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Phoenix Massage Therapist for Cirque du Soleil Celebrates Successful Business Venture Inspired by Troupe |
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Phoenix Massage Therapist for Cirque du Soleil Celebrates
Successful Business Venture Inspired by Troupe
(PHOENIX, Ariz. Jan. 10, 2007) – When Cirque du Soleil’s, Dralion, hoisted their blue and yellow tent at Tempe Diablo Stadium in November 2002, local massage therapist, Tiffany Richards, was asked to provide therapeutic massage for the artists. Upon the tour’s departure from the valley, Richards was offered the opportunity to join and officially ran away with the circus.
“I had a great private practice here in Phoenix but I knew that this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, so I put my things in storage, packed up my car and hit the road,” said Richards.
Richards toured with the company until May 2003. During her time with the show, she drove across the country, spent her first Mardi Gras in New Orleans, island hopped the North Carolina shore, participated in ghost tours at Baltimore’s Inner Harbor and took on the Big Apple. Not to mention meeting several lifetime friends and gaining invaluable work experience, which was the springboard to the business she formed when she returned to Phoenix.
“There are about 120 people who work with the show,” said Richards. “I noticed, though, that only the artists got massage. No one in admin or logistics was able to participate. I figured that moving giant props and sound equipment or sitting all day long at a computer was hard on their bodies too. Even if they had the chance to receive a 15-minute seated massage during the week, it would have done wonders!”
Hence, when she returned home and after over a year of research, The Back Rub Company was launched. Richards wanted to be able to provide the same experience that the artists of Cirque du Soleil received for people in everyday work situations from office employees to construction workers.
The research paid off. Richards found statistics about the benefits of workplace massage, like a Report from the Surgeon General that corporate wellness programs return $1.95 - $3.75 per employee per dollar spent and have a cumulative economic benefit of $500 - $700 per worker per year; or a study performed by the Touch Research Institute in Miami that massaged subjects showed enhanced alertness, better math computations and anxiety, cortisol and job stress levels were lower.
Currently, Richards employs more than 15 practitioners ranging from massage therapists to wellness workshop instructors to yoga teachers. The Back Rub Company is the valley’s leader in complete customized workplace wellness programs that include chair massage, wellness workshops, office yoga and Pilates classes, nutrition seminars and more. The Back Rub Company also offers in-home and in-office 30, 60 and 90-minute table massage at their conveniently located Phoenix office.
“I don’t have any plans to return to the road,” said Richards. “It’s amazing and fun, but exhausting! I do get called to work with Cirque du Soleil whenever they’re in town. I worked with Varekai when they were here in 2004 and Corteo last spring. It’s truly an honor to be able to work with such a wonderful variety of people!”
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