, regional practice challenges, running a clinic with online booking, and lifelong learning while staying sustainable for his body.

Jul 21, 2026 • 1h 22min
Episode 136: Nicola Hogan - The Art of Client Care: Listening Without Words
Nicola Hogan, a remedial massage therapist with 20+ years across clinical practice, aged care and corporate wellness, talks about client care shaped by hospitality. She describes how small environment details and online presence set expectations. She explores nonverbal listening—breath, toe curling, tummy gurgles—and discusses boundaries, sustainable practice and mentoring other therapists.

Jul 7, 2026 • 51min
Episode 135: Andrea Pluck: Keep Asking Why
In this episode, we speak with Andrea Pluck from Massage CPE about curiosity, clinical reasoning, lymphatics, continuing education, and the role massage therapists can play in building a stronger evidence base for the profession.Andrea shares how a serious car accident eventually led her into massage, and how her work grew into oncology massage, manual lymphatic drainage, decongestive lymphatic therapy, education, writing, and case study publication. We discuss why asking “why” matters, especially when we are learning, treating complex presentations, or trying to understand what is happening beneath our hands.We also unpack the practical value of case studies, not as something reserved for academics, but as a disciplined way for therapists to document what they are already seeing in practice. Along the way, we talk about niching, collaboration, burnout, self-care, and the importance of finding your rhythm before rushing into every possible course.For massage therapists and bodyworkers, this is a grounded conversation about learning properly, sharing your work, and staying curious without pretending to know everything.To connect with Andrea and to learn more about her books and Massage CPE visit:https://www.remedialtherapiessa.com.au/https://www.massagecpe.com.au/Support the PodcastIf you enjoyed this episode, follow the podcast and consider buying us a coffee via the link in the show notes.👉 Got thoughts on this topic? Let us know on Facebook and on Instagram👉 Support the podcast: [buymeacoffee.com/foldingtowelspodcast]👉 More episodes & resources: [foldingtowelspodcast.com.au]Theme Music: Simon Pettersson "All Alone" (2020), Licensed use through Audio Hero Inc

Jun 23, 2026 • 43min
Episode 134: Lily Chiu - How Therapists Reach the Olympics
Lily Chiu, a myotherapist with 30+ years supporting Olympic, Paralympic and pro sport teams. She tells how volunteering, networking and reputation opened doors to elite events. Stories cover the realities of travel and event setups, day-to-day duties behind the scenes, and practical pathways clinicians can follow to work with high-performance athletes.

Jun 9, 2026 • 34min
Episode 133: Massage Is Part of the Team: Lessons from the 2026 National Conference.
Join us as Jackie and David reflect on the 2026 Massage & Myotherapy Australia National Conference in Geelong.This year's theme, Multidisciplinary Healthcare for Chronic Pain, brought together massage therapists, myotherapists, researchers, physiotherapists, and other allied health professionals to explore where soft tissue therapy fits within modern pain care.We share our highlights from the weekend, including presentations on osteoarthritis, chronic pain education, lived experience, and the evolving role of massage within healthcare teams. We also discuss key takeaways from workshops, the value of professional connection, and why no single practitioner can be all things to all people when working with chronic pain.Whether you joined us in Geelong or couldn't make it this year, this episode offers a fun look at the ideas, conversations, and lessons that stood out the most to us.In this episode:Chronic pain and multidisciplinary careOsteoarthritis myths and current researchWhere massage and myotherapy fit within the healthcare teamWorkshop highlights and clinical insightsNetworking, community, and professional growthReflections from the 2026 National ConferenceResources mentioned:Pain AustraliaPain RevolutionFlippin' Pain (UK)My KneeNoigroupknee-osteoarthritis-handbookSupport the PodcastIf you enjoyed this episode, follow the podcast and consider buying us a coffee via the link in the show notes.👉 Got thoughts on this topic? Let us know on Facebook and on Instagram👉 Support the podcast: [buymeacoffee.com/foldingtowelspodcast]👉 More episodes & resources: [foldingtowelspodcast.com.au]Theme Music: Simon Pettersson "All Alone" (2020), Licensed use through Audio Hero Inc


