So last week, I made a big decision about my business. And I thought it might help to share the process I went through with you.
I actually run two businesses. I adore the coaching I do with dreamers and doers as they build their own businesses around the country.
But I also spend a couple of days each week with my first love, running a thriving psychotherapy practice here in East Tennessee. That’s where The Decision was. :)
In the counseling field, providers are expected to accept insurance to cover the service they provide. But the truth is, it would be better for my clients (more control, way more privacy) and for me (healthier income, way more freedom) if we took the middleman out of our relationship.
So I’ve long known that the day would come when I would be ready to do exactly that.
But going against the norm is scary, so fear has held me back – for years.
Until last week, that is.
One of two insurers I still accept is changing their business model (again).
They’re requiring all of their providers to sign a new contract (again).
And they’re cutting reimbursement rates (again).
Time to grow. :)
Here’s the thing.
When I work with people I am meant to work with, I am very good at what I do. And I know it.
I see it in their faces. I hear it in the stories they tell about the steps they’re taking, the things they’re doing that they never thought they could do.
I feel it in the way happiness lights up their eyes.
Even as I write this, a client I worked with over a year ago is texting me photos to show the very cool progress she continues to make.
(That absolutely makes my heart sing!)
I also know the experience I bring to the table is way more than it was 20 years ago. But although the cost of my personal insurance with this same company has tripled over the last 20 years, their reimbursement rates to providers have been stagnant that entire time.
Would you stay in a job without a raise for 20 years?
No, of course not.
So it’s time to let them go, with grace and gratitude.
Because running my business the way I want to run it,
means I have the freedom to work with my clients
the way I know is best.
It means I get paid what I’m worth.
And it means my clients get the care that they need –
– whether or not it’s “approved”!
What decision do you need to make in your business?
And what’s holding you back?
A decision isn’t real until you make a Commitment.
So my next step was to set a date.
I wanted to make sure that everyone had time to understand and prepare for this change. In effect, I’m asking people to invest in their own health and deep growth.
I know from personal experience how empowering that can be.
But I also get that this is a paradigm shift, and not one to happen overnight.
So I studied the calendar. I considered the rules of the contract I already had. I considered the needs of my clients. And I set a date.
It starts this fall.
Are you ready to make a commitment to your decision?
If so, how will you lock that in place?
Your commitment comes to life through Action.
It’s easy to make a decision in your head, because no one will know if you follow through on the promise you just made to yourself. Right?
No one will know if you don’t, either.
So I made myself write a letter about my intentions, and start handing it out – before I could change my mind. :)
The fear was about making sure I could still serve people I love, that I could still help them the way I know they want and need.
And that I would still have a business.
Breathe, I told myself, as I wrote it.
Believe, I told myself as I shared it with them.
And sure enough, they’ve been fine with it.
My people know how much they matter to me. They trust that I will help them one way or another. They’ll be fine.
Better than fine. :)
Taking action on your commitment is a powerful thing. It communicates your willingness to do what you need to do to move your business forward.
It tells the Universe that you are serious about your intention.
What action do you need to take,
to honor the decision you’ve made,
and move your business forward?
Consistent action leads to consistent results.
This is the best part!
When you find what you need on the inside to make the changes you need on the outside, amazing things will happen.
I’m excited about what this change means for my clients – because I know it will call them up and into their best selves in a powerful way.
So much of our lives as entrepreneurs is about giving ourselves permission to do what we know is best.
Best for our business. Best for our clients. And yes, best for ourselves.
But if you breathe (and decide) through the parts that scare you…
If you believe (and commit) to the truth of what you are doing…
And if you act, you will build the business that you really want, and serve the world at the same time.
Ready? :)