Alexandra Gilder Graduated from Irene’s in February 2020
Irene’s – When did you graduate from Irene’s massage school?
Alexandra – I graduated in February 2020. My graduation ceremony was just weeks before the government shut down the state for the Covid pandemic.
Irene’s – Why did you choose massage therapy as a career?
Alexandra – I was a bartender previously and was looking to do quite literally the opposite of that. I liked the way I felt being in a spa setting and wanted to do it all of the time.
Irene’s – Where do you practice massage therapy?
Alexandra – I practice massage in a private office in Ferndale.
Irene’s – What is the most rewarding part of your massage career?
Alexandra – I love when a client chooses to add you to their routine and gets their entire family and friends on board as well. It’s nice to get to know a whole community like that.
Irene’s – Do you have a favorite memory from massage school?
Alexandra – This memory still makes me laugh. A girl in my AM hands-on class brought in durian fruit once and it smelled so strange that the front desk called the fire department suspecting a gas leak. We had the first half of class in the parking lot. It ended up just being this weird smelly fruit.
Irene’s – What was the best class you took at Irene’s massage school?
Alexandra – Best class was body rolling with Randy. I learned how to go through every part of the body and how to use that small pink rubber ball to release tension. It helped a lot with giving my clients at-home recommendations for release.
Irene’s – What bodywork modalities or massage techniques do you find most effective?
Alexandra – I use cupping therapy a lot in my practice. I use gua sha a lot, hot rocks.
Irene’s – Where is the first place you worked after you graduated from massage school?
Alexandra – I worked at MetaPhysica very briefly before the pandemic and once that happened the entire route of my career changed like everything else on earth.
Irene’s – What do you do for self-care to provide longevity for your massage career?
Alexandra – I get a lot of massages. People always ask me who works on me and it’s everyone. It helps keep the work fresh. It helps me connect with other practitioners, which is very important to me. I run a solo operation and I still want to feel connected to people practicing massage around me.
Irene’s – To what do you attribute your success as a massage therapist?
Alexandra – I pride myself on being extremely accommodating. You never know who or what you’ll be called to care for so it’s best to be ready for that. I also pride myself on the feedback I give my clients. I want to help them all build their self-care tool kits and incorporate my work into their lives with that.
Irene’s – What marketing do you feel has worked best to promote your massage practice?
Alexandra – I get a lot of my bookings directly through Instagram or just online in general. I get a lot of positive feedback on my website design and my business aesthetic as far as business cards, pamphlets, etc. The reason I think that’s all worked so well is that I had these things designed to reflect me. I hired a graphic designer once I got the ball rolling on my solo career and they conveyed what I had hoped on the first try. Based on those designs my friend then built a website for me and I got to collaborate with other local artists and help build something that really reflected me and the way I wanted people to feel. I get so much feedback on people feeling drawn to these elements of my business that I can’t stress enough to use designs for these things that really feel thoughtful and represent you.
Irene’s – Do you have any advice for new massage therapists?
Alexandra – Find a niche. It’s especially helpful if you want to build your own practice. Prenatal massage is what really helped me launch my business. I repped that very hard as affordable massage for pregnant women at the start and it really helped build my solo career.
Irene’s – What is the best way for massage clients to contact you?
Alexandra – My website has it all! www.alexandragilder.com
Irene’s Myomassology Institute is a nationally accredited massage therapy school located in Southfield, Michigan. Scholarships and Financial Aid are available for qualified students to help them pay school tuition. Our students graduate with a state license prepared for a successful career as a massage therapist. Irene’s lifetime job placement services maintain an abundance of massage career opportunities for our alumni. Irene’s student massage clinic provides affordable massage to the public with discounted prices for seniors and veterans. Irene’s massage supply store equips massage therapists with the necessities to manage a successful career.