I was very familiar with the body after being a ballet dancer and doing competitive running as a teen, so I delved into massage as a hobby at first. Then, after college, I realized I wanted a skill I could use to support myself living anywhere in the world, so I went to massage school.
I'm now on my tenth year of practicing massage, and I have had my own practice for the last seven years. I work with a lot of professional athletes and celebrities, and I make the most money by traveling with my exclusive clientele, because I get paid a flat rate of $600 to $800 a day. My normal sessions are $150 an hour.
I had always hoped to be making this much money because of the cost of living in San Francisco, but it's been very unexpected to do it through massage.
There's a stereotype of a massage therapist as someone who does it as a hobby, and it's not really looked at as a profession. But I've worked hard to build up my practice on my own, and I love the freedom of making my own schedule and being able to travel.
From sleeping in offices to following senior citizens to restaurants in order to find the best "early bird specials," these people will do almost anything to save a buck.
