This year has been a struggle to say the least! I feel like I am waiting for the New Year! I have already been planning for the New Year since Thanksgiving. Working on plans for my website -www.massage-career-guides.com which is done using Site Build it! will be my focus for the year. I am not quite sure what to do with this site which is done using WordPress. It just doesn’t get the same results at all. The way a blog is set up navigation wise is not as efficient as an SBI! website. I get close to the same amount of traffic on both sites but make nearly 4x the amount with the SBI! website compared to this blog. It is just the Site Build it! difference. I have been thinking about using this to blog about my day to day experiences of building a business and working on my writing projects which include a few books for the new year. My first book – A Career in Massage- Is it for you? was finally released in Nov 2011. It took about a year to get it all together and it still has a few formatting issues but is good enough for now!
Last year was difficult for me mainly because of health challenges that kept me from having the energy to do massage. At the end of Jan 2011, I was diagnosed with plaque in my carotid arteries and a thickened wall in my artery which scarred the heck out of me to say the least. My ND had done a Lipo Particle Protein test that showed that my cholesterol was think and dense and more likely to stick to arteries. She also did a CIMT (Carotid Intima Media Thickness )scan of my arteries which I now am learning is very controversial as far as making a diagnosis. My ND recommended a series of IV drips that was supposed to help clear it out and I did a dozen of those in a few months and they ended up making me sick as a dog. I could hardly walk the 8 blocks that I usually walk to work from the bus stop. It messed up my thyroid and other hormones and it was depressing. I don’t have any family history of issues like this and have never had high cholesterol. I was also on natural supplements to lower my cholesterol after this diagnosis and that made my cholesterol too low! That messed with my thyroid again and a few other things. Now I am consulting with another doctor on the carotid artery thing and am getting conflicting information. Apparently everyone had plaque in their arteries and mine is very, very minimal. I am learning tons about inflammation and plaque build up too! Anyways…dealing with all of this has left me with less energy to focus on building new cash clients and prevented me from even doing my full schedule – which I like to do 12 clients a week. I think I averaged more like 8-9 clients a week. So it cut into my income significantly. If it weren’t for my websites and the residual income that they create for me – I’d probably be one of the homeless people I see on the streets everyday in downtown Seattle! I was turning away clients actually some of the time because of not being able to work so my clinic website was always working! It was just me that wasn’t!
The bulk of my clients are regular weekly massage clients and I supplement that with insurance cases. Insurance cases used to pay really well until last year when the last high paying ins. company reduced their allowable fee by $46. That was quite a cut in pay for me in that way and I didn’t really have the energy to get new cash clients. I did finally get the www.squareup.com credit card processing tool and app and that has helped in some ways but it cuts into my profits. I am not sure if I will be raising my rates or not next year. It is very convenient to use and I like that the money is deposited right into your account. You don’t have to go to the bank!
So now my plan for 2012 for my massage business is to cut back more and focus more on getting my 3 books out that I have planned for this year. I also want to help more massage therapists be more successful in their practices and in finding or creating higher paying jobs. Most everything depends on my health though which is doing better currently.
It is funny how the new year creates such different feelings – a fresh start. A new plan. Clearer Goals. Why do we need a new year to do that!?? But I’ll take it! Looking for a better 2012!
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Thanks Julie for sharing your story.
I, too, had to walk through something similar with health. I do have a huge family genetic history of it, so it was a big concern. My doctor was TOTALLY amazed at my lab results 4 months after I changed my diet/lifestyle. Said she NEVER saw such a huge change so quickly ever!
Inflammation is the # 1 cause of disease and we should due well to learn about this for ourselves and clients.
Why do we wait for a New Year to change?
Well, I did look at that and decided to NOT wait. I have changed what I am doing for myself months ago. Happy I did not wait as I feel much better.
Business has been ok. Surviving like most people, but grateful I am not homeless.
I think it’s good that we share the ‘reality’ so we all can support each other through the times!
First: Be healthy on all levels
I feel when we create this balance we will see other shifts happen. Often our health is the first thing we actually pay attention to in order to bring balance back in our life! Silly us- why do we wait for that?
Second: Focus on the positive! I have heard so many people complain about the economy this year. Yet, truthfully they are still celebrating holidays, going on vacation, purchasing video games, buying stuff etc.
The truth is the economy could be changing our focus and making us more mindful of what is truly needed in our life. Not necessarily a bad thing! I saw it as a great opportunity to learn about true necessity which also creates more balance.
I have found that those that think positive are still doing very well with their business and even expanding.
So lastly, as a result of this amazing year to re-evaluate many things especially my health; I am taking a course in nutrition/life style coaching. It has been amazing!
I started a 3 month project with a group of individuals to support them in this, monitoring them every 2 weeks, motivating them and created a private face book group for recipes etc. It has been awesome!
25 years in the healing arts with a vast background in health and nutrition is putting me on a path to help individuals on many levels! It is exciting!
So often things that look negative or challenging are opportunities for growth and change!!!
HAPPY NEW YEAR Everyone!! May 2012 be the shift you have been wanting – no more waiting