March 2010

As a Certified Legal Nurse Consultant, I have had a number of wonderful experiences. These are the three memorable ones I want to share with CLNC^® consultants everywhere. After reading this, I hope you’ll agree that we do make a difference.

The first case involved an autistic 19-year-old boy. He was put on a new medication, not monitored properly and ended up being self-abusive to the point of severely injuring himself. He tore his face apart and became septic. His parents were frantic. I was able to pinpoint the issues for the attorney. Before I reviewed the case and made my recommendation, the physician had refused to change this young man’s medication. I was instrumental in getting him the appropriate help so that his behavior returned to baseline. His parents and the attorney were so grateful. The attorney continues to consult with me, and also frequently refers me to other attorneys. This case gave me one of my first opportunities to say, “Ah ha! I see what legal nurse consulting is all about.”

The next experience was with an attorney I have worked with for years. He only does cases involving dog bites. However, in one case, I found that it was not just a personal injury case, I discovered malpractice. The case suddenly got much more intense and the depth of requested information increased. My information provided my attorney-client with a finished product he will never forget. The case grew to voluminous proportions once I uncovered the malpractice. My attorney-client tells everyone how pleased he was with my CLNC^® work product, and how fortunate he feels to have a Certified Legal Nurse Consultant help with his cases. He says this case proved why he cannot do any of his medical-related cases without me.

My third memorable experience is not a case but how wonderful I feel when I meet CLNC^® students. I have such a positive sense of satisfaction when they tell me that the opportunity to speak to a full-time practicing Certified Legal Nurse Consultant helped them make the decision to go forward with becoming a CLNC^® consultant. I feel I am a part of an exciting new start for a fellow nurse, looking for a new way to use his/her nursing knowledge. I know for them, like me, that going through Vickie’s Certified Legal Nurse Consulting program will be a life-changing decision, and knowing I’ve made a positive difference in their lives makes me feel very excited and happy.

I love making a difference as a Certified Legal Nurse Consultant.

Dale Barnes, RN, MSN, PHN, CLNC

Good question, Tech Tipper Tom! Do you need to encrypt my legal nurse consulting business data to keep it away from prying eyes? My answer is “That depends.” If you’re using a desktop system for your legal nurse consulting business and there’s no one around but your immediate family, and if you believe you can trust them, there is no reason to encrypt the hard drive on your PC. But, if you share a desktop with your spouse and children and they have a habit of getting malware infestations, you may want to encrypt the data. If you’re a Certified Legal Nurse Consultant who uses a laptop computer only and who keeps the data on the local drive of that computer (versus on an external hard drive or server in your office) and who also travels with that computer or shares it – you may want to encrypt your data. The way I see it, even paranoids have real enemies, so if you feel you have the need to encrypt your data, you should. If you’re like me and are rolling your eyes at the thought, you don’t.

As a CLNC^® consultant who chooses to keep your information from the eyes of Internet villains and you’re running the “ultimate versions” of Windows^® Vista or Windows 7, you can use Microsoft’s BitLocker to encrypt your data. Those legal nurse consultants running XP or older versions can use a program such as TrueCrypt, a free download, to encrypt your drive or a portion thereof.

No matter what program or method you use to encrypt your data, you’ll need to keep your password or encryption key in a safe, easy-to-get-to place in order to access your files. Otherwise, you’ll be just like any other hacker trying to get to them and, if you used a strong password or effective key, you may never be able to “crack it.” If you go the encryption route, take measures to protect your password/key.

If you’re not up for learning to use an encryption program, the next best thing is to toughen up your password to the point that even you have trouble remembering it. You could try setting a BIOS password but any proper villain with access to your motherboard can reset the BIOS and bypass that security measure. In my recommendation, strong passwords are the best defense.

Keep on techin’,

Tom

Thanks to all the CLNC® consultants who attended the 2010 National Alliance of Certified Legal Nurse Consultants Conference in Nashville. I so loved hearing how much you learned from our speakers and keynote speaker, Genevieve Bos, editor of Pink magazine and seeing all you gained networking with your CLNC® peers. It was a blast partying with you and Captain “Tom” Sparrow on the river dinner cruise. But my favorite part was getting to talk with so many of you. I love hearing your CLNC® Success Stories and am so energized by them.

Vickie and Genevieve Bos

Enjoy the NACLNC^® Conference photo gallery and the memories it will bring as you Take the Stage for Legendary CLNC^® Success.

Thanks for helping to make the NACLNC^® Conference the amazing event that it was. I’ll see you next year at the 2011 NACLNC^® Conference. Can’t wait to cruise the Eastern Caribbean with you.

Success Is Inside!

Last week I was mentoring an RN who had just over twenty years of nursing experience. She had one of those backgrounds and skill sets that should have been the envy of the staff around her. She was considering a nursing career change and wanted to talk to me about legal nurse consulting. I asked what was holding her back from making a change and she told me flat out that it was fear. She was afraid to make a move that would affect her life, either for the positive or for the negative. I asked her how long she’d been considering a change and she told me three years – after a friend of hers had become a Certified Legal Nurse Consultant.

Her situation reminded me of a skydiving experience I had several years ago. In skydiving, you’re either out of the plane doing it or on the ground watching others free-fall. You’ll never experience the thrill unless you step out yourself.

For years I said I would never step out of an airplane unless it was with my two feet firmly planted on an air-conditioned jetway. I don’t care for cliff-hanging heights and I never really saw the point in skydiving.

Then one Saturday, I found myself stepping out of an open airplane door at 14,000 feet. The only other time I’d tasted air at that altitude was with my feet on the ground in the shadow of Mount Everest. Jumping out of an airplane was a much bigger step for me than hiking in the Himalayas. The experience brought back potent memories of my early fears in starting my legal nurse consulting business and reminded me of the success lessons I’d learned from facing those fears.

Success Lesson #1 – Face Your Fears and Commit to Step Out in Your CLNC^® Business.

Why did I choose to step out? When three fearless, thrill-seeking staffers from Vickie Milazzo Institute decided to try skydiving, I felt I had no choice but to confront my fear of heights head on. After all, wasn’t I always the one advocating the virtues of risk taking? The timing of this adventure seemed poor since someone on my staff had recently talked to a nurse whose skydiving accident left her a paraplegic. Nevertheless, I committed to this adventure; and most important, to step out.

Success Lesson #2 – Set Challenging Yet Achievable Goals as a Certified Legal Nurse Consultant.

I had one goal and one goal only, and that was to step out. No fancy aerobatics – I wasn’t even prepared to jump solo like the paralyzed nurse had. Yet to meet my goal of jumping tandem, I had to step out voluntarily. Being pushed out did not qualify.

Success Lesson #3 – Take Formal Classes to Prepare for Stepping Out.

Even to jump tandem I needed instruction. One of the prerequisites for stepping out was to watch a video and take part in a one-hour class. The video was guaranteed to scare off anyone who was easily intimidated. It contained no less than five warnings about serious injury or death. I also had to sign a 10-page waiver that mentioned serious injury or death at least 10 times.

The instructor wisely balanced the seriousness of what we were doing by discussing the fun we would have and joking throughout the class. As the stress and anxiety among us mounted, giggles escalated into loud laughter. It made no sense, but I was strangely comforted by the fact that I was not the only person who was nervous.

Success Lesson #4 – Give Yourself Permission to Be Less Than Perfect Whether You Are Launching or Growing Your Legal Nurse Consulting Business.

Beyond my one goal of stepping out, I wasn’t concerned about anything else. I gave myself permission to forget everything I learned in class, do everything wrong and scream all the way down if that brought me comfort. If necessary, I could rely on my tandem master for everything and still have a safe trip down.

Success Lesson #5 – Check the Credentials and Success Status of Anyone Who Advises You. To Feel Safe and Accelerate Your Learning Process, Learn from a Master.

Before stepping out, I interviewed my tandem master, Scott, to assess his skydiving credentials. My spirits lightened dramatically when I learned he had made 4,500 jumps and competed internationally. It felt especially auspicious when he added that his first skydiving experience was in the womb at 6 months gestation. He was clearly passionate about skydiving, and I instantly felt safe with him. If I was going to entrust my life to someone, surely Scott was a good choice.

Success Lesson #6 – Own Your Fears and Share Them with Mentors You Trust.

I owned up to my fear and was heartened further by my tandem master’s encouragement and lack of judgment about my fear.

Success Lesson #7 – Know That It’s Never Too Late to Live Your Dream.

Scott boosted my courage even more by sharing that one of his clients skydived for the first time on her 85th birthday, again on her 86th birthday and again on her 87th, at which time she declared she wasn’t sure she could wait another year to do it again.

Success Lesson #8 – Choose for Yourself. Don’t Let Anyone Else Talk You Out of Your Dreams. Discard All Discouraging Messages.

That encouraging message triumphed over an earlier discouraging message by one of my staffers who was not skydiving that day. She and several others had joined us in our adventure as spectators.

She voiced her own fear with, “I can’t believe you’re really going to do this.” When I playfully reminded her that I thought she was there to encourage me, not discourage me, she said, “I’m here to talk you out of it.” Knowing she was expressing her fear from a place of love and concern, I chose to discard her message, still appreciating that she cared.

Success Lesson #9 – Surround Yourself with Friends, Family and Peers Who Encourage You to Live Your Dream.

After class, we had to wait 4½ hours to step out. Soon, she too, along with the Vickie Milazzo Institute team who came to watch, cheer and offer support from the ground, joined in celebrating. We had fun together as we waited and I trusted sharing this ride with my Vickie Milazzo Institute team on the ground and in the air.

Success Lesson #10 – Enjoy the Ride Along the Way. It Will Last Longer Than the Event Itself.

The truth is, we spent a lot more time on the ground than we did in the air (less than 5 minutes). The 4½-hour wait seemed eerily both like an eternity and like a brief moment. I was glad we had our Vickie Milazzo Institute team to party with while waiting. It definitely took my mind off my fear of stepping out.

Success Lesson #11 – HAVE FUN!

Scott wanted only one thing from me. Right before I stepped out, he said, “If you forget everything, it’s okay. You don’t have to be perfect. I’ll be with you all the way. Your only goal today is to have fun.” I thought it was a good idea to add FUN to my simple goal of stepping out. So, now I was going to have fun stepping out.

Success Lesson #12 – Take All the Steps Necessary to Achieve Your Legal Nurse Consulting Goal.

Once they called our jump-load, everything happened quickly. I put on my jumpsuit, and Scott helped me get into the harness. This simple act confirmed that I was in the hands of a calm, confident expert (or at least I felt that way).

I stepped onto the plane, putting on my best fake-calm face at the sight of the door that was to remain open for most of the flight. Scott talked to me the whole time to help me relax. When it was almost time to step out, everything shifted into high gear. I put on my helmet and goggles. Scott hooked my harness to his, assuring me that with each of the four connections, we were securely attached.

Suddenly, the two jumpers before me were gone, and it was my turn to step out. Moving toward the open door, I remembered the instructor’s motto, “Once you get in the plane, ‘No, No, No’ means ‘Go, Go, Go.’” Knowing I was about to leave the safety of this crude plane seemed almost surreal. Now it was time to apply what I had learned.

Success Lesson #13 – Step Out! It’s Scary but Worth Every Second.

I couldn’t learn to fly merely by hanging out at the flight center, watching a video, taking a class, watching someone else do it or by reading a book. I had to JUST DO IT! And I did. I stepped out. I accomplished my simple, but extremely difficult goal. The 60-second free fall at 120 miles per hour was both scary and exhilarating – and probably the longest 60 seconds of my life.

Success Lesson #14 – Embrace the Challenges You’re Capable of Handling in Your CLNC^® Business Today and Expand Your Knowledge and Experience so You Can Tackle More Complex Challenges for Your CLNC^® Future.

My body position was less than perfect. At this fast and furious speed Scott helped me arch into a better, yet still less-than-perfect position.

Meanwhile, the videographer jumping with us had to cut away from his malfunctioning main parachute, which had put him into a life-threatening spin. He relied on his extensive experience and training to calmly cut the cord and release his reserve chute. He continued to the ground where he completed filming my jump – all without blinking an eye. From a safe distance I was able to appreciate the complexities of this sport, and I was glad I wasn’t yet called upon to confront such a challenge.

Success Lesson #15 – Experience Every Aspect of Your CLNC^® Goals Fully and Celebrate Each Stepping Out Along the Way.

When my 60-second free fall was over and my parachute opened, the pace of the experience quickly changed from a gallop to stillness and quiet. Houston is not known for its natural beauty, but the sinking sun never seemed more beautiful (even more beautiful than sipping sundowners on the Serengeti) than from my sky-high vantage point. The most exhilarating feeling of all was my feet hitting the familiar ground I had left only minutes before. I landed smoothly and easily, knowing I had done it. The champagne we all shared afterwards was the sweetest I’ve ever tasted.

To the RN who I mentored and all nurses and Certified Legal Nurse Consultants, I ask, “Do you have fears keeping you from stepping out to live your big dreams?” Launching and growing a legal nurse consulting business is a lot like skydiving, and the same success lessons apply. You have to step out if you want to fly high.

Step out to fly high today.

Success Is Inside!

Those of you who know me well know that my supposed antipathy to Apple^® computers is an act. I think they’re some of the best computers on the market and some of the easiest to use. In the old days of steam-driven hard drives, there wasn’t much interoperability between Mac OS^® and Windows^® operating systems. Well, as time has rolled on my CLNC^® amigos – things have changed.

Today with Microsoft^® Office: Mac, any Mac user can enjoy the fun of Microsoft Office without the pain of the Windows operating system. You can have your cake and eat it too! Or should I say have your Apple? So, I fully recommend Macs to those Certified Legal Nurse Consultants who want one for their business. You just need to be sure that any other software you may want to use is Mac-compatible before you invest your life-savings in an Apple computer.

Now to the real purpose of today’s blog. I’ve heard that some Apple computer users out there aren’t on AT&T and haven’t adopted the iPhone^® as their smartphone of choice. Some of you are still slaved to BlackBerry phones. If you’re one of those Certified Legal Nurse Consultant BlackBerry users who wants to sync their BlackBerry to their Apple computer, just visit the BlackBerry website and download the BlackBerry Desktop Software for Mac. This will give you the ability to sync your contacts, calendars, notes and tasks with certain Mac applications. Now you can stay with the mobile provider of your choice and keep your smartphone up-to-date.

There you have it – you can have an Apple and a BlackBerry at the same time and we can all get along!

Keep on techin’,

Tom

You have the strength of genius. You save lives every day. Is there anything more intelligent than that? Saving lives requires a special kind of genius. Move over, Einstein. Let a nurse handle it.

So, what’s the most ingenious thing you’ve done for your CLNC^® business? Here’s how to get to your next ingenious idea. Change one small action or behavior. Instead of watching TV after dinner, spend that time contemplating and visualizing how you will grow your legal nurse consulting business. I turned the TV off in college and never turned it back on. Turning off the TV cleared out the noise and clutter and freed me to think big about my future as an RN. Already in nursing school, I knew I wanted to one day own my own business at a time when nurses didn’t own businesses. Such a huge goal – owning my own legal nurse consulting business – could not have happened without that small change of turning off the TV.

Change one small thing and you change your entire future. That’s the essence of genius. Respect your genius – you’re an Einstein in your own world and you can be an Einstein in any world you choose.

Success Is Inside!

Here at the Institute we frequently mentor a new Certified Legal Nurse Consultant who is about to go on their first attorney interview. As an example, one CLNC^® consultant emailed us, “I have an appointment next Tuesday with one of the most prominent medical malpractice firms in the state. It’s with their lead attorney and he wants to speak with me about a case but he hasn’t actually given it to me yet. I have a few questions regarding this interview and I have to admit I am very nervous.”

I love mentoring Vickie Milazzo Institute’s graduates and students. In addition to encouraging them to apply the interview strategies they learned in the CLNC^® Certification Program, I offer them what I think is the most important advice – RELAX and throw out your script once you know it inside and out.

In 28 years of working my legal nurse consulting business, whether I’ve interviewed with attorneys or done TV, radio and print interviews, I’ve always gotten my best results when I’m most relaxed. I learned the hard way there is no room for tension in SUCCESS. I often relate one of my own formative experiences to new legal nurse consultants to help them avoid a BIG mistake I made.

Years ago I was scheduled for an exciting interview with Laura Sydell for National Public Radio’s (NPR) All Things Considered program. When I first learned about it, I was ecstatic! It was to be my first national radio show. I’d done only one local radio program and one local TV program and here I was in the big time! Soon I began to worry and then to prepare. I figured I’d only get one chance to be on NPR and I wanted to have every base covered. I thought out questions, typed out and revised my revised talking points, practiced and rehearsed until I thought I was ready.

Of all days for an interview, it was the rainiest day we’d had in months. A cold front dropped temps and rain across the city. I took Tom and Evie Baron-Hernandez, one of our Customer Service supervisors with me for support. After a wet, slow drive to University of Houston which houses our local NPR affiliate station KUHF, we sat outside the Melhem building – editing my speaking points yet again. Finally, the rain seemed to be getting heavier so we pulled out our umbrellas and readied for our dash from the parking lot. My new umbrella was covered in hearts of all colors. As I pulled it out and snapped it open I commented, “How can you have a bad day when you have a polka dot umbrella?” I didn’t get an answer but Evie told me later, “I was so nervous I couldn’t believe you were talking about your umbrella! And it wasn’t polka dots. It was hearts! Why weren’t you concentrating?” She didn’t realize I was venting my own nervousness and wasn’t at all relaxed. I was placing myself deeper and deeper into a state of tension.

We sat in the lobby, relentlessly practicing and editing my perfect script – my speaking points. (These were the same points we’d edited just 2 hours before at the office and then again in the car.) Little did I know Laura would see through them in a minute. I entered the sound-proof radio studio through a door that wouldn’t have looked out of place in an airlock on the space station. A large microphone was suspended in front of me looking like a spider on a web of anti-vibration cables. Even though I was very prepared, I was also tense, and more than slightly off my guard. I was told to sit in a chair by a technician who told me not to move my hands (I might thump the microphone), or get more than four inches from the microphone for sound quality purposes. I’m Italian. Asking me not to move around or gesture with my hands while I talk is like gagging me.

The disembodied voice of Laura Sydell suddenly came out of a speaker near the ceiling like the voice of the great Oz. Rather than talk about something safe or impersonal like the subjects I had prepared (legal nurse consulting and entrepreneurship), it turned out that she actually wanted to talk about me. I was acting like I’m a subject I know nothing about, so after a few routine questions, she suddenly asked me, “Are you reading notes? Do you have notes?” “Yes.” I answered, holding onto those notes like a life-preserver from the Titanic.

“Put them away and relax. We’re just two people talking.” Yeah, I thought, just talking over 1,500 miles of high-speed Internet cable in a dark room with an air-tight door. I put my notes away, but still within arm’s reach, tensing up even more. Despite knowing the information in my notes and about myself inside and out, I did just okay. I never hit it out of the park because I never relaxed into the interview. I let the disembodied voice coming over the big speaker in the dark room get in my head. I allowed myself to fall back on my legal nurse consulting deposition rules. Answer only the questions. Usually yes or no is good enough. Don’t elaborate. When I was asked if I had a family, I answered “yes.” I didn’t say “Yes, I have a wonderful, supportive husband and many best friends.” She even asked me if I had any trips or vacations planned and I answered “yes.” She asked me to where and I said “New Zealand and Fiji.” Not, “I’m taking a bicycle trip across New Zealand and then going to Fiji to scuba dive with hammerhead sharks” or anything exciting and fun. Just “New Zealand and Fiji.” I think I sounded like Eeyore from the Winnie the Pooh cartoons.

When it was over, I can still remember the lack of enthusiasm in Laura’s voice when I asked her when she thought the interview would air. To her credit she didn’t say “not during my lifetime” or “never” but hedged and told me she’d have to judge after it had been edited. How much editing of “yes” and “no” would be required I wondered. I walked out of the studio with nothing left but a wet drive home and all the thoughts I hadn’t said. In retrospect, I blew it. The interview was never aired that I’ve heard of and frankly I’m glad.

I thought back to all those radio programs where I’d listened to Laura have conversations that sounded like two best friends chatting over a cup of healthy green tea and I realized my interview sounded more like I was being questioned on CSI for first degree murder (murder of my own chances of getting on NPR).

At 4:00pm on the following Friday, I learned I had a 2:00pm interview on Monday with a reporter for the Texas Bar Journal. At 11:00am on Monday, I finally learned the questions the reporter would ask. Luckily, through the power of the Internet, I was able to not only look her up, but also learn she was reporting on attorney-entrepreneurs. I could see a list of her latest stories and get a feeling for her voice and style. I still wasn’t sure what she wanted from me, but I knew a lot about her. It narrowed down where she was likely to go – more about me than the nursing shortage, healthcare or the malpractice crisis.

I picked myself up and prepared for another interview. I knew I had to do better and to let go of the previous day’s disappointment. And sure enough, by letting go of that disappointment, I had a tremendous interview. I was totally relaxed, in the zone. I was animated and waxed eloquent throughout. I used my wireless telephone headset and could move around the room with the bullet points that I wanted to cover and be Italian and wave my hands to my heart’s content.

It was the kind of interview you dream of; it went so well. The reporter kept saying, “Oh, this is good.” “Oh, this is interesting.” The only thing that had changed from the NPR interview was that I was completely relaxed. I was the same person with the same knowledge and experience, just more of “me” than I was the day before. That’s why I hit it out of the park.

Later, I got a second chance to do it right for NPR when they asked me to write an essay for This I Believe, another feature of NPR’s national news program All Things Considered. This time I nailed it so perfectly because I did for that essay what I’ve been telling Certified Legal Nurse Consultants to do with attorneys for years – relax. By then I had a number of national radio and TV interviews behind me and had seen behind the wizard’s throne. Dark studios and spider-like microphones no longer intimidated me.

I walked into that same radio studio with a different attitude. I stepped through the airlock and embraced that hanging microphone. After speaking with their recording engineer I stood in front of the mic and gave a terrific reading. You can still hear it to this day if you want. I was relaxed, I talked about my childhood and how those experiences shaped my attitude towards life. I hit it out of the park because this time, I was relaxed (no there were no drinks involved although Tom and Evie came along and offered to stop on the way to loosen me up). I didn’t need it, I was ready.

My advice for every CLNC^® consultant about to interview with or just meet an attorney or someone who knows an attorney is to just relax and be yourself. I know it’s easier said than done (like having a photographer tell you to smile for the 477th time).

Most of all, remember that it’s just a conversation between two people – your life won’t depend upon the outcome. The more relaxed you are, the more relaxed the attorney will be and the more successful the interview.

The CLNC^® consultant I mentioned above emailed the Institute after the interview to share that she walked out with a case and a retainer from one of the most prestigious law firms in her state with 12 attorneys who handle medical malpractice cases. Her fabulous reward for going in relaxed.

Relax into your next interview to guarantee you walk out the door with a new attorney-client and a new case.

Success Is Inside!

My heartfelt gratitude and appreciation to all the Certified Legal Nurse Consultants who attended our successful 2010 NACLNC^® Conference in Nashville. Our sell-out gathering was a spectacular event, and I hope you all had as much fun as I did. It was great to see and talk with all of you again.

I’m sure you’ve already started to “Take the Stage” for more legendary success in your CLNC^® business. Here are just a few tips to get you started as you execute the new unconventional strategies that only CLNC^® legends know.

1. Based on what you learned at the 2010 NACLNC^® Conference, decide on one new CLNC^® service you will provide to every attorney-client. Offer to provide that new CLNC^® service the first time for a discounted rate to get them hooked.
2. Reconnect with your attorney-clients by sending a note to let them know you’ve attended the NACLNC^® Conference for additional education and to renew your CLNC^® Certification. Remind them that this is your way to better serve them and their clients.
3. Send a news release to your community newspaper announcing your completion of this advanced Certified Legal Nurse Consultant training and renewal of your CLNC^® Certification.
4. Commit now to review your 2010 NACLNC^® Conference textbook and all the meaningful notes you took. Listen to the audio recordings of the conference once a week, once a month and once a year after the conference. Repetition helps you integrate and implement the principles and strategies successfully. With each review, you will hear the information in a new way because you’ll be more experienced. Each time you listen, you’ll generate even better ideas. After each review, create three new action steps to propel your CLNC^® business to the next level.
5. Continue your success: mark your calendar and sign up now for the 2011 NACLNC^® Conference where you’ll Pirate Your Way to CLNC^® Success as a CLNC^® Consultant of the Caribbean.

Success Is Inside!

I know more and more Certified Legal Nurse Consultants are joining Twitter and the ranks of the tweeters. I also know from looking at the Twitter homepages of some of the people following Vickie that many of you don’t customize your Twitter homepage (not even using a stock Twitter background). Some of you don’t have a photo or any personal information in your profile!

How in the world will anyone know you’re a Certified Legal Nurse Consultant if you don’t have any profile information? How do you expect to gain followers or credibility if people don’t have a clue who they’re following?

For those Certified Legal Nurse Consultants who want to make a splash on Twitter, log into your Twitter account, select Settings and select Profile. Then upload your photo, put in your website’s URL and, in the bio field, add a short paragraph about yourself and your legal nurse consulting business.

Next, open another tab in your web browser and navigate to TweetyGotBack.com. This website gives you all sorts of custom backgrounds ready for your use. Browse around and find one that fits you. (One tip, you don’t want too dark a background on the right side of the screen or it will hide that profile you just set up!) Once you’ve selected your new background, follow the easy TweetyGotBack.com steps and your new background will be in place!

Your new background will be much better than the over-tiled backgrounds you often see when someone uploads a background photo that’s not properly sized. If you have the skills and can create your own background, go for it! Take a look at Vickie’s Twitter page to see an example of what’s possible. Remember, backgrounds will display differently at different screen resolutions so be careful. For many CLNC^® consultants, a professional looking standard background (along with a full profile) will do. While you’re looking at Vickie’s Twitter page – follow Vickie_Milazzo to stay up on the most current legal nurse consulting business information!

Get your Twitter page looking good and working hard!

Keep on techin’,

Tom

Tom and I saw the movie Invictus weeks ago and I’m still moved by the final words of the poem that the character, Nelson Mandela (played by Morgan Freeman), said kept him going. The poem, Invictus by William Ernest Henley, consists of just sixteen lines – but it’s the last two which captivate me most.

In closing the poem, Henley states in just 14 powerful words:

I am the master of my fate:
I am the captain of my soul.

When things are spinning around me here at the Institute, seminar scheduling, new product development, different departments working on software upgrades, process development, marketing, managing the staff and all the other issues involved in running my legal nurse consulting education company, and I’m just about ready to pull out my hair and shout “ENOUGH ALREADY!” I think of those 14 words –

I am the master of my fate:
I am the captain of my soul,

and I step back into a state of calm. I’m sure that in your own legal nurse consulting businesses and in your busy lives, you must also feel, at times, that things are spinning just a little faster than you like. Mario Andretti famously said “If things seem under control, you just aren’t going fast enough.” Like Mario I like to go really fast. But I also like being reminded that no matter how fast things are moving, we are the masters of our fate and the captains of our souls.

Life is meant to be lived to its fullest and sometimes that means spinning out of control. Life is also meant to be good even when we are spinning out of control. It’s in those times that these words mean the most to me. Together, lets be captains.

Success Is Inside!