A Working Plan for the Year Ahead 2026

Building a Real Resource Hub for the Massage Profession

For a long time, massage therapists have been asked to solve serious, profession-wide problems with scattered information, vague guidance, and a lot of unpaid emotional labor. That is not a criticism of individual people. It is an observation about the structure we are working inside.

This year, my focus is narrow and practical.

I am building a centralized, public-facing information hub for the massage profession. Not another association. Not another motivational platform. A place where therapists can reliably find the information they actually need to make decisions about their work, their income, and their future.

This post lays out what I am building, why I am doing it, and how the different pieces fit together.

Why a Hub, Not Another Program

Fact: The massage profession is fragmented. Education, regulation, employment norms, and advocacy efforts are spread across dozens of organizations, websites, Facebook groups, and private conversations.

Fragmentation benefits institutions more than it benefits working therapists.

When information is scattered, it is harder for therapists to see patterns, identify leverage points, or understand how one issue connects to another. A hub does not solve everything, but it creates a shared reference point. That matters more than most people realize.

The goal is simple:
If a massage therapist has a serious question, they should not have to rely on rumors, social media arguments, or outdated advice to answer it.

What This Hub Will Focus On

1. Illicit Businesses and the Hijacking of the Word “Massage”

Illicit businesses using the language of massage therapy distort public understanding, undermine legitimate practitioners, and fuel harmful local ordinances that often target licensed therapists instead of criminal activity. These businesses have been allowed to carry on without the profession creating a solid plan to elevate the profession above this and untangle the massage profession from illicit businesses. It has gone on for over 128 years and our associations have actually contributed to the problem by their inaction.

The hub will include:

• Clear explanations of how and why this problem persists

• Documentation of failed regulatory approaches

• Practical tools therapists can use to engage locally without putting themselves at risk

• Language that separates therapeutic massage from sexual services without shaming or denial

Pretending this problem does not exist has done more harm to the profession than confronting it carefully ever could.

2. Unfair Work Conditions and Employment Misclassification

This is one of the most misunderstood issues in massage.

Many therapists are labeled independent contractors while being treated like employees. This affects wages, taxes, workers’ rights, access to benefits, and long-term career stability.

The hub will provide:

• Plain-language explanations of employee vs. independent contractor standards

• Examples of lawful and unlawful arrangements

• How misclassification depresses wages across the profession

• What therapists should look for when accepting a job or contract

Misclassification is not a gray area in labor law, even if it feels normalized inside the profession.

(Thinking big: The AMTA-WA Chapter used to have a law firm on retainer to help massage therapists set up their businesses correctly.)

3. Insurance Billing and Healthcare Integration

Later this year, I will release the Insurance Billing Manual 6th Edition, followed by a new edition of Massage Practice Builder.

These are not beginner books. They are practical references.

The hub will support these books with:

• Background explanations of insurance systems therapists interact with

• Clarification of common myths around billing and reimbursement

• Context for why coverage remains limited and what actually moves the needle

• Ethical and legal guardrails for therapists considering insurance work

Avoiding insurance entirely is not a strategy. It is a reaction to a system therapists were never taught how to navigate.

4. Education, Literacy, and the Business of Massage

Massage therapists are expected to be clinicians, small business owners, compliance officers, marketers, and advocates. Very few were trained to do all of that.

The hub will connect:

• Business fundamentals

• Regulatory realities

• Historical context

• Practical decision-making tools

This is not about telling therapists what to think. It is about giving them enough accurate information to decide for themselves.

How the Books Fit In

The books are not separate from the hub. They are part of the same ecosystem.

• Insurance Billing Manual: A deep, structured guide for therapists who want facts, not hype.

• Massage Practice Builder (New Edition): A realistic update that reflects the profession as it actually exists, not how we wish it did.

• Substack: Where the thinking happens in public. Where ideas are tested, refined, and connected.

Each supports the others. None of them stand alone.

About MassageSchoolNotes.com

MassageSchoolNotes.com is currently for sale. I started this website back in 1999 as thebodyworker.com and it has evolved into what it is today. It needs work but I have a comprehensive plan all worked out for the buyer.

The site has value, history, and an audience, but my focus has shifted toward building this broader hub and finishing the books already in progress. I would rather see that site in the hands of someone who can actively develop it than let it stagnate. It is a great opportunity for someone who wants to create another income for themselves besides hands-on work.

If you are interested, details can be found on the website itself -www.massageschoolnotes.com

What This Is, and What It Is Not

Sustainable change starts with shared understanding, not slogans.

This year is about building infrastructure. Information infrastructure. Context infrastructure. A place where the dots are visible, even when the conclusions are uncomfortable.

If you are a massage therapist who wants fewer platitudes and more clarity, you are exactly who this work is for.

More to come. Visit the HUB at www.massagetherapynexus.com I will be creating a resource page for each state for starters that has comprehensive information about everything and anything related to the professional practice of massage in each state.

Help me build the HUB. Support this Substack!