Elevator Pitch

Flickr.com Steve Snodgrass

As I'm building my business, and talking to people about it, I feel uncomfortable. Advocacy is something I "do" much more than I talk about. I've been having a hard time finding the right words to describe what is always a very complicated and involved process.

Today I found the words that describe what I need: Elevator Pitch.  The idea is to describe your business in the time it takes to go from the first floor to the top. Here's my pitch; tell me how many floors we went!


Flickr.com Cory Doctorow

I am building my health advocacy business. I provide resources and management services to clients and their families who are experiencing complicated health and living issues; I also help prevent negative experiences with planning services. Unlike insurance and hospital advocate employees, I give 100% allegiance to my clients, who receive the best and most affordable resources, care and planning for various stages of medical and living circumstances.

How to Find Love, and Keep it

Through Thick and Thin by Khari

 

Tears started flowing in the first 30 seconds of this video. Tears I COULD. NOT. STOP. It was as if someone else was crying. It WAS someone else crying. It was the true me; the one I hide from.

At first I was like, what’s up with these tears?! Then I was like, I want a man like that.

Flickr.com AndYaDontStop

 

When I shared this on Facebook I said, “If you can’t feel like this, if you can’t SAY this, then it isn’t love.”

 

 

I then realized, this little voice inside me was saying, if you can’t feel this way about yourself, if you NEED to hear this, then you can’t handle this kind of love.




Flickr.com Classic Film

I know I need to love myself. I think I do love myself. I’m proud of myself. I love my body, well most of it. But there is this perfection that I seek, that I cannot find, that keeps me from seeing what is truly there.

 

There is a part of me that has been taught that if I am fat, if I am ugly, if I am less than (fill in the blank), then I will not be loved; worse, I will lose whatever it is I think love is.

What touches me deeply in this video, is when he says, “I’m not going anywhere.” That is all I want; safety, loyalty, forever.



We Heart It.com

Lovers of women who are reading this, yes we need to love ourselves, but we need to be TOLD we are worthy of that love. We need to hear a voice that is LOUDER than our inner demons/ego. We need to hear it often, especially when we don’t believe it is true. Sure, we should love ourselves, but we are women, and we are taught not to trust in a society that historically, perhaps as far back as the first encoding of our DNA, that what we think is not important; only what they think about what they SEE is important. And actually, all the same is truly said to lovers of men.

 

Woman or man, you need to speak the truth about your love. Don’t take it for granted.

How to Name Your Baby



Courtesy Flickr.com One Way Stock

I really need a name for my business and I can’t create a web site or new blog without one.  A name is so important!  When my father was in the hospital they kept mispronouncing our last name; how disrespectful to a man who was literally on his last breath!  Even The Bible makes a big deal about knowing the names of all who came before you. Look at the struggles we go through naming our children.



Courtesy Flickr.com Phantomswife

A name has to be just right. "Words are the voice of the Heart" 

What is just right for my business? The name must offer an answer to the need of the client. The name must convey a sense of being helped, listened to, rescued, relieved, comforted, and supported. My clients are in a quandary over money; bills that are too high when they shouldn’t be, bills that are unaffordable, bills that are confusing, and fear of losing estates and a lifetime of building inheritance and earnings. My clients are confused and at a lost to find resources, or even to know that they qualify for known resources. My clients are in emergent situations; they don’t have time, energy, or knowledge to deal with the medical system.

Trisha Torrey

I joined the Association of Professional Advocates, attended a call-in seminar, and bought a book. I’m half way through The Health Advocate’s Start & Grow Your Own Practice. The accompanying workbook, and its answers, are the beginnings of my business plan. I’m excited by my cash flow statement; I will only be $25,597 in debt by the end of month 13! I actually feel good about that. I never saw debt as a sign of growth.

 August 8 is the first class at UC Berkeley… having second thoughts about spending the money. I will figure it out. I projected six grand for my educational spending for the first year.

 


Free Showtime!

 

On other fronts, Showtime is free for 30 days on Hulu. I’m catching up on House of Lies, Shameless, and Ray Donovan. One of my tomato plants is not putting out new flowers! My zucchini and cucumbers are getting their first blooms. The weather is beautiful. My orchid has a brand new leaf!

 



Courtesy Flickr.com Walkn Boston

ANSWER THIS: What would you name my health advocate business? What words ring for you when I say,

“My advocacy provides financial and practical resources for you or your family members to help negotiate medical billing and auditing, doctor’s visits, hospital stays, insurance claims filing and appeals, diagnostic research, and estate and end of life planning. My allegiance is solely to you, not the hospital or insurance company. I find what you need in ongoing or emergency situations, with any health condition or status. I am your very own, personal advocate. I will fight for you.”?

I'm Having a Baby

Today I am researching Small Business Administration (SBA) resources. I’ve dreaded creating a business plan for years. Now I’m ready to dive. The SBA has a great online planning tool that lets me complete a plan at my own pace and guides me through all the necessary parts.

Courtesy Flickr.com Stephen Poff

The business plan is described by the SBA as a “living” plan; as if it is alive and breathing. What an “ah ha!” moment. People refer to their projects as their “baby.” My business plan is a living breathing baby; it is the DNA of my health advocacy business. What a cool way to think of it!

When someone raises a child and the child leaves home, they (we…I) experience “empty nest syndrome.” Often the cure to the syndrome is finding a new purpose or project or hobby or whatever…finding a new “baby.” The same thing happens when someone retires from a career.

 

Currently my son is 18 and entering his 2^nd year of college. I am not a typical empty nester because my son is still at home…well, sort of. At the local community college he has found a social life he didn’t get to experience in high school, so he is rarely home.  I get the security of knowing I will see him more than parents whose children are far away at school. I get the pseudo-security of letting him go more slowly; pseudo because it is a false sense…I couldn’t worry about him more if he were far away, than I do now.



Courtesy Flickr.com Laura Hartog

One of the things that happen when we experience the emptying of the nest is the space to fill with a new focus…a new baby. I recognize that growth away from my son and toward my new baby, myself, is the best thing I can teach my son. Just as I am proud of my own mother for the wonderful life she has created for herself, my son will be proud of me too. I now realize that the success I have in growing “away” from him gives him the security he needs to grow away from me. He’s going through empty nest too.


Courtesy Flickr.com Alipyon

Holy Cow!  Cue “News Flash” music.  Enter voice: We interrupt this blog to bring you an important phone call. C. (that woman who you most often describe as “evil” and “out to get you” but has recently turned over a new and more pleasant leaf) has an important message to deliver; a local housekeeper, and parent of a childhood school mate to your son, is in need of advocacy and I’m putting her on the phone with you now. “I heard you do that kind of thing; I need your help.”

 



Courtesy Flickr.com Art Aspirations

Thank you God. Today’s message is loud and clear: “Do Not Doubt You Are on the Right Path.”

 

It started with a horoscope that said “Some of the paths you are exploring now seem a bit daunting, Aquarius. Don't worry about that- you are in your element now. Enjoy these new connections and paths you are looking into and really, give yourself permission to thrive in the things you're checking out.”

 

And the next thing I know I am helping a local woman whose ex-husband (father of her 5 children, 3 little ones still at home and the oldest only 20) needs a lung transplant. She’s been working alone trying to get him on the national transplant list and there are a few requirements he’s having trouble meeting and she’s thinking positively about future resource needs when he gets on the list. The Universe truly does conspire IN my favor!

 

Courtesy Flickr.com Walkn Boston

 

ANSWER THIS:

 

How have you noticed the Universe conspiring in your favor?

Manifest Destiny Advocacy



Courtesy of Flickr.com BK

I am present. The Universe and God are showing me loud and clear signs that things are happening. It truly does conspire for me. My vision of a Health Advocacy business expands more each day. I see myself broadening my education and filling my skills gaps. I see myself doing internships and publishing research. I see myself teaching and contracting with hospitals and social services departments. I see myself recruiting health and law students at colleges. I see myself giving T. E. D. talks. I see myself opening nationally. I see my blog giving people the answers they need on the fly. I see myself raising funds. I see myself changing political paradigm.

 

Yesterday I went to the VA with my friend S. Her husband has Alzheimer’s and I’ve been helping her negotiate the “systems” to provide care for both of them.  It was a great meeting where roles were defined, progress was made, and possibilities were brought into the light. I received a packet of information from the VA rep that she only received yesterday; very helpful for those who will be considering long-term Medi-Cal nursing care. I’m excited because it means that my friends will be able to plan and it alleviates the fear of the unknown and loss of assets they have worked so hard to build.



http://www.mooseintl.org/

I volunteered at the Moose Lodge too. While there, my friend Francis (She dubbed me “The Resourceress”) suggested that in my business plan I include creating a fund to grant people the ability to pay for advocacy when they can’t afford it. What an awesome idea to help more people and get paid; I’ve done it for free for so long. I also made sure to sign up for the jackpot which is now over $600; I made an audible plan to spend my winnings on the first UC Berkeley class for health advocacy (August 8 is not far away.) I’ll need a place to stay a night in San Francisco if anyone can put me up.




I love the orchid from Mom!

It’s sprinkling this morning. Hopefully we will get enough to water my garden and skip the hose today. I picked some large strawberries yesterday and trimmed the mint. Wondering what I should do with all that mint I decided to look up some recipes. I pinned a bunch to my Food board on MyPinterest page; yummy sweet and savory ideas! The last of the flowers dropped from my orchid. My mom bought this one for me and it’s the first I’ve ever owned. I’m hooked!

 

I bought some lovely beads from my friend Lea and I’m working on two ideas for a new necklace. I imagined a waterfall of orange flowers. On one hand I have woven a base and started fringe with the flowers; it is feeling like a lot of work and I’m likely to run out of beads or steam before I get the lush bouquet I want. On the other hand I have made a bunch of clusters with the headpins I had on hand and attached them to chain; it’s looking more promising and possible.

 

Courtesy Flickr.com Walkn Boston

I’m such a creative girl. Beader and Advocate. I’m thinking of a name for my business and Creative Advocacy comes to mind. I want a name that is lasting, clear, and conveys what people want to feel when they hire an advocate.

ANSWER THIS:  What feelings would you be looking for in a situation where you need advocacy? What words or phrases would you suggest for a business name?

 

You Should Get Over it

Courtesy Flickr.com KaMa Photography

I'm up waaaay too early! Thoughts about being fired and why and who and why, why, why keep me awake.  Did I have a dream about it which spilled into my waking moments?



Courtesy Flickr.com Becky Striepe

My foot is killing me; broken? Noticing a gap on the right between toes that isn't matched on the left foot, I taped the toes together. It lessened the nerve pain, but it really hurts this morning; but not enough to drown out the emotional pain of rejection from a job I rocked at. Yes; I rocked it, but still got fired. Such a struggle with the inner voice that wants to find me at fault.




Courtesy Flickr.com Iqbal Osman

Thank God for the will to bring the voices of my mom, my friends, my champions, and my soul. The voice that calls me a phoenix. The voice that says, "Thank you so much for your help; what would I do without you!" The voice that says, "You will be okay; follow your passion." The voice that says, "You can do this. You SHOULD do this." Thank God for the "should"; because left to my would at this moment, I would find myself going through the routine of working for someone else who doesn't recognize how much I rock.



Courtesy Flickr.com Erica Zabowski

Why would I wish for the comfort of that monotony and dependence? Because it is easy. Because it requires no thought, no faith, no courage; it repays me with mediocrity, lack of passion, and bills being paid.

Thank GOD for the "should"(NEVER thought I'd say that!). I should push through and do what I need to do to make it work. I should also look at how I've pushed through every day, researching, organizing, and making positive strides. I should look at how much closer I get every day to making my passion into a business that will grow my soul and bring comfort to others in a HUGE way. I should keep going. I should keep pushing through.

I have decided that I should enroll in the UC Berkeley Extension program for Health Advocacy. I don't know how I'll pay for it. The first class is on August 8; only one day in San Francisco. Only $300.00 plus the expenses for travel and sleep.

I have decided that I should join the Association of Professional Health Advocates. I've decided that I should begin my business plan. I've decided that I should change the world by giving peace of mind to others, even when it feels in this moment that I don't know how to give peace of mind to myself. I've decided that today is another day that I will walk in possibilities and successes and destiny.




Courtesy Flickr.com Alex Proimos

As I look for pics for this blog I'm immediately rewarded with a smile.  My mom will appreciate the sleepless photo with the German thought bubbles! I think I get more pleasure out of finding pics for my blog than the writing itself. The writing is healing, but the art is fulfilling. Flickr.com is a great way to find pics that are free to use. Enter a search term, then click the pull down under licenses and choose "all creative commons."




Courtesy Flickr.com Walkin Boston

ANSWER  THIS: 

How do you advocate for yourself in moments of disappointment or despair? What do you tell your self? How do you get through it?

Learn is a Four Letter Word

This morning I am looking into educational programs for health advocacy. I feel that a certification will give me credibility as well as teach me, among other important things, what I don’t know about the professional side. One thing I discovered is that there is now national or international standard of knowledge or skills for health advocacy. A certificate only means that I completed their courses. Would completion of courses give me credibility?



Courtesy Flickr.com David Armano

Credible: believable. If I have a certificate of completion does that make me believable? It seems to me, as a consumer, the person with experience is the one I believe. In order to gain experience I need to be credible; a catch-22. If I use my certification as a status, I must also state who certified me; is it better that UC Berkeley or Stanford certified me than the University of Wisconsin?

 



Courtesy Flickr.com Juhan Sonin

It is advised to consider where I plan to earn my income, when choosing an educational program.  Do I want to work for someone else or myself?  My answer is, “both.” I want to be involved as a contractor for professional organizations, and I want my own practice.  However, with respect to education and how I want to be employed, it is a matter of whose skill set I need to comply with.

 As an independent advocate I need advocacy skills and business skills. I guess I already knew that; 3 weeks ago I started looking for a business coach.  I feel very good about my ability to look at the medical system from the patient perspective. But I already know there is a gap in my knowledge about efficiently getting desired results from the medical system. I found a list of master skills/services; this will help me find my advocacy gap. When it comes to business I completely lack confidence; this is the area I need to learn about most.



Courtesy Flickr.com Deslizate Naranja!

Accessibility is also an issue to consider. I love the motivation of being in a classroom, not to mention the networking opportunities that come with it. However, the “right” program with physical presence can be a challenge for me. If I had to move, what would happen to my home, my son, my pets, and how could I afford it? Additionally, if I choose the convenience and affordability of an online education, does that influence credibility?

 



Courtesy Flickr.com Soon Koon

One of the links I found led me to a book on starting an advocacy business.  Doh! Amazon!  One search and I found several books. If I buy the book through The APHA (Alliance of Professional Health Advocates), I can get a free month of membership. Their membership is only 50.00 per year and they have the best resources I’ve found so far. They have a series of four books and 2 are available on Amazon.  



Courtesy Flickr.com WalknBoston

I should wait to be sure before I start spending money; am I strong enough to self-govern or do I need the structure and accountability of a program? It comes, as usual, full circle back to “know thyself.”

 
Answer this: How do you like to learn? Self-taught with books and other media? Structured classroom? Online classroom?

How to Mine for Gold - Pace Yourself

 

I had an amazing day yesterday.  I stuck to my plan and conducted “business” until noon. Then I talked to my brother who is recovering from a recent health crisis. I had a nap. I finished my necklace. I went grocery shopping. I made a beautiful dinner for myself. I talked to friends. I watched some TV. I ate TWO pomegranate and dark chocolate Hagen Daas ice cream bars. I danced in the rain; gorgeous, overdue, welcome, cooling, fragrant drops of water!

 

How was your day?



Courtesy Flickr.com Charlie Day

Yesterday I felt I had found a gold mine.  I am so excited about finding a professional certification program, but feel I found it so quickly I need to think a bit about it…temper my excitement.  My mother always said, “If you still want it after two or more weeks, then it is worth putting more energy into it.” I think that is the real reason I love window shopping.

 

 



Courtesy Flickr.com Tormod Ulsberg

In my new focus on career and building my own business, I feel a need to really know myself. What my strengths, skills, weaknesses, and road-blocks are.  That thinking alone is a big step for me; it requires a pacing that is slower and more controlled than my usual “go for it” behavior. I’m really planning; even my horoscope said that today is the day for a plan!

 



Alliance of Professional Health Advocates

So, instead of diving into the school, I decided to look at the organization that revealed it to me.  The Alliance of Professional Health Advocates helps people in different stages of advocacy. They provide advocates with business support to start and grow their practices. They have 4 levels of membership based on the status/size of your practice.

The Pace membership describes me to a “T”:  “

 

"Maybe you have assisted a friend or loved one, but do not have paid advocacy experience.  You’re looking for a way to boost your advocacy resumé or gain more inside information about this type of career. Or perhaps you’ve been helping others for many years and now you want to figure out how to get paid for the help you provide in the future."

 

The total cost of the first year is $49.00. That is less than my GwynnieBee subscription!

 

Courtesy Flickr.com Ognian Mladenov

For now, I’ll research other organizations and sign up for the APHA non-member newsletter. After all, if I want to be a professional, I need to be my own patient. I would always advise my clients to thoroughly investigate before making a commitment to anyone who is involved in the well-being of their loves and lives.

 

ANSWER THIS:

In the meantime, I need to think about whether I should have a separate blog for advocacy at this point, or should I wait until I have a more professional focus? Do you think it would hurt my long term goal to have others watch me grow into my business?
I feel like it is a more honest approach that will gain interest, loyalty, and readership.

ADOS...Attention Deficit OH SHINY!



Courtesy Flickr Cambodia4Kids

Today I am looking at the “job” of advocacy: what words are used to describe advocacy jobs, what are the qualifications, and what are the requirements.  In the process of looking at the gazillions (actually I got to page 5 of the job listings before being inspired to write) of available jobs in advocacy, I found that there are many organizations that provide advocacy for their own causes. Among these causes for advocacy there is a concentration on young people, homeless people, and voters.  There is a severe lack in my discovery today, in the area of providing resources and advocacy for individuals who do not fit a singular category.  The people I want to advocate for always fall into multiple categories.



Courtesey Flickr OEA-OAS 

People I have advocated for need whole-life-spectrum resources. The breast cancer patient who needs to know how to pay for medical care, also needs to know how to structure their finances to optimize their best position for financial support. The Alzheimer’s patient who needs to be protected from wandering, also needs support from the constant physical presence of multiple care givers; the caregivers also need support. The mental health patient who needs to protect their own rights in a crisis, also needs to protect the rights of their family members’ to participate in their medical and financial care.

Courtesy Flickr.com Wesley Fryer

Sure there is NAMI, and there are many associations concerned with Alzheimer’s and breast cancer. But I have yet to find an organization that is concerned with whole-life-advocacy, other than departments of social services which connect several different resources.  However, their system is complicated and often always, my clients need advocacy to negotiate that system. But I don’t want to be a social worker in the system of county social services and welfare; I want to make that system user friendly for my clients.

As I continue to look at advocacy from the perspective of educational requirements I see three avenues: law, sociology/medical licenses, and experience. I don’t want to do what is being done; I want to do what is not yet being done. I need to find a balance between understanding and supplying what others expect and what I want them to see.

I get to create my own requirements and I get to decide which education will be most supportive for my work.  However, I need to continue this avenue of research from the perspective of credibility.

 

ADOS (Attention Deficit OH SHINY!) ALERT

 

 

 

OMG, look what I found!

 

http://www.healthadvocateprograms.com/masterlist.htm. 

 

And look what else I found! http://www.aphadvocates.org/ 

 

And look what ELSE I found!  http://extension.berkeley.edu/spos/healthadvocacy.html

 

NOW I’m really excited!  UC Berkeley is my alma mater. The aphadvocates.org helps with business planning and supplies and financing! The masterlist includes educational programs, events, organizations, and more, more, more!  WOOOOOT!