Kathleen and Brandon Mazy entered the massage therapy profession the same way many massage therapists do: They were looking for a more rewarding career. “Brandon was inspired to pursue this career path due to his own personal experience with chronic back pain caused by a sedentary desk job and a desire to assist others in similar discomfort,” Kathleen says. “I had earned a degree from the University of Texas at Austin and worked as a 7th grade math teacher, but I felt unfulfilled and sought a new career direction.”

After completing massage school, the husband and wife team opened a day spa in their hometown of Brownwood, TX. Soon, they started seeing a growing interest in massage therapy education in their local community, but knew from experience that the nearest massage school was at least three hours away.

That’s when inspiration struck, and Kathleen and Brandon decided to found the Texas Massage Academy. “We founded the school in 2011 with the goal of bringing accessible massage therapy education opportunities to local residents and those in central Texas,” she explains.

Pivoting During a Pandemic Opens New Possibilities for Massage School & Students

The past few years have been tough for most everyone, and Kathleen and Brandon feel lucky that their massage school was able to weather the pandemic. Like many in the massage profession, they used the opportunity to explore what else might be possible. “While we were closed for several months, we took the opportunity to pivot and refocus on online distance education,” Kathleen explains. “Brandon has over 20 years of experience in graphics and programming, including developing computer-based training for different Fortune 500 companies. With his knowledge, we could quickly bring all our classroom hours online and create a program where students can attend class at their own pace.”

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In a bit of good fortune, the pivot to being able to offer more classes online actually allowed Texas Massage Academy to address one of the major pain points for massage students in central Texas moving forward as well. “Some students commute to Texas Massage Academy from as far as two hours away, and others have even temporarily relocated to attend school,” Kathleen notes. “Our online program enables students to complete their classroom training from home, only needing to commute to Brownwood for the hands-on classes, and that’s cut travel time by 45 percent for many of our students.”

Kathleen sees advancements in technology continuing to push the massage profession into the future, though she’s quick to acknowledge that learning how to practice massage therapy will always require a hands-on approach. “I don’t think you can ever learn how to massage from a video screen,” she says. “But there are so many new developments, including virtual reality headsets or immersive technologies. How amazing would it be to learn anatomy and physiology in a cadaver lab without actually going to a cadaver lab, for example? This is an exhilarating time with the expansion of new technology that can make learning more accessible to more people.”

Grant Money Gives Massage School More Opportunity to Reach Massage Students

Back in September when Massage Envy and the American Massage Therapy Association announced a $10,000 grant to help massage schools attract, train, and graduate future generations of massage therapists, Kathleen and Brandon knew they had to apply. Focusing on taking some of their classes virtual helped them cut down commute times for students, but they still wanted to lean into the issue of making massage education more accessible in other ways, which is why they decided to pursue opening a second location in Abilene, TX.

So, when they heard they’d won one of the grants, they were ecstatic. “We are so thankful we have been awarded a $10,000 grant from Massage Envy and AMTA,” Kathleen says. “The money will help us continue our mission of providing access to quality massage education to even more students as we open our second campus in Abilene, Texas. We look forward to being able to bring a positive change to the lives of our students for years to come.”

The students, for both Kathleen and Brandon, are the motivation of all their hard work. “Our students at Texas Massage Academy embody the spirit of entrepreneurship and dedication,” Kathleens says. “They are driven by ambition and a desire to succeed, and they work hard to learn and understand how they can apply what they learn in their own future business endeavors.”

If Kathleen, Brandon, and the Texas Massage Academy have anything to say about it, the future of the massage profession is in good hands.

New school grant application opportunities will open March 22, 2023 to April 22, 2023. Get more information!