"If you build it..."

My elements studio has been open for 10 months and I did something recently that although necessary, was very scary for me. I hired 3 new therapists all in the same week. I hired them hoping that we could keep them busy. Hoping that it was a "Field of Dreams" situation..."If you build it, they (clients) will come." It was August --- not the busiest time of the year for massage. People are focusing on back to school, last minute vacations, that last long weekend at the lake. Massage sometimes takes a back seat to all of this...heck, lots of things take a back seat to the immediacy of the end of summer and the start of the school year. But, I did it anyway and you know what. Its working.

The struggle to find the right therapists has been constant but it is not unique to me. I have spoken to a lot of studio owners and managers who face the same thing. They get a lot of people interested in working for them but it takes guts and patience to hold out for the right people to join the team. No matter how beautiful and serene the surroundings, the staff is the reason people come back. It isn't a big business revelation that if the experience doesn't live up to the expectation of the client, they won't be coming back anytime soon.

I've been blessed with a tremendously talented staff, from my front desk professionals to my therapists. And, I am once again counting on riding the current Field of Dreams wave...I'm on the look out for 2 more therapists and one more front desk person.
Wish me luck.