I can't believe how lucky I am that August was such a busy month. I gained new clients and stayed pretty darn busy. The summer months can be so sloooow, but based on my bookkeeping, it was one of the best summers I have ever had! I have had such a positive outlook on my business and I truly believe that is what is keeping me so busy. It can be so hard to not worry about how you are going to get though the month when you aren’t getting a regular paycheck every two weeks, but somehow in this industry you learn to adapt and things always seem to come together when you need them to.

I don’t do a lot of energy work like some other massage therapists I know, but I believe that life is what you make it and that what you project into the universe is what will come back to you. Everyday when I get up I tell myself that I am prepared to be busy and that I am looking to bring ideal new clients into my life that will help my practice grow, and somehow it’s really working. Maybe part of it is having the opportunity to write about my business so often and having it shared with people all over the world.

Whatever it is I know that it’s working. It’s amazing what a good positive outlook can do for you. You clients take notice when you greet them with a smile. Don’t complain to them about not being busy or that your dog got lost because the gardener left the gate open. People generally like being in the presence of other people who are happy and positive; a smile can go a long way in making someone’s day brighter.

In the past I know that I have made the mistake on focusing too heavily on my own personal wants and needs. I am not saying that it’s not okay to have goals. In this business we need to have goals and a bottom line for what we are looking at accomplishing over the course of our careers. What I AM saying is we can't get to those goals if we don't focus on our clients wholeheartedly when they are in our chairs or on the massage table. My space is set up with the client in mind. My goal is for them to feel comfortable and relaxed in a space that accommodates what I need to do. The atmosphere you create is so important, and that 100% includes that attitude and energy that you put forward to the clients. Negativity hangs in the air and can easily rub off on your clients, but a positive space can calm the nerves of even the most edgy client after a long hard work week.

I guess in a way I am asking you to challenge yourself: Don’t say negative things for a week, smile at people you don’t know when you walk though the mall, and greet every morning with a positive outlook, and let the world know what it is you want to accomplish in your lifetime. I truly believe my positive outlook on my business and the space I have created for myself is what is bringing so much life into my business.

—Karyn, Body Skin and Nails by Karyn, Roseville, Calif.