THE WISDOM OF PERSEVERENCE

I am happy to share with you that over the last twenty years I have made all the mistakes, some of them several times over. There are so many things about succeeding and being happy in this line of work that simply aren't obvious. Every few years I would wonder why on earth I hadn't stayed in my high-paying job and just put up with those pressures and stresses because, from a distance, they seemed preferable to the highs and lows of fumbling around and trying to make my business work while getting by on a meagre income.

In starting my own little practice, I often felt like my sole purpose in life was to pay everyone else first: the insurance company, the landlord, the government, the tax department, the professional associations, the printer, the telephone company, the internet provider, the website developer, the mentor ... you get my meaning. Even before I saw my first few clients most of these bills had to be paid and they haven't stopped since that very first day.

Then there were the emotional demands of dealing with people's needs and inconsistencies. Working with them to heal their health and feel better about themselves was a delight for me. I enjoyed the actual work, but dealing with phone calls at all hours of the day and night, a growing stream of emails, the no-shows, the late arrivals and the people who claimed they couldn't afford my incredibly low-priced services, were challenges I had not banked on. The luxury of employment in medium-to-large companies had largely shielded me from all of these things. Sure I'd had to endure office politics and meet demanding targets, but as part of a pecking order in a company of any size there is still a level of detachment from the successes and failures of the business and the personalities of the people you have to deal with, which is not present when you are the business.

Maybe I am making it sound like it's all about the money. That's not my aim here; my aim is to point out that running your own business from scratch is difficult and much more challenging, on a deeply personal level, than any job. It's my belief that the world would be a very different place if everyone had to run their own business at least once in their lives. And not just run the business, but live only from the proceeds of it. I took so much for granted when I was employed, from the phone calls I used to make from the office, right through to holiday pay (I thought this was something I was entitled to!) and my company car. I can't tell you what a shock it was to receive my first phone bill after leaving the fashion industry, not to mention the costs of running my own vehicle.

On a personal level, I also found the complementary health field very challenging. It was a huge learning curve for me and I had a lot to learn about caring and supporting, without trying to rescue people. To be honest, I was probably playing the role of rescuer for about the first ten years of my practice. Naively, I had just assumed that if someone was willing to spend their time and money coming to see a homoeopath, and then Clairvoyant Healer, they must be the type of person who was willing to take responsibility for their health and their lives. I was shocked to find how needy people could be, and I exacerbated that neediness by believing I had to help them and be available at all times. That was a very hard lesson for me. I still find it ironic that when I am more firm with someone about my boundaries i.e. 'you get 110 per cent from me in the time we have together, then when you walk out that door it's up to you', they have much better outcomes than they did back in the dark ages when I played agony aunt to almost everyone.

It was an emotional, personal, physical, mental and financial rollercoaster as I figured out that other peoples' health and happiness were not my personal responsibility. Once I realised that all I could do was my best, my whole life started to become a great deal more rewarding and enjoyable.

So, was giving up ever really an option? Yes, in my monkey mind it was. We always have options and I believe that if you really want to do it you can reinvent yourself any time you like. It might not be easy, but it's possible. I held down many different part-time jobs during those first ten years, enjoying the relative security and absolute necessity of some dependable income. I did what I had to do to stay afloat, but when I was really honest with myself I knew that I couldn't go back to the fashion industry because it just wasn't my truth. My physical and emotional health had deteriorated so much during my fashion years, and I knew that my body was telling me 'this isn't for you'. Still, I applied for jobs and went for interviews from time to time when it was hard to see the light at the end of the self-employment tunnel.

Now as I look back over the last twenty-five years, I can see that this journey has been the making of me and that there have been far more good times than bad. I've met and worked with some incredible people, and I've designed my own life to incorporate hobbies and other activities I love. Each day my work brings me the joy and satisfaction of working with people who want to shift their energy, raise their vibration and create the best life that they can. I now travel the world promoting the books and card sets I've written and doing readings and seminars in amazing locations and beautiful countries. I have a dedicated following of clients and students worldwide, and most importantly, a wonderful network of friends all around this wonderful planet.

Did I know all of this was going to unfold when I graduated with my homoeopathy diploma over twenty years ago? Of course not! But I have always been willing to dream big. You are reading this book because you want to be happy, healthy, fulfilled, successful and make a positive impact on the world. You are reading this book because you want to save yourself time, find solutions to your dilemmas, find answers to your questions, have moral support and get on with it. You are reading this book because you have a passion and the knowledge that you don't want to, or can no longer fit into, the standard mold of what a normal life is meant to look like. You are reading this book because you are extraordinary and you are willing to dream big too.

For all those things I acknowledge you, and I hope that you will find my offerings, in the form of this book, useful, practical and inspiring.

GRADUATING IS JUST THE BEGINNING

It may be a difficult pill to swallow, but the truth is that attaining your qualification is sometimes the easiest part of your journey to becoming a holistic health practitioner. Whilst studying is demanding, it can also be a great deal of fun, and there is always support available from your fellow students, the lecturers and the college. Once you leave the security of this structure however, it can be a very different story.

Many graduates fall into an emotional and motivational hole after the excitement and effort of graduating. After fulfilling a dream such as attaining a diploma, you have every right to want to celebrate. So congratulate yourself, feel proud and enjoy the moment. Then get ready for the next big life-changing evolution you will experience as you take what you have learned into the demanding and challenging commercial world.

Maintaining a connection with some of your fellow students after graduation is incredibly important and can provide considerable comfort as you venture out on your own. I can't emphasise this enough. It seems so obvious and yet time and again I counsel clients whose fledgling practices are struggling because they are trying to do it all by themselves. Being part of a community is an amazing resource. When you are establishing a new practice or trying to grow an existing one, you need friends and supporters.

Whilst life is busy and it's easy to drift away from your peers and lecturers after your online or on-campus course ends, it is absolutely vital to your ongoing success and happiness to have a network to stay in touch with. If you haven't finished your studies yet, please make the time to establish a group that meets regularly. I still belong to a couple of alumni groups, and even though I can't attend every gathering I love being invited and kept up to date with their activities. It's so nice to feel a part of something.

If there is already a group available then your participation at some level is important. You will receive much more from it than you ever have to give if you go in with an open mind and a willingness to share experiences and learn from the other participants. Over the years, some of the groups I've been involved with have asked a different member to give a little presentation to the rest of the group each time we meet. So we really had a chance to listen to, and ask questions about, what that person was going through, and what they'd learned. It can also be fun to invite your former lecturers, and people who have already succeeded in your field ahead of you, to come and be guest speakers for your group.

If you have already finished your course and are not connected to any of your fellow students, now is the time to reach out and reconnect. Don't be afraid to contact your most recent lecturers either, as they may be able to reconnect you with other students they are still in touch with. Your educational institution may also be able to help you with this. Simply assuming that you will stay in touch, or that someone else will contact you, is a big mistake. It's very easy for everyone to slip back into their own lives after the course concludes, so you need to be proactive.

When you are willing to reach out and connect you will find that many of your peers feel like you. In this digital age of Facebook, Skype, Zoom and Google Hangouts it's also possible to include people who have moved away from the geographical area, or maintain contact with your peers from an online course. There really is no excuse and 'not having enough time' is the least acceptable one because the very success of your practice may depend upon your involvement.

Some of your lecturers may also offer ongoing, postgraduate support, either formally via the college or as an initiative of their own. For example, the graduates of my five-day intensive courses are able to enroll in my professional supervision program, which gives them affordable access to me for two meetings a month via Skype, for three, six or twelve months, as they choose. I support them in the areas of developing their skills and establishing their business. I focus specifically on whatever the graduate needs the most help with. This can include everything from what fee structure to charge, to proofreading the copy for their brochures and websites before they publish.

But the most valuable aspect of my program is the emotional support. Time and again my graduates tell me how much they look forward to our meetings. Having someone to discuss your anxieties and doubts with is the best way to deal with them, so don't be an island. If none of your lecturers are offering this kind of postgraduate support maybe you could suggest it to them.

I'm a very independent and sometimes stubborn person myself, so believe me, I know how tempting it is to tell yourself that you'd rather do it your way and learn from your own mistakes, but why struggle on your own when you don't have to? I treasure the people who share their advice and expertise with me, and after more than twenty years in my own practice, I am still learning.

So the first thing you do, before you become embroiled in all the practical aspects of setting up your practice, is make sure that you have at least one other person from your course to connect with and a schedule of planned meetings in your diary. Make the meeting locations enjoyable and interesting, but do ensure that everyone can hear each other and that there are not too many distractions. If you are going to connect online then be clear about what platform the meeting will take place on and check that everyone knows how to use it. Last but not least, make sure that everyone is on the same page regarding time, date and venue or platform, so that the maximum number of people will attend. One of my alumni groups uses Facebook to great effect here and a couple of people have willingly taken responsibility for posting the event information and sending out a reminder. It's all so simple, yet it's amazing how easily a basic program like this will fall apart if the fundamentals aren't taken care of.

Your willingness to contribute something to the ongoing organisation and quality of these gatherings will also help you to develop skills that are essential to the success of your practice. So you might as well start now by contributing to this wonderful foundation that can benefit you for many years to come.

MAKING THE TRANSITION TO BEING SELF-EMPLOYED

Enthusiasm is wonderful and when it comes to making this huge transition you will need it in spades. It is very important to take a balanced approach to transitioning out of student life and/or out of paid work into your own practice. Irrespective of whether you are a student or already working, if you have never run your own business before there are some crucial elements you need to take into account.

As you are unlikely to employ staff at this early stage you will generally fall under the heading of 'self-employed' or 'sole trader'. Working from this position is less costly than leasing commercial premises all on your own or having employees, but you will still have many costs in the process of setting up and maintaining your new business. You will also have all your usual living expenses to pay for. So your transition needs to take into account that the first year or two of being a professional practitioner may actually cost you money.

It can take a few years to find your feet, pick the location you prefer to work from, know how much you can realistically charge (this can vary a great deal between city and rural areas), figure out how to juggle your new venture with the existing demands of your life, and so on. It's best not to overburden yourself in the beginning.

If you are a student graduating straight out of college, I highly recommend that you take a regular job with a regular income, while you develop your practice. Only you can be honest with yourself about your realistic financial needs, so only you can decide what your regular minimum income needs to be. Always make allowances for the expenses in setting up your business when calculating how much you will need to earn to both get started and keep yourself afloat in the first two years. Wherever possible, seek employment that will leave you free on Saturdays because that is the most popular day of the week and you will attract more clients if you are available on Saturdays.

If you are currently employed, the safest way to get started as a practitioner is to make yourself available to clients on Saturdays, whilst keeping your job. Working six days a week can certainly be tiring, but it's a much better strategy than letting your income go at this early stage. As your business starts to develop you may be able to cut your job back to three or four days a week and even add a day or half-day to your practice, if the demand is there.

For me it was a transition of approximately ten years. During my years of study I had been managing a bookstore Monday to Friday, and I set up my first practice a short distance from the store. I saw clients at my home on Saturdays (more about the ups and downs of working from home in coming chapters) and went straight from my job to the centre to see clients outside of usual office hours. In those early days I had plenty of shifts with no bookings at all. So take a good book or your laptop with you and be prepared to while away some hours, remembering that you'll still be paying rent for your room whether you see a paying client or not.

Be cautious but not too cautious when it comes to reducing reliable income in favour of your work. You will need to take some risks, but you don't need to go overboard. In the early days you'll probably bend over backwards to make yourself available for a paying client whenever it's convenient for them, but don't be too accommodating. You need to start educating people about your availability, from the beginning, and stick to your boundaries, within reason. There will always be exceptions, but for the most part, if people can see that you are only available Thursday nights and Saturdays until 2 pm, then they will find a way to see you if they really want to.

Bear in mind that it is also possible to be too cautious when making this transition. Even if you don't have a client every week, it's better to be available every Saturday, for example, than every two weeks or once a month. Your prospective clients will find that much more difficult to keep track of. They will ask themselves, 'now is this the weekend he/she is available or not? I just can't remember'. If you really can't or don't want to be available every week then at least make it very clear on all your publicity material that it's 'The first Saturday of every month' or 'The second and fourth Saturday of every month' and then stick to what you advertise because one of the easiest ways to lose people's interest, in the days before you have built a reputation, is through inconsistency.