Les’s favorite quotes
As those who are stuck working with me can attest, I have a handful of sayings—clichés, some may say—that are tried-and-true staples of my vocabulary. I like them (of course I do, why else would I say them?), but I can’t say for sure that others feel the same way. Some are truisms I’ve heard over the years that have stuck, some are favorite movie quotes or song lyrics, and some have come from my kids. Some of these have been the basis for my blog posts. And now you get to hear them, and why and how they may relate to being successful in your career.
“90 percent of success is showing up.”
This is a favorite of ABMP Chairman Bob Benson and me. We didn’t get this one exactly right; it’s attributed to Woody Allen and he said 80 percent—I guess we’re easier graders. But it goes with our belief that being present—both physically and figuratively—is critical in life. In your practice, that’s especially true.
“Fail to plan, and you plan to fail.”
I heard this at a fraternity leadership conference in 1988 (I know, sounds like an oxymoron), and it has stuck with me ever since. I can’t say I’ve always practiced it, but it’s one of those swear-bys.

“Have a day,” and/or, “It’s a good day to have a good day.”
These are from my eldest son Casey—the former, he once said when he was just a tiny guy. When I left for work, I’d always say to my wife, “Have a good day.” When he was about 3 or 4, Casey decided he’d join in as well and said, “Have a day!” It just cracked me up and my wife and I say it to this day—and after recently turning 50, just “having a day” feels like an accomplishment as well.
Casey, now in his early 20s, told me the latter was a common refrain he shared at the summer camp where he was in charge of the boys’ program. It was his quiet way of setting the appropriate leadership tone; this old dog learned a new trick from the young pup. It’s something we can all do easily.
“Better than a poke in the eye.”
Are you sensing a trend here? Seems like a lot of these are validating or positive in nature. I am a firm believer in self-motivation and self-management. This one comes in handy when explaining that while things could be better, they could also be worse. Comes in handy when talking about finances—with staff or clients!
“If it was fun all the time, we wouldn’t get paid,” or, “If it was fun all the time, we wouldn’t call it work,” or, “Work’s not hard; it’s just that we have to do it every day.”
Ahh, the favorite maxims repeated to coworkers, employees, children, or athletes I’ve coached. This collection is on the Sweeney Mt. Rushmore of clichés. This is a not-too-subtle reminder that work is indeed, work.
“Show me the job it’s OK to do poorly.”
This one belongs with the last group as well, but this one is a little blunter and has been used throughout the years to occasionally light a fire beneath individuals in need of motivation to elevate their game.
“These are the good times people.”
One of my musical inspirations is the quirky, fun band named the Presidents of the United States of America. It’s difficult to listen to these guys and not be in a good mood. This is the title of their 2008 album, and their leader, Chris Ballew, described the phrase as something he likes to tell people, in particular the other band members, when they’re dealing with something that might be perceived as suboptimal. I say this to myself a lot, along with lyrics from one of my current favorite songs: “… and all my problems … are so stupid … they’re not even problems.” These are the good times, people.

Kristin’s favorite quotes  
I’m going to piggyback on Les’s inspiration and share a few music lyrics and pop culture quotes I think have (probably unintended) meanings that apply to how we market and manage our practices. Inspiration and guidance can come from anywhere. Here’s proof!
“Reluctantly Crouched at the Starting Line.”
This lyric from the band Cake’s song “The Distance” always reminds me of how it can feel when you’re on the precipice of starting something new. A little bit excited, a little hesitant. OK, maybe a lot hesitant. Find ways to push through the nervousness and just keep moving forward, one small step—or in the song’s case, lap—at a time. Try visualizing how the end result will look and feel or create a support group with colleagues or friends to help each other achieve some exciting new goals.
“Strike that. Reverse it.”
Heed the extraordinary Willy Wonka’s wisdom and remember that you can, at any time, reverse course in your professional career. Schedule times throughout the year to check in and evaluate what’s working and what’s not and alter your plan and direction as needed. Take a continuing education course in a new modality or technique, or open yourself up to working with new and different populations. Just be sure to steer clear of that oh-so-tempting chocolate stream.
“I carried a watermelon.”
Let Baby’s totally cringe-worthy statement be a cautionary tale and avoid your own Dirty Dancing awkward watermelon moment. Plan how you’re going to talk about your business to people in advance. Think of the adjectives you want to use to describe the benefits of your work and rehearse enough so you’re confident, but not so much that you’re no longer natural. Fruit-carrying is optional.
“Ice, ice baby.”
Who knew Vanilla Ice’s one-hit-wonder was really a self-care anthem for massage therapists? Let Robert Van Winkle’s wise words be a reminder to build time into your schedule to take care of yourself physically and emotionally. Maybe add dancing to early ’90s hits to your self-care routine?
“Big mistake. Big. Huge.”
What’s the most significant business lesson from the movie Pretty Woman? Treat all your customers with respect or they’ll end up going to your competitor and spending a lot of money. (And quite possibly have a starring role in a shopping montage.) The takeaway here is to not let yourself get too comfortable with what you’re doing with respect to customer service. Review the small details of your client experience and observe what other businesses do with an eye to how you can improve. Just be sure to stay on top of—and raise—your customer service game.
“Rabbit, Rabbit.”
A friend introduced me to the superstition that saying “rabbit, rabbit” as the first words you utter on the first day of the month will bring you luck and good fortune for that month. So I say it as often as I remember to on those days. I throw them in every once in a while on other days, too. Why not? I like the idea of doing something to bring good luck into my life and practice. The first of each month is also a great time to set intentions for your practice for the upcoming month. Take a few minutes to check in on the status of your previous goals and set new ones. It feels pretty fantastic to start the month excited about the possibility of growth and prosperity.

Les Sweeney, BCTMB, is ABMP’s president. Contact him at les@abmp.com and read his occasional blog posts on www.abmp.com. Kristin Coverly, kristin@abmp.com, is the manager of professional education at ABMP and creates resources and teaches workshops for therapists across the country. Both are massage therapists with business degrees who care about you and your practice.