About The RMTpreneur
Your Business therapist
Have you ever felt lost in your practice? Do you want to start a clinic but just don’t know how to? Do you feel like your clinic never seems to get ahead? Do you feel alone or without support?
Here’s the great news: You are not alone.
As massage therapists, we are dedicated to our clients health and wellness. Yet, we don’t always give this same care and dedication to our business or careers. We work often IN our business and don’t have enough time to work ON our business. Let’s change that! The RMTpreneur is here to be your business’ therapist. We provide your business with the care and attention you provide your clients.
We envision a profession that allows for long, fulfilling careers within thriving clinics.We do this by working with RMTs and clinic owners alike. From new graduates to seasoned practitioners. From the solo RMT to the multi-location clinic owner. We provide business coaching to help RMTs build great clinics. We provide career mentoring to match RMTs with clinics that speak to them. We provide resources for those pesky problems and tools to support your practice. And we provide continuing education to help you through your whole career!
Our vision is to create thriving & sustainable massage practices
To get here, we need to build a community of professional, business savvy RMTs. We provide business coaching, career mentoring, communication resources, and continuing education courses to all RMTs. No matter if you are the clinic owner or the RMT working in the business, we want all of us to thrive!
Emilie McKay, RMT, BHSc
Your Business Coach
My Story
My passion for connecting with people started very early in my life. I found joy in making people feel better. This is what initially led me to massage therapy. I wanted a career that allowed for my desire to connect with people while also helping them feel better be fulfilled. As I began my practice, I soon realized that there were so many different avenues within the profession that I was drawn to. The strongest pull was to the management and business side. I quickly noticed that when RMTs worked for savvy business owners and thriving clinics, they were more apt to providing great healthcare. When they weren’t worried about how their business was running, they were better able to provide their treatments. When they had an idea of where they wanted to go with their career, they were able to make informed choices in their practice.
However, I also quickly noticed that many RMTs did not have this luxury. So with all my gusto and enthusiasm, I decided to dedicate my time to improving this within our profession. I have spent my professional life learning business and management, through both formal education as well as personal experience. I have managed multiple massage clinics, started my own, and have worked with numerous small business owners to achieve their dreams.
Enter The RMTpreneur, my grand vision. This company combines my knowledge and passion for business and management with my love for helping for connecting with people and helping them achieve more. Using support, education, and a big smile, I am here to help all RMTs be the best they can be.
Connection & Community
Massage therapy is all about human connection. By connecting with our clients, we can help them achieve their health outcomes. We bring this human connection into business coaching. We connect with our individual RMTs while also creating a community to further support these RMTs throughout their careers.
Sustainability
We want more business anniversaries. We strive to make sure practices are not just profitable, but also sustainable throughout a career span. Clinics should become fixtures in their communities and provide a home for their RMTs careers. We want to find new and innovative ways to address burnout and keep RMTs massaging.
Learning & Growth
We are never to old to learn. Learning should be a life-long pursuit and should come in all shapes and sizes. All of our experiences are learning opportunities and with this comes growth. When we open ourselves up to new ideas, we can develop a learning mindset and grow in our business and lives.
A little more about me
My own small business life started with the launch of a mobile pediatric massage therapy company. Due to demand, I subsequently opened a full massage practice name McKay Massage Therapy. I built this practice up and sold it in 2022, when I then took on the position of Clinic Director of Relax Massage Group. In this role, I can achieve my vision of helping create sustainable massage practices for more RMTs. Previous to this, I managed both a massage therapy clinic and multi-disciplinary practice. My love of business and management continued through my undergrad, where my electives focused on entrepreneurship, communication, human resources, and leadership. I have also taught massage students as well as practitioners.
I give back to my community by volunteering my time with the Ottawa Community Immigration Services Organization as a career mentor. I’m also the chair of the Program Advisory Committee for the Algonquin College massage therapy program.
Education
- Massage Therapy Advanced Diploma (honours) – Algonquin College 2012
- Bachelor of Health Science (honours) – Thompson Rivers University 2020
Volunteering
- Career Mentor – OCISO
- Chair – Massage Therapy Program Advisory Committee (Algonquin College)
- Board of Directors – Perth & District Chamber of Commerce
Publications
- Creating Meaningful Self-care Plans that Patients are Motivated to Use – Massage Therapy Today (Fall 2020)
- Becoming Aware of Our Unconscious Biases – Massage Thearpy Today (Fall 2019)
- The Patient-Provider Role in Back Pain – Massage Therapy Today (Summer 2019)
- Assessing the Effectiveness of Massage Therapy for Bilateral Cleft Lip Reconstruction Scars – IJTMB (June 2014)
Recognition
- Starter Company Plus Grant recipient (2016)
- Massage Therapy Foundation Gold Award Case Report Contest (2012)