Catherine’s inner scientist enjoyed her new training. While her classmates were improving their Swedish massage skills for relaxing clients with fancy-shmancy moves, Catherine was poking and prodding muscles to see if she could find the source of her fellow student’s pain complaint. She realized she was applying the cause-and-effect of her medical technology education to her massage therapy training. This was the first clue that Catherine’s approach to massage therapy would be unique.

The business strategy taught in the massage curriculum was to schedule clients to return every two weeks. While Catherine understood this business practice, for her, a client returning every two weeks to maintain a reduced level of pain would indicate she failed the client. Catherine's goal for her massage practice was to get the client better so they would not need to come back. This was the second clue that Catherine’s approach to massage therapy would be unique.

Catherine started her massage career at an airport spa. Passengers had very little time before their flights, requiring she quickly assess pain complaints and determine the most effective muscles to focus on for lasting pain relief.  She treated passengers with shoulder pain from carrying luggage, foot pain from non-supportive shoes, and tension headaches from the stress of living hectic lifestyles.

While working at the airport, Catherine became fascinated with the 5-8 minute turn-around time the shoe shiners had with their customers. She noticed how happy their customers were as they walked away; a spring in their step and happy to have their shoes shining like new again.

Catherine began envisioning a massage practice similar to the shoeshine business. She needed a comprehensive technique that would quickly restore clients to a pain-free life so they could walk away from her sessions, happy to have their bodies feeling like new again. This was Catherine's third and final clue that her approach to massage therapy would be unique.