Today we’d like to introduce you to Shelby Tulley.
Hi shelby, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I got into massage soon after I graduated in athletic training. While I was in school, I always had a preference to treat the athletes with my hands. While I couldn’t always voice what the problem was, my hands could always find the issue and they also knew when the problems resolved themselves. I could feel different types of tightness in the muscle body which determined how I would go about treating the injuries. Though I loved athletic training, I went to massage school to learn more about the different styles of manual techniques. There I learned how to make the manual work comfortable and pleasant, but the thing I liked most about it was the fact that I could spend an hour or more working to resolve as many issues in the body as I can. I was able to use everything I learned in athletic training and incorporate it into a sports massage. From there I got excited and tried to get certified in everything that I found helpful. I’m still on the constant lookout for new tools that I can use and new skills that I can learn. Each body is like a puzzle, even if people have similar issues, their bodies could require completely different methods of treatment. I find immense joy in the process of finding the epicenter of people’s aches and pains, then again figuring out how to resolve it all. It’s my favorite thing when people stand up after a massage and then wiggle around, amazed at what it feels like to move without restrictions or pain, something that most of us haven’t felt since high school.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Definitely not a smooth road. As I mentioned, I went to school for athletic training. I studied hard and passed my classes and graduated with a bachelors degree. However when it came to certifications, I could not pass that exam. I took that test 4 times and every time I missed my mark by not more than 2 or 3 questions. It wasn’t until 2 years after I took the last test that I learned that I’m really deep on the ADHD spectrum. Until I made that discovery, my confidence was shattered. I questioned my intelligence everyday. I knew so much about how to treat injuries and how the muscles in the body functioned, but I forgot the most basic information when it came in test format. I remember in school, when an athlete came to me, I was able to figure out which muscles were causing injury and how to treat it, but my mind was wiped completely blank whenever my instructors asked me to share how I got to my conclusions. It hurt to be so close to certification and not being able to figure out why you could never get those last 4 points. When Covid struck, I was put on furlough and during that time I realized that I was not happy with where I was and that I couldn’t go back to working as a line cook and studying in my free time. My wife saw my change in mental status during my time off work. She saw that I was less stressed and more energetic, so she encouraged me to take a lesser paying job so that I could free up some time to go to massage school. From there on, things started to fall into place. My previous experiences in college made massage school really easy. I was hired quickly after school, then rose to a lead massage therapist position soon after. All while being on a constant search for different modalities to add to my own practice. I do occasionally feel shame in admitting that I wasn’t able to complete my athletic training certification, but I feel comfort in knowing that I’m able to apply all of my knowledge to my current practice. Despite the feelings of embarrassment, I do feel that this new career path suits me much better.
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I am a massage therapist. I specialize in sports massage, which is a goal oriented massage where the focus is on fixing issues that cause discomfort or immobility in clients. I use the skills that I learned in athletic training to discern where the problems are coming from and how to treat them to restore pain free range of motion to my clients. My favorite part of work is when a client hops off the table and does the little wiggle where they seemingly try to test out all of their muscles at once. I like to use every modality possible to give me the best tool for solving an issue. Some people’s bodies relax better with hot stones, others respond better to cupping, or muscle scraping. I prefer to adjust and use whatever modality works best for each situation instead of hiding each individual tool behind a paywall. For the moment, I offer hot stones, cupping, muscle scraping, and theragun treatments with my massages. I have the options to include body wraps, sugar scrubs, and cbd oil to massages as well. As for my techniques, I find myself using positional release, lymphatic release, and myofacial release techniques the most.
Can you talk to us about how you think about risk?
I try to avoid risks as often as possible, but sometimes they’re unavoidable. I see risks in the same light as calling out somebody’s bad behavior; you need to choose your battles. If you calculate your risks, a lot of good can come from it. If you take too many risks then you can lose everything that you’ve worked hard for. I feel like my choice to pursue massage as a career was my biggest risk. I’ve never received a massage before then. I was only aware of the stereotypes surrounding the career. I knew that it was a female dominated career and I didn’t know if anyone would even let a male massage them. I just knew that this was a job where I could apply all of my acquired knowledge, so I went for it.
Pricing:
- Pricing will increase soon so that I can include all of my modalities at no extra expense. It will increase by $10, but currently…
- 1 hour massage – $85
- 90 minute massage – $115
- Outcall 1 hour massage (I drive to your house to massage) – $105
- Outcall 90 minute massage – $135
Contact Info:
- Website: https://bit.ly/3vTPIdh
- Instagram: @natanii.massage
