Passion, Purpose, Profits: Turn Your Passion Into Your Profession.
My Journey of turning my passion into a sucessful and thriving practice started with a big dose of humble pie.
I grew up with a twice divorced mother who never stopped asking me what I wanted to do when I grew up…she was relentless on this subject!
I can hear her now…
“Maybe you should be a nurse..there is always nursing jobs! But you better come up with something good because you can’t rely on a man.”
This was the running dialog in my home from 5th grade through college.
I decided I would be a speech pathologist. Got the degree. Realized that was not what I wanted to do… maybe a Cognitive Therapist? Got a Masters in that area too.. And I still had no clue what I was meant to do.
I went to Auburn graduated twice over.
And I learned I had no clue what I wanted to be in life..
Big Sigh… So Now what?
I have a bunch of degree’s, a hard bound thesis, fancy intership, and no clue what I want to do with any of it..
So, I did what most of us do at some point. I waited tables. I also sold insurance which I was not so great at and I got married. After a couple young babies I knew I wanted a career or something to get me out of the house!
I applied for an entry level counselor position. I had all the qualifications except the experience. Full time pay. 7am-12pm. Great if you have kids.
Perfect. Sign me up.
I show up to my interview with my black pencil skirt and nude stilletos, prestigious resume, briefcase and I was hired for the job as an entry level Counselor..
At a Methadone Clinic.
I had no clue what that was..and frankly didn’t care. I was just going to faked it till I make it. It was my ticket out of the house!
I was an over educated,over the mountain private school girl that was working in Bessemer at a Methadone Clinic treating Heroin addicts.
I quickly traded in my pencil skirt for blue jeans and began meeting my 40 assigned clients that were battling opiate addiction.
I was uncomfortable around these people and I had no clue what I was doing.
But for some reason they believed I knew how to help them.
And I believed it too..I became what they desperately needed.
Someone who understood them…so I studied, listened, worked harder than anyone to make sure my clients suceeded. It was personal.
I was giving way more than 110% and no other counselor was even close. My clients knew it. They valued my time and they succeeded.
I had found my purpose working with these individuals. And as a result began to become passionate about their stories and struggles.
I decided to started doing something bigger than just being an underpaid methadone counselor.
I would get off work at noon..change out of my t-shirt and jeans and into a designer black suit. I knew my appearance and fancy degrees could get me in the door to talk to someone who could help my clients.
So I did just that…My Passion became Stoping The Stigma of Heroin Addiction.
I Advocated for my clients who were unable to do so for themselves. I reached out to Judges, Attorneys, Doctors, Family Courts, DHR officers you name it.
I was working my tail off. I wasn’t getting paid and I really didn’t care. Because I was making a difference in my clients lives.
All that hard work for no pay actually turned into the fanciest degree of all..
I now had 10 years counseling experience. Counseling the saddest, destitute, and most overlooked individuals in this world. I counseled the most difficult complex substance abuse and mental health cases imaginable.
It’s because of those individuals that I now actually profit from my passion.
I am now back in my stilletos in a fancy private practice, in a fancy part of town and I continue to advocate and treat those who struggle with addiction.
But now I work with individuals with the highest potential and richest income so they too can finally realize their own dreams of achieving their Passion, Purpose, and Profits. Everyone deserves the best most experienced counselor no matter the person or the struggle.
Passion. Purpose. Profit.
We Can Help you find yours too at the CLR Group, LLC.
