US Spas Hit Record $20 Billion in Revenue!
By Joan Hannant, Founder & CEO of The Soma Institute
“Wow!”, I thought when I first read this statistic from the influential International Spa Association (ISPA) 2023 US Spa Industry Report. The most significant finding was that industry revenues grew 11.1 percent from $18.1bn in 2021 to $20.1bn in 2022.
This figure is an all-time record and even outpaces the previous pre-pandemic high of US$19.1bn in 2019.
Oh, The Places You Can Work
By Joan Hannant, Founder & CEO of The Soma Institute
These days, it’s hard for me to keep up with all the graduates of The Soma Institute. So many are doing amazing things to help others. As they’ve moved around the country and around the world, each graduate has taken a different path. I often get asked, and our admissions team will get asked, what can I do after graduating with a clinical massage therapy diploma? The short answer: almost anything you want. From sports massage to relaxation massage, hotels to hospitals, senior living facilities to gyms and everything in between, clinical massage therapists are more in demand than ever as new opportunities open up in the booming health and wellness industry.
A Roadmap to Financial Aid: It’s Easier Than You Think
By James Cussen, Vice President at The Soma Institute
You’ve decided you want to pursue a career in massage therapy, but then worry about how you’re going to pay for your training. Tuition is one of the biggest stressors I see for most students. They’re afraid of the financial aid application process. At Soma, we pride ourselves in making things easy. We walk with each and every student through the process to get the financing available to them.
A Path to Starting Your Own Business
By Joan Hannant, Founder & CEO of The Soma Institute
There is an amazing feeling of liberation and control that comes with running your own business and being your own boss. Don’t get me wrong, it’s hard work. But it’s also one of the most common reasons students join our Clinical Massage Therapy Diploma Program: They have a goal of starting their own business. Year after year, our graduates prove that the massage industry is ripe for entrepreneurs, and a Soma education is the launching point.
The Value of Clinical Massage Therapists
By Joan Hannant, Founder & CEO of The Soma Institute
The Soma Institute is special. I realize, if you’re reading this, you may be rolling your eyes right now and thinking, “Of course, the founder of the school thinks it’s a special and unique place. She’s biased.” Full disclosure: I am biased. However, I’ve also been in this business long enough to know the clinical approach we take to training massage therapists does set us apart, and it is extremely valuable. It’s not just my opinion. We get calls every day from employers looking to hire our graduates. Not all massages are created equal, and our training in clinical massage therapy is something both employers and clients want.