Delving into the world of massage therapy with owner of Mobile Mountain Massage, Nicole
What do you like to be referred as?
I like to be referred to as a massage therapist. I think the term masseur/masseuse has slightly nefarious connotations these days. Plus it separates masculine and feminine and I don’t think we need this differentiation anymore.
How did you get to where you are today?
I wanted to be an osteopath. But I already had a degree in philosophy and politics (so helpful)! Plus, people think they’re done when they qualify but you need premises, finances, marketing, clients… I’d had no experience in that, I’d been working in Teaching English as a Foreign Language and hospitality.
I’d already done a few seasons in Chamonix, then a good friend here said come you’ll absolutely love it. So I came, and loved it as predicted. I went back to the UK to do my massage course and by the next season I was qualified and ready and thought I’d come out and do a couple of years and see how it went.
It’s actually a very personal job. You might think you’ll like it but not after a while. You might not get on with the therapy aspect – often people feel very low after an injury for example. So I tested it out with the view of returning to the UK to become an osteopath. After the first season I thought to myself, don’t be ridiculous, you’re not going back!
I then looked into what I’d need to become a French osteopath but my French wasn’t good enough to do the written osteopathy exams and essays. It seemed so arduous that here I am, still a massage therapist! However I’m currently doing a DCL (Diplôme de Compétence en Langue) which is specifically for written work. I might to try and do a French equivalent of a qualification I already have in English to compare and contrast too.
My background has definitely helped… I was in fashion PR so I learnt about tone of voice and target market etc. I did economics A level. I’m really observant so I notice things. I get people in to do bits and pieces here and there but no-one does my marketing, no-one does my social media, no-one does my design… It’s hard work. My biggest issue is that numbers are incomprehensible to me. However my sister is a maths teacher so she makes me clever spreadsheets!
In France the role of diagnosis is specifically reserved for physiotherapists so I’m not sure I’ll still go down the osteopathy route. I like the holistic side of things. CPD is always good. I keep learning and keep having massages from different people. I learn something every single time I have a massage. Every single time! It’s great having new things to add to your repertoire.
Tell us about the collaboration with Hotel du Lac
I met Helen (the owner) who was talking about a spa and I told her ‘I’m your girl’. Then things progressed with Kyle giving the thumbs up. When I met her husband Nick, who was doing the renovations, he let me design the room – choose colours, where to put sockets, the lighting etc. It’s perfect. He drew the line at mini fairy lights set in the ceiling though! It’s such a nice space to work in.
Who is in your team?
In my team at the moment there’s two of us full time and four part time who work around their other commitments. In the winter I’m looking to have myself and perhaps two or three others full time. Recruitment is very organic, people tend to come to me which is nice. I chose the name specifically because I always envisioned growing it to a point that was more than just me. It’s hard on the body.
I’ve been doing it nearly nine years now, so I’ve literally watched children in families grow up. For example there’s a girl who has just got her A level results and it’s crazy because I’ve known her since she was 12. I feel part of the family and was so excited to hear her results. There were several who I checked in with over Covid. People invite me for dinner; friendships grow too, it’s lovely.
What’s your favourite type of massage to give?
I love giving a deep tissue where people have some tightness but nothing chronic; you can really work the knots out and they can really feel the difference as soon as they get off the table. And recently I’ve enjoyed when people arrive with severe movement limitations i.e. ‘I can’t lift my arm’ and it seems like you’ve literally worked magic by the end of the massage. I love trouble-shooting! I also like to work with women who go to gym and have muscles, and come to me not massively sore. They know how their body works and really feel the benefit immediately.
Ho do you avoid burnout?
I’ve got a glass marble solitaire which I roll my hands on. I was lucky to have an instructor who really taught us to take care of our bodies. We were taught to use fists, hands, knuckles, forearms, our body-weight etc instead of just using thumbs as those joints won’t last a full career. If you’re moving down someone’s spine he taught us to use different fingers rather than always putting pressure on thumbs. I try and pass that on to people I do training with too. I can do five per day maximum, but I think four is reasonable for everyone so that people can still enjoy their lives and the wonderful mountains and lives we get to live here. I don’t want tired, bored therapists turning up to massages.
Any strange experiences on the couch?
I massaged a friend once who had been out the night before and he was leaving that day, so he was really limited in his timings. He arrived and apologised for being hungover but during the course of the massage he became clearly more and more drunk again because I was pushing all of the alcohol toxins back into his bloodstream. I told him he had to sit down and drink some water, it was hilarious!
No-one has been inappropriate when they’ve been on the couch, which is good! I’ve had someone once who didn’t want any towels… However I said to him ‘You’re having towels when you turn over, that is non-negotiable.’ Hair can pull on a client too. I’ve worked out that you can’t go in circles with long body hair or you create mini dreadlocks!
Do you advocate self-massage?
Before I trained, I was out in Brighton with my female friends and I had a nagging, persistent pain in my wrist which was so sore I decided to go home early. When I got home I traced it all the way up to a knot in my shoulder. I felt I was going to be sick as I kneaded it out but immediately I felt so much better! So I’m a big advocate of self-massage and foam-rolling… if you can’t get to a professional of course.
What do your weekends look like?
On a Friday I give myself a midnight curfew, so I might go out for dinner or a few drinks. If the weather is nice, on Saturday mornings I take early-morning yoga at the lake. I might go to the pool for a swim, spend the day at the lake, then do evening massages. I winter I’ll be snobby about snow, so maybe I’ll enjoy a sofa day. In autumn I like to hike if it’s not a hunt day, or maybe come for a coffee and croissant at the lake.
How do you create a sense of calm?
I like low lights, black and golds, rich dual tones, frankincense, amber, oud, cedar, shea butter. Personally I’m not into traditional lavender even though I know it does work. I like to use peppermint on the feet as it’s so refreshing. We offer a pregnancy-safe organic blend for pregnant people; for ayurvedic massages we have some wonderful smelling options, and clients can choose normal/oily skin; I love using wintergreen for really tight muscles. I’ve done a little bit of essential oil training but I believe my choices for each client are part of the process, you have to learn to trust your instincts.
Often I say to people ‘How about we don’t talk?’. I prefer to get the client comfortable then want them to concentrate on their body rather than the stresses of daily life. I want people to be enveloped in a little snug blanket, so all of our couches are heated in winter. They can of course be turned off though, if preferred.
What were you doing before MMM?
I will have been here nine years in December. I worked at Mama’s (now Cuisine 22) for a summer. I worked at the Bec Jaune for a while, which was awesome. I cleaned for the first 3/4years on a Saturday… I’m still a yoga teacher. I am lucky enough to have a studio apartment which I rent out on Airbnb too.
Do you think juggling several jobs is very Morzine?
It’s very women in Morzine. What a man does as a job often defines him in a way that’s really archaic. Women can do and be a lot more because no-one expects you to be a CEO of a company, which is also archaic.
Plus I’d hate to be doing one thing all day every day. Actually, even if I was only doing MMM, as it’s my company I’d still be doing the marketing, interviewing people, training people, doing the massages, picking up the washing, ordering uniforms…
Are there any common misconceptions?
People seem very reluctant to have a male therapist. Whereas if it was a male physio they wouldn’t blink. Sometimes people don’t want a man. I find this sad: we’re all professionals. Perhaps it’s the final bastion to break down. I have to check if they’d be happy with a man, and more often than not, they’re not. Especially if it’s a man receiving the massage. You would if it was a doctor, or chiropractor or medic…
I am very careful with style of pictures I put out. You have to be very careful with your wording too. I’ve had a few emails asking ‘Do you offer a full service?’ to which they get a prompt reply saying no. More often than not, they then say, ‘Ok, sorry’ and that’s the end of it. I guess there are people out there who do offer that.
What’s the best prep to avoid injury?
Stretch, stretch, stretch, stretch. If you refer to my website you’ll see some for snowboarding, skiing and biking…
What else are you proud of about your company?
I’m really proud of our eco footprint. My car is hybrid, our branded tees and sweatshirts are organic cotton, our jackets are made from partly recycled materials, we’re a member of Montagne Verte. We don’t use paper roll or disposable cloths and we use refillable bottles where we can. Our base oil is sustainably sourced; the essential oils we use are organic. We do have to wash the towels of course. I think it’s really important to be eco-conscious and not just because of where we live.
How do we book with you?
Call the Hotel du Lac reception or you can contact us directly via the website. Also check the website for promos, we often have collaboration offers with the Hotel. For example, in summer there was an offer where two people could enjoy a half hour massage each and breakfast (croissants, coffee, fruit) for 40€pp. We also offer resident and second-home owner discounts.
And finally, who is your favourite Disney character?
Who I’d be is Mulan. She’s ace: she shoots things and saves China! But my favourite character is the warthog, Pumba, in The Lion King, he’s hilarious. Goofy is cool too because he surfs. Mickey surfs too. That’s why to surf right foot forward is called goofy apparently, the character Goofy had to be flipped in the drawings so that he and Mickey could be talking whilst surfing!