Exploring Life & Business with Daniel Gingras of Daniel Gingras, LMBT – Massage and Bodywork

Today we’d like to introduce you to Daniel Gingras

Hi Daniel, 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?
Looking back on things now, my start in the Massage Therapy field started before I ever even received a massage. When I was 16 I became dedicated to writing. I wanted to make sense of my emotions, and have something that served as a memory. I wrote in my journal extensively. Slowly, I started to get more and more interested in poetry as I saw it as a way of sharing my ideas and experiences with others. In my mid-20s I tried very hard to live off of writing alone, but I quickly realized how the profession of writing was different from the hobby of writing.

It was at this time that I was gifted a massage. During that session I had a shift. I walked out feeling not only physically better, but emotionally supported. I had a feeling of my very existence being affirmed. It was very profound. Over the course of the next week I continued to integrate my session, and I realized that Massage is able to convey deep messages. Things beyond language. Things like care, respect, and peace.

When I realized that, it felt like a natural transition from writing into massage. Less than a year later I started massage school at the Pacific Center for Awareness and Bodywork, and then the year after that I got my first Massage job in Asheville, NC, where I continue to build my practice today.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
When I moved to Asheville I was warned that the massage industry was over saturated. People said I would need to know someone to get a job, or to just do it as a side hustle. Because of the way that licensing worked at that time, it took me about 6 months out of massage school till I finally got my License. I had picked up work in the time after massage school as a chef while I awaited my license, and then by the time I received my license people had talked me out of it and I started to question whether or not I was fit for the field anyways. Then, after one particularly demanding day in the kitchen I decided I needed to stop hesitating and just go for it. That night, at 12:30am I sent my resume and bio to a few different spa’s in town. As I was expecting, I didn’t hear back from anyone. Until, two weeks later I got a reply from a 5-Star Spa asking if they could set up an interview the next day.

I did the interview and got the job! I worked for that spa for almost 2 years, but as the pandemic hit the intention of the spa shifted. It seemed to go from a place where therapists could practice their unique expression, to a place that was profit motivated. I decided to quit, and moved to another spa that was just getting started. I am the longest staff member on the team and we now 576 reviews five star reviews on Google.

The difficulty I now face is transitioning my work in the spa field to that of my Private Practice. I have been renting and seeing clients in my Private Practice for 4 years now. But it is one thing to give a good massage, and it is another thing to do that and build online presence, arrange appointments, set up policies, and all of the logistics that come with having a business. I have spent this year investing a lot of attention into my private practice and am getting to a point where I can begin to step back from the work at the spa.

I am very excited. As much as I enjoy seeing clients at the spa, the hours are very demanding and I am unable to put my own personal effects into practice. I am hopeful that within a year I will be entirely self-employed.

All in all, it’s been a relatively smooth start, but the challenges have been picking up as I have taken the transition into my Private Practice.

As you know, we’re big fans of Daniel Gingras, LMBT – Massage and Bodywork. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
I practice both Integrative Massage and Thai Yoga Bodywork. My Integrative Massage is a blend of Swedish, Lomi Lomi, Advance Bodywork Technique, and Interoceptive Structural Integration. My massages are known for both their therapeutic and relaxing qualities.

I have also begun to combine my massage practice with the knowledge I’ve learned in my herbalism apprenticeship with Rebecca Beyer, and I now offer a variety of wild-harvested infused Jojoba Oil’s in my massage. They smell so fresh, and are an excellent addition to any massage.

Before we let you go, we’ve got to ask if you have any advice for those who are just starting out?
Learn everything you possibly can from as many different perspectives as you can. Take it all in, and be slow to develop opinions. Stay humble, know that there will always be others who know more and are better, yet believe in yourself. What you have to offer is unique because it stems from you.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.GingrasBodywork.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dansquishes/