Friday, August 31, 2007

Back in the Saddle

Life in the cabin is back to normal. Well, at least some sort of normal. We are now in the midst of getting used to the school year schedule. But in all seriousness...I didn't realize how much I needed that vacation. Sure, I was ready for a trip! Who isn't? But I guess I had missed the usual signs that tell me to get the heck out of dodge for a while.

Of course I already blogged about all the work that was waiting for us when we got back...the mowing, weeding, laundry, grocery shopping, etc. Then there was that first-day-of-school rush to get everything organized and labeled. And then, on Tuesday, I went back to work. I had a SLAMMIN' day...and I had NO complaints about that. See, this past year has been a bit rough for my business. I have enjoyed an immensely busy practice for 7 years...until this year. The end of 2006 brought 4 of my very regular clients being transferred and/or moving out of state. I had 3 clients become new mommies (which means no time for massage!), and I had two clients pass away. Add to that the people who just come in and out over the years, and my schedule was REALLY light, especially this summer. And that is when the big one hit. American Home Mortgage filed for bankruptcy and closed it's doors. Why does this affect me, you ask?? Well, they were a big client of mine...I was at two of their branches twice a month doing chair massage, and my monthly paychecks from there provided me with a bit of stability. This was not good news for me, but I was determined to not let it get me down.

It has been a rough year to say the least...

Until recently. I decided that I needed to sit down and think about what I wanted to change and how I needed things to work out. How many clients do I need to see per week to make me comfortable? How can I drum up some more chair massage business to fill in the spots left by AHM? How do I see the nature of my business progressing? I needed to put my intentions out there, get them clear in my mind, and then go on vacation, relax, and not worry about a thing.

So I did that. Right before we left for vacation, I spent some time in my office thinking. And writing. And making plans. And lo and behold, I went to work on Tuesday and felt completely different. I was excited about being at work. I was thrilled when someone came in with an overwhelming condition that was going to (normally) be exhausting to work through with them. It felt good to be busy...and I was thankful for the wonderful clients that I have! I left my office that night at 9 pm feeling energized! It felt soooo good.

And you know what else? I have all these new clients on my book. They are coming from everywhere...old clients of mine, current clients of mine, people who have gotten my name from my dentist or doctor or Danniel the hair stylist...

Things are looking up, yessirree. I needed a new outlook and a better attitude. I needed some Sunny California. I needed some family time and some time decompressing with one of my best friends.

Life is GOOD!

10 comments:

Logzie said...

That's fantastic!! Your attitude is sooo good and you are right...many times we just need to "get away from it all" so we can see things more clearly!...and usually when we relax, things come together! I am so happy for you!

Deech said...

I am happy for you and I want to say that you are an inspiration for me. I sometimes forget the power of the subconcious mind. Yours is an excellent example of how well it works. May you find success in such a way, as you will have to cancel clients because you are too busy sipping mimosas from your 90 foot schooner!

Flyinfox_SATX

Kate said...

wonderful - sounds like you are in a very good place! everyone needs to disconnect for a while and put things in perspective. i wish you well w/ your business.

Kuckie said...

Logzie - thanks! I am feeling so good this week...relaxed and ready to take on the world!

Flyinfox - AMEN, brother!!! Oh yeah, except there is not really any water around here! But hey, it's the thought that matters, eh?

Kuckie said...

kate - thanks to you as well! Am loving your blog, by the way!

Unknown said...

Good for you! :)

none said...

there's nothing like a fresh outlook on things. glad you got the time to decompress :)

Reggie Hunnicutt said...

The chair massage is such a good idea. I wish I had someone to come by and do that at my office.

They used to offer that at the Charlotte airport. I would think that would be like shooting fish in a barrell. Who isn't up for a quick massage after a long flight?

Anonymous said...

I'm glad to hear things are picking up. Just how far are you willing to travel? Because I'm pretty sure you could make big money at my office!

Kuckie said...

Reggie - doesn't everyone like a good massage? Chair massage is a no-brainer!

Terri - I think you may live just a bit out of my regular service area!

 
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