The Scaling Wellness Podcast: Scale Your Massage Business

Hosted by Darryl "DJ" Turner

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338

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Oct 2026

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About the show

Welcome to The Scaling Wellness Podcast - the podcast dedicated to sharing what, why, and how of scaling your wellness practice beyond yourself, as well as sharing inspiring stories of how others did it themselves. Join Darryl "DJ" Turner as he and his guests share everything you need to know about scaling your practice up, while scaling back your stress, responsibility, and client-facing hours. Listen to new interviews every Monday with a bonus episode every Thursday!

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60 recent

October 26, 202652 min

334 - Growing a Massage Practice Without Losing Its Personal Touch w/ Rose Steed of Simple Massage Studio

Growing a massage business is exciting. But how do you expand, build a team, and attract more clients without losing the personal touch that made your practice special? Rose Steed, founder of Simple Massage Studio, knows that challenge firsthand. After 25 years as a massage therapist, Rose never planned on becoming a business owner. But when the pandemic pushed her to rethink her career, she took a chance and started seeing clients from a spare bedroom in her home. Within six weeks, she had outgrown the space. Then, just months into running her own studio, an unexpected accident left her injured and forced her to rethink everything. Instead of giving up, Rose rebuilt, expanded, and slowly created the business she has today. Now, Simple Massage Studio is a thriving three-room boutique spa with a team of five, built largely through word-of-mouth referrals, loyal clients, and a commitment to personalized care. But Rose isn't done growing. She's now considering doubling her space while keeping the intimate, welcoming atmosphere her clients love. In this episode of Scaling Wellness, Rose shares the unexpected journey of building her massage business, the lessons she's learned about hiring and leadership, and how she's growing without sacrificing the client experience. In this episode, you'll learn: How Rose went from working as a massage therapist to building her own boutique spa How an unexpected accident nearly derailed her business during its first year Why she chose to grow slowly without taking on major debt How she knew it was time to hire her first massage therapist Why client retention and rebooking are essential to keeping her team's schedules full How word-of-mouth referrals and social media helped her grow with minimal marketing costs Why hiring the right people and creating a consistent client experience matter when scaling How she's learning to shift from hands-on therapist to business owner and leader Her plans to double the business without losing its personal touch Rose's story is a reminder that building a successful massage practice isn't just about getting bigger. It's about growing intentionally, creating loyal client relationships, and building a business that stays true to what made it special. Connect with Rose Steed & Simple Massage Studio Website: https://simplemassage.lawsongenius.com Facebook: Simple Massage Studio Build a wellness business that gives you both time and income: https://www.scalingwellness.com Book a free strategy call: https://www.scalingwellness.com/chat Follow Scaling Wellness on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/scalingwellness

October 20, 202654 min

333 - The Truth Behind Building A Multi-Modality Wellness Center w/ Erin Whelan of Urban Haven Wellness

Growing a massage business from a solo practice to two locations and nearly 40 team members sounds like a dream. But what happens when your business grows faster than your ability to manage it? Erin Whelan, founder of Urban Haven Wellness in Cleveland, Ohio, knows exactly what that feels like. Erin started her massage business in 2018 with little business experience and no real marketing strategy. She was working out of a gym, approaching people to offer massages, and figuring things out as she went. Today, Urban Haven Wellness has grown into two locations with approximately 30–40 team members , offering massage therapy, facials, yoga, Pilates, sauna, and cold plunge experiences. But building a successful wellness business came with some expensive lessons. From hiring friends and struggling with employee boundaries to expanding too quickly and discovering that a manager was costing her $2,000 a month, Erin learned that growing a massage practice takes more than getting clients through the door. She had to learn how to hire the right people, create systems, hold her team accountable, and become the kind of leader her growing business needed. Along the way, she also discovered how SEO, referrals, and creative social media marketing could help attract new massage clients and keep her team booked. Today, Erin is focused on building a business that runs with stronger systems, supports her team, and gives her more freedom to enjoy the work she loves. In this episode of Scaling Wellness, Erin Whelan shares how she grew from a solo massage therapist into a multi-location wellness business owner, the mistakes she made along the way, and what she's learned about hiring, marketing, leadership, and building a profitable massage practice. In this episode, you'll learn: How Erin grew her solo massage practice into two locations with nearly 40 team members Why hiring friends and expecting employees to think like business owners led to some of her biggest challenges The hiring mistakes that cost her time, money, and energy How she learned to set boundaries and hold employees accountable without micromanaging Why hiring an experienced manager and building the right support team made running her business easier How SEO, Instagram marketing, and client referrals help attract new massage clients and fill her team's schedules What she learned from expanding into a second location before having all her systems in place How a management mistake was costing her approximately $2,000 a month Why she's planning to open a massage school to help address the shortage of massage therapists in Cleveland How her definition of success has changed from growing a business to building one that supports her lifestyle Erin's story is proof that you don't need to have everything figured out before you start growing. But as your massage business gets bigger, the way you lead, hire, market, and manage your team has to grow with it. And sometimes, the biggest shift isn't opening another location or hiring more therapists. It's realizing that your business should be taking care of you, too. Connect with Erin Whelan & Urban Haven Wellness Website: https://theurbanhaven.com Instagram (Urban Haven Wellness): @urbanhavenwellness Personal Instagram: @erinontheedge Build a wellness business that gives you both time and income: www.scalingwellness.com Book a free strategy call: www.scalingwellness.com/chat Follow Scaling Wellness on Instagram: www.instagram.com/scalingwellness

September 17, 202657 min

332 - How Nalu Went From Nearly Shutting Down to a Stable & Predictable Practice - w/ Dr. Nalu Cooley LAc

Growing a wellness practice can look exciting from the outside. But behind the team, the beautiful space, and a growing client base can be a business owner wondering whether any of it is actually worth it. Dr. Nalu Cooley , founder of Nalu Healing Arts in San Diego, knows that feeling firsthand. After more than two decades in massage, acupuncture, and Chinese medicine, Nalu took the leap from solo practitioner to building the wellness center she had dreamed about since massage school. What followed wasn't the easy growth story she expected. She went from being fully booked as a solo practitioner to managing a larger space, a team, higher overhead, hiring challenges, marketing, and the realities of becoming a leader. At one point, she was struggling to make rent. Later, after years of trying to make the expanded practice work, she reached a breaking point and was ready to shut the entire thing down. Instead, she rebuilt. Today, Nalu Healing Arts has a fully booked team, stronger systems, a more aligned business model, and a foundation that finally allows Nalu to breathe and gives her more freedom to pursue another passion: providing acupuncture and bodywork for touring musicians and artists. In this episode of Scaling Wellness, Dr. Nalu Cooley shares the unfiltered story of nearly walking away from the business she had spent years building, and what it took to turn things around. In this episode, you'll learn: Why being an incredible practitioner doesn't automatically prepare you to run a growing wellness business What happened when Nalu expanded from solo practice into a larger wellness center How hiring too quickly created some of her biggest business lessons Why she reached a point where she was ready to shut the entire practice down How getting clear on the purpose of her business changed its direction Why she eliminated services that no longer aligned with the practice she wanted to build How transitioning her team from independent contractors to employees challenged her to become a stronger leader What Nalu learned about marketing, Google Ads, reviews, and attracting the right clients Why getting clients through the door is only one piece of building a fully booked team How systems, hiring, training, retention, marketing, and leadership work together when scaling Why Nalu believes wellness owners should get business support before things start falling apart How building a stronger foundation is giving her more freedom to work with touring musicians and artists Dr. Nalu Cooley's journey is a reminder that sometimes scaling isn't about adding more. Sometimes it's about getting clear on what your business is supposed to be, removing what doesn't belong, and becoming the leader the next version of your business requires. Connect with Dr. Nalu Cooley & Nalu Healing Arts Website: https://naluhealingarts.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/naloohealingarts/ Build a wellness business that gives you both time and income: www.scalingwellness.com Book a free strategy call: www.scalingwellness.com/chat Follow Scaling Wellness on Instagram: www.instagram.com/scalingwellness

July 14, 202637 min

331 - The 6 Key Differences Between Struggling and Thriving Massage Practices

What separates massage practices that constantly struggle from those that consistently grow into thriving, profitable businesses? In this solo episode of the Scaling Wellness Podcast, I break down the six key differences I've discovered after coaching more than 200 massage and wellness business owners. If you've ever felt overwhelmed, stuck, constantly putting out fires, or wondering why growth feels harder than it should, this episode will help you identify exactly what's holding your business back. From creating a clear vision and building predictable marketing systems to improving operations, hiring the right team, staying focused, and becoming the leader your business needs, I share the framework that transforms practices from surviving to scaling. Whether you're trying to hire your first therapist, grow to multiple locations, or finally build a business that doesn't rely on you for everything, this episode gives you a practical roadmap to get there. In This Episode You'll Learn: Why a lack of vision keeps business owners stuck in reactive mode The difference between random marketing and a predictable client acquisition system How thriving businesses build systems that don't rely on the owner Why hiring isn't enough and what great onboarding really looks like The hidden cost of chasing too many priorities at once Why leadership, not marketing, is often the biggest bottleneck to growth The six pillars every thriving massage and wellness business has in common --- *Brought to you by GlossGenius.* Are you dealing with gaps in your schedule? Clients who don't rebook? Low profits and high payment processing fees? When you're running your own practice, you don't have time to figure out where you're leaving money on the table especially when you're stitching together booking, payments, and clunky software that only makes things harder. GlossGenius is the booking and business management platform built for massage therapists and wellness practitioners. It fills your calendar, automatically reBooks clients, upsells high-margin services, and has the lowest flat-rate payment processing fees in the industry. Plus all the HIPAA-compliant tools you need for charting, consents, and client records without the admin chaos. More growth. Less busywork. Use code **SCALING** at glossgenius.com/scalingwellness for 50% off your first two months of their Gold or Platinum plan. Build a Wellness Practice That Creates More Time, More Freedom, and More Revenue Visit: www.scalingwellness.com Need More Client Bookings? Get instant access to our proven training: www.bookyourteamsolid.com Book a Free 1:1 Growth Strategy Call www.scalingwellness.com/chat Follow Scaling Wellness on Instagram www.instagram.com/scalingwellness

July 6, 20261 hr 10 min

330 - How Hannah Grew Her Massage Business from a Solo Operation to Two Locations & 40 Employees

Growing a wellness business isn't just about getting more clients. It's about becoming a different kind of leader. Hannah Borgen knows that transformation firsthand. After spending years working as a massage therapist, Hannah launched her own practice with nothing more than a rented treatment room, a smartphone, and a willingness to consistently show up on social media. Today, Decompress Massage Therapy has grown into two thriving locations with nearly 40 team members, a clear vision for expansion, and a business built around helping women prioritize their wellbeing. In this episode of Scaling Wellness, Hannah shares the real behind-the-scenes journey of scaling a massage business from solo practitioner to multi-location owner. She opens up about the hiring mistakes that shaped her leadership, the systems that allowed her to step away from daily operations, why she invested heavily in learning marketing, and how Facebook ads, Google marketing, and operational systems became key drivers of growth. In this episode, you'll learn: How Hannah grew from a solo massage therapist to leading a team of nearly 40 people Why leadership is different from management and why that distinction matters Lessons learned from hiring the wrong people and building the right culture How Facebook ads and Google marketing fuel client acquisition The importance of wellness business systems and documented processes Why memberships can create predictable revenue and stronger client retention How to think like an entrepreneur instead of only a practitioner The mindset shifts required for scaling a wellness business --- *Brought to you by GlossGenius.* Are you dealing with gaps in your schedule? Clients who don't rebook? Low profits and high payment processing fees? When you're running your own practice, you don't have time to figure out where you're leaving money on the table especially when you're stitching together booking, payments, and clunky software that only makes things harder. GlossGenius is the booking and business management platform built for massage therapists and wellness practitioners. It fills your calendar, automatically reBooks clients, upsells high-margin services, and has the lowest flat-rate payment processing fees in the industry. Plus all the HIPAA-compliant tools you need for charting, consents, and client records without the admin chaos. More growth. Less busywork. Use code **SCALING** at glossgenius.com/scalingwellness for 50% off your first two months of their Gold or Platinum plan. Build a wellness business that gives you both time and income: www.scalingwellness.com Book a free strategy call: www.scalingwellness.com/chat Follow us on Instagram: www.instagram.com/scalingwellness

June 22, 202624 min

329 - How To Get A New Massage Therapist Booked Out Faster

You hired the therapist. Now comes the harder part: getting clients to actually book with them. One of the biggest mistakes massage practice owners make is treating marketing like a collection of random activities instead of a system. A social media post here. A promotion there. A referral when someone remembers to ask. The problem is that random marketing creates random results. In this episode, I'll walk you through a simple framework for getting a new therapist booked faster without constantly chasing the latest marketing tactic. We'll discuss: • Why marketing becomes more important after you hire • How to set clear goals for a new therapist's schedule • How to identify what's already working in your marketing • Why doing more of what's working often beats trying something new • How to choose the right marketing strategies based on your time, energy, and budget • The retention metrics that actually matter • How to use internal marketing and client transfers to build momentum quickly If you've hired a therapist and you're staring at an empty schedule wondering what comes next, this episode will help you create a more intentional plan to fill it. --- *Brought to you by GlossGenius.* Are you dealing with gaps in your schedule? Clients who don't rebook? Low profits and high payment processing fees? When you're running your own practice, you don't have time to figure out where you're leaving money on the table especially when you're stitching together booking, payments, and clunky software that only makes things harder. GlossGenius is the booking and business management platform built for massage therapists and wellness practitioners. It fills your calendar, automatically reBooks clients, upsells high-margin services, and has the lowest flat-rate payment processing fees in the industry. Plus all the HIPAA-compliant tools you need for charting, consents, and client records without the admin chaos. More growth. Less busywork. Use code **SCALING** at glossgenius.com/scalingwellness for 50% off your first two months of their Gold or Platinum plan. Build a Wellness Practice That Creates More Time, More Freedom, and More Revenue Visit: www.scalingwellness.com Need More Client Bookings? Get instant access to our proven training: www.bookyourteamsolid.com Book a Free 1:1 Growth Strategy Call www.scalingwellness.com/chat Follow Scaling Wellness on Instagram www.instagram.com/scalingwellness

June 18, 202626 min

328 - The Five Things That Determine If A New Hire Thrives In Your Massage Business

You found someone. The interview went well. The practical looked great. They seemed like the perfect fit. A few months later, things aren't going the way you hoped. Before you assume you hired the wrong person, it may be worth looking at the bigger picture. In this episode, I break down the five factors that determine whether a new hire succeeds or struggles inside a massage practice. We'll talk about hiring, onboarding, expectations, leadership, and one of the most overlooked pieces of all: keeping their schedule busy. Because the truth is, a great hire can still fail in the wrong environment, while an average hire can thrive when they're given the right support. In this episode, we'll discuss: • How to tell if you actually hired the right person • The onboarding mistakes that create problems before they even start • Why unclear expectations lead to frustration on both sides • The leadership skills most massage business owners were never taught • Why marketing becomes even more important after you hire If you've ever hired someone and wondered, "Why isn't this working?" this episode will help you diagnose where the real problem might be. --- *Brought to you by GlossGenius.* Are you dealing with gaps in your schedule? Clients who don't rebook? Low profits and high payment processing fees? When you're running your own practice, you don't have time to figure out where you're leaving money on the table especially when you're stitching together booking, payments, and clunky software that only makes things harder. GlossGenius is the booking and business management platform built for massage therapists and wellness practitioners. It fills your calendar, automatically reBooks clients, upsells high-margin services, and has the lowest flat-rate payment processing fees in the industry. Plus all the HIPAA-compliant tools you need for charting, consents, and client records without the admin chaos. More growth. Less busywork. Use code **SCALING** at glossgenius.com/scalingwellness for 50% off your first two months of their Gold or Platinum plan. Build a wellness business that gives you both time and income: www.scalingwellness.com Book a free strategy call: www.scalingwellness.com/chat Follow us on Instagram: www.instagram.com/scalingwellness

June 8, 202629 min

327 - The Untold Truth About Building a 6-7 Group Massage Practice

In this episode, I explore why so many massage therapists struggle with the idea of building a larger business, where those fears come from, and the hidden cost of staying small simply because growth feels uncomfortable. This isn't a conversation about getting bigger for the sake of getting bigger. It's a conversation about building a business that supports the people inside it including you. We'll get into: Why so many therapists are suspicious of successful group practices Where those beliefs come from and why they often make sense The difference between healthy discernment and self-protection Why many owners attach a moral meaning to money, growth, and success The hidden cost of staying fully booked, exhausted, and responsible for everything Why good intentions alone don't create a sustainable business What ethical profitability actually looks like in practice How profit creates more options for owners, employees, and clients Why a business that depends entirely on your hands is more fragile than it appears The deeper identity fears many therapists have around growth and leadership How to build a business that reflects your values without sacrificing your well-being If you've ever found yourself thinking, "I don't want to become that kind of owner," I think you'll get a lot out of this conversation. --- *Brought to you by GlossGenius.* Are you dealing with gaps in your schedule? Clients who don't rebook? Low profits and high payment processing fees? When you're running your own practice, you don't have time to figure out where you're leaving money on the table especially when you're stitching together booking, payments, and clunky software that only makes things harder. GlossGenius is the booking and business management platform built for massage therapists and wellness practitioners. It fills your calendar, automatically reBooks clients, upsells high-margin services, and has the lowest flat-rate payment processing fees in the industry. Plus all the HIPAA-compliant tools you need for charting, consents, and client records without the admin chaos. More growth. Less busywork. Use code **SCALING** at glossgenius.com/scalingwellness for 50% off your first two months of their Gold or Platinum plan. Build a wellness business that gives you both time and income: www.scalingwellness.com Book a free strategy call: www.scalingwellness.com/chat Follow us on Instagram: www.instagram.com/scalingwellness

June 4, 202656 min

326 - Building a Wellness Collective Where People Feel They Belong w/ Shaelyn Elliott AKA of Stretch Fairy Wellness Co.

In this episode, Shaelyn Elliott shares how Stretch Fairy grew from a solo massage practice into a wellness ecosystem blending massage, movement, community, and education. We talk about building a team, creating client pathways, hiring for values, and making the shift from service provider to CEO all while navigating some of the hardest seasons of life. How free online fitness classes during COVID created a waitlist that sparked the growth of Stretch Fairy. Why Shaelyn built an ecosystem business that combines massage therapy, movement, education, and community. The client journey she uses to move clients from treatment into long-term health and wellness habits. How she hires for values, communication, and culture fit over experience alone. The systems she uses to keep her team aligned, accountable, and growing. Why she believes every practitioner should play a role in marketing and growing their own client base. How she expanded into a 2,000 sq. ft. movement studio during one of the most challenging personal seasons of her life. The mindset shifts around money, self-worth, and leadership that helped her evolve from practitioner to CEO. What she's learning now as she navigates the next stage of growth, delegation, and scaling beyond herself. --- *Brought to you by GlossGenius.* Are you dealing with gaps in your schedule? Clients who don't rebook? Low profits and high payment processing fees? When you're running your own practice, you don't have time to figure out where you're leaving money on the table especially when you're stitching together booking, payments, and clunky software that only makes things harder. GlossGenius is the booking and business management platform built for massage therapists and wellness practitioners. It fills your calendar, automatically reBooks clients, upsells high-margin services, and has the lowest flat-rate payment processing fees in the industry. Plus all the HIPAA-compliant tools you need for charting, consents, and client records without the admin chaos. More growth. Less busywork. Use code **SCALING** at glossgenius.com/scalingwellness for 50% off your first two months of their Gold or Platinum plan. Build a wellness business that gives you both time and income: www.scalingwellness.com Book a free strategy call: www.scalingwellness.com/chat Follow us on Instagram: www.instagram.com/scalingwellness

May 29, 202619 min

325 - How To Interview A Massage Therapist (and Prevent a Bad Hire)

Ever hired someone who looked perfect on paper… only to realize a few weeks later they were the wrong fit? The truth is, most bad hires aren't caused by hiring the wrong person; they happen because there's no hiring process behind the decision. In this episode, I break down the three hiring mistakes that quietly cost wellness business owners time, money, energy, and team culture. You'll learn how to spot red flags before they become problems, avoid making decisions from a place of desperation, and create a simple hiring framework that helps you find therapists who align with your business, not just candidates with the best resume. We'll get into: The three hiring mistakes that lead to costly team problems Why hiring based on "good vibes" isn't enough How to evaluate hard skills, soft skills, and culture fit The interview questions that reveal what resumes can't Why coachability often matters more than experience How to trust your instincts without relying on them alone If you're growing your team or thinking about making your next hire, this episode could save you from an expensive mistake. --- *Brought to you by GlossGenius.* Are you dealing with gaps in your schedule? Clients who don't rebook? Low profits and high payment processing fees? When you're running your own practice, you don't have time to figure out where you're leaving money on the table especially when you're stitching together booking, payments, and clunky software that only makes things harder. GlossGenius is the booking and business management platform built for massage therapists and wellness practitioners. It fills your calendar, automatically reBooks clients, upsells high-margin services, and has the lowest flat-rate payment processing fees in the industry. Plus all the HIPAA-compliant tools you need for charting, consents, and client records without the admin chaos. More growth. Less busywork. Use code **SCALING** at glossgenius.com/scalingwellness for 50% off your first two months of their Gold or Platinum plan. Build a wellness business that gives you both time and income: www.scalingwellness.com Book a free strategy call: www.scalingwellness.com/chat Follow us on Instagram: www.instagram.com/scalingwellness

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