Support your Soma Massage therapists!
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Our massage therapists need your help, please
Due to the COVID outbreak, Gov. Greg Abbott has ordered that all massage studios in Texas remain closed until at least April 3. While we understand the need to protect the public health at this time, it is also heartbreaking for those of us who believe that massage provides healing and comfort during these uncertain, stressful, and chaotic times.
We have always been a team of independent contractors, in order to allow our therapists more flexibility over their schedules and in the styles of massage that they provide. I've never wanted to be a boss in charge of a bunch of employees -- instead, I've tried to create a space where our therapists have the freedom to work independently. Our entire business model has been built on this structure, and it has worked well for us since our inception in 2013. However, because of this, our therapists are not eligible for unemployment, and those who have applied for Small Business Association loans have also been denied.
We intentionally keep our price point low so we can make massage accessible to as many people as possible. I also make sure to pay my therapists a good wage that matches their professional training (over 2x as much as many corporate spas pay). For that reason, I as the business owner have a very small profit margin (and in fact, it's just been in the last few years that I've finally earned as much as our top-earning massage therapist -- all those other years I've made even less! I'm not a greedy CEO. I'm a person who believes in paying her workers fairly, and not price-gouging our clients for a medical necessity like massage therapy.)
For that reason, I also don't have much set aside to pay my team right now. Any money I have in savings will be budgeted to keep Soma afloat (rent, phones, technology, etc) so that when we can reopen (and that day is coming!) we will be able to open our doors to all of our therapists and clients right away and get back to the work of healing others.
I typically pay my team about $16,000+ every 2 weeks. I'm asking to raise $17,000 to help offset the cost of GoFundMe and to make sure that they can have a little extra money right now. I am not taking a dime of this personally -- this fundraiser is 100% for my team. You have my word on that. Anything above our $17,000 goal will go directly to our team (because if this closure lasts longer, they are going to need more help).
Thank you for reading this far and for supporting my incredible team. I wish I could do more for them because they deserve the world.
Side note: if you would like to also purchase a gift certificate for yourself and/or a gift certificate to donate to a front-line hero (healthcare workers, delivery drivers, grocery store clerks, etc) you may do so at https://somadenton.com/specials/ -- your support keeps the lights on in the meantime and guarantees a strong client base when we get back to work! Thank you all so much!
Due to the COVID outbreak, Gov. Greg Abbott has ordered that all massage studios in Texas remain closed until at least April 3. While we understand the need to protect the public health at this time, it is also heartbreaking for those of us who believe that massage provides healing and comfort during these uncertain, stressful, and chaotic times.
We have always been a team of independent contractors, in order to allow our therapists more flexibility over their schedules and in the styles of massage that they provide. I've never wanted to be a boss in charge of a bunch of employees -- instead, I've tried to create a space where our therapists have the freedom to work independently. Our entire business model has been built on this structure, and it has worked well for us since our inception in 2013. However, because of this, our therapists are not eligible for unemployment, and those who have applied for Small Business Association loans have also been denied.
We intentionally keep our price point low so we can make massage accessible to as many people as possible. I also make sure to pay my therapists a good wage that matches their professional training (over 2x as much as many corporate spas pay). For that reason, I as the business owner have a very small profit margin (and in fact, it's just been in the last few years that I've finally earned as much as our top-earning massage therapist -- all those other years I've made even less! I'm not a greedy CEO. I'm a person who believes in paying her workers fairly, and not price-gouging our clients for a medical necessity like massage therapy.)
For that reason, I also don't have much set aside to pay my team right now. Any money I have in savings will be budgeted to keep Soma afloat (rent, phones, technology, etc) so that when we can reopen (and that day is coming!) we will be able to open our doors to all of our therapists and clients right away and get back to the work of healing others.
I typically pay my team about $16,000+ every 2 weeks. I'm asking to raise $17,000 to help offset the cost of GoFundMe and to make sure that they can have a little extra money right now. I am not taking a dime of this personally -- this fundraiser is 100% for my team. You have my word on that. Anything above our $17,000 goal will go directly to our team (because if this closure lasts longer, they are going to need more help).
Thank you for reading this far and for supporting my incredible team. I wish I could do more for them because they deserve the world.
Side note: if you would like to also purchase a gift certificate for yourself and/or a gift certificate to donate to a front-line hero (healthcare workers, delivery drivers, grocery store clerks, etc) you may do so at https://somadenton.com/specials/ -- your support keeps the lights on in the meantime and guarantees a strong client base when we get back to work! Thank you all so much!
Organizer
Amber Dryden Briggle
Organizer
Denton, TX