5 Books That Will Set You Apart
How my massage therapist set themselves apart...
I often tell my students, “When you do XY and Z, you set yourself apart from other massage therapist.”
Why is it good to set ourselves apart from the rest of our colleagues?
Well, the truth is… there are other professionals out there, doing the exact same thing you and I are either doing now OR want to do going forward.
Take massage for example, I can google massage therapists in my area, and a list of numerous local therapists will show up in my google search.
We are all licensed to do the same thing, right?
So, how does the consumer know which one to pick?
Well… what value am I offering?
We must set ourselves apart from other therapists, so that the consumer chooses the services I have to offer over my fellow colleagues (competitors).
I’ll give you an example of a massage therapist who set themself apart and how it made an impression on me.
Then I will share with you 5 books you should read to set yourself apart from the rest of your colleagues.
I scheduled a massage with a coworker of mine, during one of my days off. My coworker had been a massage therapist longer than I had, so I was excited not only for the massage but for the experience behind this therapist’s touch.
I was scheduled for an 80-minute massage. I told my therapist, “If you can quickly flip me over from prone to supine, my neck gets really uncomfortable in the face cradle for an extended period of time.” The therapist agreed to my request.
Throughout the entire massage, the therapist kept coming back and doing compressions and kneading on my neck (over the sheet), after massaging every area of my body. The therapist also kept checking in on me to see if I was still okay in the prone position. I was fine because the therapist kept returning to and massaging my area of concern.
As the therapist approached the end of the massage, the therapist asked if I would like to flip over or remain prone as they worked on my neck for the last few minutes of the massage.
Of course… I chose prone and my neck.
I would book this therapist again… in a heartbeat.
Why is that?
What did this therapist do differently? [leave me a comment down below.]
How can we set ourselves apart from another therapist?
For one I would encourage you to read these books to set yourself apart from other professionals… these books have had major impacts not only on my career, but also on my life. And if you want the same for your career and life, these books will prove to be an invaluable resource.
7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen R. Covey
This author taught me the importance of being highly effective.
A few weeks back, I took this book off my bookshelf and put it back into my backpack. This will be the third time I have read this book.
This author taught me to make the most out of my time and live from an abundance mentality, when for so long I labored in a scarcity mentality.
This book isn’t a one-time read, this book is a lifelong learning journey. Each time I dive back into this text, I realize how it applies to my life in that very moment.
Principle-Centered Leadership by Stephen R. Covey
This book is by the same author as my first choice. Stephen R. Covey speaks volumes in being a leader. The author mentions that a principle-centered leader is not moved by what is happening around them OR what is changing in their environment, because at their core are the principles that cannot be changed.
Principles that remain at the center of their leadership; respect, integrity, trust, wisdom, continuous learning, adventurousness, creativity, etc.
Atomic Habits by James Clear
This author taught me about compound interest.
If I get 1 percent better each day as time goes on (or in one year) I will be 37 times better than I was.
These aren’t massive changes in one day, but small changes made each day, little by little, 1 percent better every day.
The Way to Wealth by Benjamin Franklin
Who is on the 100-dollar bill? Read this book.
The Personal MBA by Josh Kaufman
Are you interested in getting a business degree? Starting your own business? Scaling your current business?
Save yourself thousands of dollars in college tuition, instead invest in this book for only $16.
I promise you; you won’t regret it.
How do these books set me apart?
Well… I didn’t get to where I am on my own.
I had help.
I cannot take all the credit.
These authors poured into my life.
My goal is to pour back into your life by sharing these invaluable resources.
Take advantage of them.
Very respectfully,
Well-Known Reyes
To answer the question of what the therapist did differently, I would say the therapist checked in with you throughout the session as well as keeping your neck in mind.