14 Years of Texts & Calls. This Software Finally Gave Me My Life Back

I've been a Registered Massage Therapist since 2011. I live in a super tiny small town. There's not a whole lot here. Lots of families. And I'm the only massage therapist in town.

For 14 years, I ran my practice the classic way: text me, call me, figure it out. I was manually entering every massage into a Google spreadsheet. It was taking me 3 days to book a single appointment because I just didn't want to deal with it anymore.

I have three kids. Ages 3, 5, and 7. I have a husband who works full-time and farms on the side. We have a lot going on. Too many irons in the fire.

When I'm at home, I don't want to think about work. But for 14 years, work followed me everywhere. Until I finally took the plunge.

Why I Chose This Career

I graduated high school in 2009, and massage therapy was always something I kept coming back to for a career choice. I liked the flexibility of being an RMT and wanted to get into the healthcare sector.

I absolutely love my career and all the people I've helped over the years. Everyone here really appreciates that I stick around so I can help them with their aches and pains. If I wasn't here, people would be travelling 30 to 45 minutes to see someone else.

On the downside, I do miss having someone to bounce treatment and business plans off of. Being the only one in town means you figure things out alone.

What 14 Years of Texts and Calls Actually Looked Like

It was chaos.

I'd get up in the morning. See a text from someone needing me. Look at my schedule that's filled for the next 3 weeks. Put my phone down because I don't even know where to start.

Pick my phone up again. Look at my daily schedule. Oh, my husband is at work until 4. Kids are in school so I've got to pick them up. Then my husband is going to be late because he has to stop at the farm after work. And the kids have hockey practice after school.

Here's me just trying to balance it all. I'm at home. I need to worry about home. But I can't, because it's forever on my mind: how do I get this client in when I don't even have time to think?

People would message me at 9 o'clock on a Saturday night asking for a massage. My family would constantly ask, "Who are you talking to?" They thought I was playing on my phone all the time. But I wasn't playing. I was working.

It's exhausting. I'm getting tired. It's not that I don't want to talk to people. I just need something easier.

The Moment I Said Enough

I have so many things going on. Managing my kids' hockey team. Housework. Three young kids. I sometimes help on the farm. I'm an RMT. My husband works full-time and farms on the side.

It's a lot. Too many irons in the fire. Something had to give.

My New Year's resolution was to give myself the gift of organization. I finally said: it really can't be that bad, can it? Everyone else is doing it.

So I started doing research. And I came upon Noterro.

How I Compared Every Booking Software Before Choosing

I definitely did my research. I'm that kind of person.

I used ChatGPT to compare features and pricing. I told it what I needed: appointment reminders via text, an online booking portal, the ability to make my own app, AI charting. Then I compared the price points.

Jane Was Too Expensive

I checked out Jane. It was really expensive. It's got a few things on there, but I didn't find anything that was worth an extra hundred bucks a month. No way.

Clinic Sense Didn't Click

I checked out Clinic Sense. I don't remember exactly why, but it just wasn't speaking to me.

Massage Manager Was Too Slow

Massage Manager was recommended through my massage group. But they didn't get back to me for a super long time. I had already signed on with Noterro by then. When I checked it out later, I was like: nah.

Square Was Just Reminders

I initially looked at Square because I just wanted appointment reminders. They wanted to charge $35 a month just for that. I'm like: I can pay an extra $15 a month and get online booking, text reminders, financial tracking, AI Scribe, everything. That's a no-brainer.

Why I Chose Noterro Over Everything Else

One of the things that set Noterro apart was the price point. Yes, other software had some cool features. But at the end of the day, I'm not going to use most of them. I'm not going to spend a whole bunch of money every month on things I won't use.

What I needed was simple: online booking, automatic text reminders, financial tracking. Noterro had all of that at a price that made sense for a solo practitioner.

The AI Scribe was a huge bonus too. I hate doing paperwork. Actually hate it. Before, my notes were awful. Very quick, small notes. Now I just talk like I would about my patient, and done.

The automatic texting reminders have been amazing. My clients love it. They're not as sold on emails because people don't read their emails. But texting? That works.

What Changed After I Made the Switch

It's been a learning curve. But the weight that's been lifted off me has been amazing.

The really awesome thing is that I can just look at my phone. It's like: oh look, somebody booked an appointment. I didn't need to pick up my phone. I didn't need to talk to anybody. I didn't need to do anything. They just looked at my schedule and booked themselves in.

Huh. Sweet.

That's honestly a game changer. Because there are so many things going on at home. Now when I go to work, I worry about work. When I go home, I worry about home. I don't have to combine the two anymore.

I don't have people messaging me at 9 o'clock on a Saturday. I just say: book it online.

Financial Tracking Used to Take Hours

Before Noterro, tracking my income took hours. And then my kids would be playing around while I'm trying to do it. Getting distracted. Making mistakes.

Now it's just there. Simple clicks of a button versus hours of time away from my family. I just made a deposit this morning. I know exactly how much I have in cash and how much came through e-transfer. It's all right there.

No More Mental Load of Manual Reminders

I was manually doing my appointment reminders myself before. My no-show rates haven't changed dramatically, but I don't have the mental load of having to do it every day anymore. That alone is worth it.

Even Older Clients Figured It Out

My older and less tech-savvy clients are getting there. Once they've done it once, they're like: oh, well that wasn't so bad.

How My Family Noticed the Difference

For me, a lot of it was the mental game. Trying to juggle all the things. Finally, something had to give.

Now I have more time to focus on my family and their needs. I leave work at work.

My family used to say "you're playing on your phone all the time." Now there's actual separation between work and home. They notice. I notice. Everyone's happier.

The Reality of Being the Only RMT in a Small Town

Small-town culture means people expect to text your personal number. That's just how things work here. But I don't like having my personal phone used for business. It's impossible to keep track of anything. It becomes a mess.

Now I just say: here's the booking link. When you want an appointment, check it out yourself. People can book online without having to text me. That boundary matters.

I also do occasional mobile visits for clients who are in wheelchairs or at the long-term care facility in town. It's not a huge part of my practice, but it matters. Some people can't get to me, so I go to them.

My Advice for Other Massage Therapists

Total. Game. Changer.

Just take the plunge. I wish I would have done this years ago.

If you've been doing the text-and-call thing for years and you're tired, you don't have to keep doing it. I waited 14 years. I don't know why. It really wasn't that bad to make the switch.

You don't need to spend a fortune on software with features you'll never use. Find something that does what you actually need at a price that makes sense. Compare the options. I used ChatGPT to help me do that.

For me, Noterro checked all the boxes. Online booking. Text reminders. Financial tracking. AI Scribe. All at a price I could afford.

My New Year's resolution was to give myself the gift of organization. Best gift I ever gave myself.

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