Everyone always wants to know what takes place in the hypnotist’s office. Don’t you? All those secrets no one talks about. Got your attention? Great!

Well I’m not here to spill the beans on my clients, but rather myself. The reality and truth of starting a business while continuing to work a full time job. In my reality I am the primary bread winner, health insurance provider, and financial planner in chief. I’m not the type to ditch my job and jump all in on my new (not so new really) entrepreneurial adventure. Yes, freedom is the goal. But not without income security.

I sit here on break at my J.O.B. typing this up, as it is where this post struck me. It’s probably going to meander a bit. But that’s the point. This is life when you’re and entrepreneur and have other responsibilities. When my first practice was getting off the ground I put in 40 hours at my J.O.B. and another 20-40 (on evenings and weekends) building my business. Seeing clients, researching, watching and reading hours of  online information learning how to grow my business for pennies on the dollar. Going into debt to start a business is not my style.

That’s why I took everything I learned in Connecticut and started out of the gate here in Mississippi using those same tools. One thing I have done differently this time was invest in myself as an entrepreneur. My time is valuable and I knew that many things in ‘cyber land’ had changed and it would take me many, many man hours to figure it all out. So I invested my time and money in Marie Forleo’s B-School. I am still in the implementation phases (and seeing success already), but I can’t wait to share what I have learned.

Many people pitch their solutions in a way that makes it seem as though hypnosis is a profession where you can be fully booked overnight. While that may be the case for someone who has no other obligations and full weekdays to network and grow the business as opposed to someone like me who currently only has office hours 1.5-2 days a week, one fact remains: IT TAKES WORK. Whether you throw all your money at it just to see what sticks, or you’re like me and are frugal with your dollars, you’re gonna have to work for it. I won’t lie to you. Whether it’s time or dollars, SUCCESS AIN’T FREE HONEY.

Website building, social media presence, in-person networking, public speaking engagements, and telling everyone you know about WHY you want to help people becomes the objective. 5 years ago I was busy telling people about my ‘what’, only to learn it’s my ‘why’ people are actually buying. Add the struggles of learning a new website platform. I REFUSE to pay someone thousands when I know with a little perseverance it is something I can learn to do. Staring at the computer screen until I couldn’t see and using a few words that probably made the screen blush may have been involved. But I did it.

Learning how to communicate your ‘why’ in a way that drives organic traffic to a converting website is the golden goose. I’ve learned about ideal customer avatars and what makes them so important.  It’s important in communicating your ‘why’. People who don’t connect with your ‘why’ aren’t your customer. Don’t waste time trying to convince them. Don’t take it personal. Smile and keep on working it where it will pay off. Those who understand the ‘why’ will book an appointment for the ‘what’ of your business. You have a purpose and a passion. Just like I do. Share it.

When I opened my practice in January I had an idea of where I wanted my practice to go and a few ideas of how to get there. But I was so overwhelmed with how much I wanted to get done, it was difficult to prioritize and maintain focus. The answer was a ‘no-brainer’ for me. At the first opportunity I booked sessions with my mentor for hypnosis. After the second session the clarity was amazing and I was on my way. I’ve been able to advance my business while maintaining a balance between my J.O.B. and farm life without beating myself up over the little things.

Most people have no idea about the far reaching benefits of hypnosis. In my local area people are surprised when I answer their questions about how hypnosis can help ordinary everyday people. Then they are even more surprised when I tell them I am on target to go half time at my J.O.B. by September. It’s surprising to them that there are many people out there who know about hypnosis and desire to use it to change their lives. The smallest change can have  major impact on someones life. And yet, just like everything else in life, it’s not for everyone.