Episode 334
Jan 15, 2021
Michael and Allissa discuss a letter from a listener and how unintentionally divisive language can alienate clients (and podcast listeners).
Listen to "E334: Can Divisive Language Alienate a Client?" on Spreaker.EPISODE 334
Weekly Roundup
- Cultivating Inner Stillness Workshops & Retreats
- Your EIDL grant that was initially not forgiven within the PPP will be automatically forgiven.
- QAnon conspiracy videos
Discussion Topic
- Michael and Allissa discuss a letter from a listener and how unintentionally divisive language can alienate clients (and podcast listeners).
- Resource: Personal Code of Ethics column out in the latest issue
Quick Tips
- Zelda Breath of the Wild
Sponsors
Transcript:
Sponsor message ABMP is proud to sponsor the Massage Business Blueprint podcast. CE courses you'll love are available for purchase or included for free with your membership in the ABMP education center at abmp.com/ce. Explore hands-on techniques, complete ethics requirements, and discover trending courses like "A Detailed Approach to Low Back Pain" from Allison Denney. All ABMP memberships include 200-plus video-based, on-demand CE classes. And if you're not a member, you can purchase access for single courses or CE packages at abmp.com/ce. Want more from ABMP? Check out the ABMP podcast, available at abmp.com/podcast, or wherever you prefer to listen. Expect more with ABMP.
Michael Reynolds Hey, everyone. Welcome to the Massage Business Blueprint podcast, where we help you attract more clients, make more money, and improve your quality of life. I'm Michael Reynolds.
Allissa Haines I'm Allissa Haines.
MR And we're your hosts. Welcome. We are glad to have you with us today.
AH We are. How are you, Michael?
MR Doing well. A little tired today, as I mentioned before we started recording, but doing great overall.
AH There you go. I -- why don't you go first? I think your -- what you've been reading and watching is fascinating, and I want to hear what you have to say about it. So I really thought you were going to give us a PPP update, and you're going in a totally other direction, so bring it.
MR Nope. No -- nothing useful and practical today, which is my -- usually on brand for me. So I'm a little embarrassed to admit this, but -- so I've been watching QAnon conspiracy videos, and here is why. So I -- first of all, a little fun fact about me: I am fascinated by conspiracy theories. Not in the way that I believe them, but I'm fascinated by them, like the whole lizards living under the Denver airport and UFOs and stuff like -- I'm just -- I'm fascinated by conspiracy theories. So I just -- I love reading about them and just seeing what people say. And so of course, with what's going on right now in the current events and the whole -- everything going on right now, people are sharing a lot of crap. And some people that I have not yet gotten around to unfriending in my Facebook feed are sharing -- and comments on the people's stuff. They're sharing these videos about how there's this revolution coming and new world org and all this stuff, and how the cabal in our government has been ruling our lives forever.
Anyway, I've been watching a couple these because I'm just fascinated. And wow, they're just fascinating. [Laughing] So I'm not going link to them, of course, because that -- I just -- no, I'm not going to do that. But some of these videos it makes me both fascinated and really sad and scared for our country because the production value and the emotional -- the appeal it makes to emotion that these videos create is pretty well done. If you're -- if you kind of lean toward believing some of this stuff, these videos drive it home. And it just makes me sad a little bit because I know a lot of people get caught up in this stuff, and it's --
AH Dude, I've been seeing all of these stories about people -- I mean, we all know -- a lot of us have had to cut off family members and stuff who's just gone around the bend with it.
MR Yeah.
AH But I was reading the other day stories about people whose marriages -- marriages of 35, 40 years -- are just ending --
MR Yeah.
AH -- because of this insanity, this weird cult-like thing happening and the production value. And I think the persuasive -- but I think the word we're looking for is really high-quality manipulation of people's emotions.
MR Yeah. Yeah.
AH It's bonkers.
MR Yeah. So yeah. Nothing useful to report other than I've just -- being honest about what I have been watching and reading because it's just fascinating and not in a great way. So yeah.
AH Okay. Well, I have two useful things.
MR Please bring it.
AH So I'm going to carry you today. So the first thing is I just wanted to kind of give a heads up. Everybody knows I hate taking continuing education. I really struggle being in a room full of massage therapists, or I really struggle with attentiveness. And I did take -- I took a course online, three days, "Bodywork for Depression and Anxiety," and it was great. And it was with a company called Cultivating Inner Stillness Workshops and Retreats. And it is owned and run by Tracey Moon and Sharon Nash. And a couple months ago, I took a one-hour class with them, "Ethics: Cultivating a Mindful Practice," and it was very, very good.
And the three-day experience of taking this "Bodywork for Depression and Anxiety" last week was wonderful. They run a class so well. From the time I signed up and even before then, I knew what was going to happen. The instructions they sent us and the info they sent us was so clear: When does class start? What's it going to look like? What's the rough lunch time every day? And it was just beautifully organized. And if you've ever been in a really badly organized CE, you know what I'm saying here. It was just very well done. They managed the class well. And it's a Zoom, but it felt good. And I was really worried about, like, oh, my gosh, three days in front of a computer. And it was three days online, but it wasn't like sitting and staring at a lecture. It was experiential. There was movement involved. It was really, really -- it was a good class, and it was a good online class. And that's so surprising to me to have a good CE experience that I wanted to make sure people knew about it.
And I'll note: I actually followed up the day after the class because I had some concerns about how something was expressed in regards to scope of practice. And I -- it didn't fit in the eval, so I emailed them the next day. And I got the most thoughtful response to my feedback and my concern that I've probably ever gotten from anyone ever. It was -- clearly she heard what I was saying. She responded in a way that wasn't at all defensive, acknowledged the point I had, expressed what was going on from her perspective, and also noted adjustments that could be made so someone wouldn't feel the way I felt about it in the future. I have never had a better feedback experience than I did with Tracey regarding this class. And having a good feedback experience is something we're going to be talking about later in this episode. So it really helped me to have that experience like three days before what's going on with our topic you'll hear about in a minute. So anyhow, cultivatinginnerstillness.com is the website. Everyone should check it out. Maybe take a class with them.
And I do want to note it wasn't the perfect class for me. There was some reflexology stuff, and I'm not really into that. But it was bodywork for depression and anxiety and not massage for -- so I knew this going in, and I was really satisfied. And I learned a lot of nuggets that are going to help me in my practice. So that's my endorsement of that.
My next bit is just a little note since Michael's not covering PPP stuff. If you received that EIDL grant early on in this pandemic where you could get, typically, like $1,000 if you were a single-person business, straight up grant, it -- you applied for the grant and the loan together, and they just threw the grant in your checking account, and then you never explored the loan. And then later on, if you applied for a PPP and it was forgiven, the way the rules used to be written, that initial grant of $1,000 would not be forgiven. That would end up being part of the loan that you had to pay back. It was kind of a weird little thing. However, the newest legislation that was passed a couple weeks ago says that, nope, you're not going to have to pay that back. You don't have to pay the grant back. But for a lot of us, I already got my loan forgiven except for that 1,000-dollar grant. And I checked in with my bank last week and was like, hey, what do I do? You're still saying I owe this $1,000. And they're like, sit tight. We're not sure how this is going to go, but we got your back.
Anyhow, the SBA did put out some clarification on this. And if you're waiting for that last $1,000 to be forgiven, you don't need to do anything, and your lender doesn't need to do anything. We just need to give it a few weeks. The SBA is going through all of the loans, all of the PPPs that were forgiven, and they are noting where they didn't forgive that grant amount, and they are reimbursing the lender for it and any interest if you had already started making payments. So you just need to sit tight. You'll get that portion of your loan forgiven. You might want to check in with your lender to see if you still need to make payments. If your payments are coming due, you might need to make payments until this is all handled. But you will be reimbursed for any interest that you're charged as well as having that grant money refunded. I hope that made sense. It may not have. The link will be in our podcast notes. And that's what I have to say.
MR Thanks for bringing value to our conversation.
AH Thank you.
MR [Laughing]
AH Also -- oh, another little PPP tidbit that I didn't put in the notes because I learned it this morning and I'd already had an email exchange with our accountant, Kim, at The Tax Advantage: some states are considering the PPP taxable income. Once it's forgiven, they're considering it taxable income. So if you received a PPP and it's been forgiven, make sure -- if you have a tax preparer in your own state, they're going to know this, but mention it. And maybe do that stat because the day this comes out on Friday, January 15th, is the day that your fourth quarter estimates are due. So it turned out because this decision hadn't been fully clarified yet within Massachusetts, I underpaid my fourth quarter estimates for the state. So when I learned about all this this morning, I emailed my tax preparer, my accountant, and I was like, hey, does this mean I need to pay income tax on that money? And she was like, yes, yes, you do. This is -- and this was clarified a couple days ago. So heads up on that. Make sure you know if your state is going to consider that forgiven PPP taxable income.
MR Thank you.
AH That's what I got.
MR Right on. All right. So before we move on, let's show some love to our sponsor, Jojoba!
AH I was looking forward to you doing that.
Sponsor message The Jojoba Company is the only company in the world that carries 100% pure, first-pressed quality jojoba. We are delighted to be their partner. It does not go rancid. It doesn't contain triglycerides like many products do, so it won't go bad. It can sit on your shelf. It's stable; it doesn't have to be refrigerated, but it can be. And it makes jojoba a great carrier for essential oils because you can put a few drops of that very expensive essential oil in there and know that it's not going to get all funky and gross before you use it up. You, my friends, can get a 20% discount off the price of the product when you shop through our link massagebusinessblueprint.com/jojoba.
MR All right. What do we got today?
AH So we got a letter, an actual paper-printed letter that was old-school U.S. Postal Service mailed to Michael. And Michael's address is the business address for our business. And there's a -- there's some interesting things to unpack in this listener feedback that we got, and I thought it would make a really great topic for today. So Michael, would you read that letter for us?
MR Sure. Let me grab it here.
To Massage Business Blueprint: I've been listening to your podcast for years and felt I had to write in. I'm frustrated and confused with Allissa's repeated negative comments about Christians. Within your business, you promote inclusivity and acceptance. I've never heard her call out a Jew or a Muslim. That would be anti-Semitic or Islamophobic, respectively. Why, then, is it acceptable to be critical of Christians? I find it particularly confusing that some issues she's brought up against Christians are principles and beliefs shared by Judaism and Islam. Why is it permissible to solo out Christians for beliefs shared among religions? Before she goes off on a rant, I'm in no way indicating she would be disparaging of Jews or Muslims. I'd ask her to be more thoughtful with her words. I don't think comments critical of any religion or belief system is appropriate for a podcast about massage business. It's your podcast, and I realize she doesn't care if she alienates anyone or whether people agree. However, I don't find those remarks to be beneficial for the growth of massage therapists and their business. Thank you sincerely, a long-time listener that keeps trying to stick with you.
AH So Michael, what are your impressions of this letter?
MR Sure. So my impressions -- a few thoughts: one is I'm really happy they cared enough to send feedback. I really -- I think this says something that this listener cared enough about us or about listening to us or about what we say or just cared enough in general to send feedback. So that really means a lot. I really appreciate that. I enjoy that.
However, I was bothered that it was anonymous. And I'm not going to try to get too judge-y on the "why," but I just -- I don't know. I just feel like there's -- I'd like to know the reason it was anonymous. I love it when people can be transparent and not anonymous and give us feedback with who they are, and that way we can respond directly and have a conversation. So I was a little bothered that it was anonymous and that we have no way to really directly talk to this person.
And then, three, I was trying to think of an example in which you were -- let's see. What was the term? I think it was "negative comments about Christianity." I don't -- I couldn't think of a time when you were negative, at least in our podcast, about Christianity. I'm not saying you did or did not say something like that. But I couldn't think of any, at least, recent examples, so I was having trouble figuring out what the example was. And I know that in the past you have been critical of Christianity, and I think you're less so more, at least my impression. So I don't know if that means that you have softened your view a little or you're hiding it better or a little bit of both. But in general, I couldn't think of any recent examples. So those were my thoughts when I got it.
AH Well, I do think that -- I do think there have been some examples. I think it's usually in the context of criticizing advice that comes from rich, straight, Christian, white guys. In that context, I think we've -- I have probably noted that a lot. So I do think there -- that was the only context I could think of. But it definitely -- I feel like those examples were probably there at least within that context.
MR Yeah. Yeah. And for the record, just so everybody knows, I'm a Christian and Allissa is not, and so we have -- that's kind of where we're coming. Yeah.
AH Yeah. So this was a really interesting letter. And there's a couple of bits of it that I want to unpack, and there's also a couple of bits that I think are super relevant to our massage practices, which is why I wanted to kind of make this a topic. But let's start with the primary topic, which is that the concern and the complaint that Allissa is negative exclusively about Christianity.
So I selectively pick out Christianity. I wasn't doing this purposefully, but I've kind of thought on how this -- and I think this is what's going down. When we discuss religion as it relates to business or as it relates to financial advice, which we talk about a lot here, I was raised in a Christian church, multiple Christian church -- a few different variations of it. It is the religion that I have the most frequent interaction with and access to. It is the religion I discuss most with a friend -- with a couple of friends. I specifically have a friend who is a Baptist minister. And it -- so because it's the religion I am most familiar with, it feels -- I guess what I'm -- I'm going to say, when I'm throwing punches, it feels the most self-deprecating because having had the experience in Christian churches that I have had, it feels more self-deprecating like I'm kind of dragging on my past versus insulting or offensive to me. I get how that would not feel that way to someone else.
Also, to note Christianity when I am trying to note a belief system that could be problematic within our businesses or in our financial advising, I feel like to note Christianity is punching up versus punching down. Christianity is the most popular religion in the United States. The most recent number I could come up with was that from 2016 -- totally Wikipedia, so take it all with a grain of salt; it's probably close but not exact -- is that in the United States, Christianity comprises 73.7% of adults in the United States. And this includes all kinds of variations of Christianity like Lutheran, Mormon, Catholic, Episcopalian, Methodist, Evangelical, Baptist, etcetera, etcetera, etcetera, etcetera. And we know that there are massive -- there's a lot of diversity within that field of Christianity. But because it is the dominate religion in Massachusetts, it feels like I'm punching up when I critique it versus punching down to a minority religion where -- which is maybe underrepresented in the United States like Judaism or Buddhism or Muslim, etcetera, etcetera, etcetera. Christianity is neither oppressed nor in danger of being extinguished in the United States. No matter what Fox News says, there's no shortage of people who are saying "Merry Christmas" around the holidays.
MR For the record, as a Christian, I agree with that completely. We are -- the Christian religion is not in danger of being oppressed.
AH Yeah. And so for that reason, I feel like when something needs to be pointed out in relation to business, that to -- one, it is the most accurate example to give, being that 70-something percent of Americans are Christian, but it also -- that it is punching up. So that's that.
But I do want to say that, yeah, the listener has a valid point, and I can probably find less divisive language. And if there is some reason that a belief system needs to be addressed in relationship to business marketing, business finances, business advice, all of that stuff, I can certainly find less divisive language. I don't need to specify Christianity, or if I do, I can say why I feel that needs to be specified. So this listener has a point, and I want them to know that that point is well taken. And it was really good to think this through. And yeah. So that's that.
I also think that overall, this is a really good lesson for what's happening in our world right now. To say that we are in turbulent times is just a gross understatement for most of us. Even what Michael was saying earlier about watching these QAnon videos and talking about people we've had to cut out of our lives because they've -- I'm going to use this term and get flayed for it, but "round the bend." And that's not fair, but to see these people who have been manipulated and taken in by this kind of propaganda; our core values are being tested. We're having to readjust our lives. And never mind having been -- having to had to isolate for ten months to avoid a plague, but knowing that when we reemerge and get back to social activities and get back to family activities that there will be people maybe we choose to not see. And our communities are going to change, and our families are going to change, and our traditions are going to change. This is a really weird time, and we're cutting people out of our lives based on what's happened with the pandemic but also interpretations of the words "democracy" and "coup." And I personally am not on board this "unite and heal" train that some people are trying to push.
So everything is so divisive right now. I think we really -- and I know for me, I really got to step back and examine, are there other places in my world, not just this podcast, but especially within my massage business, where I'm using unintentionally divisive language? And I'm going to put a link to it in the show notes, but the most recent column that we had out in the ABMP's Massage & Bodywork magazine is talking about creating a personal code of ethics. And I had been kind of rereading that since the paper issue came and around the time that this -- this week when Michael got this letter. And I was revisiting it and thinking -- I kind of segmented my personal code of ethics into what my responsibilities are to clients and what they are to colleagues and what they are to me. And the primary goal is to keep a -- keep clients emotionally safe in my massage practice at all times and not just when they're on my table but in every interaction they have with my business. I want my clients to feel emotionally safe and cared for and heard.
And I -- this all made me reflect very carefully. Am I accidentally using any -- perpetuating any stereotypes? Obviously, I think I'm pretty hip with not using racial or cultural slang that could be insulting to any group. I do think I'm good with that. But are there places I could be doing that unintentionally? And that's something I'm going to have to think about. I couldn't -- I was thinking back, and I'm like, well, I wonder if when I offer somebody a discount because I think that they can't afford to come in every week, and I want them to come in every week and -- for some health issue, and I offer them a discount as if they can't afford it, is that inappropriate? Is that -- am I assuming poverty? Is that insulting to them? I wonder if everyone's ever perceived that as being insulting.
So I'm not saying we should second guess every word we say to our clients. But I'm saying that this brought up some really interesting thought processes. And also considering if we have unintentionally offended somebody or alienated somebody, do we care and to what context do we care and to what extent do we care? The sign I have up in my office that has "hate has no business here," and it's got rainbows all over it and affirms that people of all religions and people who speak all languages and people with all orientations and abilities and colors and da-da-da-da-da-da, if that sign offends someone, if that sign is too divisive in a client's interpretation and they see it the first time there and they don't come back, am I okay with that? I am okay with that. If I unintentionally say something rude or offensive about, let's say, religion, do I care if a client doesn't come back because of that? I do. I do care, and that's something I want to be really mindful of.
I have to clear my throat, so I'm muting for a second. Michael, do you have anything to say here?
MR Sorry. I was scrambling for the unmute button.
AH I know. I'm sorry. I didn't give you any warning on that, but I was really phlegming up.
MR [Laughing] That's okay. I had the wrong window open. No, I do not. I agree. Nothing to add.
AH Okay. Good. That gave me enough time to clear my throat and get a sip of coffee.
MR [Laughing].
AH Okay. So the lesson I am taking from this is that there are always places in my world where I can examine things I say and the way I say them in a way to be more welcoming to all people in a lot of different ways. So I'm taking that lesson from this. Now, the final bit of this -- well, no, actually -- I'm sorry. It's not the final bit.
Our listener feels that comments that are critical of religion or a belief system do not belong here. And I will say that I vehemently disagree with that. And I think Michael probably does too. This is a podcast for colleagues. This is not a massage room where I am charged with keeping a client emotionally safe. Of course I want to be open and accessible to all of my colleagues, but you are adults, and you are professionals. And I think it is incumbent upon you to do thinking about the things I say in order to determine if they -- if it is good advice for you. I do not feel that same level of keeping you safe as I do for clients in my massage room. Michael and I are people, and we have thoughts and feelings. And we are living in a particular culture with other people who have thoughts and feelings. And pretending that that's not so isn't going to help us grow as people or practitioners or business consultants or, in Michael's case, a financial advisor.
And to say that religion -- any discussion of religion doesn't belong in a business podcast is just like saying like, never massage your husband because ethics. That's dumb. These issues require thought and context, and that is what we are all about. If we counted the number of times I said the word "context" over the last six years, it would be very high. And I do think that if we've learned anything from the past few years living in the United States, it's that these issues of culture and race and religion and politics, they are absolutely not separate from our business. The very act of accepting a body as it is, as worthy of safe, skilled touch, that is a radical and political act. The very act of running a business that honors all bodies is a radical and political act, and we need to own that instead of hiding from it.
Last week in our Massage Business Blueprint Premium Community, we had this anti-racism initiative within the group. And a handful of us -- it's a mix and match of people on different months. And last week when we met, we talked about this topic, how we respond to racist remarks that clients might say or inappropriate stuff in that vein. And I shared a statement that I have been working on and -- because I have had clients kind of say like, why do you have that sign up that says, you're welcome to all, and isn't that a little political? And I've had -- I've been thinking a lot in the past year how our culture -- and that is inclusive of race and religion and political belief and all of these things, how my business functions in that culture and how that culture's relative to what's going on in my massage room. And I've been kind of figuring out how to phrase that connection.
The statement I'm going to read to you that I've come up was in the context of our anti-racial group, so it veers that way. But it applies to all of these situations. And what I've landed on is, it is my job to help people feel at home in their bodies as those bodies exist in the world in terms of size and color and ability and religion and belief. And because of all of this, because it is my job for people -- to help people feel at home in those bodies, I feel compelled to advocate for social justice, and that includes recognizing issues of racism that may come up in my massage room. This is not the end-all, be-all mission statement. It is not even my mission statement. But it is why I feel that discussion of these potentially volatile topics in our culture is important in my massage business, and it's important in Massage Business Blueprint as we help people navigate their own massage and bodywork businesses. To say that it doesn't belong here is just -- it's just wrong. It's wrong, and I think it's naïve too. And I wanted to say that.
The last bit of this is a little bit of the letter that I found problematic for a few reasons. Michael sent me a screenshot, a picture, of this letter. And at first, it made me feel really, really sad that someone felt that their feedback needed to be anonymous. And I felt really sad and sorry that I created an environment where someone felt that their feedback would automatically be met with drama or with a rant. And I took that on myself, and I felt that way for a few minutes. And then I realized -- and I'm so appreciative to a few colleagues who kind of helped me through this second look at this letter -- that that wasn't really what's happening here. I automatically assumed all of the "blame," and I'm putting that in quotes for this situation, where someone wanted to give anonymous feedback. And that is super messed up. I should not have assumed all of the blame. This is on that person, that letter writer, that listener, as much as if not more than it's on me.
I also want to note that -- I mean, it was sent anonymously. It was sent to Michael, and Michael and I are assuming that it was sent to Michael because his address is the business mailing address. My address is pretty easily found in the world as well. But my first instinct was to be like, oh, so they think Michael, because he's the man of this business, is the rational one who needs to keep me in check. And I kind of moved down from that because this was the address they had. That's fine. But I do want to note that the letter also suggests that I will go off on a rant -- "before she goes off on a rant." Thoughtful feedback has never sent me on an uncontrolled rant, and I find that really insulting and unwarranted since it hasn't happened in the past.
I have absolutely responded to a few vile and ignorant and insulting reviews that we have received, passionately, also with intelligence and thought. But to assume that I would react to all feedback that way is super wrong. It is unwarranted, and there are scores of people who have emailed me questions and feedback for the last 12 years who can attest to that. And I find myself wondering why the listener felt the need to note that, and I think they need to check their misogyny, and I think they need to check their internalized misogyny here. The way this feedback was handled from this listener absolutely tried to position me as an irrational lady villain, and that is some misogynist, self-righteous crap. It is the kind of thing that leads to women being cast in words that rhyme with "itch" roles. I don't want to make this an explicit episode. I'm working very hard at that.
I also want to note that I am the primary content creator here mostly because I am the practicing massage therapist. I also tend to be the more animated half of this partnership. And if you have ever tried to hold people's interest in teaching email marketing for six hours in front of a class of 25 massage therapists, I think you might start to recognize why it's important to be passionate and excited about these kinds of topics. If I am to do this job well, teaching what could be tedious and boring and scary topics to massage therapists who may not have had previous business education, you need to be a little ridiculous and fun and passionate and exciting. And I will not apologize for that.
And finally -- and I promise this is the last bit -- we do need to note that women who are assertive and passionate are written off as being aggressive and emotional. And men who are assertive and passionate get offered TED talks and presidencies. Women are forced to lead in a very certain way to be palatable to men, and also to women, with internalized misogynist issues. And I am certainly not that way. I don't know if I should be apologizing for that. In fact, I won't apologize for that. And I will not apologize for not fitting in to what this listener thinks is a suitable role and tone for me. So while there was a lot of great feedback, and I'm glad it led us to this topic, we all need to check ourselves on occasion when we feel the need to critique someone, especially someone who is a public figure, and maybe not tone police.
So good talk, thank you for the feedback, and I hope I answered the question to your satisfaction. And I also hope that if you ever have any feedback, you feel you can just send it to us directly. I'm done, Michael.
MR All right. Thank you. Appreciate that. Yeah, I'm not going to add anything because it was directed -- it was -- the feedback was for you, and I think you should be the one that responds. I appreciate you sharing all that. It's good stuff.
AH Way to man up, Michael.
MR Well, okay.
AH [Laughing]
MR Hang on. Hang on.
AH [Laughing] I'm teasing. I'm teasing.
MR I didn't want to be the guy who was like, okay, now I've got to add my two cents, so that's what I was trying to accomplish here. So back off.
AH [Laughing] You did that well. You are an amazing ally of feminism and a feminist yourself.
MR [Laughing]
AH All right. Now that I'm sure all of our sponsors are regretting being involved with us, who's our next sponsor?
MR Well, it's Acuity if they still want to stick with us. Hey, Acuity, we love you!
AH Yay!
Sponsor message Acuity is a scheduler and an online assistant that works like a charm. You never need to ask, what time works for you? again. Clients can view your real-time availability and self-book their own appointments and even pay online, reschedule with a click; it is awesome. You can look, act professional by -- I said that all wrong. You can look and act professional, as you should, by offering convenient scheduling to your clients. And you can make it match your brand and your voice with all kinds of customizations. You will never have people missing an appointment because they -- you can send reminders via email and also via text, and it's just super awesome. You, my friends, can get a special 45-day free offer when you sign up today at massagebusinessblueprint.com/acuity.
AH Michael, what do you got for quick tips?
MR [Laughing] So something light. If anybody out there has a Nintendo Switch and you're not playing Zelda: Breath of the Wild, I think you may want to give it a look. It is so much fun. So this is fairly useless and not really a ton of value necessarily, but if you're looking for a distraction, I am really enjoying Zelda: Breath of the Wild. I got it for my wife for Christmas, and it was a stocking stuffer. I -- she likes playing games, and we don't have a ton of games that are more adult-oriented; we have a lot of kids games, but the grownup games are in short supply, so I got that one for her, and I've been playing it as well. She's loving it. She's gotten a lot further than I have. But it's so much fun. It's a great distraction. It's a gorgeous game. It is fun. It's full of quests and goals and -- it's just a beautiful game, so I've just been loving playing it. So if you're looking for an awesome solo game to kind of lose yourself in as a fun distraction and you've got a Switch, I highly endorse Zelda: Breath of the Wild.
AH Rock on. I do not have any quick tips.
MR [Laughing]
AH Yeah. That's all I got.
MR Cool.
AH Hey, if you have feedback, and you don't want to write it on your computer word processing program and print it out and mail it anonymously to Michael, you can just email us, podcast@massagebusinessblueprint.com. Send me your topics, send me your hate mail, whatever you want, man. We'd love to cover it in a podcast. And Michael, what am I missing?
MR I do want to note, I am fairly certain that it was not directed to me. It was directed to us.
AH Yeah, I think so too.
MR And -- because of my address. I want to be sure that's clear because I don't want it to be misconstrued.
AH No.
MR So I do think it was directed at us because my address was --
AH I absolutely think that way too.
MR Okay. All right. With that, let's wrap it up. It's a great place to wrap things up. [Laughing] Hey, everyone, thanks for joining us today. You can find us at massagebusinessblueprint.com as always. And thanks for joining us today. Have a great day. We'll see you next time.
AH Bye.