Too Many Passions?

Too Many Passions?

Do you have a passion for singing, researching

’something else’ while at work, fantasizing about doing
something else… all the time?

Annie is nearing age 50 and has followed one passion after another into a variety of nursing and non-nursing careers. Although each choice made perfect sense to her, her parents and friends keep asking when she’s going to get serious and rise to the top in just one specialty or profession.

The old saying: Jack-of-all-trades, master of none! reveals the bias against those who choose a varied work life rather than committing to a unidirectional path. There was a time, however, when society admired such a person. In fact, some of our greatest contributors have been talented in a variety of areas.

Leonardo da Vinci, painter of masterpieces such as the Mona Lisa, also designed and built bicycles, canals, musical instruments and flying machines. Benjamin Franklin not only helped draft the Declaration of Independence, he was also an inventor, statesman, printer, scientist, author, and student of French culture and language. More recently, Maya Angelou, best known as an author and poet, is also a successful songwriter, journalist, actress, singer, dancer, civil rights worker and professor. And she speaks eight languages!

Margaret Lobenstine, author of The Renaissance Soul–Life Design for People with Too Many Passions to Pick Just One, identifies five signs to help determine whether you are a “Renaissance Soul”:

• The ability to become excited by many things at once, often accompanied by
difficulty choosing

• A love of new challenges; once challenges are mastered, you are easily bored

• A fear of being trapped in the same career or activity for life

• A pattern of quick, sometimes unsatisfying flings with many hobbies

• A successful career that has left you bored or restless

There is Nothing Wrong with You

People who recognize themselves in that description often feel that something is wrong with them, that they’re not normal. They may be accused of an unwillingness to grow up. They may be called irresponsible, a dilettante, or told they have Attention Deficit Disorder.

If you fit the above criteria, take heart. Support is available here to help you embrace your strengths and stop trying to fit into the ‘nursing mold’ of someone you are not. In fact, your traits make you an ideal candidate for work that requires flexibility, adaptability to change, and a broad skill base. Renaissance Souls, who are nurses with many passions, are often ideal entrepreneurs since they typically wear many hats in their own business. Public relations, marketing, consulting and project management are other good choices. Because of their multifaceted abilities, they may also adapt better in today’s shifting healthcare and financial climate and global economy. What’s more, our passionate nature and curiosity are truly an asset in any arena!

How to Handle Your Passions

In her book Refuse to Choose: A Revolutionary Program for Doing Everything That You Love, career counselor Barbara Sher provides dozens of tools for dealing with a multiplicity of passions and also divides what she calls “Scanners” into nine categories. The “Double Agent” is torn between two interests, while the “Sybil” is drawn to so many things that she’s often unable to choose anything. The “Serial Specialist” and “Serial Master” often stick with one career or project for many years until they’ve gained all they desire from it, and then move on to master different occupations. Understanding your type can help you recognize strengths, get support, and choose a fitness nursing specialty that suits you. It all starts with making a decision to identify your passions and why and clarifying your core values. Then, you have to try one and see if it excites you, do you love talking about it, does it solve a problem for somebody, do people need it now? Afterall, we all have passions, but which passions equate into a sustainable business model?

To move out of indecision and into action, for example, you might work on a new business venture, volunteer to give lunch & learns at a place where your ‘ideal clients’ may be, take some marketing classes and improve your fitness teaching skills (if needed, no extra fitness certs needed) That way you’re honoring your renaissance soul and accomplishing goals. A journal and 3-ring binders can help you track your numerous ideas and keep your projects organized.

Often all it takes is a shift of attitude to embrace your renaissance nature. Learn to honor its ways and you may find that your many talents lead you to a fulfilling, passion-filled life, all under one Signature Fitness Nursing Program… YOURS!

Is Your Nursing License Actually Holding You Back?

“Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don’t matter and those who matter don’t mind” ~Dr. Seuss (Sent via Twitter from Adam Urbanski, “Attract Clients Like Crazy” program)

What? That’s a crazy question, if it wasn’t for your nursing license where would you be now? I remember that day, you know pinning…

This was AFTER my other college degree and 4 fitness certifications. Those certs have since lapsed. But the nursing license is still valid. I think I had a 20" inch waist back then...

Fast forward to the present, 2013, and I’m struggling to understand how in a program that I’m enrolled in, to market our services to doctors (legally), that I’m the only nurse in it. There’s “Heart Scanners”, Fitness Professionals, Natural Hormone Therapy Coaches, Green Nutritionist Coaches, Anti-Aging/Longevity Coaches, etc. You get my drift. Where are all the ‘licensed’ people? Want to hear the craziest part of all? … they have developed viable programs that physicians are interested in and partnering with and they’re making a living… a good living at that, for them and for the physician. They are ‘partners’.

You would think that nurses, like you, who want to branch out and do your own thing… share your gifts and talents by making people healthier through fitness would have thought of this… working with , partnering with physicians. Can we be too close?

Then I started thinking… oh know not that…

Many other professions are really, technically entrepreneurs.

Doctors, CPA’s, Lawyers, Dentists, Chiropractors, even Pharmacists who own their own pharmacy, all have to bring in clients and find ways to make cash. Nurses, on the other hand, expect a job and to work for somebody. So unless you are like me and the other small percentage of “not mainstream thinking” nurses, when and if you decide to try something on your own, you still play it safe and want to stay well within your credentials and what the nursing powers say.

Entrepreneurship has rules, but one of the most important ones is to take risks, express yourself and do something no one else is doing, yet solving a problem… something most nurses aren’t willing to do.

The descriptions of those in the same program that I’m in, that I described above, do just that… they take risks, stick their neck out, when knocked down, they bounce back up… they really live that Dr. Seuss quote I had at the top of this post. Is it because they don’t have a license to ‘worry’ about?

New Nurse Coaching Book

“Nurse coaching is not a specialty area of nursing practice. Nurse Coaching competencies are based in nursing theories, social and behavioral science theories and (of course) evidence-based promotion of health and well-being” excerpt from the Preamble of “The Art & Science of Nurse Coaching, the Provider’s Guide to Coaching Scope and Competencies”, 6 nurse authors and published by the ANA.
The (of course) is mine. Whenever I hear the words “evidence-based” I feel a little sick to my stomach. I understand what it means, but to the public, who get bombarded with studies all day and night, how does it translate to solving their immediate problem, as a nurse coach? You can find whatever evidence you want in a study to promote your point of view, even peer-reviewed. There now it’s “evidence-based”. I must say they did a lot of research, the book is 90 pages and pages 55-90 are all references, appendices and the index. That’s evidence-based for real! If you are a nurse coach it’s a good book to have on the shelf. I don’t want to bash nurse colleagues… is it too late for that? But after literally forcing myself to finish it in a week (Only 45 pages of writing), I said, “no wonder nurses aren’t making any money in the markets they want to serve”. It was purely academia, theoretical and boring.

Most theory is, isn’t it?

Hey, nursing theory will never change and researchers need to remind us about the basis for nursing practice and in this case, nurse coaching. Hell, I’ve quoted Dorothea Orem’s self-care theory in my CFNC home study program. And I agree clients need to become experts in their own care. But I wonder, when I saw all the authors, all 6 of them, and then the contributors inside, all had no less than 12 initials behind their names (I’m exaggerating a little, am I just a hater?), all coming together to clarify what nurse coaching is and the art & science of it is, how many of them have striving coaching practices that they love, with ideal clients that they love, utilizing packages (not the ‘old, never make real money’ the dollars for hours model==> you end up dreading picking up the phone and burning out); are they leveraging their marketing and time through automation and the internet and Google, have referral systems and a simple business model that’s “set it and forget it” and brings clients who look for them, not them chasing clients? These nurse authors are great at what they do. But they just can’t help me get more clients. They’re not trying to either, not their job.

I hope all of you buy the book and read it and take away from it what you need. Credentialing is important , especially when licenses are involved. But you do have a license and it’s MOST important! What about the RN or LPN who has training in fitness, has an awesome program that has been helping people in their community. There is no legal reason why this brilliant nurse can’t call themselves a fitness nurse coach, put that program together, that’s easy to understand and market it to their ideal clients and improve the lives of those people. If they follow the nursing process they will be successful in their program development; but not necessarily in their business/practice. What often happen is when they try to put all that theory into the market… they flop, they aren’t making any money. The learning process is really just beginning for the new fitness nurse entrepreneur.

Nurses my point is, if you don’t step up and start learning about your offer and sales and marketing and stop worrying so much about ‘getting permission’ or what ‘others may think’, other professionals, not as medically qualified as you, are going to do it for you. They’re doing it now.

By the way I sent out an e-mail, a while ago, to most of you about this course that I’m currently taking. It’ called, “Your Million Dollar Customer… Roadmap to a Profitable Physician Partnership”. None of you signed up? Maybe it was the title that turned you off? Or maybe it was the $1,000 price tag for 6 weeks, maybe you thought you’re just not ready yet. Or even more unsettling, you keep telling yourself you can figure it out on your own? (every successful person I know had to get help. I shouldn’t judge you, maybe you’re different)

If not this program, which one, if any? My $1000 dollar investment was not in just a program teaching me how to market my services to doctors, but it is also in making connections with people (for future joint ventures) who are doing what I want to be doing, working with doctors as partners. (You may not want to work with doctors, which is fine, but who do you want to work with?) I’ll also get exposure on a radio station targeted to medical practitioners, over 2,000 listen in, a free table at the annual conference and my logo on the company’s website. To me, that alone is worth the enrollment fee. I’m also getting fitness nurse consulting on the map for you. No one in this course ever heard of fitness nurse consulting, many of them with connections in the medical field, will now know who Minky is when the 6 weeks is over!

I know what you may be thinking… you just don’t know where to start. I am working with only 2 nurses, helping them become Fitness Nurse Consultants. It’s a 6-month journey. And 2 nurses are really all I can handle. Step by step, hand holding is a lot of work. But they are not disappointing me. Because of their inspired action, I will reward them with everything I learn as I go forward too and creating more social proof for you with my own Fitness Nurse Consulting practice.

Whatever it was that stopped you from acting then, don’t let it hold you back from your dreams. It’s happening all around us and if you are unhappy in your current situation and want to be your own boss, you have to step out, invest in yourself to boost your confidence and market YOUR SOLUTION to people. The people who are paying you don’t know what all the letters mean and it’s a marketing disaster. Credentials in academia (faculty) are great, in business; not so much. Even doctors want simple explanations and love brevity when you try to get their attention. Ask yourself, “What is the specific result of what I do?”

More and more credentials, titles, initials are all about you and I personally consider “stall tactics”, unless you want to be in academia or research. If you want to be in business, work with what you already have. Take action on your business. Maybe except for your title, you have to step away from that for a while and come up with solutions to people’s problems that you’ve learned from all that training and market that. Also ask yourself, ‘what do I love doing?’ ’Who do I love working with?’

After you state your title (still in a solution format), let people know, with passion, HOW you help solve problems of the people you serve. Remember what you do and what you solve is NOT for everybody. But the person you are talking to may know somebody, and tell them, if they understand what you do and can explain it to someone else. Here’s my example:

“What do you do?”

“I’m a Weight Maintenance Coach and Fitness Nurse Consultant”

“What is that?”

“I help busy women who have had weightloss surgery or who have lost weight, to NEVER RE-gain the weight by showing them 4 simple steps to follow”

Everyone I have said that to wants to know more. Everyone.

Then and only then, will the great clients, then the great income, come your way.

I know you can do it. Just focus on the solution you provide and go from there. Don’t let your nursing license hinder you by staying in the “nursing box” of ‘I don’t have enough credentials’, people out there need and want your guidance to get and stay healthy! Health professionals are getting out there, please let them be you.

P.S. Please don’t write me and ask how to become a “Weight Maintenance Coach”. I made it up. No degree or certification that I have or have had can prepare me to help my ideal clients maintain their weight with the strategies from experience that I’ve learned over the years. That’s how I got the title, I gave it to myself, so people could understand what I do and to spark interest.

It’s basically what I help them to do. Period.

Opportunity Seeker or… ?

Are you an Opportunity Seeker or a Strategic Entrepreneur?

I first heard this question from Alex Mandossian, an information marketer, who’s brilliant in how he makes complex things so simple.

Chances are you are the former. I suppose, we all are opportunity seekers at some point.

What opportunity are you seeking?

Are you looking for a fitness opportunity in Nursing?
Are you looking for a nursing opportunity in Fitness?
Are you looking to create your own opportunity?

Well good luck in your search.
In my search, over 20 years, for either… I found that they don’t exist.

Well I did teach exercise for a health resources department, in a hospital system, as a nurse, at a nurses’ rate. But it was short-lived. Someone realized that fitness trainers could do it for half my pay. I then continued to give lectures and do public health screenings. (It was still a decent job)

How about the first one:

Well, remember in nursing school when everything was crammed into such a strategic time allotment. The most that we were taught about exercise was an ‘activity deficit’, how loss of mobility is a key factor in your patients going down hill, R.O.M., body mechanics and maybe the government recommendations. Any more studying than that, was probably done on your own. Nursing just doesn’t have the space or place for teaching nurses how to teach patients how to exercise. Besides in a clinical setting, there are physical therapists who are great at knowing the ‘ins and outs’ of exercise. Doctors would recommend patients to them. But then again, patients who are able to actually exercise, besides cardiac rehab, wouldn’t be in the hospital (insurance wouldn’t cover this). So for now anyway, there is no opportunity for you to work as a nurse/fitness trainer in Nursing (clinical setting).

How about the second one:

How about working in a gym or a club? Sure you can be a nurse who, actually does ‘nurse’ skills, like take blood pressure and do other screenings in a club or a gym… for $12.00 an hour. To be a nurse who specializes in fitness at a gym or club (in fitness) is what many of you may do now. You may get paid pretty well. Are your clients coming to you because you’re a nurse with a specialty in fitness or because your a good exercise instructor? There are a few of you who specifically have clients who come to see you because you are a nurse… fantastic. Are you getting paid for that? Or are you getting paid the same as the exercise instructor who has a weekend certification? Is there a distinction in your service? Does anybody really care? Are people coming to the class, gym or club to see a nurse?

How about the third one:

This is the one that I have decided to go with. An opportunity is what you make it, right? I think it’s how you see it. Many of you may feel that creating your own opportunity is NOT an opportunity at all. It’s a hassle. A risk. A territory that hasn’t been explored yet and “let someone else explore it first; then I’ll try it… maybe”. What about making money and supporting yourself? There’s no guarantee that you will make any money creating your own opportunity. I know. I hear your concerns. But I still feel that someone has to try. That someone… be me! I realize that I have to create more social proof. And it’s what I intend to do!

I’m not alone in my quest for creating social proof and my own opportunity as a Fitness Nurse Consultant™ and Certified Fitness Nurse™ Coach (which is what I call myself, without anyone’s permission). There are a few courageous nurses who are making their own opportunity too. We are trying to become Strategic Entrepreneurs; not just Opportunity Seekers any longer. We’re not spending most of our time looking for an established opportunity that doesn’t exist in the ‘job market’ or doing one thing one time or getting more initials to put behind our name thinking that’s the problem (when it isn’t) or giving an exercise class and then say, “see you next week” …maybe you won’t see them next week. There’s NO long term commitment there. We’re creating our own opportunity strategically.

What we need to do as a Strategic Entrepreneur:

Decide why we want to combine our nursing skills with our fitness training and whom best we can help by doing this and where they are. Their ‘hubs’.
Decide what we are best at when delivering information/instruction to others. Do we like to talk, to write, to entertain (have company over), go to social events, to be on the computer (social media), etc.? This will help us decide the way we will market our services, without dread.
We decide what we want our ideal client to do when they come into contact with us personally, visit our blog, face book page, read an article, etc. This usually is not to directly ‘buy’ something from us. But to get a ‘FREE” publication, tips, recording, whatever interests them. We know that we need to build relationships, to build trust and very importantly to build an email list of interested people, who we keep in contact with at least 2X a month. Eventually, we also offer teleseminars and explore new ways of getting “out there”, like on Google+ (It’s free). President Obama just had a ‘Fireside Chat” on Google+ last week. It’s catching on.
We become a celebrity in ‘our own backyard’ as the only Fitness Nurse Consultant™ (FNC) or Certified Fitness Nurse™ Coach (CFNC) in our local area. Remember to become a “Trusted Authority” in your local area, all you need is a core competence that you can improve someone’s health and solve their problem and more importantly, the confidence to carry out that improvement and to start solving their problem.
And on the internet we link all of our social media to work together and organize a 3-month calendar of specific topics and sub-topics that our ideal clients want and will love. This also frees up our time and we’re not scatter-brain about what to write about and we’re not chasing clients or hoping they’ll show up.

I suggest that you start with a “study” that you are doing. When I first started I offered a study on the effects of working out with a puppy around. It turned out that many of the participants came and brought their child or grandchild who was occupied with PangPang, my pug, a puppy at this time, while they (my clients) worked out. They didn’t come before because they didn’t want the child to ‘just sit there’ and watch them. So, having the puppy there increased their exercise adherence. Pretty cool, huh? Clients still ask about PangPang today.
Or you could offer a tasting of a type of food that you like to use in your program, and invite 5-6 people over. Offer stuff that people would leave their house for. Like free, delicious food. Send invitations, well in advance, with pictures of what you will serve and the point of the ‘get together’. Like I said earlier, what do you want the ‘get-together’ to accomplish? Always have ‘the end result’ in mind. Just a side note… just information, regardless how good it is, is usually not good enough to get people to leave their house. Oh, you can also go to someone else’s house or be more formal and rent a small, cheap place with a kitchen, if having food (highly recommended), like a firehouse hall.
I’ve just decided to start a meet-up in my local area more focused on my private FNC practice.The local fitness nurse meet-up, that I just canceled, never worked because there aren’t any local fitness nurses in my area who would show up. (Most nurses who found the meet-up in a Google search, were looking for an opportunity. Some might have been very interested, but they lived 2,000 miles away. Meet-ups are for just that… meeting up.) It’s best to grow my FNC practice and introduce one of the 4 non-negotiables I teach as a CFNC, it will also be the title of the meet-up. One of my clients is helping me with it. I’m so excited to get it going. I’ll announce it soon. If you live near the Jersey Shore, Asbury Park area, I hope you will join the meet-up! This way, not only will people who sign up want to try one of my delicious meals you can have on my plan, I introduce them to the philosophy behind eating this way. They can also share their concerns about previous diets and taking medications. I, of course, have and create conversations about all the health benefits, how easy it is and saves them money. Over time relationships develop and referrals come easier. No selling at the meet-up.
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To be transparent with you, Kevin Ross, RN, BSN and I are starting next week with our 6-month VIP Mentorship for Fitness Nurse Consulting. We have decided to work with one nurse at a time. After all, each of you are different with different goal, gifts and dreams. The application and admission is ongoing. (The actual mentorship is really just over 4 months we put in breaks throughout the program). We want to build relationships with the nurses we assist. We are committed to them and they are committed to us and to becoming a strategic entrepreneur (lasting), not an opportunity seeker (fleeting). If you are interested in more information on our 6-month VIP Mentorship just go to www.fitnessnurseconsulting.com. You can also watch a recorded webinar there, that is required, before you fill out and send in the application.

I’ll save you some effort if you are going there, looking for a price. You get the price when you speak to me personally, after you listen to the recorded webinar and send in your application. This done for a reason. If you are an ideal client for us, and there’s a fit, we will work with you. If you are just shopping price, then there are many other coaching programs out there for you to choose price over.

The nurses who follow the instructions, make the effort and are sincere in doing what only a few courageous nurses are doing today, will understand that this is very much a part of what you need to become a strategic entrepreneur… create systems, a plan, delayed gratification. This skill is something you also are taught when it comes to pricing for your own services at a fee that you deserve and will get from your ideal clients too.

The 5 P’s to Becoming a Fitness Nurse Consultant

As you may know, deciding who you want to work with is not as easy as it sounds. You all have seen me change my message a few times. I realize that this makes people uncomfortable and less likely to trust me. But as crazy as this sounds, I’m willing to take that risk because as much as I may alienate some of you, I yearn to really connect with those nurses who feel like I do:

You hate working in a traditional clinical setting
You hate not being able to express your ideas for prevention & getting healthier naturally
You hate med passes (you feel like it is not in alignment with your beliefs)
You are tired of working as a nurse in your current setting and running around to do what you love as a fitness professional (but, no time to develop and implement your dream)
You love movement and following a plan that you live by and want to promote it to help heal others

And my movement & vision:

To get every person with a diagnosis or ‘medical label’
to worship & move in their body, regardless of prognosis
or age. This is done through community, connection
and compassionate guidance to promote independence
and freedom from long term medication use.

To try and define, market and create ‘real’ substance a new field/ profession (not just stick two words together) and find the ‘right’ nurses take it into the scary world of working for yourself, is not an easy task. What I’ve learned is that it’s not enough to just want to call yourself a “Fitness Nurse”. You have to perform duties as one. Get your clients they want from you as a nurse with a specialty in fitness. But what are those duties? What distinguishes you from other fitness professionals, really? I know my answer. Do you know yours?

One problem with this is, and I speak from experience, if you are working in the fitness profession, you don’t feel like a nurse and that title”fitness nurse” is not respected among people who are there for usually vanity reasons. They may have concerns about their health too, but… They don’t necessarily want others to know that they have to see the “Fitness Nurse” when everybody else is killing themselves in body pump and ass-kicking bootcamps. Yes, people DO CARE what others think in a gym. Heck, they care what their neighbors think when they are walking through their neighborhood.

Now this is not to say that people with health concerns can’t do bootcamps, but the majority of people who you can help the most by combining your skills aren’t in the gym. Or they have stopped going, probably for the reasons many stop going… Too much, too soon and they’ve become what I call an exercise casualty; and/or no results because of high expectations of results. This usually comes from not getting to the root of their (client) problem, not enough personal guidance… a poor assessment from the beginning of who’s training them. (mental & physical)

This is why, until ‘fitness nursing’ is fully out there and in demand, we need to promote ‘that program’, that we have inside of us, that we know can help heal people, specifically, specific problems. The nurses who want to do this have to have the hunger and the drive to do so. This is very much needed or we are just going to be teaching group exercise with our nursing license in our back pockets…. not recognized for our skills in fitness AND nursing. If you love teaching group exercise and being a personal trainer, I’m happy for you… don’t ever stop doing what you love. But if you want to utilize your nursing skills and get compensated for them too, please read on…

On Thursday, January 31st, Kevin Ross, RN, BSN, of Innovative Nurse and I will be speaking on the 5 P’s, via a webinar, of becoming a Fitness Nurse Consultant™:

The Promise – What we will do to support you & get you results.
The People – Who this is for & who is it not for.
The Problem – Why what you are currently doing is not working.
The Pathway – How to start and pull in all your skills to deliver your signature fitness nursing program in a 6-step process.
The Plan – You will be given steps to take right away that are no cost and will help you decide if you want to continue developing your own fitness nursing program and making your own money offering it to specific people who need and want your services.

It will be at 1pm EST, 10am PST.
http://InstantTeleseminar.com/?eventID=37601895 to view the slides.

To call in (206) 402-0100, code: 704896#

Encore presentation on February 1st, 11am EST, 8am PST

http://InstantTeleseminar.com/?eventID=37602399

same number & code

Make a difference with BOTH of your skills (and other skills too, like coaching and assessment, medication management and speaking)

Till then

Yours in Fitness & Nursing,

Lori

‘No More Meds’ Fitness Nurse Consulting

Wealth? What are your feelings about it?

Do images of ‘the rich’ appear like the above… snooty, greedy, selfish and way too overdressed for most occasions?

Over the last few weeks I have had conversations with many nurses about becoming a fitness nurse consultant™. These nurses all have great ideas, some of them have really great visions too. But when I ask the question, “Well how much money do you want to make, let’s say in a month?”… It became very clear to me that there were some real money issues here. I got responses like, “I’d like to replace my monthly income of what I’m doing now” Which is a great answer and very doable, if that’s what you want. But then most of the answers would be like this, “I’m not trying to get rich or anything, I don’t need to make millions” or “I’m not doing this for the money”, even “Money doesn’t motivate me to do things”. The responses almost sounded canned. Like they were trained to respond that way in case someone ever asked them about becoming wealthy.

I’m sure most nurses don’t wake up every day saying, “I’m getting up today because I want to make lots of money”, that’s just too simplistic and stupid. BUT… If you want to change the world, help people get healthier, improve the lives within your community, all noble feats… it’s a lot easier and less stressful when your allow money into your world.

Money, like energy flows and too many people, including nurses and people who do work with people, not things, seem to be more apt stop this flow because they perceive money as bad or wicked. But then, may complain about not having it or be a ‘hater’ of someone else who does. Before there was paper money, other forms of value were traded. So see, it’s just paper that we put value on. To the right of this post is an audio I’d really like you to listen too from David Neagle. It’s from his “Art of Success” series. I know, I know… you don’t have time. Well, the world I suppose, is being filled more and more of soundbites, knee-jerk responses and prioritizing; less of real reflection, who has time for that reflection stuff anyway?

When you’re sleeping please ask yourself questions like: Who am I?, where do I belong in this world?, do you really want to be working 12 hours a day to ‘prove’ something to other people? Even though you could be doing great work… are you asking, “what about me?” Do you really want to be doing what your doing in 10 years? That’s a real intense dream

But seriously when you’re awake, I just would like you to take this time to think about how you really view money, what would ‘having it’ do for you and make you feel? What does a lot of money look like to you and are you repelling it? According to David Neagle it should come easy to you, not with strife and struggle, because after all, according to those that have it (money, with ease) say it’s all just energy.

If you want a link to listen to David being interviewed by Marcia Weider of Dream University, just click HERE Since it’s not my link it may be taken down by February, so listen ASAP! It’s such a great listen! (Oh, by the way, other wealthy visionaries are on the same link, like Brian Tracy and Loral Langmeire, but make sure you listen to David first!)

One more thing…

Become a Fitness Nurse Consultant™ info webinar will be January 31st at 1pm EST and 10am PST also repeated on

February 2nd at 3pm EST and 12 noon PST.

Details to arrive soon in your e-mailbox. Please opt in at www.fitnessnurseconsulting.com to receive the details in the next weeks to come!

Yours in Fitness & Nursing,

Lori

Some Christmas Clarity

I just received a wonderful Christmas present from some very wise nurses in business. They gave me some more clarity. Especially Kevin Ross, RN, BSN of Innovativenurse.com . But I have to thank Keith Carlson of NurseKeith.com and Carol Gino of Hopeful Healer.com who just had a FANTASTIC must listen radio show on nurse entrepreneurs, and comparing nurses who stay miserable where they are or in what they are doing as a form of “battered nurse syndrome” You can listen to the recording HERE.

Even Santa exercises from time to time. He's got to watch his belly size! Thanks Santa for the Gift of "Clarity", it's SO valuable!

I called Kevin frustrated with yet another letter from a nurse interested in fitness, I’m always excited at first, but then she begins asking me how to get a job as a fitness nurse and/or where would they work. URGH! Why was I frustrated? Because I thought I was clear that I am not a ‘job creator’ or a recruiter for fitness nursing… but I wasn’t clear. That’s when Kevin said, “Why don’t you just call them consultants. Most nurses know that term and the ones who want ‘a job’, will immediately know that consulting means you create your own job (by leveraging your expertise to people and companies who want your services) and they won’t be interested and won’t waste your time or theirs”.

Brilliant. This answer was right in front of me. This is what I help others do… ‘See’ what they can’t. But this time, Kevin helped me ‘see’. Often, your answer is so close to you, like on the ‘tip of your nose’, you can’t see it… but someone in your FAB 5 can!

When I first decided that this what I wanted to do… help nurses, like me, interested in fitness, combine the two and make a sustainable living doing it, I thought the nurses understood that I meant that you would be ‘creating your own job’, designing and delivering your Signature Fitness Nursing program to a niche market, to other health care professionals, to organizations, to companies. This what I do….

But that’s not what happened. I was my fault. My doing. Because I just stated “fitness nursing”, I attracted every nurse who used to be the grade school track and field star to nurses with Ph.D’s in exercise physiology… most ‘looking for a job’ as a “fitness nurse”. I couldn’t understand why these nurses didn’t get that these jobs don’t exist… yet. And for them to begin to exist, we have to first educate the public, other health care professionals and the market of what we offer (as independent contractors, self-employed and/or entrepreneurs) and who it is we can help with a problem that is not addressed… which is working with ‘at-risk’ populations who want to and need to exercise, but are NOT in the gyms and clubs. They definitely are not training for a 5K or a fitness competition. They just want to keep their independence, avoid more medications and if they reduce their waists in the process, what a great ‘side effect’ of sustainable self-care exercise.

When I say we, I mean Fitness Nurse Consultants™

That’s right, it’s the new term I will use, not fitness nurses anymore. Believe it or not, the term fitness nurse is just too broad.

You know what fitness means. You know what nurse means. You know what consultant means.

Go to www.fitnessnurseconsulting.com the new website for nurses who want to make an income working as a consultant, for their self, via contracts or personal clients to put the “HEAL” back into ‘HEAL-THIER” through fitness and serving a particular ‘at-risk’ population.

I will no longer refer to the term “fitness nurses” in what I do. That will automatically be replaced with fitness nurse consultants™

Hey, this is America and you can call yourself a fitness nurse if you want to.
But, to “practice what I preach” and give more clarity to those nurses who I can best serve, I am narrowing my niche and ideal client and looking to work with nurse who wants to become a Fitness Nurse Consultant™ Is that you?

This was one of the best gifts for an entrepreneur for the holidays… more clarity. Which enables your niche to find you easier and knowing I can serve you
better… because now instead of explaining about the ‘no jobs as a fitness nurse’ to nurses who are just looking for another job… I can focus on those nurses who understand what “consultant” means and are ready to learn the steps to become one as a Fitness Nurse Consultant™.

Thank you Kevin, Keith and Carol… your passion for the independent nurse is contagious!

The New 6-month VIP Mentorship to become a Fitness Nurse Consultant starts in January 2013. The preview webinar will be in early January 2013. Thank you for your patience. See how clarity strikes when you are open to assistance from others?

Conversation with Kevin about Fitness Nursing

(This is the last post where I will refer to fitness nurses. All future posts and
correspondence, I will refer to Fitness Nurse Consultants™ and/or Certified Fitness Nurse™ Coaches)

**************************************************

Wow!

What a conversation we had last night about Fitness Nursing! I first should apologize to Kevin (sorry Kev) because I was so revved up on caffeine from staying up all night, the night before, I may have talked a bit more than he did. What a polite guy… and he didn’t even drop the “f-bomb” once! (I tease Kevin about this, because he really is passionate about what he does and some times between friends, sh#t comes out ) But when I did shut up and he talked, what a calming and “matter-of-fact” confident voice about getting started as an entrepreneur and taking action.

Way too many 'at risk' people need help who aren't going to gyms and bootcamps. Fitness Nurses... they're looking for us!

This was one of our 2-3 time monthly conversations that we regularly have. Kevin is definitely one of my Fab 5. We invited you to listen in on it. I knew we were going to be talking business and Fitness Nursing and about our joint venture in January. We will be doing a 6-month mentorship for those nurses who are ready to stop consuming information and to start applying the information they already know. Kevin and I are about helping nurses leverage their expertise to deliver results. Because we know results=value.

Well, you can hear for yourself here:

Kevin and I will be having our “official preview” of our 6-month mentorship, more formal, with a slide presentation in about 2 weeks. Please look out for the e-mail and notices on social media.

Enjoy!

Lori
www.fitnessnursing.com (click on 6-month mentorship)
info@fitnessnursing.com
Follow us on Twitter:
@loriminkyrad & @innovativenurse (Kevin)

Are you a Nurse Entrepreneur or a Business Hobbyist?

Just a quick question below, in the box:

Does the info above 'excite' you? Do you know how to help those at-risk for the red and yellow areas avoid osteoporosis and/or slow its progress through exercise?

Some more questions are:

Is what you have to offer, something you can package and deliver to specific people who want it, will pay for it and get the results or solves the problem that they want you to solve?

What are you actually ‘selling’? Is it a tight butt or stronger bones that allows your ideal clients to play with their kids/grandkids, increased independence and/or keep them out of the nursing home?
Even if you don’t want to deal with improved bone health, you can put in whatever specialty you want to help ‘at-risk’ people with. Are you ready to do the work necessary to commit to creating, marketing and delivering your Fitness Nursing program to those people who want it?

If you say, “Yes” or if you’re not sure, I have a few more statements which are just as important if not more important than your knowledge, experience and skills… (they’re below)

[Since I've learned how to 'tweet', I've discovered some great resources from other people interested in similar things that I'm interested in, like defining your ideal client. Because my Fitness Nursing (FN) business is two-fold, I have my own two (2) ideal clients; one - with my Certified Fitness Nurse Coach (CFNC) biz, (which delivers The Minky Plan to busy women who want to avoid diabetes, reduce their waists and create food freedom), and two - mentoring nurses who are interested in combining fitness and nursing, start their own FN practice and deliver their own Signature Fitness Nursing programs too... and who have the following, the most important qualities that I read on Twitter. When I read them, I was immediately relieved to finally figure out why I had so many jobs and often ate alone}:

“Surprising Signs You Could Be an Entrepreneur”* (Your liabilities that others label you with could be your best assets for entrepreneurship)

Easily Bored – You find yourself easily bored and others start seeing you as a problem. You are bored with activities that aren’t up to your abilities and aren’t challenging. (Bill Gates dropped out of college)
Hate the Status Quo – It doesn’t make sense to you that something is done a certain way, because it’s always been done that way (without question) You don’t like following the pack, so you are seen as NOT a ‘team player’.
Fired from Jobs – You’re too creative and expressive for your own good when working for someone else. I have a history of leaving jobs, not necessarily fired, and eating alone. I knew my greatness resided outside the lines of conformity and HR policies, so I was often labeled a ‘rebel’ and people distanced themselves from be as to not ‘get in trouble’.
Ready to Improve Everything – You always point out how things could be done better. You are opinionated, which makes others uncomfortable… again.
Bad at Making Small Talk - You have difficulty making the kind of small talk just to make others feel comfortable. This workplace social pattern of relationship building seems a waste of time to you when you really can’t stand someone and makes you uncomfortable.
Unable to unwind - You can’t go to sleep at night because you can’t turn your thoughts and ideas off. You’re distracted at your current job that you hate or just tolerate.
Scared to Go Solo – The “I want to be my own boss” in you is scared of going out on your own. But the opposite is true too. You’re terrified of not ever pursuing your passion and idea. This fear is very common in our society because we’ve been conditioned to think that entrepreneurship is much more risky than getting a “steady job”. In reality, both are risky in happiness, making a living and losing it all. You eventually realize this and pick entrepreneurship.
Obsessive – You may have been labeled obsessive and compulsive because once you started with a project, especially one that you created, you have difficulty stopping, taking a break or letting it go. All great entrepreneurs become completely immersed in their vision. (Often labeled stubborn, pipe dreamer and taking things too far)
Don’t Fit the Norm – You’ve always felt different than others on your unit or nursing setting. Once you get used to the idea that you ARE different from your other nurse counter parts, this could provide you with the motivation needed to acknowledge the entrepreneur inside you dying to get out and to be let free.

If you do not resonate with any of the ‘quirks’ above, or only a couple of them or you tell yourself, “sometimes I feel that way”, you’re probably a business hobbyist. You have another income that you are relying on AND have no intentions of giving that other income up. You like the fantasy of telling people you are “in business”, but are not compelled to stay up to 4 am to finish a project; not attend a family event to pitch a once-in-a-lifetime presentation to a possible investor or business partner; and call out sick from the ‘day job’ to promote or speak for marketing purposes about you business’ benefits to a group of prospective ideal clients. Also the business hobbyist is usually still in information consumption mode; instead of application and results mode because it is after all, just really a ‘hobby’ for you. Which is o.k., if that’s what you want to do.

It’s important that you be honest with yourself, particularly with fitness nursing, because we (me and Kevin Ross, RN, BSN) only want to work with action takers in the new 6-month January mentorship program (NOT a course) that we help you, the action taker, the true entrepreneur, with ‘climbing the Fitness Nursing business mountain’, one checkpoint at a time. We are not certifying you in anything. So, when you’re ready to become ‘obsessive’ and to be ‘labeled a rebel’ and take action… then you’re ready to deliver on your gifts of fitness and nursing and give your ideal clients the results only you can deliver in your own special way and we’re here to assist you along the way with the execution!

You can also have all the attributes above and do things on your own or with some one you else choose. Whatever you decide…own it! And take some inspired action!

(*http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/224791)

More information on the January Mentorship: www.fitnessnursing.com

Just Learned How To Tweet!

Tweet

WOW! What was I waiting for? I just learned how to tweet. From my phone too!

Kevin Ross, RN, BSN is not just an Innovative Nurse, he's a Godsend to me and all nurses who are ready to step into the now and future tech world of nursing and healthcare!

When something is new to us, we shy away from it… I’m no different than most that way. I already had a Twitter account for years that I didn’t utilize. When I saw Late Night with Jimmy Fallon’s, “Late Night Hashtags”, it was a sign. I just, right then and there, had to explore Twitter!

This is what I did (the very next morning)…

Called Kevin Ross RN, BSN, InnovativeNurse
‘Synced’ up my Google account (Which I had already, but just used for You Tube access)
Downloaded Twitter app to smart phone
Learned what @LoriMinkyRad and @Innovativenurse means
Learned what a hashtag is, like #fitnessnursing
Immediately began following interesting people, like other nurses, nurse entrepreneurs, and healthcare professionals
Gave Kevin Ross a great time by showing my ‘tech ignorance’, love to make others laugh (as a former standup comedian I can take it as well as dish it out)
Pinched myself and realized that I will be working with this phenomenal person, nurse and mentor on an upcoming 6-month mentorship (soup to nuts) on “How to Be a Fitness Nurse… Designing, Marketing and Delivering Your Signature Fitness Nursing Program” in January 2013! More information here You can also sign up for the monthly e-newsletter and get great bonuses there.

Till next time, start utilizing your hand held devices and connect with others out there. Fitness Nurses are here and we have to let people know it, even if we’re not 100% confident yet. That will come in time. Take some action and share your gifts right now with others through social media… ignore it at your own peril. Social media is here to stay.

Great Thank You! From Fellow Fitness Nurse

What a wonderful letter and testimonial from a fellow Fitness Nurse below. Her name is Mary Ann and she is from Canada. Mary Ann, like many of you have been following my work for a while. But Mary Ann is more than a curious soul. She knows what she wants and finds a way to get it done. A real go-getter. I love letters like this. She was so motivated, that she started going after her complimentary strategy session with me. She has access to the same information that you all have. She will be a mover and a shaker in the Fitness Nursing field look out for her, she’s already showing up in the media in Canada! Way to Go Mary Ann and I’m glad I could help. I look forward to helping you more in the future. I hyperlinked her Fitness Nursing page in her letter below. You just have to click on it to see her very professional Fitness Nursing page. (Congrats on your new baby. All the more reason to focus on FN so you’ll have more free time with that new bundle of joy)

Zimbra

info@fitnessnursing.com

Re: FN inquiry letter answered, get a job as FN?

From :	Mary Ann, your HLF Fitness Nurse <maryann@higherlevelfitness.net>
Subject :	Re: FN inquiry letter answered, get a job as FN?
To :	Lori Minky Radcliffe, RN, Promoter of Fitness Nursing <info@fitnessnursing.com>
Reply To :	Mary Ann, your HLF Fitness Nurse <maryann@higherlevelfitness.net>

Fri, Sep 21, 2012 12:55 PM

2 attachments

Hi Lori

This is all soooo exciting!!!

Congratulations on your first set of graduated CFNC’s.. you must feel so proud!!!

I wanted to let you know (and you can use this as a testimonial in whatever way) that your constant support, regular blog posts and radio shows has helped me tremendously here in my hometown Winnipeg, MB Canada.

We spoke on the phone last year when I took advantage of your complimentary consultation and things have sure changed in 12 months. I wish I was able to be part of the first certified fitness nurses but I have been following you for 3 years now and have taken ALL your advice.

Since your first e-document on 5 Steps to Getting started as a fitness nurse, I loved the support you provided when you said…starting calling yourself one. “I’m a fitness nurse”. This was both empowering and a revelation for me as now I felt the confidence to combine two of my passions rather than leaving one.

You helped me identify who to work with on our call and since then, I have successfully worked specifically with clients in my ideal profile and 8 clients take good care of me

Getting out there to be seen was your tip #3. I am now a bi-weekly guest on Breakfast Television (a local morning show) where I present topics like “workouts for hypertension, best workouts for minimizing depression”and I am also a monthly guest in a blogradio show www.girltalkwithmarlo.com where I talk on topics like “reduce hypertension naturally” and “lifestyle factors impacting our health”.

I also barter and partner up with other services (tip #4) specifically massage therapy, hair salons, hotel concierges and supplement stores which has been great for business. We constantly get referrals and now that I know my specific ideal client, I let those that don’t fit my ideal, train with my husband (a life coach and personal trainer). My card indicating I am a fitness nurse has peaked interest and I often get calls asking what I do. You’d be surprised to learn that 2 of my clients are actually nurses themselves!

So, all in all, I just want to express a big, big thank you for taking Fitness Nursing to trailblazing heights!! This is such an exciting profession and I cannot wait to move forward with the future of this field. I have nursing students who are very interested and even kinesiology students asking questions

FYI

Here is a link to my page where I talk about what fitness nursing is for me

http://www.higherlevelfitness.net/services.php#fitness-nursing.php

And attached here is the referral form I provide my clients to give to their GP’s as another way to market my service. (this is for your eyes only … your feedback would be welcome!) I got the idea from the letter you provided before….

Anyway, I hope this didn’t take up too much of your busy day but I wanted you to know that what you are doing is absolutely amazing and you have helped me in so many ways that I cannot even express. I am so sad that I couldn’t join the first group of students but not only did I push fitness nursing throughout my city but I also gave birth to a beautiful baby boy (now 5 months) and he would certainly take up studying time had I registered Boo! But I will soon be your student … the dream of doing this online is the next step and I know that you can certainly help me get there …

Is your Preview Call going to be taped tomorrow? I would love to listen in.

Have a great, great day and enjoy your weekend.

Committed to your success,Mary Ann Masesar, RN, BNWinnipeg’s ONLY Fitness Nurse & Body Sculpting Expert
HIGHER LEVEL FITNESSLearn. Grow. Transform.
(204) 899-7249

The next CFNC course is October 11th. Here is the recording for Saturday’s Preview call for it:

http://InstantTeleseminar.com/?eventID=33461094

The slides will move on their own.
————————————————————

I will be doing another encore presentation this Tuesday, September 25th, at 7pm EST
The encore presentation of “3 ‘Simple’ Ways to Connect with Fitness Nursing Clients, Build Confidence and Respect, to Get Paid What You Deserve, Without Being Pushy or Mushy”

Try to make every attempt to be there LIVE because of bonuses that will be offered just to those on the phone and webinar live. Also get all your questions answered about Fitness Nursing on the spot. Here is the information for Tuesday’s encore presentation:
http://InstantTeleseminar.com/?eventID=33553326 To view slides
To listen in: (206) 402-0100, access code: 704896#
——————————————–

I have other testimonials from the previous CFNC students, soon to post and put on the website. I want to create a website page that highlights the new CFNC students and their specialties and help promote their businesses. Even though Mary Ann didn’t take the class, I wonder how much further along she would be if she did. I can’t wait to get my hands on her to help her leverage her FN business even more. Keep up the great work Mary Ann and I look forward to working with you in the near future.

I hope to ‘see you’ on the next Preview call.
Till then,

Lori
info@fitnessnursing.com
minky@certifiedfitnessnurse.com
(732) 620-2193

Become a Fitness Nurse Consultant™ and/or Certified Fitness Nurse™ Coach

A day in the life of a Fitness Nurse Consultant™ working as a Certified Fitness Nurse™Coach trying to create distinction and a sustainable income for nurses interested in fitness.