Changing Direction – Seeking Independence

June 25, 2018 11:00 pm Published by

An RMT perspective by Emily Patterson, RMT.

A year after finishing my massage therapy program, the chiropractic clinic I worked at decided to move to a new location. The commute would be significantly longer and the client base I had there was good, but not great.  I had to decide if I would move with them or if I wanted to start somewhere new. That’s when I started thinking about starting my own business…

I had a strong desire to be independent and work for myself, but there were so many unknowns. For weeks, I tossed the pros and cons around, trying to figure out which choice would be best. The pros & cons were obvious – making my schedule, deciding my hours, and keeping all of my earnings vs. adapting to a clinic schedule & hours, splitting my revenues, plus finding & booking clients on my own, all the admin work, etc.

Independence won out. I was terrified to take that first step out on my own, but I knew it was what I wanted. The first two months were tough. I was not making enough money to pay my bills, causing a constant state of stress and anxiety. I had panic attacks almost every week, but I persisted with my work. I told myself that if I just stayed the course, it would all work out. Every month brought new clients in – mostly through word of mouth, sometimes through advertising and my business gradually grew and stabilized. My anxiety began to calm down, and I settled into a steady routine.

When the summer hit, I was thrilled to have control over my scheduling. I spoke with my clients and booked time off where I wanted it. It felt so good to have that much control and flexibility. However, at the end of the summer, I realized that I had taken TOO much time off. Stress levels rose again and had to really buckle down and work hard.

Now, after a year of running my own business, I am a lot more confident and relaxed. I am incredibly glad that I decided to take this step and have no regrets looking back over that first year. Say yes to work, be positive, and keep moving forward. The stressful times are hard, but there is always sunshine on the other side.
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Categorised in: SFH Orthopedic Massage

This post was written by Nyomi Hauta

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