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.

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?

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.

How to Monetize (Make Money) with a Blog



flickr.com Chantal Pare

I Googled “how to monetize a blog,” and picked three links that looked good on the first page.  The first two looked a lot like sales pitches for e-books products or courses. The third one had a splash page that led me to a site that had a GREAT look. They too were selling, but in a way that was more pleasant and in a way that gave me something for nothing (I found a bunch of links and instructions for posting pics without violating rights.)



flickr.com Eric Weinke

The third site has inspired me to write even before finishing the reading that attracted me to it.  A light came on as I was reading what 26 Expert Bloggers like to do to monetize their sites.  I kept reading about how the best thing to do, the most profitable and controllable thing, is to create your own product.  Until now I couldn’t fathom how I could be an Online Advocate or create a “product” out of what I love to do. Then I realized, “How many times have you googled for information?!”  I can create products that will be useful to others the same way they have been useful to me.

 



flickr.com Angie Torres

Another thought occurred to me: “clear and measurable goals.” This phrase occurs any time I want to create a plan or analyze a changing situation. I can do that with my blog because I know how many subscribers I have, and I have analytics built into my blog.  There are some basic things I need to do, even though I already have a blog; I need to blog from my own domain, I need to have a clean site, I need to find my niche and where others in my niche hang out, I need to build and maintain connections.

 

Are you a blogger? Do you make money with your blog? How do you form connections with your blog?

Cleopatra's Conundrum: Scarab Amethyst Necklace

Cleopatra's Conundrum: Scarab Amethyst Necklace

Well, I was almost done with my most recent necklace and then it started developing holes! So, here is a picture of a work in re-progress. I hate making something more than once, but I've changed and maybe now I can more easily see redoing this piece as an opportunity to make it even better. So, I thought I'd show you before I took it all apart.

 The part I've already begun taking apart was where I began. Yes, it's tedious to take apart, but there is $60.00 worth of beads in it! I began with 3 pound Fire Line thread and it quickly developed holes, so I bought some 8 pound. I thought that would be enough to make it last forever, without holes developing. Wrong! So my friend and fellow artist Sue Horine suggested I reach out to Suzanne Golden. What an amazing woman and artist!

Suzanne is as colorful as her pieces, and as generous with her knowledge. When Sue described Suzanne as a mature woman with bright red hair, crazy cool fashion sense (especially her shoes), and a super talented bead weaver, I immediately thought of Betsy Johnson. I know they must be best buds!

Photo: Idiosyncratic Fashionistas

That's Suzanne on the far right. Aren't you immediately in love?!

Here's a sample of her work, and just one doesn't do her portfolio justice! If you want to see more of Suzanne's work, check it out here. I contacted her with my problem on Face book, and she immediately replied with great, new tips for me!






While I'm waiting for my new supplies, I'm planning my next project. In my last post I showed you some of the new beads I received. I can't get the scarabs and amethyst off my mind! My process doesn't usually involve a "plan", and any drawing I might do is on the back of an envelope or napkin. Well, I've changed, I tell ya! I'm so excited about this necklace. It will be in a collar style that is traditional to Egyptian fashion, other than that the concept is all mine inspired by symbols, such as the Egyptian Lily. The lily will be the hardest part of the design because it will require each ring to be hand wrapped with fine copper wire, and I've never painted with lines of beads before! I also still need to decide if I should add the agate fans to the bottom, or some turquoise drops or briolettes, or both. What do you think?