Sunday, October 18, 2015
Friday, October 16, 2015
Tuesday, October 13, 2015
Friday, October 9, 2015
Wednesday, October 7, 2015
Wishin lol
Tuesday, October 6, 2015
Monday, October 5, 2015
Thursday, October 1, 2015
Wednesday, September 30, 2015
Sunday, June 28, 2015
Friday, June 19, 2015
Saturday, June 6, 2015
Open Letter to Elements Massage by Eileen Violet
Elements Massage, Various Wisconsin locations
June 5, 2015
Dear (names redacted):
RE: Your letter and ‘free” 30 minute massage.
Thank you for your letter. Can you take a minute for some advice from a person who has been in the industry, and worked in many facets thereof, including running my own business?
I have been a massage therapist for 17 years. I graduated from a program in the Chicago area that was, in my opinion, much better than most of the current massage programs. I have spent thousands on Continuing Education and logged thousands of hands on hours. Clients often tell me that the service they received from me was the most effective and best massage they’ve ever received. Savvier clients say “you didn’t go to massage around here, did you?”
One great service that my school provided me was the sound knowledge on how to sustain my bodywork career. To last one must practice self-care, and balance. One must also earn enough per session so that one can practice self-care and balance. I lasted 17 years because of this advice. Industry average is 3-5 years.
For example, a therapist should never do more than 20 hours of massage per week, less if it is deep tissue, sessions should be paced so that deep work isn’t done in succession, and shifts should be short. If a therapist earns enough per session, this is easily done. Working for an organization such as yours makes this balance impossible, therefore therapists cannot earn enough to live on and still work a schedule that allows for balance.
If a therapist works at a franchise such as yours and earns an average of $22 per session ($15 plus an average tip of $7), at 20 sessions per week that is only $440. Take taxes out, license and cont. ed costs, gas to get to work, uniforms and you are left with NOTHING. Have you priced groceries lately? Car Insurance? Health Insurance? Child care? It’s not sustainable. Working more brings on injury and burnout. Your business model is for therapists who don’t need to work, or newbies out of school until they find something better—or better yet start their own business. Few and far between.
Franchises never seem to want to sell stores to massage therapists themselves…and therapists know that after basic office setup (I ran a small practice in Grayslake, IL for over 7 years) massage can be a very low overhead business….but franchisees, who do not know the industry first hand, nor the grueling physical nature of this work, most likely do not realize that the cheaply paid, over booked massage therapist model is NOT SUSTAINABLE.
“Is focus on helping people improve their quality of life important to you?” YES, but my quality of life is also important. YOUR THERAPISTS ARE IMPORTANT. It’s not all about the client; it must be a fair exchange of energy, not all take on one side, and give on the part of the therapist.
“Is community important to you?” One of your therapists has been with you over 2 years? I worked for a well known Spa in the Wisconsin Dells for over 3 years when I first relocated to WI…many had been there over 7 years…that is until they kept cutting wages…then it became a revolving door.
(FYI when I left I was earning approximately $51.90 per 50 minute session, both a percentage and their automatic 15% gratuity—that wage was after a 7% commission cut— the part time job I just left in Madison paid $32 per hour session, and it is an upscale place, so tips averaged an additional $15-20 per hour—why would I come earn $15 as session with you? Newsflash, clients who come for cheap massage, are cheap tippers, so I’ll bet your therapist tip average is $10 or less).
“Is education important to you?” After 17 years in this industry, respectfully, I’ll bet I could teach your team leaders a few things.
“Is career longevity important to you?” Your business model is not sustainable for long term massage careers. The pay is too low, the hours too long, appointments booked too tight, and the conditions just short of a sweat shop. Furthermore if I came to work for you, with 17 years under my belt…you’d pay me the same low wage as someone fresh out of school… Longevity? Going nowhere.
Massage school enrollment is decreasing, most skilled therapists work for themselves; many are leaving the industry in droves. I LOVE massage, I am so passionate about massage, I have received as must joy as I have given, and the state of the current industry breaks my heart. I believe the franchises and Groupons have driven down wages, and with good people leaving the industry, the over-all skill level of the industry as a whole is much lower than it should be. It’s very sad to those of us who sincerely care about bodywork; a bitter pill for those of us who actually made a living at one time.
I feel organizations such as ABMP and AMTA, in their zeal to bring massage to the mainstream, catered to franchises, and left the therapists out in the cold. My hope for the industry lies in the decreased amount of therapists…hopefully, economics 101, as this decreases, wages will go back up to where they were 15 years ago…otherwise who in their right mind would enter, and stay; working their butts off, injuring themselves, earning nothing, with crappy or no benefits. Again industry average 3-5 years.
The only way your business model will ever continue is if you pay your staff better. Massage is physically demanding work, and sadly franchises are the McDonalds/Walmarts of massage. It’s not fair that the client gets a bargain, the owners receive more per session than the therapists, and the therapists just get used up. The person giving the most, is getting the least. How long can that last? Seriously. People aren’t going to stick around for long with the heavy lifting on their backs, for low pay.
As for myself I went back to school. I have actual benefits, and my body doesn’t ache when I come home. I’m not expected to sit ‘on-call’ without pay, nor freedom to do as I please with that time.
Do the right thing, pay your people. You bought into a business model that is not sustainable as it was sold to you. Thanks but no thanks on that 30 minutes. I couldn’t relax knowing what that person was(n’t) being paid.
Wednesday, May 20, 2015
Monday, May 18, 2015
Monday, May 4, 2015
Dogs of Instagram @YouTube @Instagram
Thursday, April 30, 2015
Tuesday, April 28, 2015
Mt. Olympus Expansion
Monday, April 27, 2015
Friday, April 10, 2015
Beanie Boo's Collection by Vesela Toteva
Thursday, April 2, 2015
Keep on Replay for the best sleep
Friday, March 27, 2015
Tuesday, March 17, 2015
Come see Dr. Travis Tann Show and Tell
Monday, March 9, 2015
50 нюанса сиво според Свилена Маринова
Снощи гледах 50 нюанса сиво. Всъщност би трябвало да е 50 нюанса Грей, както е името на главния герой(той е сивото в превод, а според мен е приятелката му). Ето кратък преразказ с елементи на разсъждения. Главната героиня е пълно дърво, което работи касиерка в няква железария, но в свободното си време се прави на журналистка, също като у нас, и по няква случайност му прави интервю и естествено веднага се опитва да прилапа микрофона на милионера, който външно много прилича на Григор Димитров. Мисли го за пидирас, щото е хубавец, пък няма гаджи. И му вика, ти що нямаш гаджи? Това го засяга й решава да й прай сефтето на белия чаршаф. После Грей отчаяно се опитва да я изчука като животно през целия филм. Моли й се, тя му прави номера, като всяка прелъстена жена, която се чувства използвана за секс, но го иска вътре целия. Само че да е на нейната. Решава, че трябва да го промени, нищо че той шеф на корпорация, а тя проста продавачка, която е дошла от село да учи в града и се носи с модата на баба ми. Накрая той измърморва, че е брутално перверзен в 50 нюанса сиво(не се разбира изобщо защо са 50 нюанса и нюанси на какво са). За целия филм една свирка не му направи. Накрая кандиса след два часа пазарлък, в които вече всички си гледат телефоните в киното. Нашиба я по гъза с една какаляшка, и вика "Дий магаре!", ама на нея не й е убоу и се разревава като всяка средностатистическа овца. И естествено си събира парцалите и заминава при майка си. Не се минава и без обичайните цигании -ето ти колата, върни ми парите...дай ми бурканите. Теглят си по една путка майна в асансьора на блока и тва е. В заключение любовните сцени може да са порно само в класациите на Уолт Дисни. Най-романтичната фраза беше "Цял живот съм чакала теб", демек някой с хеликоптер и частен самолет."
Thursday, March 5, 2015
Monday, March 2, 2015
Martenitsa (Martisor) A beautiful spring tradition
Thursday, February 19, 2015
Friday, February 6, 2015
Hand Wrist and Forearm Question
Ms.V. was operating press 20 last night. As she was bending the layflat back to remove it, she felt a pull through the middle of palm on her right hand.
She said it also tingled for a few minutes. At this point it is bruised and visibly swollen. She said it hurts to apply any pressure to it. I had to fill out her report for her. I have her in the break room applying an ice pack to it. I will have he try to clean the rest of the night.
I told her if she did decide to go to the clinic tomorrow she should give Shelly a call first, so you are aware of what’s happening.
Please add V. to the list of people that need to be seen (see below). She ended up going to urgent care that night and they took her off work the next day and scheduled an appointment for her to see an Orthopedic specialist. She saw Dr. this morning and he told her that she probably tore a muscle and was bleeding and he released her to return to work full duty.
She also has an issue with her other hand that she injured outside of work that she must have asked Dr. about. He told her that surgery wouldn’t help her and suggested physical therapy.
If Lyubo is available Monday afternoon, it might be a good idea to have him stop in to see how she is doing. She works 2nd shift Blow Molding.
I will get her on Lyubo's schedule for Monday. Could you please send her over to the clinic at 1:30?
This is my Monday itinerary question is: "To treat !?" and "What to treat?"
My biggest issue is with the possible tear and bleeding - she is released for full duty, but does this mean she is infact reasonably a safe candidate for a Massagee.
Tuesday, February 3, 2015
Help Hearts bit.ly/helpheart
Tuesday, January 27, 2015
VAWA LPR I400 NATURALIZATION APPLICANTS
Green card holders who were approved based on an I-360 VAWA self-petition can, in some cases, apply for U.S. citizenship (naturalization) after three years instead of the usual five.
If you are a VAWA self-petitioner, you may take advantage of this three-year rule if you were the abused spouse or child of a U.S. citizen and meet the additional criteria described below.
If, however, you submitted an I-360 self-petition based on your relationship to an LPR, then you must wait the normal five years as a green card holder before applying for naturalization, unless your abusive spouse or parent naturalizes.
Naturalization Eligibility for VAWA Self-Petitioning Spouses of U.S. Citizens
If you are a battered spouse of a U.S. citizen who was granted an I-360 on that basis and you have been an LPR for three years, you can apply for U.S. citizenship now, without having to show that you are still residing with the citizen spouse. In addition, it does not matter if you are still married to the citizen or divorced.
You can also apply after three years as an LPR if your abusive spouse has died.
These are important benefits, because while the non-VAWA spouses of U.S. citizens can also apply for naturalization after three years with a green card, they must prove that their spouse is still alive and they are still married to and living with the U.S. citizen.
Naturalization Eligibility for VAWA Self-Petitioning Children of U.S. Citizens
If you received your green card as the abused child of a U.S. citizen (with an approved I-360), you can apply for naturalization after three years as an LPR. You can apply even if the abusive parent is no longer a U.S. citizen or has died. Furthermore, when you apply for naturalization under these circumstances, you no longer need to meet the definition of a child, so it’s okay if you are now over 21 and married. However, like all naturalization applicants, you do have to be over 18 years old.
Naturalization Eligibility for VAWA Self-Petitioning Spouses and Children of LPRs Who Naturalize
If you have an approved I-360 based on being the spouse or child of an abusive LPR, and that LPR naturalizes, then you may also be able to take advantage of the three-year rule. You will need to wait to apply for U.S. citizenship until not only have you spent three years as a VAWA green card holder, but your abusive spouse or parent has been a U.S. citizen for three years as well.
Otherwise, the same rules mentioned above apply, as though you had obtained your VAWA green-card approval based on your relationship to a U.S. citizen. For example, it does not matter whether your marriage is still ongoing at the time you apply for naturalization.
Tips on Applying and Completing Form N-400
The instructions and eligibility guidelines for naturalization on the government website www.uscis.gov do not clearly explain that VAWA self-petitioning spouses and children of abusive U.S. citizens can apply for naturalization after three years as LPRs. This can be confusing for applicants, and lead to confusion by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) itself, which sometimes forgets that this ground of eligibility exists.
Moreover, the naturalization application Form N-400 does not have a specific box to check to establish eligibility on this basis. Therefore, when completing USCIS Form N-400, on page 1, PART 2, Information About Your Eligibility, check box D for “other.” As an explanation, enter “I.N.A Section 319(a)” and state that you are applying after three years because you obtained your green card based on an approved I-360 VAWA self-petition for being the abused spouse or child of a U.S. citizen, or of an LPR who naturalized over three years ago.
In addition, to make extra sure that USCIS understands why you are eligible to naturalize after only three years, you could attach the USCIS memoranda that lay out this issue, including “Instructions Regarding the Expanded Meaning of Section 319(a)” and “Clarification of Classes of Applicants Eligible for Naturalization under Section 319(a) . . . .“
Further Resources
If you are applying for naturalization after three years as a VAWA green card holder, you will still have to meet the other requirements for naturalization. For example, you will have to pass the civics and English tests and you will have to meet the physical presence requirements.
Friday, January 23, 2015
Wednesday, January 21, 2015
Tuesday, January 13, 2015
Your Baby is Ready! Are You!?
Saturday, January 10, 2015
Because This Is A Thing Apparently
http://liartownusa.tumblr.com/post/73603411457/anal-candling-for-health-and-pleasure-by-omerta
I will not comment, but am sure there are opinions out there that need to be set free.
Tuesday, January 6, 2015
Life Hacks from Real Professionals (Bleach, Rubbing Alcohol, Lemon)
And Last but not least next time you're worried about tree sap on your vehicle - buy rubbing alcohol and use that to remove it instead of an expensive visit to the autoshop!
Monday, January 5, 2015
What to expect at 32nd week of pregnancy
Saturday, January 3, 2015
Cold and Massages
Got to run to Ho-Chunk for a couples session of Deep Tissues and a Lavender Detoxifying Wrap.
Friday, January 2, 2015
Sun Mountain Spa - Here We Come
The Spa is under new Ownership and I like it - very conveniently located at Christmas Mountain Bluegreen Resort