Sustainable Bodyworker

Sustainable Bodyworker

Sustainable Bodyworker is the go-to podcast for massage therapists ready to break free from burnout and build thriving, purpose-driven practices. Hosted by Gretchen Popp—massage therapist, mentor, educator, and recovering overachiever—this show dives deep into nervous system aligned business strategies, sensible pricing, and practices for client work that sustains rather than drains you. Whether you’re just starting out or seeking ways to make your career truly support your life, tune in each week for grounded advice, actionable tips, and honest discussions on how to create a sustainable and fulfilling bodywork business.

  1. 6D AGO

    Episode 40: Stop Guessing, Start Evaluating - The Shift to Clinical Massage with Robyn Zappy - Sustainable Bodyworker Podcast

    You ever wonder if confidently owning your clinical expertise will scare off loyal clients—or if “fixing people” just means you’ll work yourself out of business? You’re not alone; so many of us secretly worry that helping folks get real, lasting results will mean running out of work or missing out on consistent income. In this episode, Gretchen’s conversation with Robyn Zappy is a breath of fresh air. What really stood out for me was how shifting into a clear, clinical approach isn’t about posturing or memorizing scripts, but about actually knowing what you’re doing (and why), then communicating that with grounded honesty. Robyn Zappy lays it all out—how mapping out treatment plans, setting mutual goals, and reframing “fixing” as an invitation to deeper trust can free you from guessing and burnout cycles. If imposter feelings or fear of disappointing clients has kept you playing small, this one’s a real nudge to ask: what if clarity and honesty, not just soft skills or following routines, make your business (and nervous system) sustainable in the long run? Click HERE to explore more of the Wellness Institute of Chester County’s continuing education classes, and HERE to explore their online LMT forum!   ----more---- CLICK HERE FOR A FREE BREAKTHROUGH EXPERIENCE WITH GRETCHEN ----more---- If you’re a massage therapist who wants your practice to feel sustainable again, the Sustainable Bodyworker Membership is where we go deeper. Inside you’ll find practical tools, honest conversations, and support for building a practice that actually works for your body and your life. Click here to learn more and join us. ----more---- Affiliate Links:  We’re careful about what we share here. Everything in this section is something we personally use and come back to again and again — tools that support our own bodies, nervous systems, and day-to-day work. Bon Charge: Use code SUSTAINABLE for 15% off! Swanwick Glasses: Use code GRETCHENPOPP for 10% off! InHarmony Meditation Mats: Use code NEURO5 for 5% off! Global Cupping: Use code NEURO for 20% off your first order! We are so grateful for your support of the Sustainable Bodyworker Podcast and would love to hear how we can better support you! Click here to give us your feedback on the show.  If you’ve got a story, skill, or insight you think would help other bodyworkers, we’d love to hear from you — click here to apply to be a guest on the Sustainable Bodyworker Podcast. The ideas and techniques shared by our guests on the Sustainable Bodyworker Podcast are their own unique perspectives and don’t necessarily reflect those of Gretchen Popp or the Sustainable Bodyworker team or community as a whole. Click HERE for your FREE Mindset Shift Hypnotherapy Session with Gretchen!

    1h 9m
  2. MAR 23

    Episode 39: Bridging Somatics and Touch: The Secret Ingredient to Sustainable Practice with Fernando Rojas - Sustainable Bodyworker Podcast

    If you’ve ever felt like your heart just isn’t in your sessions anymore—like you’re running on autopilot, ticking off protocols, and rationing your energy just to make it through the day—you’re not alone. The pressure to show up for your clients while ignoring what your own body is telling you is real, and it’s a fast track to burnout. This conversation put words to that gnawing sense that something bigger might be missing for bodyworkers: the power of presence and honest, non-performative self-care. What landed for me, and maybe for you too, is the reminder that your well-being isn’t just a bonus—it’s a non-negotiable professional skill, as Fernando Rojas put it. Practicing even five minutes of somatic mindfulness a day, not as a fix-it hack but as a genuine way to be with yourself, can change the tone of your whole practice. The “how” matters more than the “what.” When you get curious about what your body’s really saying (instead of pushing through) and give yourself a little acceptance, you’re not only sustainable—you might actually start to feel at home in your own work again. Click HERE to explore more of Fernando’s Somatic Mindfulness work!  ----more---- CLICK HERE FOR A FREE BREAKTHROUGH EXPERIENCE WITH GRETCHEN ----more---- If you’re a massage therapist who wants your practice to feel sustainable again, the Sustainable Bodyworker Membership is where we go deeper. Inside you’ll find practical tools, honest conversations, and support for building a practice that actually works for your body and your life. Click here to learn more and join us. ----more---- Affiliate Links:  We’re careful about what we share here. Everything in this section is something we personally use and come back to again and again — tools that support our own bodies, nervous systems, and day-to-day work. Bon Charge: Use code SUSTAINABLE for 15% off! Swanwick Glasses: Use code GRETCHENPOPP for 10% off! InHarmony Meditation Mats: Use code NEURO5 for 5% off! Global Cupping: Use code NEURO for 20% off your first order! We are so grateful for your support of the Sustainable Bodyworker Podcast and would love to hear how we can better support you! Click here to give us your feedback on the show.  If you’ve got a story, skill, or insight you think would help other bodyworkers, we’d love to hear from you — click here to apply to be a guest on the Sustainable Bodyworker Podcast. The ideas and techniques shared by our guests on the Sustainable Bodyworker Podcast are their own unique perspectives and don’t necessarily reflect those of Gretchen Popp or the Sustainable Bodyworker team or community as a whole. Click HERE for your FREE Mindset Shift Hypnotherapy Session with Gretchen!

    1h 29m
  3. MAR 16

    Episode 37: When Words Escape Us - Rethinking Consent, Boundaries, and Connection in Dementia Massage with Nicolle Mitchell - Sustainable Bodyworker Podcast

    If you’ve ever wondered how to show up for clients when you’re scraping the bottom of your own energy barrel, this episode’s going to hit home. Nicolle Mitchell opens up about what actually shifts the quality of care for people living with dementia—not just fancy hands-on techniques, but the real, relational groundwork: slowing down, truly attuning, and making consent a living, breathing part of every interaction.  The biggest takeaway? Sustainable, nervous system-aligned practice isn’t about doing more, it’s about carving out genuine space for connection, boundaries, and curiosity. And honestly, that’s what lets you stay present without burning out (even if the work gets heavy). This episode is full of real tools and permission to check in with yourself, not just your clients—so you can keep showing up, in a way that actually feels good. Click here to explore more of Nicolle’s work!  ----more---- If you’re a massage therapist who wants your practice to feel sustainable again, the Sustainable Bodyworker Membership is where we go deeper. Inside you’ll find practical tools, honest conversations, and support for building a practice that actually works for your body and your life. Click here to learn more and join us. ----more---- Affiliate Links:  We’re careful about what we share here. Everything in this section is something we personally use and come back to again and again — tools that support our own bodies, nervous systems, and day-to-day work. Bon Charge: Use code SUSTAINABLE for 15% off! Swanwick Glasses: Use code GRETCHENPOPP for 10% off! InHarmony Meditation Mats: Use code NEURO5 for 5% off! Global Cupping: Use code NEURO for 20% off your first order! We are so grateful for your support of the Sustainable Bodyworker Podcast and would love to hear how we can better support you! Click here to give us your feedback on the show.  If you’ve got a story, skill, or insight you think would help other bodyworkers, we’d love to hear from you — click here to apply to be a guest on the Sustainable Bodyworker Podcast. The ideas and techniques shared by our guests on the Sustainable Bodyworker Podcast are their own unique perspectives and don’t necessarily reflect those of Gretchen Popp or the Sustainable Bodyworker team or community as a whole. Click HERE for your FREE Mindset Shift hypnotherapy session with Gretchen!

    1h 6m
  4. MAR 9

    Episode 36: Letting Sh*t Go: Shedding Old Identities & Evolving as a Bodyworker with Alyse Faith - Sustainable Bodyworker Podcast

    Ever reach that point where you’re “successful” on paper but inside you’re just—done? Like your body and brain are screaming for something new, but letting go of what you built feels impossible (and maybe a little bit like failure)? That’s the real talk Gretchen Popp and Alyse Faith get into here. Both have ridden the rollercoaster of growing a busy practice, hitting all those external markers of success…and then realizing the relentless hustle was grinding them down. This conversation isn’t about perfect business plans. It’s about listening when your nervous system shuts down the old ways—letting things fall apart, sitting in that awkward, stripped-down middle space, and trusting that the next idea (the one that actually lights you up) needs quiet and regulation, not more pushing. You’ll hear Gretchen unpack her own identity crisis after stepping away from clinic ownership—and what it actually took to create something from genuine inspiration instead of hustle high. If you’re in that messy transition—gutting your business, questioning all your “shoulds,” or finally ready to build around your actual needs instead of everyone else’s—this episode gives you real-world proof that your weird, winding path is part of the process. The seeds you plant in those uncertain seasons can grow way bigger than you think… if you’re willing to listen, slow down, and let go.   If you’d like to explore more of Alyse’s work, click here, or follow her on TikTok! Also check out her shop The Cozy Coven on Instagram and be sure to stop by whenever you’re in Sleepy Hollow!   ----more---- If you’re a massage therapist who wants your practice to feel sustainable again, the Sustainable Bodyworker Membership is where we go deeper. Inside you’ll find practical tools, honest conversations, and support for building a practice that actually works for your body and your life. Click here to learn more and join us. ----more---- Affiliate Links:  We’re careful about what we share here. Everything in this section is something we personally use and come back to again and again — tools that support our own bodies, nervous systems, and day-to-day work. Bon Charge: Use code SUSTAINABLE for 15% off! Swanwick Glasses: Use code GRETCHENPOPP for 10% off! InHarmony Meditation Mats: Use code NEURO5 for 5% off! Global Cupping: Use code NEURO for 20% off your first order! We are so grateful for your support of the Sustainable Bodyworker Podcast and would love to hear how we can better support you! Click here to give us your feedback on the show.  If you’ve got a story, skill, or insight you think would help other bodyworkers, we’d love to hear from you — click here to apply to be a guest on the Sustainable Bodyworker Podcast. The ideas and techniques shared by our guests on the Sustainable Bodyworker Podcast are their own unique perspectives and don’t necessarily reflect those of Gretchen Popp or the Sustainable Bodyworker team or community as a whole. Click HERE for your FREE Mindset Shift hypnotherapy session with Gretchen!

    57 min
  5. MAR 2

    Episode 35: Pivot & Purpose Rethinking Success as a Massage Therapist with Nathan Nordstrom - Sustainable Bodyworker Podcast

    Ever caught yourself wondering if you’re even cut out for this work anymore—especially when that sense of passion starts to feel more like a trap than a fire? This conversation cuts right to the core of what so many massage therapists go through: you follow your joy, master a skill, maybe even get “successful,” and then wake up one day exhausted, disconnected, or not even sure if you want what you’ve built. Gretchen shares her own story of building a thriving clinic, only to realize she was burnt out and headed in a direction she never meant to go. She and Nathan Nordstrom get honest about the pivots it takes to build a truly sustainable career, the danger of mixing up your identity with your work, and why “passion” isn’t a straight line (thank goodness). If you’re the type who can’t help but chase new ideas or is forever pushing yourself to be “better,” you’ll appreciate the gentle nudge to slow down, get curious when you hit a wall, and see setbacks as feedback instead of failure. There’s a lot here on nervous system-friendly ways to audit your practice and set boundaries—plus, permission to find joy and stability beyond just cranking out more massages. If you’re spun out or craving more meaning, this one gives you some breathing room, a little perspective, and maybe a fresh place to start. To work with Nathan, reach out through his website Educated Touch, or reach out to him directly at nathan@educatedtouch.com Be sure to stay tuned in for the release of his book “When Your Passion is Your Profession!” ----more---- Founder’s pricing for The Sustainable Bodyworker Membership is open until March 8th (lowest rate, locked in while you’re a member). Founder members also get a 90-day framework workshop in mid-March, and you can book a 1:1 call with me as soon as you join to map your best first steps. Click here to join! ----more---- Affiliate Links:  We’re careful about what we share here. Everything in this section is something we personally use and come back to again and again — tools that support our own bodies, nervous systems, and day-to-day work. Bon Charge: Use code SUSTAINABLE for 15% off! Swanwick Glasses: Use code GRETCHENPOPP for 10% off! InHarmony Meditation Mats: Use code NEURO5 for 5% off! Global Cupping: Use code NEURO for 20% off your first order! We are so grateful for your support of the Sustainable Bodyworker Podcast and would love to hear how we can better support you! Click here to give us your feedback on the show.  If you’ve got a story, skill, or insight you think would help other bodyworkers, we’d love to hear from you — click here to apply to be a guest on the Sustainable Bodyworker Podcast. The ideas and techniques shared by our guests on the Sustainable Bodyworker Podcast are their own unique perspectives and don’t necessarily reflect those of Gretchen Popp or the Sustainable Bodyworker team or community as a whole. Click HERE for your FREE Mindset Shift hypnotherapy session with Gretchen!

    1h 10m
  6. FEB 23

    Episode 34: Why are so many MTs in pain and struggling? - Sustainable Bodyworker Podcast

    🌿 A conversation about bodywork burnout that goes deeper than food choices, willpower, or “doing better.” In this solo episode, Gretchen responds to a charged conversation in the massage therapy world around practitioner health, weight, and burnout — and reframes it through a lens of nervous system regulation, systemic pressure, and subconscious self-abandonment. Drawing from her own lived experience with chronic fatigue, fibromyalgia, autoimmune issues, and early-career overwork in high-volume clinics, Gretchen unpacks why so many bodyworkers end up exhausted, inflamed, and disconnected from their own bodies — even though they know exactly what health should look like. This episode explores how caregiving professions quietly reward self-sacrifice, how survival-mode habits like sugar and caffeine are adaptations (not failures), and why awareness alone rarely creates lasting change. Gretchen shares why prioritizing self-care first isn’t indulgent or selfish, but essential — especially for practitioners who hold space for others all day long.   🎧 You’ll hear reflections on:   Why many bodyworkers are “cared out” before they ever get to themselves The difference between knowing what to do and being able to do it How subconscious patterns sabotage progress when we start changing Why income, time, and nourishment are inseparable from practitioner health How hypnotherapy can bridge the gap between insight and integration   🌱 Gretchen also shares how stabilizing her income allowed her to work fewer clients, rest more, nourish herself better, and access the care her body actually needed — and why sustainability in this profession requires both internal rewiring and external support. 🤍 This episode is for massage therapists and bodyworkers who feel tired of blaming themselves, who want to take better care of their bodies without perfectionism, and who are ready to build a career that doesn’t cost them their health. ✨ If this conversation resonates, Gretchen offers deeper support inside the Sustainable Bodyworker membership — including CE-approved classes on nutrition and sustainable self-care, plus a growing hypnotherapy library designed specifically for bodyworkers. ----more---- Founder’s pricing for The Sustainable Bodyworker Membership is open until March 8th (lowest rate, locked in while you’re a member). Founder members also get a 90-day framework workshop in mid-March, and you can book a 1:1 call with me as soon as you join to map your best first steps. Click here to join! ----more---- Affiliate Links:  We’re careful about what we share here. Everything in this section is something we personally use and come back to again and again — tools that support our own bodies, nervous systems, and day-to-day work. Bon Charge: Use code SUSTAINABLE for 15% off! Swanwick Glasses: Use code GRETCHENPOPP for 10% off! InHarmony Meditation Mats: Use code NEURO5 for 5% off! Global Cupping: Use code NEURO for 20% off your first order! We are so grateful for your support of the Sustainable Bodyworker Podcast and would love to hear how we can better support you! Click here to give us your feedback on the show.  If you’ve got a story, skill, or insight you think would help other bodyworkers, we’d love to hear from you — click here to apply to be a guest on the Sustainable Bodyworker Podcast. The ideas and techniques shared by our guests on the Sustainable Bodyworker Podcast are their own unique perspectives and don’t necessarily reflect those of Gretchen Popp or the Sustainable Bodyworker team or community as a whole. Click HERE for your FREE Mindset Shift hypnotherapy session with Gretchen!

    24 min
  7. FEB 16

    Episode 33: Sacred Geometry & Biodynamic Business: Growing Your Practice Like a Living System with Daniela Escudero - Sustainable Bodyworker Podcast

    Ever find yourself completely wiped out, hustling through the admin, laundry, marketing—all the not-so-glamorous parts of running a bodywork practice—while your actual passion feels buried under a pile of “shoulds”? This episode felt like a permission slip to see your business as a living, breathing thing—not just a machine you’re supposed to keep running at all costs. I loved Daniela’s take on bringing permaculture and farming principles into the way we care for ourselves and our work; honestly, it’s such a relief to think about business growth as messy, seasonal, and cyclical, instead of linear and relentless. If you’ve ever struggled with productivity guilt or felt bad about letting an old offering die out, this conversation unpacks why letting things compost—whether it’s a service, a habit, or even a whole version of your business—isn’t just okay, but vital. Sometimes rest, observation, and small slow shifts do more to nourish your practice (and your nervous system) than any grand rebrand or marketing sprint. The big mindset shift here? Trusting yourself and your cycles enough to step back, notice what’s really feeding you, and let go of what isn’t—even if that means unlearning a whole lot of business advice along the way. Click here to explore more of Danielas work! ----more---- Founder’s pricing for The Sustainable Bodyworker Membership is open until March 8th (lowest rate, locked in while you’re a member). Founder members also get a 90-day framework workshop in mid-March, and you can book a 1:1 call with me as soon as you join to map your best first steps. Click here to join! ----more----   Affiliate Links:  We’re careful about what we share here. Everything in this section is something we personally use and come back to again and again — tools that support our own bodies, nervous systems, and day-to-day work. Bon Charge: Use code SUSTAINABLE for 15% off! Swanwick Glasses: Use code GRETCHENPOPP for 10% off! InHarmony Meditation Mats: Use code NEURO5 for 5% off! Global Cupping: Use code NEURO for 20% off your first order! We are so grateful for your support of the Sustainable Bodyworker Podcast and would love to hear how we can better support you! Click here to give us your feedback on the show.  If you’ve got a story, skill, or insight you think would help other bodyworkers, we’d love to hear from you — click here to apply to be a guest on the Sustainable Bodyworker Podcast. The ideas and techniques shared by our guests on the Sustainable Bodyworker Podcast are their own unique perspectives and don’t necessarily reflect those of Gretchen Popp or the Sustainable Bodyworker team or community as a whole. Click HERE for your FREE Mindset Shift hypnotherapy session with Gretchen!

    1h 14m
  8. FEB 9

    Episode 32: Why Charging Your Worth Is an Ethical Practice - Sustainable Bodyworker Podcast

    ✨ What if charging your worth isn’t about money at all, but about reciprocity, nervous system safety, and the longevity of your career? ----more---- In this solo episode, Gretchen reflects on an “aha” moment that connected relationships, boundaries, and pricing in a way she hadn’t fully articulated before. She explores why energy imbalances, especially around money, quietly erode our capacity to show up fully, even when we’re deeply committed to doing good work. Drawing from lived experience in clinical practice, sliding scale experiments, and years of mentoring bodyworkers, Gretchen unpacks the difference between generosity that comes from overflow and self-sacrifice that leads to burnout. She names the uncomfortable truths many practitioners sense but are afraid to say out loud, and offers a grounded reframe for raising prices without guilt, shame, or fear of becoming “unethical.” This episode is for the bodyworker who feels overbooked and underpaid, underbooked and undervalued, or caught between wanting to be accessible and needing to be sustainable. 🌿 You’ll hear reflections on: Why reciprocity is a nervous system issue, not a mindset flaw How working below your energetic or financial threshold impacts your presence in session What sliding scales often reveal about value, power, and investment The difference between offering access from obligation versus from abundance Why sustainability may be one of the most ethical choices you can make If this conversation stirs something in you, relief, resistance, or curiosity, that’s not an accident. It’s information. And it might be pointing toward a different way of practicing that supports both your clients and your body. For deeper support around pricing, boundaries, and building a nervous system-aligned practice, Gretchen shares more inside the Sustainable Bodyworker community: a space for practitioners who want their work to feel as good for them as it does for their clients. ----more---- Founder’s pricing for The Sustainable Bodyworker Membership is open until March 8th (lowest rate, locked in while you’re a member). Founder members also get a 90-day framework workshop in mid-March, and you can book a 1:1 call with me as soon as you join to map your best first steps. Click here to join!  ----more----   Affiliate Links:  We’re careful about what we share here. Everything in this section is something we personally use and come back to again and again — tools that support our own bodies, nervous systems, and day-to-day work. Bon Charge: Use code SUSTAINABLE for 15% off! Swanwick Glasses: Use code GRETCHENPOPP for 10% off! InHarmony Meditation Mats: Use code NEURO5 for 5% off! Global Cupping: Use code NEURO for 20% off your first order! We are so grateful for your support of the Sustainable Bodyworker Podcast and would love to hear how we can better support you! Click here to give us your feedback on the show.  If you’ve got a story, skill, or insight you think would help other bodyworkers, we’d love to hear from you — click here to apply to be a guest on the Sustainable Bodyworker Podcast. The ideas and techniques shared by our guests on the Sustainable Bodyworker Podcast are their own unique perspectives and don’t necessarily reflect those of Gretchen Popp or the Sustainable Bodyworker team or community as a whole. Click HERE for your FREE Mindset Shift hypnotherapy session with Gretchen!

    23 min

Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
6 Ratings

About

Sustainable Bodyworker is the go-to podcast for massage therapists ready to break free from burnout and build thriving, purpose-driven practices. Hosted by Gretchen Popp—massage therapist, mentor, educator, and recovering overachiever—this show dives deep into nervous system aligned business strategies, sensible pricing, and practices for client work that sustains rather than drains you. Whether you’re just starting out or seeking ways to make your career truly support your life, tune in each week for grounded advice, actionable tips, and honest discussions on how to create a sustainable and fulfilling bodywork business.

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