I have been sharing monthly business recaps on social media. A lot of people do this for transparency around income/pay, especially in the therapy social media space. My version of this is sharing how I am building and maintaining two businesses while working full-time as a professor. Being a Mom to two kids while trying to do this is A LOT. But this is why I think it is important to share. All of us women are out here trying to do so many things at once and feeling alone or disempowered. The definition and feeling of success varies from person to person and remembering that as you make your way through daily life (personally and/or professionally) is critical. Building a business, even if it isn’t driving in a lot of income is empowering and that is part of my personal definition of success.
For me, the theme for October (besides spooky!) was feminist strength and empowerment.
Here is what October looked like for me:
Professor
The first week of the academic quarter was October 12 so the first two weeks of October were very light as far as my academic job is concerned.
I had about six meetings - a combination of faculty meetings and supervision with doctoral students. This is in addition to having to be in my virtual courseroom engaging in discussion and grading at least 4 days a week.
Private Practice
I had 34 sessions in October. This averages out to be about 8 clients a week. That is an increase from September and a sign that the summer slowdown has ended. There were a couple of rescheduled sessions and 2 cancellations.
Travel
This month I had 3 different clients traveling! I had two families on a Disney Cruise and one person on a 12-day guided group tour of Japan.
I booked my first non-Disney cruise on Norwegian Cruise line for a family of 5 and their accompanying trip to Miami. I also had a return client reach out about booking an all-inclusive for next summer.
I completed my profile on Travel Leaders Network. Which could be a source of potential clients. I was focused on learning more about the travel industry this month and completed several training sessions.
I have decided that I will be maintaining a separate Facebook Page for posts that are focused on travel business and information. You can follow that page here.
Finding Community and Building a Social Network
I work from home. I am an online professor and a virtual therapist. The past couple of months I have been struggling with being alone in my house all of the time. I consider myself an introvert; I enjoy the quiet time and do not long for being in an office surrounded by people all day everyday. BUT, I do need SOME interaction. Working on this travel business has a lot of moving pieces and requires that initiative be taken often. Given that I believe in the power of sharing in a group, I decided to put a call out for a bi-weekly virtual meet-up for the TAs at my agency. When I posted it, several people said that they had been looking for something just like it. They were feeling alone in trying to build their travel business and navigate all of the different systems and vendors. There have been two meetings so far. We chat about what we’ve booked, the training we’ve done, and how we market. It is casual and a really great way to learn and connect.
I put out a similar call in the therapist groups I belong to, but for an in person meeting. I didn’t get any interest. Oh well!
The big thing that I did this month was join a business coaching program. One that focuses on building sustainable businesses that bring in revenue in a way that feels ethical (i.e. not icky) and aligned with feminist business values. Through this I have met so many people and heard so much great advice. I am really excited to continue in the program and build relationships.
Volunteer
This month I had a meeting for the New Jersey Coalition Against Sexual Assault (NJCASA) Board of Trustees. Being on the board of this organization is important to me and my values as a person. We had a lot of important conversations about equity in pay and services. It always feels good to be surrounded by kind, like-minded, ethical people.
We are currently running our end of year fundraising campaign. The goal is to raise critical funds to support NJCASA’s work while simultaneously continuing to build lasting relationships with supporters.
You can donate here: https://njcasa.kindful.com/?campaign=1093651
Investments I Made in my Business in October (AKA money spent outside of normal bills)
Business Coaching
This month I felt really locked in on figuring out how to grow my business. Moving into November I am excited to see what changes come. Intentionally scheduling in time to speak with others has made a world of difference for me.