Tagged: Atlanta

Tips for Attending the Atlanta Market

Posted by on in Blog, Events, self care 0 comment

Entrance to Building 2 at Atlanta Market

 

As a massage therapist that has worked shows at AmericasMart Atlanta, newly rebranded as The Atlanta Market as a massage therapist for over 11 years, there’s a lot you learn while you are there. Here are a few things that will help you have the best Market visit ever –

  1. Get insoles/proper walking shoes. Your shoes may go with
    Take care of your feet.

    If you’ve been on your feet for most of the day, and you haven’t taken care of them, be prepared to be taken hostage by them.

    your outfit, but they may not be suitable for walking thousands of steps a day. A shoe with good arch support goes a LONG way. Take care of your feet, so they won’t take you hostage later.

  2. Get the AmericasMart app, and have it updated. Carrying the app on your phone weighs less than carrying the book.  You won’t have to find the maps at the end of the hall, you’ll have the most updated information, and you will have a good idea of where the showrooms are that you’re looking for.
  3. Charge your extra backup batteries for your phone/laptop. Sockets are at a premium at lunchtime. Don’t be that person trying to maintain an important call with a 5% battery.
  4. Before you even leave the room, put 2 bottles of water in the room’s fridge. Use a cold one to roll under your sore feet. The other one is for drinking since you will probably be dehydrated by the time you get back.
  5. HYDRATE! Bring a water bottle with you. With all the walking that you will be doing, getting dehydrated is a definite possibility.
  6. Have a reasonable plan to shop. You are NOT getting to every showroom in the Market in one day. Don’t even think about it. The campus is too big and overwhelming. Find where the bridges that connect the buildings are. Take the campus in sections, so that you see everything you want in the time you have. Use the app to plan your trip, so you don’t miss anything.
  7. Take Breaks/ EAT! There are plenty of places to eat within AmericasMart, as well as the surrounding area. There’s a mall across the street that has a pretty big food court and a CVS next door. Get an idea as to when you are ready to eat, so you know what foods are available where you are.  Remember – the lines at Chik-fil-a are ALWAYS LONG, and will ALWAYS be closed on Sunday. Pack small snacks with protein when you are hungry and in the middle of a shopping binge.

    View of the inside of the Atlanta Market.

    The Market Campus is sprawling, bringing new products in every Market! Don’t be overwhelmed. Use the app to plan your trip.

  8. You are going to be buying a lot of products or carrying a lot of fliers and files. The load is going to get heavier, as the show progresses. Get a bag with wheels.  Make yours distinctive; lots of people will have the same idea.  Take out the things you won’t need the night before.  Putting the work on the floor frees up your body to carry itself.
  9. Last but not least, GET A MASSAGE! The Mart has a showroom that has massage therapists that will get those knots out of your shoulders and back as well as treat your feet. The earlier in the day you go, the less likely you’ll have to wait. I promise you, the massages are worth it; your feet and body will be rejuvenated!

EXTRA TIP: Know what end of the train you need to be on to get off at the correct side of the station. If you exit on the South end of Peachtree station, you will be at the Library. The North end is where you will want to be!

Most of all, have fun! Can’t wait to see what you get while you’re here.

 

Just Blog It – Best Advice I’d Ever Been Given

Posted by on in Business 4 comments

I was in my 10th year doing massage, and working for someone else before I decided to go and start my own business. After working for a few months, head down, just grinding, it seemed as if I wasn’t getting too far.

Isn’t it great how life just puts people on your path to let you know whether you’re on the right path? I met Tierra Destiny Reid at a gathering at an Atlanta Capital event, celebrating Women Business Owners. After I peeled myself off the ceiling and finished gushing, we talked for a while that day, and several years afterward. The thing she always told me was that “If you show up, I mean really show up, things will fall into place for you.” Go above and beyond, exceed customers’ expectations, and just do your best. And, for a while, business did well.

After dealing with an illness in our family, I changed my focus, so that I could be there. I literally stopped showing up. Now, that it has been a few months since the passing, I feel as if I’m back to square one.

The best way I know how to cope is watching comedies, or anything that would make me laugh. Bill Cosby was just recently awarded the Johnny Carson Award at the American Comedy Awards, and during his acceptance speech, he reminded me what I’m supposed to be doing to get back on the path. During his acceptance speech, he reminded everyone that you have to SHOW UP, not only for your audience, but for YOURSELF.

I just sat there, and cried. It was a very good and happy cry. The very thing I was already told, was being told to me by someone else. Sometimes, you just need to be reminded. So now, I’m going to get back to what I’m supposed to be doing, and show up, not only for my awesome and patient clients, but for myself.

Just Blog It – Introduce Yourself!

Posted by on in Massage Therapy 4 comments

Image Hi! My name is Sonia Hazard, and I am a self-described Positive Attitude Adjuster (otherwise known as a Massage Therapist). I am in my mid forties, and an empty-nester. I’ve been married for about 8 years now, and have my own business. 

My business is NiaMassage, a mobile massage business in the Metro Atlanta Area, that brings stress relief through massage therapy to offices and homes for the past three years. ‘Nia’ in Swahili means ‘Purpose’, and that is what I feel my purpose in life is, to help make other people feel better! I’ve done massages at Launch Parties, Diva Parties, Ambush Massages at work (The only people that knew we were coming was the boss!), as well as appearances at store and community events.Image

Writing blog posts for me are challenging, because I want to entertain and educate. This is an opportunity for me to get in the habit of writing, and have FUN with it! I’m still learning, so bear with me.  😉  See you tomorrow!

 

 

Client Question – What Kind of Client is Your Favorite?

Posted by on in Massage Therapy 6 comments

Got a Question?

Questions are free – Ask away!

So often, during a conversation, someone will ask me a question where as I am answering I say to myself,’This would make a great blog post!‘ I had just such a situation happen last week at the Atlanta Pampered Ladies’ Expo.

As I was manning my massage chair, waiting for the doors to open, a nearby booth mate asked, “Who is your best type of client?”

My best client is one who has never had a massage before, but have always wanted to get one. They want ask a lot of questions, but they don’t want to feel they are pestering you by asking a lot of questions. I encourage the questions, because I would like you to understand what your body is telling you. As Sy Syms would say, “An educated consumer is my best customer.” (Yes, I’m that old!) I try to relate information in plain English, so that the jargon doesn’t confuse or disinterest the client. (My husband is a computer programmer, so when he uses technical jargon to convey his story, I tend to look like the

Have you ever had someone talk to you, and you looked like this?

Have you ever had someone talk to you, and you looked like this?

RCA/Victor dog.) Now, if the technical jargon doesn’t throw you, I’ll use it. It also helps keep me sharp on my anatomy; what muscles work together to do a specific action and what muscles work against each other. I also try to throw in some humor, because if it’s even a little funny, the message tends to be memorable.

I’ve had all kinds of questions thrown at me, so not too much tends to throw me off my game. If I don’t know, I don’t know, but I’ll do my research. This way, we learn together! So come on, ask those questions, you’ve always wanted to ask!

Are your feet holding your whole body hostage?

Posted by on in Massage Therapy, self care, Stretching 0 comment

I walked a 5K this past weekend for the American Cancer Society in Atlanta. Now normally, it wouldn’t be a big deal, but I’ve had breathing issues most of this year, so walking even at a brisk pace was a challenge.

I walked it, in better time than I had the last time (I came in with the truck that picked up the cones at my last 5K). I was so happy that I went shopping to treat myself for a job well done, and was out for hours.

When I got home, hours later, I was tired, but wasn’t as tired as I had been in the past walks. My feet felt fine, but apparently were beginning to throw a serious hissy fit. As I slept, my feet held a meeting with the muscles in my calves.

If you've been on your feet for most of the day, and you haven't taken care of them, be prepared to be taken hostage by them.

If you’ve been on your feet for most of the day, and you haven’t taken care of them, be prepared to be taken hostage by them.

They regaled my calves with stories of abuse and mistreatment, and after all the stories, the calves believed my feet! In solidarity with my feet, my calves began to twitch, ever so slightly, my brain didn’t even notice. My feet were really upset that the brain still didn’t tell me to get up, that they gave an ultimatum – move that leg one more time, and SEE what happens next!

Again, as far as the brain was concerned, it was off the clock. ‘Time for maintenance, please come back later,’ the message replied. As I fell back to sleep, my legs shifted into a more comfortable position, and the feet seized the opportunity to wake me up.

The foot began to curl, as the calf muscles contracted. Just before it fully seized up, I bolted out of bed, and almost stood up on my foot, like I used to when I would get a Charlie horse. Once I calmed down, I took deep breaths, massaged the muscles, and got in that knot before any of the other muscles tried to gang up on me.

Now, as a massage therapist, I should know better. Yes, I see you shaking your head as you read the post. Everyone has a slip now and again.

Here’s how you can do better than I did. If you don’t take care of your feet, no matter how long your to-do list is, your feet will take your whole body hostage.

– After doing an activity, such as a 5K or a run, have a banana. The magnesium in the banana will help feed the muscles the nutrients they need to regulate and repair. Don’t like bananas? Here is a link of magnesium rich foods.

– A cool water bottle rolled under foot will help soothe sore soles. A golf ball will help address knots, but don’t press so hard, the cramp in your foot may just get worse. Apply pressure to your level of comfort only.

– Self massage always helps when you just want to take care of that knot that’s been bothering you. Again, digging into a knot may not be the best idea; bruises look cute on noone.

– Warm ups before and gentle stretching afterwards helps the muscles prepare for and recover from an activity. This is a hotly contested idea, and opinions vary widely. I’d rather let my muscles know that they’re getting ready to work, than to cramp up in the middle of an activity. Check out the last post – Leg Cramps – for some great stretches that you can do for your legs.

– A pre-event massage helps warm the muscles up and prepare them for your upcoming activity, as a post-event massage will help the muscles calm down and recover. If your event has therapists on site, go and check them out. They are there to help you!