Meet Carl Jerome of Carl Jerome Therapeutics in West Houston

So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story?
During my younger years, I grew up in Southern California. Our parents were divorced and us 4 kids lived with our mother. When I was 11 years old, I had a fun paper route job delivering papers every day after school and weekend mornings. My brother, who was a couple of years older, had a paper route as well. We learned about work ethics at a very early age. On occasion, a customer of mine didn’t get their paper, so I’d hop on my bike and make a personal delivery. We had lots of fun living in Orange County.  Being that we lived close to Anaheim, one of the perks of hard work and not missing a single day delivering the paper, we were rewarded with trips to Disneyland, Knott’s Berry Farm, Magic Mountain, and Universal Studios…without parents! Summers many kids dream of. We did have chaperones though. I always had an extra ticket or two so I was able to invite my friends. That’s what I remember most!

Moving to Bridge City, Texas at 13 years old to live with my dad was a culture shock to say the least. I went from amusement parks and the beach to camping out in the woods with mosquitos, hunting, riding friends 3-wheelers and jumping from a drawbridge in one of many swimming holes. My work ethics continued into my teen years with my job at a grocery store working up to a stocker. One of my favorite duties was that I had to keep the beer isle stocked. I was very popular on Friday nights when I rolled a cart full of ice cold beer that I was chilling in the freezer. Even though I wasn’t drinking then, I knew Texans loved their cold beer. I excelled at my Construction job with Brown & Root after graduation, being promoted from a laborer to a pipe fitter helper within a few months. When I joined the Navy, I learned all about the engine room and operated all the machinery, like the evaporators, which turned sea water into distilled water. After 4 years of the Navy, I ended up at a warehouse/manufacturing facility outside of Austin. It was a temporary position because I was waiting to figure out what I wanted to do for college. Before I knew what was happening, I was hired for a permanent position and very soon after, I was a team leader. That wasn’t enough for me, so during that time, I had a part time job working evenings and weekends at a group home for men with head injuries. I was all about fun and entertainment going on outings with the guys like to UT football games. I decided to quit my warehouse job after 7 years and started working at an Alzheimer’s Assisted Living Facility. After working there for a year, I was awarded the employee of the year. I think that’s where I developed my nurturing side, although I think it was there all along. The residents enjoyed polka dancing and massages.

After seeing a massage school commercial, something clicked. On a whim, I registered for massage school and found myself learning all about anatomy and physiology. Thinking back, several of the women at my warehouse job always wanted me to massage their necks and shoulders and would often tell me I should do it for a living. I had my doubts. I went to school in the day and worked at the Alzheimer’s facility in the evening.  Six months later, I passed the State exam.

Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
In 2001, my wife and I had moved from Austin to Houston because my wife had a job opportunity working on the Court TV show called Texas Justice. I had just graduated massage school, so the timing was perfect. It was also a good move because my brother lived here as well.  Once we got settled, my brother drove me all over Houston to assisted living facilities so I could drop my cover letter and information about the benefits of geriatric massage. I wanted to provide massages at Alzheimer’s facilities. Out of a dozen or so facilities, one facility hired me to come several hours once a week. That was my very first massage gig!

The next massage gig was the Texas Justice crew where my wife worked. A client there referred me to a spa where she was also a client. I was hired immediately after the interview massage. I had been providing mostly chair massages at area businesses during the week and I massaged at the spa on Saturdays. Although it was challenging, I was starting to develop repeat business. After six months, I took a leap of faith and broke off on my own. Looking back, that probably wasn’t the best idea. I banged on a few doors and had a few corporate gigs, but it wasn’t enough, but I persevered.

A friend recommended me to another massage therapy business and I reluctantly met with the owner. I started immediately as an independent contractor. I learned different techniques massaging through clientele’s clothes. I provided many hours providing massages at area bike races, many health fairs, and complementary massages at Memorial park. It was amazing. My schedule started to fill up. Having a mentor and hard work made a big difference.

In 2013, my building where I was working was torn down. That’s when I went off on my own and started Carl Jerome Therapeutics. I subleased a space with a Pilates instructor and Chiropractor. Recently, I opened a second location with another Pilates/aerobics studio.

Although I have my independence, I like being part of a team. What I have discovered over my lifetime is that when one door closes another seems to open. Sometimes, more than one.

Please tell us about Carl Jerome Therapeutics.
I provide a clothing-on therapeutic sports massage specializing in pain and injury. I believe that I get results. There are many people who avoid massage because they may not want to get undressed under a sheet. That’s not an issue with me. My clients consist of teenagers, our elderly population, and everybody in between. Massaging through the clothing makes perfect sense.

I also believe that I have empathy. Not just regarding pain and injury, but with life experiences. I’m told that I have a sixth sense and intuitively zone-in on pain and apply just the right pressure. I am also told that I have a kind soul. Massage therapy is also very intimate and personal, so there needs to be mutual trust, especially when receiving a massage from a massage therapist for the first-time. Maybe that’s why massage franchises are doing so well. People value economics, convenience, and safety most. Although I love having my regular clients, my goal is to help people in one or two sessions, sometimes it may take a few more times. Most clients leave feeling much better than when they arrived and continue to improve each additional session. Some find my massages relaxing and therapeutic and many benefit by continuing on a regular basis for maintenance.

Most of my clients are through repeat business and referrals, with several clients who still come on a regular basis for 15 years now. I feel blessed to have that! I may see others once or twice and not see them again. Recently however, I’ve have several clients come back after for 5 or more years when they develop a new pain and then… they’re gone again. That reassures me that they were happy with the therapy and think of me when they’re hurting. Without feedback though, I don’t always know if the therapy helped. I still want validation.

If you had to go back in time and start over, would you have done anything differently?
I ask myself this all of the time! I regret not investing in Apple Inc. back in March of 1986, the year that I graduated High School. Commercial Real Estate would’ve been a lucrative career. When I look back over all of my careers from Brown & Root after high school, the United States Navy, warehouse/manufacturing work, the Alzheimer’s assisted living facility, and now massage therapy. I enjoyed and advanced at them all and I needed all of my jobs to get me to where I am at today. I just gave up before the miracle. Instead of sticking with one career field, I started over too many times, which wasn’t the best financial decisions. The main ingredient that was missing was confidence. I was afraid that I wasn’t good enough and I would fail. I have grown a lot since I’ve been a massage therapist. I have amazing clients and some of my older clients have adopted me into their family and have become the role model that I never had growing up. To restart any of the careers that I had in the past, I know that I would succeed as long as I put my heart and soul in it, like I do with my massage therapy. Although my goal is to heal my clients so they get back to a quality of life, being a massage therapist has healed me in more ways that I can say. I try not to go back in time too often, however, examining my past blunders help me to prevent repeating the same mistakes in the future. One of my favorite quotes that I like repeating is, “We keep moving forward, opening new doors, and doing new things, because we’re curious and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths.” -Walt Disney

I feel fortunate to have a loving wife of 25 years, an amazing teenage daughter, a home with a mortgage, a career that I thoroughly enjoy, which almost pays the bills, and a few good friends. Without a doubt, however fearful and challenging it may be at times, I’ve enjoyed exploring new opportunities, new interests, and meeting new people from a very early age. I know that will continue for my future. Life has been a journey and one large rollercoaster ride that keeps life interesting.

Anything else you can share with us?
I’ve had many challenges in my life. My mother passed away from cirohisis of the liver when I was just 14 years old.  My father passed away as well from a shrimp boat accident in my early 20’s. Then, both of my brother’s passed away, one from suicide when he was 33 and the other from HIV when he was 39. On top of that, my daughter was born with Neurofibromatosis and developed a tumor behind her eye causing her to be blind in that eye. At 13 years old, she’s an amazing young lady. I have a whole new prospective on life and many times, I feel like I am living on borrowed time.

Contact Info:

• Address: 1502 Augusta ste. 480A Houston Texas 77057
  14090 Memorial Dr. Houston Texas 77079
• Website: carljerometherapeutics.com
• Phone: 832-233-5488
• Email: carljerome@massagetherapy.com