The Leap

It's been a year since I made a huge leap and went into private practice.

Yup.

Just me.

Flying solo.

At that point I had been employed for five years outside the home.  I've always said I choose to work, and have only worked out of the home since all my children have been in school.  Mostly Tim's crazy schedule and my schedule have been able to coordinate and somehow we managed two full-time jobs, with only a little help with childcare a few days a week during the summer.  As a family we'd like to think we could live on one income if necessary, at least that's what we've always told ourselves...that if it didn't work out with Tim's schedule and my schedule to coordinate so we could be parents first, we'd make adjustments.

So when we started talking about this huge leap we knew a business wouldn't be profitable right off, and the plan was to work part-time while I built up my business.

Best laid plans...  Within a few months I got an unplanned push when Tim was given a detail at work that involved a lot of travel and a not-so-flexible schedule, right when our children would have been out of school for the summer.

Ready or not...

Huge leap. 

Now we'd really get to test that whole living on one income idea...while paying to start a business...in the middle of a bad economy.  And what's that?  An adoption?  (Gulp.)  No worries.  Somehow we'll manage...

I was fortunate enough to be able to take some clients with me when I made the transition, but when my vision of clients lined up outside my door as soon as I was ready to start seeing clients didn't materialize, reality started to sink in.

I was told by other therapists that it takes about 18 months to be really profitable as a therapist.  (Sigh.)

Fortunately, even with the craziness of an adoption and all the adjustments involved I was able to start covering my own expenses within the first few months.

Now a year later (actually 11 months after I started) I was able to start paying myself.  (This is where I pat myself on the back...  And they said 18 months.)

But the payment has come in other ways that have made all the sacrifices adjustments worth it.

I love being my own boss.

I love setting my own schedule.

My office is two minutes from my house and from the kids' schools (vs. 30 minutes before).  I can volunteer, go to programs, (and the best part) schedule time off while the kids are in school to go on dates with Tim.

And did I mention being able to be here after school during the busy homework time?  One of us has usually always been here during that time anyway, but honestly, mostly it was Tim and I hated missing that time of day (weird, I know).  It's been nice to choose one day a week for late appointments, and leave the other days open to be here during those busy hours.

So would I do it again?

Absolutely.  Every dip and turn of what has been one wildly, crazy ride.

And on those particularly crazy, wild days, when I was tempted to pick up the phone and ask for my old job back, I could flip my calendar back to last July and see those two clients I had scheduled, vs. the growth since then...  It's all about perspective.