IAM1056- Massage Therapists Specializes in Deep Tissue and Recovery

James is the Owner of DMV Sports Massage located in Alexandria, VA. He is one of the Massage Therapists for the UMD Terps. He specializes in deep tissue and recovery. He is also a Natural Professional Bodybuilder.

• CEO Hack: 
• CEO Nugget: 
• CEO Defined:

Website: http://www.dmvsportsmassage.com/

Instagram: @dmv_sportsmassage\

Full Interview:

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Transcription

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00:10 – Intro

Are you ready to hear business stories and learn effective ways to build relationships, generate sales, and level up your business from awesome CEOs, entrepreneurs, and founders without listening to a long, long, long interview? If so, you've come to the right place. Gretch values your time and is ready to share with you the valuable info you're in search of. This is the I AM CEO podcast.

00:38 – Gresham Harkless

Hello. Hello. Hello. This is Gretch from the I AM CEO podcast. I have a very special guest on the show today. I have James Ingram of DMV Sports Massage. James, it's great to have you on the show.

00:47 – James Ingram

Thank you. Thank you for having me. I appreciate that.

00:50 – Gresham Harkless

Yeah. Absolutely. I appreciate all the awesome work that you're doing, and what I wanted to do is just read a little bit more about James so you can hear about some of that awesome work, and then we'll jump right into the interview. And James is the owner of DMV Sports Massage located in Alexandria, Virginia. He is one of the massage therapists for the UMD Terps, and he specializes in deep tissue and recovery. He is also a natural professional bodybuilder. James, great to have you on the show. Are you ready to speak to the I AM CEO community?

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01:14. – James Ingram

I'm ready. Let's do it.

01:15 – Gresham Harkless

Let's do it then. So to kinda kick everything off, I wanted to rewind the clock a little bit, and hear a little bit more about how you got started, what I call your CEO story.

01:24 – James Ingram

So basically, so I'm a massage therapist and a natural professional bodybuilder. But I started off as a physical therapy tech and a personal trainer. I did that for about nine years. You know, PT tech was my day job, and the personal training was the the evening job slash hobby. And I was really good at it for for a little bit. But then in twenty sixteen, I went to massage school. That was a really good experience. And then I also at the same time that I was graduating massage school, I opened up a little gym. It was for sale. Bought it because it was cheap, because I also wanted to, you know, make a little wellness center. But I also, shortly after that, I got an opportunity to work at the University of Maryland.

So I had a gym that was over here and, and the Terps over here, so it was like a fifty mile difference in between. So it's kinda hard to balance between, you know, training clients for bodybuilding, training myself for bodybuilding, training the regular gym clients, and then also running the gym. So eventually, you know, one had to take precedence over the other, and it was just massage. Massage, was basically I just liked it better than being a gym owner. And then, also, the personal training was a little bit demanding because if someone's training for a show, you know, they gotta have they they wanna ask you, you know, can I have a brownie today? Is it in the program?

You know? Or can you count it in? You know? Things like that. So, you know, the massage is quick. You know? People come in, tell you what they need. You do the service. You know, they leave. They feel great. You know? So, so basically, you know, I've I've finished all my shows and all that, and I just strictly did the massage. I had a great mentor. He has his own spa in Columbia, so I basically just picked his brain a little bit. Well, a lot, actually. And, then that's when I started, DME Sports Massage. That was November twenty nineteen, like, right before the pandemic. So now here we are today.

03:18 – Gresham Harkless

Yeah. Definitely an entirely new world. And it's so funny that you said, the fifty mile radius. I'm in the DMV area as well. So fifty miles in the DMV area is really like times three a lot of times depending on what time of day you're leaving. So, yeah, it makes so much sense in in trying to have to choose, you know, what, you know, one or the other. And a lot of times, like, when we go through our lives and definitely in our businesses, sometimes we have to realize that there is a limited amount of resources and you have to choose, you know, what's gonna be more of a priority. Not to say you don't have passion for the other thing, but sometimes you just have to pick and choose.

03:47 – James Ingram

Like, I'm a beast, but at the same time, I'm like, if you gotta go fifty miles, you know, from the gym and then go all the way to do massage at the University of Maryland, going from Loudoun County to PG County. And it was okay for a while, but then after a while, you're kinda just like, I don't know if I can keep doing this.

04:03 – Gresham Harkless

Yeah. That traffic will definitely get to you.

04:05 – James Ingram

Yes. Route fifty to four ninety five. Yeah. There we go

04:09 – Gresham Harkless

Yes. Absolutely. Yeah. I have definitely been stuck on ninety five going to four ninety five and back and forth, and that is definitely not a fun ride. But the good thing is you get to listen to a lot of podcasts and a lot of great, you know, things that are going on. Exactly. But, so I I imagine that, so I know you end up picking the track the the path, you know, for the sports massage. I wanna hear a little bit more about that, but I imagine too that, the discipline and kind of, like, the focus that you have as a bodybuilder probably translates really well to you running your business and the and the work that you do there.

04:37.39] – James Ingram

It does. So mainly the like, with bodybuilding, I've always been a single sport kind of person. So, like, I started off playing football. You know, I was always small, so that didn't really work. But wrestling had weight classes, and, you know, wrestling is one on one. If you lose, it's because either, you know, you gave up or the other guy was just better than you. So, I mean, I kinda like that because you can get better and better. You don't have to rely on your teammates, although you winning counts towards the team. Same thing with bodybuilding. Bodybuilding, you know, it's all you. It's no one's there to tell you, you know, you gotta do this or that.

You know, there you could have teammates, but when you're on stage, it's you by yourself. And then even at work, like in the past, you know, I feel like I always work better by myself as opposed to having coworkers. Not to, you know, some of them are bad, but, you know, you just feel like you just get things done in this fight. I mean, that's just you. So yeah. You know, with the bodybuilding, just being strict, that definitely you have to be passionate to do that. So it translated over. Yeah. I know a lot of people. So

05:47 – Gresham Harkless

Yeah. That makes so much sense. And, definitely, you know, that discipline. But like you said, a lot of times, there's so many like, even in, you know, Team Sports, as you said, there's so many, codependent parts. I think that's the best way to say it, that sometimes even if you're taking care of your business or the person next to you isn't, you can definitely lose. So it's great to be able to kinda see, how that translates into building the business.

06:07 – James Ingram

And it brings a lot a lot of frustration if you think that you're putting your all and you're like, they're not. It's like, what are you doing on the team? You know what I mean?

06:15 – Gresham Harkless

Yes. Absolutely. That's where team morale has to definitely come in. That's for sure. Yeah. Exactly. So, I wanted to drill down and hear a little bit more about DMV Sports Massage. Could you take us through how you work with your clients in the services you provide?

06:29 – James Ingram

So, basically, I mean, I work with everybody, you know, from the nine to five or to the hardcore athlete. It's less aromatherapy and candles and more about, you know, muscle issues or just tight muscles. You know, people that are coming to me, they know exactly what they want for the most part. You know, they want deep tissue. You know, they don't want, you know, spa music and, you know, all that jazz you would get at a spa. But, you know, the page that I have, the Instagram, like, people can see what I offer. They really like that, and it works.

I mean, I just basically just help athletes recover. A lot of them will have a pre-event or post event, so they'll have, like, a bodybuilding competition on the weekend for, four k or, I mean, five k on the weekend or a marathon. I get a lot of track athletes that'll have, weekend events, Saturday events. And then people that'll have an event, they'll come the following weekend or the following Monday, twenty-four hours after just to get a massage for recovery. So basically, it's it's basically what I do in Maryland, but for the general public. So it's a pretty good thing that I got going. And I got the idea from the athletes in Maryland, so that helped out a lot.

07:42 – Gresham Harkless

Yeah. Absolutely. The biggest thing is you even said, you know, talking about your mentor, make sure you surround yourself with really smart people because being able to kinda have that information, that knowledge helps out, you know, a tremendous amount. And me having I I've run the longest I've run is I've been I've run a ten miler, and I didn't realize until after, like, how important it is. They actually have people on the spot after we run. That recovery is because if you don't do it, you will feel it for a lot of time afterwards. So I love that you do that and how important I feel like it's maybe, if not, as equal as the training before, it helps you recover because you wanna continue to get better, and it's hard to do that when you don't have the opportunity to recover.

08:20 – James Ingram

You're absolutely right. Recovery is very important as well as sleep. A lot of people don't get a lot of sleep, and that helps recovery tremendously as well as, like, your hormones and all that other stuff. So make sure you're eating right and you're sleeping right. Yeah. Also, scratching and getting your regular massages.

08:37 – Gresham Harkless

Yeah. Absolutely. And that's why just like James was talking about, you know, having an environment around you is important. It's important to know and be able to reach out to James as well too because he has all that knowledge and information on how to get better and be better at that next, step that we go. And so would you consider that to be what I call your secret sauce? You seem like you're able to not just have the knowledge and information that you have, but you're also able to lean on, you know, the expertise of others and be able to provide that to others. Would you consider that to be part of your secret sauce?

09:03 – James Ingram

Yes. So my mentor, he's he's amazing. His name is Steven Conte. He owns a spa in Columbia. It's called Tokar Spa. But I ask him all the questions. We work together in Maryland. He's my boss there, and he's helped me with my technique, everything. He's like, you know, asked athletes if they need this, that. And then eventually, he had me be the lead therapist there. So, I mean, it's been a great opportunity, and it's always good to have him the lead. And, like, the secret sauce for me is Instagram. Instagram is, like, key, because people can see a bunch of things from there. They can see that, number one, I'm a male, because in massage, males and females, not don't necessarily want a male therapist.

So the one you can see that. And the other thing you can see is my technique. So when you're watching these videos, you can see, you know, oh, I like that technique. A lot of them tell me that they imagine themselves getting the massage. Or some people say they just watch the page and just fall asleep. So Instagram's been the best. Because I was on Groupon for about four months. With Groupon, you can't really see anything. You're just reading a description.

And then when you come in, people are like, oh, could I have a female therapist? I'm like, it's just me. So Instagram, everyone knows who they're getting. They know what they're getting. They'll come in and show me a video of what they want. So, I mean, Instagram's just been great. It is a great tool for anybody that has a service. So I think that Instagram's, like, one of my best or probably my favorite thing in terms of marketing.

10:38 – Gresham Harkless

Great to kinda hear how you've been able to kinda, leverage that. And so I wanted to switch gears a little bit, and I wanted to ask you for what I call a CEO hack. So this could be like an app, a book, or a habit that you have. But what's something that makes you more effective and efficient?

10:52 – James Ingram

Let's see. So I'd say stay positive, stay passionate, and stay consistent. For most things I'm passionate about, I'll try to if I fail or do something wrong, I'll try to fix it, not cry about it. So I'd say, you know, I listen to feedback to the feedback of others, like my clients, my mentor, just anybody. I'll listen to the feedback. And I feel like that has helped me a lot because, you know, some business owners, they'll say, oh, they don't know what they're talking about. Or, well, you don't have to verbalize it. Just take it and don't cry about it. You know? It doesn't make any sense. But, I'd say just have to be confident. I think I have a winning mentality. Like, I always try to figure out what I can do to be better or win.

And I think that also played a role, you know, with the sports side played growing up. Just it's just I know it's just me. I know what I need to do. I know what I need to do to win, and I think that that has helped me, become a better business owner. Just knowing just to listen to criticism, stay passionate, stay positive, and then just moving forward. Because, I mean, I started right before coronavirus. So, I mean, you had to be positive during that time. Yeah. So it was up and down. But, I mean, I came out on top. So it was it was it was a good experience.

12:14 – Gresham Harkless

So Yeah. I  wanted to ask you now for what I call a CEO nugget. So this could be a word of wisdom or a piece of advice. It might be something if you were to hop into a time machine you would tell your younger business self.

12:25 – James Ingram

CEO nuggets. I would say, you know, if you have an idea, just go with it. Because at the same time, you wanna stay safe, but you don't wanna have any regrets later on in life. So, I mean, as long as you have you're confident, you have a good mindset, and you have an idea, and you talk to people about it, you know, just follow your heart and your mind. If you know that you're gonna be successful, you know, it'll it'll it'll come to fruition. You know what I'm saying? People that people are gonna tell you that you're gonna fail or it's not a good idea, but they may not have the right mindset as you. You know what I'm saying? Because, like, I would say, Oh, I'm gonna open up a massage business.

And people are saying, Well, you know, it's a female-dominated industry. You know, you'll have to hire someone to answer the phones. You gotta hire a scheduling person. You can't do that many massages in one day. And I'm like, I kinda got it figured out already. So, I mean, I handle everything, and it and it's great, but, you just have to listen to yourself, and just just you just have to do it. You really just have to do it. If you fail, at least you know it in the back of your mind that you tried, and you can't really care about anyone else's opinion.

13:37 – Gresham Harkless

Yeah.

13:39 – James Ingram

I am absolutely in sports as well. Just can't care about anyone else's opinion. So, you know, you just have to be confident. And that's pretty much the main thing.

13:47 – Gresham Harkless

Definitely appreciate that, James. And so, I want to ask you now my absolute favorite question, which is the definition of what it means to be a CEO. We're hoping that different quote-unquote CEOs on the show. So, James, what does being a CEO mean to you?

13:59- James Ingram

To me, it means that I'm a leader. I'm in charge. I'm the boss. I am an example. Because we've all some most people have had, you know, a boss or a leader or someone, and you can kinda see what you don't like in that person, what you do like. And so you just have to set a good example, you know, be honest, be truthful, and just be a good leader. I personally, I just like being in charge of everything. Like working in PT clinics, you have the PTs telling you what to do. Do. You know, working in a gym, you have, like, the managers or the head personal trainer telling you what to do.

You know, working in a spa, you have, like, the spa manager and the the head lead therapist telling you what to do. So, you know, I  picked a pick, you know, bits and pieces of what I liked and what I didn't like. I'm like, I can just do this myself, you know? So you just learn the qualities. You know, like, I like how this person always handles situations. I didn't like how this person handles situations, and you just go from there and just become your own CEO.

15:05 – Gresham Harkless

Well, James, I truly appreciate It

15:07 – James Ingram

all it all blended together for me. Yeah. Sorry. Go ahead.

15:11 – Gresham Harkless

You're good. Absolutely. I, well, I appreciate that, James, and I appreciate your time even more. What I want to do is just pass you the mic, so to speak, just to see if there's anything additional that you can let our readers and listeners know and, of course, how best they can get ahold of you and find out about all awesome things you're working on.

15:24 – James Ingram

The best way to get ahold of me would be, you go to d m v sports massage dot com, or you can email me at d m v sports massage at g mail, or follow me on Instagram. That's probably the best thing. You can message me on Instagram, see my videos, like, follow, and all that stuff. So yeah.

15:44 – Gresham Harkless

Awesome. Awesome. Awesome. Well, James, we will definitely have those links and information in the show notes as well too so that everybody can follow-up with you. But appreciate you for taking some time out. Appreciate all the awesome work you do, and I hope you have a phenomenal rest of the day.

15:55 – Outro

Thank you for listening to the I AM CEO Podcast powered by Blue 16 Media. Tune in next time and visit us at iamceo.co I AM CEO is not just a phrase, it's a community. Be sure to follow us on social media and subscribe to our podcast on iTunes Google Play and everywhere you listen to podcasts, SUBSCRIBE, and leave us a five-star rating grab CEO gear at www.ceogear.co. This has been the I AM CEO Podcast with Gresham Harkless. Thank you for listening.

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