Today we’d like to introduce you to David Johnson.
David, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I have always been active in multiple sports including weightlifting. In my early 20s, I injured my shoulder due to overtraining. The medical term for this is Repetitive Strain Injury (RSI). The doctor I visited said that if I kept weight training, I would need surgery on my shoulder. He also said the surgery only had a 50% success rate. He went on to say that if the surgery failed that I would not be able to lift my hands above my head (I could barely do it at the time and didn’t want to risk even more range of motion.).
For the next six years, I avoided bench press and any exercise that would jeopardize my shoulder. The problem was that after six years my shoulder still was only 50% functional. I tried all kinds of rehab exercise but none of them worked substantially. After much prodding, a friend at the gym convinced me to get a second opinion from a specialist he had used. I went just to get him off my back, but to my surprise, and the surprise of the doctor, (He thought I had a bone spur based on my description of my pain), all I needed was a shot in the arm.
He told me that it was a 3-day process, but after the 3rd day, I would have increased range of motion and less pain. He also said that I may need an additional shot to get back to 100% motion and to be 100% free of pain. The doctor was extremely correct. I went from approximately 50% range of motion to approximately 75%. I was excited about the results and couldn’t wait to go back for another shot. Unfortunately, a few weeks after the doctor visit, I received a bill for the full price of the shot.
Initially, I was told that it was covered by my insurance plan but it turned out that the insurance denied payment. This left me with a large unexpected bill and the reality that it would take another large bill to get the final shot. Discouraged by the denied claim, I was determined to get my shoulder back to 100%. At this point, however, I knew that it was mineral build up and not a torn ligament. This is where my passion for massage therapy was born. I had received massages before, and I would always tell the therapist to work on my shoulder, but they never provided any real results.
One day though, I received a massage that noticeably addressed the injured area. The difference was the technique and skill of the therapist. After that, I went back for several additional sessions and after a couple months, my shoulder was at 95% range of motion. Additionally, the pain was considerably less. The last 5% of my recovery came from shoulder strengthening exercises and stretching. Ever since that experience I have believed in the power of a proper massage.
About 3 years ago I entered the Marine Corps Mud Run in North Carolina with my high school buddies. It was a great experience that sparked my passion for mud runs. Unfortunately, I injured the same shoulder on one of the obstacles. It was in a different area than my previous injury. For some reason, my first course of action was to rehab my shoulder with light corrective exercises. I did this for about 3 months and saw some improvement but not much. I don’t know why I didn’t go get a massage first since it worked in the past, maybe it was cost prohibitive at the time but for whatever reason, I didn’t go.
Finally, I started going to get massages. I got at least three of them and my shoulder was not any better. Finally, I went to another therapist and this time I felt the results immediately. I knew that this Licensed Massage Therapist (LMT) was going to give me the results that I needed. After a few more sessions with her, and some corrective exercises my shoulder was back to 100%. It was at this time that I recognized that not all Licensed Massage Therapists are the same. Some have different levels of skill; some have different levels of ability. It is important to find a massage therapist that is right for you, especially if your suffering from muscle pain.
I formed my company around the premise of Repetitive Strain Injury prevention and reduction. Lifting weights and typing or working in a warehouse or factory is not exactly the same, but they all have something in common: massage provides a necessary ingredient to wellness for such individuals.
I researched many articles and paid several doctors to access medical journals not available to those who are outside of the medical industry. I found out that there is ample research-based evidence that supports the effectiveness of the correct type of massage and RSI reduction. While this is not news to the massage industry, as they have known and practiced this for years, the research was not “ample” in definitively showing that massage addresses Repetitive Strain Injuries. Believe it or not, some research actually stated the contrary.
I read these contradicting articles, they measured the effects of massage therapy given during one session only, and or they did not use specific techniques that address RSI. In today’s society, the acceptance of massage as a medical aid is so accepted that some insurance providers carry it as an option in their medical plans. Check with your insurance provider to see if this is the case. If so, then a doctor can prescribe massage that can be covered under the company’s medical plan.
Since 2014 we have served many businesses from small to large. We are proud of the fact that we were the first Massage Company to provide services for an official Super Bowl Sanction event. This happened during Super Bowl LI here in Houston. We provided chair massage for over 80 tv personalities, reporters, cameramen and camerawomen, technical crewpersons and other various NFL behind the scene job titles.
Some of our other notable customers are United Airlines, Sysco Foods, Sun Coast Resources, Keller Williams, The Urban Harvest, Theater Under the Stars, Sterling McCall Nissan, Ford, Honda, and Hyundai. We also host our “Give Back Massage” charity event several times per year. We provide free chair massage for senior citizens, veterans, and other demographics.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
No, not at all, When I first started I used some of my 401k savings. Unfortunately, during that time I didn’t know how to properly market and get sales. I spent a lot of money on the major Social Media outlets. What I didn’t know was the learning curve was intense and every changing. I underestimated the massive amounts of money and/or action that it requires to be successful on those platforms. Eventually, I learned the most effective ways to use those media outlets along with lots of old-fashioned elbow grease and networking.
Furthermore, when I did my research in early 2014, there were no major players in the chair or corporate massage business. There were a few local, and many solo-prenuer therapists, but no major establishments. I saw a golden opportunity, to expand. Unfortunately, I did not expand as fast as possible, and by the time I figured out my sales system, which took a few years, there were at least four major players in the Houston market.
I am very excited about the untapped opportunities that are still out there as Metropolitan Chair Massage is the only one that specializes in therapeutic chair and sports massage for the workplace. We have a great team of therapists and several salespeople. We are poised for serious growth in 2018. Of course, we provide the traditional chair massage for businesses as well. Another struggle was the hacking of my domain name. My domain was set to expire in March of 2018 but in March of 2017, my domain was removed. This caused tremendous troubles because the sales system and my integrated back office were all attached to my old domain name.
Anyway, although it was stifling, we have managed to emerge better and stronger with a new focused effort on all aspects of running a business. (We changed our website from, metropolitanchairmassage to metropolitan-massage.)
Metropolitan Chair Massage – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
We specialize in therapeutic massage for businesses. We recruit the best therapists with advanced training, many of whom have an additional 300 hours of training over the state minimum. Our flagship therapists are trained in the very type of massage that clinical studies have proven to be effective in relieving pain, tension and repetitive strain injuries.
We also develop close relationships with school management, this enables us to hand pick therapists along with the advice of school management. All flagship therapists have been through a hands-on screening to determine actual skill. Many companies operate from a directory model and have never met their therapist in person. In short, our therapists will correct muscle imbalances that lead to pain, call outs and slower rates of production.
Additionally, We provide a user-friendly, hassle-free experience for site management. This is accomplished by providing an optional on-site concierge specialist to handle and service your business before during and after the event. This sets us apart from our competitors who often only provide support via phone. Our team of customer service specialists is ready to visit your site with our therapists. This way your internal personnel does not have to worry about scheduling logistics, customer delays and other issues that may arise.
Additionally, our therapists are paid to arrive 30 minutes prior to and must be set up 15 minutes before your event is scheduled. No more waiting on therapists to show up just in time. We have learned from experience that the management should have a stress free experience also! We also have state of the art scheduling software and we can build an app just for your account to provide the customization you want. How cool is that!
What moment in your career do you look back most fondly on?
Being the first massage company to provide chair massage for an official NFL sanctioned event. The Houston Medial Loung at the George R. Brown Center during Super Bowl LI.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.metropolitan-massage.com
- Phone: 713-425-1963
- Email: sales@metropolitan-massage.com
Getting in touch: VoyageHouston is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
