The LMT Refinery
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We teach massage therapists to think clinically, move intelligently, and grow intentionally.
Our mission is to create collaborative, intelligent education where therapists feel safe, supported, and empowered.
There are definitely easier ways to scale a CE business, but this is one decision I don’t see myself changing.
I care a lot more about how therapists leave my classroom than how many people I can fit into it.
When someone invests their time and money to train with us, I want them to feel seen, supported, challenged, and confident by the time they head home.
For me, that’s worth keeping classes small.
07/02/2026
When I first became a massage therapist, I thought success would come from learning more techniques.
Twenty years later, I know it's just as much about communication, consistency, boundaries, and the way you think about your career.
Some of the biggest shifts in my practice didn't happen after a new certification. They happened when I changed my perspective.
That's what these five lessons represent.
I'm sure I'll keep adding to this list as the years go on, but these are the ones that continue to shape how I practice, teach, and run my business today.
Which one resonated with you most? Or what lesson would you add?
07/01/2026
Out of office 🌲July 2026
For the next couple of weeks, I’ll be mostly off the grid and probably out of cell service while my best friend and I continue section hiking the Appalachian Trail. This has become one of our favorite traditions, and every year we tackle around 80+ miles together.
One of the greatest gifts my businesses have given me isn’t just income. It’s time.
Time to disappear into the mountains.
Time to disconnect.
Time to come home with stories instead of notifications.
That didn’t happen by accident. It took years of building systems, trusting my team, creating boundaries, and accepting that the business can thrive without me answering emails from a mountaintop.
If you’re waiting for “someday” to take the trip, spend the time with your people, or do the thing that’s been on your heart, let this be your reminder that it’s worth building a business that supports your life, not one that consumes it.
See you in a couple weeks. The mountains are calling.
06/27/2026
Some students become so much more than students.
Sandy was in one of the very first classes I ever taught when The LMT Refinery was just getting started. She traveled all the way from Ohio to Florida to learn, long before any of us knew what this little dream would become.
I recently got to teach her again in Michigan as she continued through our Barefoot Focus Series, and it felt like such a full-circle moment.
She’s one of the kindest, funniest humans you’ll ever meet, and she’ll always have a special place in my heart because she was part of the beginning. Those early students took a chance on me, trusted my vision, and helped build the foundation of what The Refinery is today.
Thank you, Sandy, for continuing to show up, keep learning, and remind me how meaningful these relationships become over the years 🫶🏼🙏🏼
Fun fact: Sandy has been a therapist for 30 something years! Another long timer that inspires me with such a long career Sandy Ott Trotter
I never set out to learn SEO.
I just wanted people to find my massage business online.
One website turned into another. Then another. Today I launched massage website #6.
What I love most about this process isn’t actually building the site, it’s watching what happens after launch. Looking at the data. Seeing what people are searching for. Figuring out how to connect a business with the people already looking for what they offer.
It’s a strange path from massage therapist to website nerd, but here we are.
Also, if you see me working from my bed with wild post workout hair hanging out with my dog..just know this is a highly professional operation 😂
06/22/2026
How are we already talking about the second half of 2026? 😳
If continuing education is still on your radar this year, here are our remaining classes in Florida:
🧘🏼Mat Based Techniques | Sept 5-6 | 16CEs | $500
🙌🏼 NMT: Jaw + Neck | Oct 3-4 | 16 CEs | $500
👣 Tools + Touch | Oct 10 | 8 CEs | $250
👣 Active Ashi | Oct 11 | 8 CEs | $250
👣 Grounded Flow | Oct 12 | 8 CEs | $250
🦶🏼 Intro to Barefoot Massage | Nov 6-8 | 24 CEs | $725
Whether you’re looking to build foundational skills or take your barefoot work to the next level, we’d love to have you join us.
Small classes. Hands-on learning. Practical techniques you can immediately bring back to your clients.
Which class is on your CE wish list this year?
Recently, I came across a video where a massage therapist was reacting to a barefoot massage clip and commented that “it looked very unsafe.”
One of the questions they asked was:
“How can they possibly feel anything with their feet?”
To be fair, the clip they were reacting to wasn’t how I would work or teach.
But it got me thinking.
The longer I do barefoot massage, the less impressed I am by how much pressure someone can deliver and the more interested I am in how much they can feel.
The magic of barefoot massage isn’t the foot.
It’s the awareness behind it.
When we slow down, we can feel more. We can adapt. We can distinguish between tissue layers. We can follow restriction instead of forcing through it. We can shift between working more within the fascial plane or deeper within the muscle depending on what the body presents.
Over the years, I’ve become less interested in doing more and more interested in seeing more.
More awareness.
More specificity.
More intention.
That’s the philosophy behind the work we practice at The Elm and teach through The LMT Refinery.
And yes...when you SLOW DOWN enough, you can absolutely feel with your feet.
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Palm Harbor, FL
34684
