Hey team

Lindsay recently conducted a very scientific, extremely official survey asking whether email is just for old people and if anyone under 30 actually checks it.

The results?
Yes. And no.
Groundbreaking.

So instead of shouting into the void, The new staff page (here) on our website where all of my “emails” will live. I’ll text you when there’s an update so you actually see it. Welcome to 2026.

Life update:
Payton, Lindsay, and I are putting our sweet baby Hurricane down on Friday. So if you see Lindsay or me spontaneously crying this week (and realistically for the next… six months), just… pretend you didn’t. Please. We will recover eventually, but not immediately.

Also, my other sweet baby, Gimlet (aka GimmyBear), is now a very old man dog. He has diabetes, is mostly blind, and has never been apart from Hurricane in his entire life. He’s also developed anxiety now that he can’t see well. I’m worried about how he’s going to handle all of this. So I’m thinking about bringing him into the office on Wednesdays when Lindsay and I are both there.

Questions for you:

• Anyone have allergies?

• Anyone afraid of dogs?

He’d mostly hang out behind the front desk with Lindsay. He is VERY friendly… but does not believe in personal space or consent when it comes to kissing. You’ve been warned.

Schedule update:
I’m having PRP therapy done on my shoulder Monday, May 18. I won’t be doing massage again until June 4th. I’ll be around the first week after, and likely traveling the second week (but still reachable by phone).

Goal: buy myself another 6–12 months before surgery becomes inevitable. Fingers crossed.

Random but important:
We are selectively retiring the short blankets. If it doesn’t fully cover the end of the table without you having to pull it halfway down the table to make it work… it’s out.

That said—there are some mid-sized ones that are totally fine. If it covers the table properly and does the job, it stays. Please don’t go on a blanket elimination spree—these things are not free.

If you do find a true shorty → pull it and put it in the breakroom.

I’ve already purchased the new, larger ones and they’ve been worked into rotation, so we’re just cleaning up the leftovers at this point. Also, you’re welcome to take any of the shorties home. The are in a black trashbag in the breakroom.

Let’s talk about the elephant in the room: summer + the economy

We always slow down a bit between Memorial Day and Labor Day. That’s normal.

This summer? Probably slower.

Here’s why:

• Consumer confidence is historically low

• Inflation expectations are up (4.7%)

• Gas prices are climbing - already at around $5/gal

• ~78% of people say it’s a bad time to spend money

Translation: people are nervous, and when people are nervous, they don’t spend on “extras.” And yes—our services fall into that category for a lot of people.

Here’s the good news (and where we win)… we are positioned really well for this.

• Our 60-minute rate is right in line with the local average

• Many competitors are charging $100–$120+

• With memberships, we’re actually below average price

• And we are well above average quality

• Oh, and we’re the reigning Top of the Town

That combination? That’s rare. And it matters a lot right now. Affordability has always been something I refuse to compromise on—and this is exactly why.

We don’t control the economy, gas prices, the government, or consumer confidence. But we absolutely control what happens inside these walls. That means:

• Every client feels welcomed the second they walk in

• Transitions are smooth (no awkward gaps, no confusion)

• Sessions have a clear purpose and address stated concerns

• We’re not just doing a routine—we’re solving problems

• Rebooking conversations happen naturally and confidently

• Front desk + therapist communication is tight

• Clients leave knowing exactly why they should come back

If they don’t come back, it usually means they didn’t fully understand the value. That’s on us to communicate—through the experience, not a sales pitch.

We also will benefit from having three new therapists (Bea, Terence, and Blair) trained in MLD - there is huge opportunity in this. And I’ll be teaching The Headache Massage this summer. This is the work that keeps me booked out months in advance and why I haven’t taken new clients in a very long time.

Perspective check:

I got licensed in 2007, right before the Great Recession kicked off. That was not ideal timing and it lasted a year and a half. But I’m still here. I never stopped practicing. We made it through that, and we made it through COVID too. We’ll get through this.

Also—just to keep things grounded:

• We are not currently in a recession; risk this year is estimated around 30–50%

• Even in 2008, unemployment topped out around 10% (for context, the Great Depression hit 25% unemployment and COVID peaked around 15%)

So yes—things are shaky. But this is not apocalypse-level stuff.

The bigger issue right now is simply that people aren’t spending.

Bottom line:

I’m doing everything I can to keep schedules full.

But this is a team effort. The better we are at what we do—and how we communicate that value—the better we’ll weather this.

And we are really good at what we do.

—-

Go hug your pets, drink some water, and if you see me crying in the hallway… pretend you didn’t.

Kim