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Chapter 2
Positioning Yourself as an Expert
Have no fear of perfection, you will never reach it.
Salvador Dali
What does it mean to you when you hear me say, “position yourself as an expert?” There are many components of being great as well as becoming great. For us to achieve expert level or mastery of any discipline, one must do what most others will not do. In my 25+ years in massage therapy and entrepreneurship, there have been a multitude of sleepless nights, waking up at 4 a.m. only to work until midnight and repeat the process. Not only have I had the pleasure to travel for my studies, but I was doing this all while opening my first spa and building a presence and name for myself in Southeastern Michigan. Quickly I got the nickname, “Where’s Waldo” if you know the book reference. You would flip the page of a book and try to find this character, Waldo, in many different, crowded spaces. You knew you were looking for a red-striped hat (and in my case, a bald shiny head!). Nonetheless, Waldo was on each page having new adventures, always in the midst of activity. This metaphor was much like my life when I started in my business. Meet and greet social events, black dress and red tie events, Chamber of Commerce coffee meetings, and more. All of this has helped position me as an expert.
Now let’s walk through a series of questions to see just where you fit on the lateral line of expert mastery in our field. First, I would like each of you to grab a highlighter or pen for marking and begin to visualize your immediate interaction with your guest up until they leave after their reservation. What does it look like, where do you typically meet the client, where is the consultation done, do they go to the restroom, do they get a facility tour, do they fill out an intake or waiver form… You get the point.
I would like for you to read the following 16 questions and circle YES if you are consistent 80% of the time or higher and circle NO if you are NOT consistent with each visit. The more honest you are with yourself, the more opportunity you give yourself to grow and know where we can improve to generate your personal success.
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Chapter 3
Introduction To Seven R’s Formula
What is it that makes you come alive?
During interviews, I always make a point to ask massage therapists looking to join my team what they believe excellent customer service looks like. There are many career paths for a massage therapist. Many choose a winding journey, whereas some work consistently in one speciality, such as with athletes or prenatal mothers, because it is fulfilling and purposeful for them. You’ve got to ask yourself what is it that makes you come alive? What are your natural talents and what are you already providing to your community of people? For me it was thoroughly delivering every time. I always looked for new, detailed ways to wow a client so they would come back. Coming from a lack of resources growing up, I became good at living in fight-or-flight mode, and that helped me when building my business in the beginning. Often, we look back at life and can be grateful for the hardships as they made us who we are and show us how far we’ve come. For me my drive came from having little, wanting to make something out of myself and someone my mother would say she was proud of. Coupling this with having a new marriage and baby on the way, the pressure to provide and increase my books was a top priority. Not to mention, my English wasn’t as solid as I wish it could have been in(at) the beginning of my journey. So I made sure to push hard toward(s) success.
This was all coupled with a belief I hold, that if we stop the quest to seek and discover more knowledge, we in turn have to let a part of ourselves die. Self-discovery and evolution is one part of being an expert. It is about being able to understand where we are and where we desire to be. We have to check in with ourselves and regularly take necessary inventory as therapists, team members, or possibly owners. In order to understand my Seven R’s formula it is key for you to understand these basic components.
The little details matter in our industry.
Maciek Lyko
In order to understand my seven-step formula it’s important you realize these strategies will help separate you from your competitors. Some of the biggest mistakes therapists and spa owners make is simply not understanding the power of follow-through and taking charge of the session, as well as post-care treatment. The little details matter in our industry and I am about to show you how to do it.
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Don’t miss this opportunity to elevate your massage therapy skills and business knowledge. Apply now to join Maciek Lyko LMT for a life-changing seven-day intensive training.
Chapter 4
Mindset
Motivation gets you started and good habits get you going.
This statement couldn’t be truer for how I’ve lived my life and attribute to much of my personal and professional successes. In this chapter, I’d like to set the foundation for the mindset needed in this career path, and to lay out the many factors that contribute to one’s success. These factors include but are not limited to, personal motivation, daily habits, balance of mind, body, spirit, daily rituals, visualization, meditation and more!
When I discuss mindset with my students, spa owners and one-on-one coaching clients we learn a lot about why they are struggling and “stuck” in a place longer than they should be. Through the tools we are about to unfold and unlock I believe you’ll be one step closer to finding what motivates you, learning how to set goals, and discovering the pillars of how to achieve legitimate success. This is all accomplished by understanding the importance and value of one’s mindset. So, let’s get started!
Daily Rituals and Habits
In the book, Miracle Morning, by Hal Elrod, we can learn six powerful daily rituals that I’ve used religiously for over eight years that have been important in changing my mindset. In his book, Hal created an acronym easy for his followers to remember. Given its powerful impact on my personal and professional success this will be our foundation for this chapter. Now let’s dive deeper into the six different S.A.V.E.R.S. See below the S.A.V.E.R.S. and what each stands for.
SAVERS
Silence
Affirmations
Visualization
Exercise
Reading
Scribing
Hal’s perfect design for beginning using his ritual systems is to spend as little as one minute on each of the items in the S.A.V.E.R.S. method. I found that 20 to 30 minutes is a good amount of time for initial reflection and development. My daily ritual begins at 4:30 a.m. every day. It is so second nature to me that if I miss or begin my day with anything other than this method I feel “off.” The power I’ve received by utilizing these six easy and effective tools has helped me proceed into my growth mindset. They have directly infused me with knowledge through daily readings of powerful minds who have either gone before me and have left their legacy or those still living in it. This coupled with visualization has developed a greater level of intimacy within myself to be able to connect with my message and those who will hear that message. If you’re interested in diving further into what each of the S.A.V.E.R.S. were intended to provide please go grab a copy of his book or buy it on Audible; it is worth your investment.
Fixed vs. Growth Mindset
My next inspiration to share will be the groundwork for our mindset. Once that is laid, then we’ll get into the nuts and bolts. For one to move forward into a good mindset, we need to understand which fixed stories or traumas hold us back from reaching the true potential of the goals and visions we can’t stop thinking about. Have you ever wondered why you can’t reach simple goals and feel defeated and frustrated often? You start in hopes to create and finally do what you’re always saying you want to do and then bam!– you’re faced with a thought or doubt somewhere along the lines of “imposter syndrome,” or “who am I to do something like this?” Or maybe it sounds like, “I don’t have the education they have,” or “I am not good enough to have that success.” I admit, I’ve had a few of these poor mindsets and beliefs along my journey. What I am about to show you, though, got me through the hurdles of my childhood traumas and stories that no longer served me. I switched the poor beliefs with the truth. I am more than qualified and capable to do what I am doing, and I am enough. In the graph below, you will see continued examples of Fixed vs. Growth Mindsets.
| Fixed | Growth |
|---|---|
|
“I am not good enough for this” |
“I did my best, it’s good enough” |
|
Wants to prove intelligence or talent |
Wants to improve intelligence or talent |
|
Avoids challenges for fear of failure |
Engages challenges to improve |
|
Avoids responsibility |
Persists in overcoming obstacles |
|
Treats feedback as attack |
Treats feedback as an opportunity |
|
Feels threatened by others’ success |
Feels inspired by others’ success |
As we build upon your mindset, it requires a sequence of actions to get the energy flowing in the right direction. It starts with getting your attitude and behaviors in alignment with your thinking. You have to learn to anticipate solutions to problems, and to think about the outcomes of any particular action, so that you have a better chance of reaching your intended end result. Successful people don’t just sit around while things happen. They create the space for a healthy mind palace and feed this mind palace with the goods required to be unimpaired. As we shift to a growth mindset, we begin to tell ourselves a different story, one that resonates with our purpose and aligns with the passion only you were created to have. We begin to set new personalized goals for our learning. This can include further self-help books, podcasts, and/or learning a new discipline or skillset specific to your goals.
In everything you do, understand and remember how powerful it is to capitalize on your failures–not just your successes. Tell yourself three times a day, failure is your friend. I say this because it is true! We cannot grow without failure. One of my favorite examples that we can all appreciate today is Thomas Edison and the lightbulb. He understood that every time he failed, he was one try away from his own success. It took him not 10, not 100 not even 500 fails. As an inventor, Edison, made 1,000 tries at inventing the lightbulb.
I am not sure I’ve tried 1,000 times and willingly and happily failed to keep going the next day. Now I can say I’ve successfully failed 10 or so times on certain concepts or ideas and had a light at the end of the tunnel with the 11th try. I also work to always create better systems in which I’m always open to evolution and change. Change can be hard for a lot of people, but for myself, I’m wired for change. I seek it and it creates a thrill for me. As a result of your mindset shift, you achieve greater goals and accomplish superior levels of success. Failures create the staircase to progressive achievement.
Success is not final, failure is not fatal: It is the courage to continue that counts.
Winston Churchill
Consistency and Persistency
Words to live by: “never say you can’t, but rather ask how can I?” Similarly, these words are never in my vocabulary: “no, it won’t work, don’t waste your time, you will fail.” Like Arnold Schwarzenegger says, “Don’t listen to the nay-sayers. You’re going to do what? That’ll never work, are you crazy?” As author, Brene Brown also states, “Do not be interested in hearing the opinion or feedback from those not willing to be in the arena getting their ass kicked.”
Having people in your life to support your ideas, goals, and visions can be the shot of adrenaline or espresso (for those coffee enthusiasts) that will take your goal and vision to the next level. Be careful who you let in this circle. I wouldn’t suggest your closest loved ones for obvious reasons unless you’ve already created that healthy relationship and boundaries with success. Let your partner be your partner and your relatives be relatives. Seek out a mentor, coach, and like-minded enthusiast to coach you up from where you are to where they know you’ve stated you’re going.
As we get deeper into the layers of the mindset build, we now begin to look at the nuts and bolts. How do we continue to have a positive, forward-thinking mindset? In my opinion, I believe we do this through consistent habits practiced daily and being persistent with visualization. As we visualize our desires, goals, and passions, understanding the role of daily habits is crucial. It is the difference between the 1% and the 99% of us. Being the 1% takes dedication, planning, and constant reminders until the goal has been met or achieved. What does the lifestyle look like for the 1%? Everything we’ve already discussed previously in this mindset chapter. This is why I have an entire chapter to set our foundation for the rest of the book.
The Nine Traits that the 1% Live By
1. They practice daily compassion
Daily compassion is not just for you, it is for others as well. As we extend compassion for others, we learn to also provide this needed gift to ourselves as we navigate through our own journey. Think about it. How many times have we easily provided compassion for others when we listen to their stories of failure or disappointment? On the contrary, how little do we think to provide ourselves the boost of compassion and reassure ourselves that the path less traveled wasn’t going to be easy? Every day is a new day to refuel and refresh your compassion tank. Our world and our work rely on it.
2. They meditate or find time for silence
Silence or meditative practices really clear out the daily clutter we allow to live in our hearts, mind, and soul. It’s the stories we can rewrite to match the passion and enthusiasm we have for our goals. Meditation and silence is a practice that benefits everyone in our lives we come into contact with. It provides the connective moments needed to check in with and be real with ourselves. This practice has immensely corrected poor thinking habits as well as created a daily peace. As we walk out our front door to greet the world’s chaos, high-paced check lists, duties, and responsibilities can be a fight some days. We can feel the world is coming at us not happening for us, as stated by one of my biggest inspirations, Tony Robbins. Through meditation and silence, the door now opens and the world can say, they’re up!! I AM prepared for creating the day I desire, not the other way around.
3. They eat nourishing foods
Diet is truly connected to how we feel, think and see the world. They say your gut is your second brain and honestly, they are right. I know this from my years of living and working in an industry where having good nutrition was essential; I had healthy fats to nourish my joints, and long sustainable energy to help fuel my 12-hour days. Our energy (or lack thereof) is directly affected by the foods we choose to eat as well as the caloric daily amounts we consume. Some of the most influential motivational speakers I know speak briefly on how they stay ahead of the competition through their daily food choices. Their secrets came down to intermittent fasting and eating a green apple daily. We will discuss further in Chapter 14 more tips and guidelines to feel well, make healthy choices, and provide some simple and easy recipes you can make to achieve optimal health. Private Chef, Personal Trainer, and Health and Wellness enthusiast for over 13 years, Jennifer Beyer, will be assisting me on this chapter. Not only is she my partner in business but also in life. Together we’ll inspire your daily choices, help you understand your body’s cravings and what they mean, as well as guide you in an ever-changing industry.
4. They have a Coach
I wouldn’t be where I am without the coaches I’ve invested in, simply put. Coaches are the fast track to personal success. Furthermore, coaches serve as your road map helping navigate through detours, red lights and stop signs. Just as Dean Graziosi, Tony Robbins, Dori Soukup, and many others I’ve studied with will also say–investing in a coach is investing in you. If you’re not going to invest in you, who will?
5. They get quality sleep
Briefly, sleep as you may know is an activity we need in our lives. We can’t not engage in it as it is required for us to live. It is essential for good health, organ restoration and rejuvenation. Check in with yourself to see how you feel after five, six, seven, eight, or nine hours of sleep. Over time, I know for myself that getting into bed before 9:30 p.m. and waking up by 4–4:30 a.m. is the perfect sleep for my ideal productivity and energy. Figure out where your sweet spot is and make it happen. Your body requires this of you! Especially in our industry with such physical demands. The body needs to regenerate so we have the stamina to perform all day.
6. They value personal development growth
Through the years I’ve collected, read, and highlighted many books. Among the more notable titles, there is Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill, 4-Hour Work Week by Tim Ferris and The Magic of Thinking Big by David J. Schwartz. All have been very influential and inspiring. Whether you enjoy reading, listening to a podcast, watching YouTube channels, or attending live events, each has a beautiful place to help you master your success. For me, these serve as a higher level of education but also keep my brain stimulated and amongst circles of like-minded people. If I can’t find someone locally to help me grow, I can always find someone in a book to read, or podcast to listen to. Through their writing or recordings, they can infuse me with lessons and strategies–and fast track me to my next level.
7. They have values
Honesty goes a long way. Good character goes even further. If you haven’t heard the saying before, that money changes people, it can be true. It can change you in many ways but you get to control how and who you become through your career changes. A smile never hurts anyone, and can turn someone’s bad day into a good one. Extending a compliment to someone can brighten their entire day. Never negotiate with yourself on your values. It doesn’t matter what your financial status is, what you used to drive and what you choose to drive now, or how many vacations you go on. Values should never be deviated from. We will come into contact with many people in our lives that have different values. They will try to give you their opinions on matters they know nothing about or possibly something about. Either way, always do what is right even when no one is watching. I couldn’t have built my two day spas by being dishonest, walking all over those who helped me in the first stages, or if I lacked appreciation towards the things and people who make it all happen. I would encourage you to write down your top 10 core values. My business has five main values, and each new employee sees it before signing on with us. If those core values don’t resonate with them and completely inspire them to be a part of our culture, we don’t hire them. Like-minded people are powerful and can accomplish a lot. We can be held to our values and hold each other to those same values.
8. They do what they love
Mark Twain puts it simply, do what you love, and you’ll never work a day in your life. When we tap into our passion and find purpose, we will always find the fuel to keep going. Life is short, and working every day in a field you’re either not passionate about or have lost passion for will affect all parts of the body, but especially your spirit.
9. They take risks
Risks are a part of leadership, management or owning your own business. The biggest risk is not taking one. Risks bring out the best and worst parts of an individual. Risk creates space for a host of emotions such as fear of the unknown, lack of control, and fear of failure, to name a few. As you work through your feelings of fear or lack of control you will see on the other side of fear is freedom.
In closing this mindset chapter, there is a lot of time and attention spent here because there are many layers and components to consider. As you move through this chapter you may need to pause or go back through and read it again, as new ideas and questions come up in you. For example, you may want to begin your meditation practice or write down some fixed mindsets and examples of how to make them your new growth mindset. Remember habits, traits, and mindset takes a lifetime to develop. That is why if you go to Amazon you’ll find pages and pages on this content. We as a culture need constant help and guidance. Be patient with yourself and allow room for grace.
Now let’s dive deeper into the meat of the book with our Seven R’s Formula Secrets.
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Chapter 5
Seven R’s Formula Secrets
The Seven R’s you will be learning with me took approximately 10 years to develop and fully implement in my own business. I want to fast track your success by providing you simple ways you can improve yourself, career, and personal potential. The exact strategies you’re about to learn are step-by-step with clear direction, storyline, and applicable impacts that will hopefully serve you in the exact way you’re seeking. As there are many parts to business and a multitude of ways to seek help by getting this book, you’ll have sustainable, consistent guidance that isn’t overly complicated, for you to always go back to.
Over the years my training has led me to many places in the United States as well as Worldwide. Thailand, South Africa, Poland, Florida, Arizona, California, and more. The beauty of each place and training provided a different level of enlightenment along my journey to help me see more clearly how to build a strong business and rapport with clients. I realized it wasn’t only about your hands touching the body or the certifications behind your name. Being a healer requires qualities that some of us including myself needed to sharpen and spend some time with.
When I moved to America my biggest challenge was my language hurdle, and it still causes me some frustration to this day. I’ve worked hard by studying and working with mentors, because speaking to our clients is a huge part of how we connect. Connection is key for proper feedback from a client. Some win with great hands but you can only serve to a certain level in your career as clients are looking for more.
How many of you can relate to sending clients outside your scope of practice? How many of you want to explain a yoga pose or stretch to a client but you felt you weren’t a yoga instructor, so you didn’t make the recommendation? What about wishing you knew more about the energy meridians so you could talk on the same page as your client who is sharing with you what they learned from their energy worker?
The point I am trying to drive home is that being a healer in our industry as a massage therapist requires you to be more, give more, and build more of your resume. The massage MBLEx is the prerequisite to truly meeting the ongoing needs of the clients you’re about to meet. What do I mean? When a client comes to you with pain here or there, there are MANY different directions you can take to infuse the session with other than just massage. Cupping, for instance, or fascia release, trigger point therapy, and Thai body work are some examples. The list goes on and on. If you don’t have the growth mindset to continue learning after massage school, then the other passionate massage therapists who are learning will surpass your work. Studies show that to master anything it requires 10,000 hours. I’ve worked with therapists in the industry for 16 years giving the same massage to every client they see. Their flow is the same, warm the body up, sweep here, push there, pulsate here, and move on. But you really want to continually advance your flow, touch, and skill sets as each client is(not italic) different. Continuing education is a key role in my personal fast track success. Luckily I am able to teach and provide CEU’s to my students for Thai body work and my Seven R’s Formula Program.
Currently I hold many certifications that some may not think are relevant to massage itself. I am proof through the years that I have used every training and certification course I’ve ever taken. Such courses include: Yin Yoga Training.
Ready to Transform
Your Practice?
Don’t miss this opportunity to elevate your massage therapy skills and business knowledge. Apply now to join Maciek Lyko LMT for a life-changing seven-day intensive training.
Chapter 6
Seven R’s Formula Secrets
What Our Participants Say
YOU OPPENED MY EYES ON UNTAPPED POTENTIAL I HAVE IN MY BUSINESS
Jennifer B.
- Spa Manager
YOUR INSPIRATION IS WELL NEEDED IN OUR INDUSTRY, THANK YOU FOR GIVING BACK AND SHARING YOUR EXPERIENCE AND KNOWLEDGE
Kare P.
- Massage Therapist
