Today we’d like to introduce you to Rick Merriam.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Rick. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
Not too long after I graduated from high school, I experienced a lot of pain in my lower back. In a roundabout way, I ended up attending massage therapy school and then became a nationally certified personal trainer. After a few years of gaining more career capital, I started teaching human movement and resistance training to personal trainers. After one of my educational courses, people from ESPN came up to talk to me about what I had presented that day. One question that I’ll always remember: Where did you go to college? To which I replied, I didn’t go to college. Their response (without any hesitation), we are very interested in having you work with our staff at ESPN. That initial foot in the door at ESPN led to them having me come aboard two times a week for over three years. At that point, my primary role was to work with sports- and work-related injuries. My experience at ESPN and the rest of the experience that I accumulated prior to moving to Dallas has allowed me to be a good fit at Parker University, where I’ve taught Applied Anatomy & Kinesiology for over eight years.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
I’ve been licensed to address muscles with a hands-on therapy for 24 years. And throughout that time, I’ve been self-employed. So, it hasn’t been a smooth road. If it weren’t for phenomenal teachers along the way and great books on business and self-improvement, all the struggles would have been much more difficult to get through. For years, I’ve also listened to podcasts. Now, there are more podcasts than ever. I’m constantly amazed at how much I learn from listening to podcasts. My wife has also been extremely supportive throughout the years.
Engaging Muscles – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
I don’t focus on the tight muscles. Prior to getting to my treatment table, most clients have tried addressing the tight muscles with foam rollers and stretching. As most people can attest to, more foam rolling and more stretching leads to more and more of both. See, until the individual’s brain recognizes stability at the joint where the motion is restricted, muscles will continue to tighten up to protect them from an injury. It’s a vicious cycle. Meanwhile, the rate of injuries hasn’t gone down. And not to be taken lightly, we continue to spend billions of dollars on back pain. This, at a point in time when most people don’t even know what’s possible. As an example, since I’m getting to the source, my clients leave my office performing better than they were when they got on my treatment table. Said another way, at this point in my career, it’s extremely rare for a client to not report back having felt a noticeable improvement. More recently, I started documenting some of the results that I see on my YouTube Channel. This way, people can see the before and after for themselves.
Not too long ago, I wrote a blog post on plantar fasciitis that was shared over 21,000 times. That post is entitled, Plantar Fasciitis Has Very Little to Do with Your Foot. I spent over 40 hours to write that post. I had no idea how much it would resonate with people. Since so many people have seen me write about plantar fasciitis and foot function for so long, I think I’m primarily thought of as somebody who has an in-depth understanding of the foot.
Having said that, if you think about the title of that post on plantar fasciitis, the human body is a chain. Which means that the person that has continued to deal with plantar fasciitis is only as strong as the weakest link in their chain. As an example, I recently had a return client come in with a condition that’s often referred to as “top of foot pain”. Since she lives 3 hours away, combined with the fact that she’s had a lot going on, it’s been difficult for her to get to Dallas. After two sessions over the holiday weekend, she hasn’t felt the pain that she had been dealing with for over a year. And over those two sessions, I barely touched her foot. Instead, I addressed her hamstrings and other muscles that are responsible for moving her foot from the top-down.
I’m also known for doing deep tissue work to the tendinous attachments of the muscles. To give you a visual of what a session would look like, you won’t see me digging my elbow into any region of a person’s body. To me, that’s not much different than using a foam roller. Instead, I compress the attachments of the muscles, and then I add what’s known as a friction massage stroke. I do all of this through a person’s athletic clothing.
What is “success” or “successful” for you?
I get a tremendous amount of joy from my work. And I feel fortunate to have always done work that I enjoy. It’s a tremendous privilege to be so generous with my time and skill set. For me, doing work that has such a big impact on another human being is a natural high that just keeps on giving. Given how much time I’ll spend working over my lifetime, I can’t imagine doing anything else. Many years ago, I read the Go-Giver by Bob Burg and John David Mann. It’s a little book that changed the way I work. Ever since I first read that book, I’ve committed to giving more of myself. And then, I expect less from other people. Because the reality is, I can only control what I bring to my treatment table. When I feel that I’m giving and learning as much as I possibly can along the way, in my experience, that’s a great way to live one’s life. The same could be said for how to go about making art that people want to share with their friends. I realize that success is different for everyone. Having said that, in my experience, following what lit me up and felt right at such an early age has led to more success (and happiness!). More recently, I’ve found that since I’ve been in the mindset of continuous improvement for so long, new ideas and opportunities that are worth looking at are finding me. So more and more, I find myself settling into trusting and embracing the process that’s unfolding. I love that!
Pricing:
- One 90 min. session: 270
- A package of two 90 min. sessions: 510
- A package of three 90 min. sessions: 670
- A package of twelve 90 min. sessions: 1910
Contact Info:
- Address: 12700 Hillcrest Rd, Ste 125 #143 Dallas, TX 75230
- Website: https://www.engagingmuscles.com/
- Phone: 469.307.1729
- Email: rick.merriam@engagingmuscles.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rick.merriam/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/EngagingMuscles/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/rickmerriam
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/rick-merriam-engaging-muscles-dallas
- Other: https://www.youtube.com/subscription_center?add_user=rickmerriam
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