Certified Legal Nurse Consultants, let me paint you a picture of pure bliss. Two weeks in the Piedmonte and Lake Districts of Italy, starting the trip in Milano for a little shopping to get over the jet lag. Good food, great wine, better company (Vickie of course) and no email, iPhone or contact with the outside cyber-world.

Having said that, let me make a confession. Vickie disconnects easier than I do. When we leave the country she leaves it behind. The office can contact her if it’s on fire but otherwise it needs to be of very high importance before they call. Vickie won’t check email because she figures it’ll ruin the vacation. We’ve been around people who walk, head down, through the Sistine Chapel responding to email and don’t get to enjoy the beauty above them.

We don’t go naked though when we leave the country. We have a “dumb” smart phone that we take with us. It’s a pretty good phone, but it isn’t connected to a data plan, it doesn’t play music and it won’t surf the web (I think it might accept text messages but I haven’t tried it) – it’s phone calls only. I will download my calendar so I know what city I’m supposed to be in (if this is Tuesday, this must be Cisterna d’Asti) and my contacts in case I need to call someone back home. Once I do that, we’re off. People can call us, if they know the number, but we won’t be checking email until we return home.

As a wise man once said, “therein lies the rub.” I’ve finally joined the culture of distraction and I had to travel all the way to Italy to realize it. I was standing with the other lost spouses outside of one of Milano’s many fitting rooms when I noticed that I was the only one without a device in my hand. (CAVEAT: an Italian man without a cell phone is an outcast. I’ve never seen an Italian man without at least one cell phone – the average is two on the table at lunch and the most I’ve seen was five.)

So there I was, people looking at me like I was lurking around, up to no good – an obvious vagrant or ne’er-do-well. Noticing that I was left out of the fun, and to salvage my techie reputation, I reached for my phone only to realize that I was reaching for just a phone – not a pocketful of fun. I pulled it out anyway (the phone) and pretended to look up something important (like my flight home).

As the day progressed, I became aware that whenever I had a moment free, my hand would unconsciously drift towards the (useless) phone, a holdover of behavior from home where checking email, text messages and the weather is a national obsession – but not one I realized I shared, until that day.

You’ve heard the saying, “wherever you go, there you are.” There I was, addicted to what I’ve warned others about – distraction and the phantom rattle. For the rest of our days in Milano, I struggled with my problem and bravely mastered it before we left for Piedmonte. I didn’t reach for the phone again until we came home.

Back in the States, though, my behavior altered back again, probably due to my environment. The other night at dinner with Vickie, her twin brother Vince and two of the CLNC^® Mentors, Vince commented how much fun it was to be at a dinner table with four people who were all on their phones at once. He made a good point. We put our phones down and picked up the wine instead.

Devices are wonderful – for staying connected to your legal nurse consulting business while you’re on the road, in the car or at the grocery. Plus there’s following football scores while attending the ballet or just sitting around with good friends at dinner and Facebooking about it in real time. Vickie jokes with me that checking your email under the dinner table is like picking your nose in public (What, me?). None of my CLNC^® amigos would ever want to be seen doing that.

I strongly recommend that all Certified Legal Nurse Consultants have a smart phone for their legal nurse consulting business. Just remember, that there’s a time and place for everything and not everywhere is the place and now isn’t always the time.

Keep on techin’,
Tom

Unlike most legal nurse consultants, I’m on the road about 20 weeks a year and that means that I’m on a minimum of 40 flights a year – and it’s usually a lot more counting short hops, vacations, family visits and our CLNC^® 6-Day Certification Seminars across the country. Yes, I do have Gold frequent flyer status on Continental, but all that guarantees me is early boarding and sitting near the front of the plane behind the Platinum and Million-Mile members. I’m close enough to see them up in first class sipping champagne, eating lobster thermidor and generally cavorting about in a carefree manner, at least until the flight attendant pulls the velvet curtain that separates “us” from “them.” I don’t get upgraded to first class as often as I’d like to.

Lately Continental has been stingier with their upgrades and as I write this, I’m sitting in 9C. On this 757-300 (it’s scary that I can tell the aircraft type by the restroom configuration), this means an aisle seat in coach for me. Tom’s in 9A, a window seat, hunkered-down in his favorite don’t-bother-me-please position. Thanks to fewer, more crowded flights, Continental has sentenced us to 3½ hours of false imprisonment (look it up – the only exit is by parachute). Tom’s laptop barely fits on his lap so he’s claiming it’s impossible to type (I think he just wants to read my copy of Outlander). To drown him and everything else out I’ve put on my Bose headset and cranked up “Novacaine” by Green Day on my iPod (thank you Steve Jobs) and, in the words of the song, “For now I won’t feel a thing.”

Of course this will end. Soon they’ll close the cabin door and if I’m lucky, the person who ends up in the middle seat won’t hack up a lung or kidney or won’t be a professional wrestler, like on our last flight (Tom swapped him for the window seat to sit next to me but then Tom was scared to ask the guy to take his huge bald head off his shoulder when he fell asleep). For now I had to listen to the woman in the row in front of me with the cell-phone voice tell her friend about her frightening medical condition (and they worry about nurses and HIPAA) or I can rock out with my iPod and people-watch during the boarding process.

It’s sort of fascinating in the way that it’s fascinating to watch a train wreck. People getting on have all different looks. There are the business people in suits who furtively glance toward first class to see if it’s really full. They next get that look of despair (that I share) after realizing they’re really in the back and that their Double-Platinum Premium card won’t be any help at all. Then come couples of all ages, usually going on vacation. They look happy, in love and it brightens my heart to see them. Like Tom and me, they get to share the experience and tell each other “that which doesn’t kill us makes us stronger.” I see the singles who avoid the checked-bag fee by rolling bags the size of a small car onto the aircraft, bouncing them down the aisle and then wrenching their back and shoulders trying to unsuccessfully stuff them into the already full overhead compartment.

Soon families start boarding – they often end up sitting near the back for some reason. You can hear the small children asking, “Is this our seat? Is this our seat? Is this our seat?” until they get all the way back to 96F (by the restroom). Personally, I like to see the children who, unlike the parents, are thrilled and looking forward to the experience of flying (they’ll learn). They still have joy associated with new adventures and will get to experience their parents undivided attention (at least until the in-flight movie begins).

As I watched the parade, Tom was so wrapped up in typing a fresh, new Tech Tip that no less than two surly flight attendants came by to tell him, in no uncertain terms, that he was threatening the safety of not only all the other passengers, but possibly the destiny of the free world. This was because he still had his headset, Blackberry^® and laptop on and, if he didn’t want to say hello to the business end of the air marshal’s Sig-Sauer pistol, it was time to shut things down. As luck would have it, at that exact moment, my own cell phone rang with a call from the one person I really needed to talk to so I answered it. This put me, but not Tom, on the watch list for the next three hours. As a consequence, not only did I not get my four ounces of TSA-approved fluids but I did get special “inattention.” In other words, the flight crew overtly watched me, but assiduously avoided making eye contact in case I needed something.

I can deal with that. I’m a nurse, I’m self-sufficient. I travel with teapot, table and tent. I’ve got water, snacks, my own sanitized pillow and freshly-washed blanket. (Okay, just kidding on the last two, but it’s actually not a bad idea!) But what I really want is – quiet. Once we’re in the air, I have about three hours to work on whatever I want – blogs, my NACLNC^® Conference speech (overdue) or creating a new product for Certified Legal Nurse Consultants. At least until the person in front of me reclines their seat back onto my lap forcing me to do Sudoku (Just joking, what is Sudoku anyway?) until we land in foggy San Francisco.

That’s the point behind this blog. If you have to work on a plane, be sure you have the right equipment. Bose noise-reducing headphones and fresh batteries are a must. Check. My fully-charged iPod loaded with all my favorite music, a trash book and plenty of magazines. Check. Laptop computer and spare battery. Check – sort of.

Tom the techie loves his super powerful laptop with its 17” screen (he could probably fly the plane with it). But I love my small netbook with its 10” screen. When it comes to laptops, size doesn’t matter (laptops I said). I took Tom’s advice and purchased a netbook for functionality, not form. It’s not as powerful as Tom’s, but to his chagrin, I can work on it just about everywhere and it will even fit in one of my larger purses. It’s got a built-in Verizon wireless card so I can connect to the office from anywhere. I’m sure he’s jealous (especially right now) but would never admit it to me.

In my Houston office, I’ve got a regular desktop computer but at home, my laptop fits into a docking station and sits there ready to go wherever I want to go. Tom recommends laptops for Certified Legal Nurse Consultants on the go and I agree. Just be sure that you buy one that fits what you do. If your legal nurse consulting business is fairly stationary, a cost-effective desktop might be right for you.

If you think you’ll want the convenience of working from different locations, you’ll want a laptop. Just buy one that fits your business needs and your personal needs. Buy smart and you’ll only have to buy once. Be sure to check out Tom’s technical recommendations in the NACLNC^® Community first.

When we were shopping for my laptop, Tom showed me lots of them. What seemed to separate them the most were the different screen sizes. We knew I’d plug it into a dock with external monitors at home, so screen size didn’t matter. What I really wanted was something portable that wasn’t too heavy to carry around. That’s why I ended up with a powerful netbook (Tom says that’s an oxymoron but he’s just jealous.). It’s not the fastest, envy-inspiring laptop in the world, but, while Tom’s having to hold his up to his chest like a large accordion and type sideways, I’ve got mine on the tray table and I’m working away. The keyboard fits my fingers, the battery lasts a long time, it doesn’t weigh much and I’ve loaded it with photos of my great niece Reese.

In the meantime, once I’m done with this blog, I’m going to retrieve a bottle of water and have a healthy snack out of my carry-on bag to refresh my energy level before I start the next project. I work better when I’ve refueled and it helps me cope with all the cry-babies on the flight – especially the adults with laptops that are too big. Hey, I’ve got the tools I need to be successful and hopefully now so do you.

Success Is Inside!

Some people, I’m convinced, have a gene for exploration and discovery. What else could explain why one person spends his life striving to stand on the peak of Mt. Everest while another is happy to sit in a hammock or lounge chair in their backyard?

When I was a young girl, my family couldn’t afford to travel but that didn’t stop me from becoming a world traveler in any possible way I could. I travelled through the eyes of beautiful glossy brochures to many countries. I wrote to every consulate of practically every country I could think of for information. I’d open our mailbox and that’s when the adventure would begin. Through the most amazing photos in those glossy publications I walked the Great Wall of China, trekked the Himalayas and tracked lions, wildebeest and elephants on the Serengeti.

Since then I’ve been blessed to travel the world and visit the Serengeti as well as many, but not yet all, of the other places that were once simple childhood fantasies. My real traveling didn’t start until I started working in the hospital as an RN. A colleague and I often chose our nursing continuing education based on location rather than the educational offerings. Critical care nursing principles suddenly became much more compelling in places like Hawaii, Puerto Rico and London than they ever would have been in Houston. We’d scrimp and save our pennies to make those trips. Later my legal nurse consulting education business took me to 49 states, enjoying the endless bounty and diversity the United States offers along the way. Tom went to most of those states with me, which made the experience all the better. Today our personal adventures have taken us to both polar regions as well as places like Cambodia, Morocco, Patagonia, Bhutan and Tanzania.

Throughout my travels, I’ve visited countries where people enjoy freedom and, sadly, countries where freedom is denied. I’ve visited Communist countries where the “state” discourages regular people from talking to foreigners, countries where children are conscripted against their will into the military and countries where armed rebels roam free. I’ve been to so-called democracies where the governing party enforces its rule through killings, violence and other strong-arm tactics. Some of my favorite trips have been to countries where even the poorest farmers were some of the happiest people I’ve met, simply happy for their mud hut, cattle and the open spaces around them and a life without boundaries (or too many belongings).

Whenever I travel, no matter where I go, what I see or how much fun I have, I am extremely grateful and proud to be a citizen of my beloved United States of America. I’m proud to have the freedom that we so often take for granted and I’m especially glad to hear the U.S. Customs official tell me “welcome home” because I know I am back in the land of the free, and not just the land of big salads and iced tea.

Let’s face it though, freedom for most of us goes way beyond our ability to live where we choose, work a job we select, be able to vote and trust the government not to unjustly imprison or prosecute us. With that in mind, I invite you to join me in celebrating the freedom we all enjoy as Americans and especially as Certified Legal Nurse Consultants.

I’ll get the list started and invite all of you to go ahead and add to it.

Freedom to:

• Say “no” – I was fired once for justifiably saying no. That was one of the best days of my life because it was on that day that I vowed no boss would ever get that chance again. Now I’m the boss and I’m the only one that can fire me.
• Change directions – I’m a Pisces so I thrive on change. I like to navigate all types of waters which I’ve been challenged to do owning my own business. When I do, it’s often my choice and my responsibility – that makes the change so much sweeter.
• Express opinions without fear of recrimination – I was always the nurse at the hospital getting in trouble for saying what every other nurse was thinking (and wouldn’t say at a staff meeting even though they all promised to stand up too). One of my favorite staffers at Vickie Milazzo Institute is just like I was. I call her the “other voice” and value her courage to tell me what I might not want to hear (and sometimes I don’t want to hear it – but I still listen).

Now, it’s your turn to share your stories regarding the CLNC^® freedoms below:

• Live a life of unlimited possibilities –
• Be creative –
• Enjoy confidence and self-respect –
• Define your own happiness –
• Explore passions –
• Spend time with family, or not –
• Dare to believe and achieve –

Success Is Inside!

I’m not a Mac^® user. I do think they’re wonderful computers but like anyone who likes a challenge, I live in a Microsoft^® Windows^® world. I’ve always wondered how Mac users who travel get along in a predominately Windows world? After all, most hotel business centers usually have low-end, Windows-based desktop computers (to keep costs down). What happens to Mac users? Do they have to be bilingual and speak two computing languages? Or, is this Windows predominance what forces them to carry an Apple^® laptop with them every time they leave home (like one of our CLNC^® Mentors who carries her slick Mac with her on every road trip we make)?

The Hyatt Regency Hotel in Deerfield, Illinois, the site of our May 2010 and 2011 CLNC^® 6-Day Certification Seminars, finally got things right for those who are computer-impaired. Instead of requiring you to haul your Mac along, they put higher-end, dual-boot Macs in the business center allowing them to cater to almost every computer user (except for the Linux geeks). They’ve given their guests the best of both computing worlds.

This is a terrific idea that should be the business model for the future (or until Microsoft finally buys and dismantles Apple). I’ve always said “Can’t we just all get along?” Finally somebody took me up on it, at least in the computing world. The world would be a better place (and require less rebooting) if only more business centers were this progressive.

Keep on techin’,

Tom

Here at Vickie Milazzo Institute we are counting the days until the 2010 National Alliance of Certified Legal Nurse Consultants (NACLNC^®) Conference in Nashville! I am so excited about the hotel (Gaylord Opryland Hotel) this year. Staying at the Gaylord is like being in your own city – 40-acres of fun galore, so you will not even have to leave the hotel. But in case you do, here are 20 legendary ways to experience Nashville.

1. Take a ride down the Honky Tonk Highway if you like country music and longnecks (and if you’ve never had a longneck, you should try one). Clubs like Tootsie’s Orchid Lounge (Patsy Cline, Willie Nelson and Kris Kristofferson all sang here), Legends Corner and Second Fiddle still host drop-in celebrity musicians and are great places to heat up a Spring evening.
2. Have a grand time at the Grand Ole Opry. There’s more to Opryland than just Hee-Haw. For more than 80 years, live radio shows have been broadcast every Friday and Saturday night from this grand home of country music. If you’re in town early for the Conference or choose to stay afterwards, this is a must-do. By the way – this isn’t the original home of the Opry – but more on that later!
3. Visit the “Home of 1,000 Hits.” Ever heard a song by Elvis, Roy Orbison or Dolly Parton? If so, there’s a good chance it was recorded at RCA Studio B on Music Row. Take some time to make a pilgrimage to a truly historic location.
4. Pay homage to the “Man in Black.” Stop by Johnny Cash’s grave and pay tribute to one of the greatest country music personalities and singers ever. Before you go, rent the movie Walk the Line and get a feel for the life and times of the legendary “Man in Black.” When you create your own CLNC^® legacy you’ll know what detours to avoid. His grave is really in Henderson but shoot, you’re this close already so why not go by?
5. Count the Elvis statues in downtown Nashville. I’m sure I didn’t see them all.
6. Do something truly off-beat and take a “Nash-Trash Tour” lead by the famous (or infamous) “Jugg Sisters.” You’ll take a large pink bus to where some of the most famous country singers have performed (including the Nashville jail), hear celebrity gossip, fun stories and generally laugh your way through the city.
7. Realize that you do know Jack – Daniels that is. Just 20 minutes outside Nashville is the Jack Daniel’s Distillery. It’s an extremely interesting, free tour and the grounds are just beautiful. But don’t expect any free samples because for some odd reason they built the distillery in a dry town (Lynchburg).
8. Stick around after Conference for St. Patrick’s Day and celebrate the 17th with a green beer after a trip to St. Patrick’s Catholic Church in east Nashville. The church dates from the late 1800s and is one of two “second empire”-style buildings in Nashville. If you don’t like old architecture – skip the church and go straight for a Guiness^® at Findley’s Irish Pub in the Opryland Hotel or any of the Irish pubs in Nashville.
9. Speaking of church, make time to visit Ryman Auditorium, also known as “The Mother Church of Country Music.” Built in 1881, this is the original home of the Grand Old Opry (1943-1974) and is filled with more memories than your great-grandmom’s attic. Check out the bronze statue of Minnie Pearl and look for the price tag on her hat.
10. Make some new friends. Nashville residents love visitors and are some of the most welcoming people I’ve ever met. Just remember when you order ice tea that swait tea means sweet tea and I do mean sweet, honey.
11. Take a drive to visit the Belle Meade Plantation. Dating from 1853, this is a Greek revival (What is it with Nashville and Greece?) mansion that was part of a 5,400-acre thoroughbred farm. The so-called “Queen of Tennessee Plantations” is a wonderful visit and the tour includes the Dunham’s station log cabin, plantation mansion itself, slave quarters, dairy and horse stables. The outside of the house still shows evidence of bullet holes from the Civil War.
12. Go celebrity spotting at the Loveless Cafe. This is sort of a pilgrimage because there’s a fairly good chance you might even see Elvis chowing down on their world famous biscuits and southern fried chicken. Leave your cholesterol outside, this is food to die for (or from). Buy yourself one of their “Praise the Lard and pass the biscuits” T-shirts. I promise you’ll have fun – clot my heart and hope to die.
13. Take a trip back in time and I mean waaaaay back. The centerpiece of Centennial Park is a recreation of the Greek Parthenon. Originally built for the 1897 Centennial Exposition, its features direct castings from the real Parthenon. There’s no Greek food but there is a great art collection (it’s Nashville’s art museum) and a 42-ft. tall statue of Athena, Greek goddess of wisdom. If you’re traveling with a culture snob, drop them here and then go have some honky tonk fun.
14. Eat at a Waffle House. It’s a Southern thang. They serve more than waffles but that’s the sole reason to go there. Elbow your way to the counter and sit between the sheriff and the deputys (Isn’t that Boss Hogg?). Don’t worry about your cholesterol and make sure you add a big scoop of whupped butter before you cover your waffles in syrup. If you don’t come home sticky, you didn’t fully immerse yourself in the experience.
15. Send your husband off for the day to see the statue of Sgt. Alvin York outside of the Tennessee State Capitol building. The World War I hero, Congressional Medal of Honor winner and Quaker hailed from Tennessee and may be its most famous resident. He lead an attack knocking out 32 machine guns, killing 28 German soldiers and capturing 132 more. As a side note, Gary Cooper won an Academy Award for Best Actor for his portrayal of Alvin York. See if your hubby can spot the statue’s anomaly.
16. Scream, yell and pound on the glass at a Nashville Predators ice hockey game. If you’ve never been to see ice hockey, it’s a whole lot of fun. My favorite seats are in the first row just to the right of either goal. The pucks come at you at over 100 mph and you can even count the teeth on the center when he gets slammed up against the glass! The original Broad Street Bullies, the Philadelphia Flyers are in Nashville on Tuesday the 16th and it’s sure to be a good game.
17. Visit the Country Music Hall of Fame. Walk through the history of country music. See some of the really cool memorabilia and marvel at all the things you’re sure to have never seen before (especially Elvis’ gold Cadillac). You can even burn your own CDs from the music choices and just have a whole lotta fun.
18. Set yourself on fire and see just how hot it can get in March, with fried chicken that is. Venture down to Prince’s Hot Chicken Shack at 123 Ewing Drive and try the mild, medium, hot or extra hot versions of their fried chicken. This is not for the faint of heart but if you like it spicy, this is THE place to go.
19. Join the line-dance at the Wildhorse Saloon. If you ever watched “The Wildhorse Saloon Dance Show” on the Nashville Network here’s your chance to do the Watermelon Crawl and pretend you’re on TV. Kick up your CLNC^® boots with some good country music and free dance lessons starting at 5:00pm most nights.
20. Take a walk around the Gaylord Opryland Hotel. You could spend a full day wandering around and still not see everything. Best of all, it’s all indoors. You can even cool your feet off in one of the many waterfalls (just don’t let me see you). There’s so much to do here you’ll have to set a reminder so that you don’t miss any one of our exciting NACLNC^® sessions!

As you set the stage for your Nashville excursions, remember to come prepared to keep up with the tempo for the 2010 NACLNC^® Conference.

• Come relaxed and ready to discover new ideas. The NACLNC^® Conference is much more fun when you’re rested, and you’ll learn so much more if you leave your stress behind.

• Pack energy bars, raw nuts and other healthy snacks to maintain your energy. That Jack Daniels buzz will wear off quickly.

• Bring plenty of business cards to exchange with the many new CLNC^® friends you’ll meet.

• Go online and print the NACLNC^® Conference textbook sessions you plan on attending after you receive the link in my March 10 email.

Have a great trip and be sure to read my blog on March 11, 2010 when I share how to Master Your Strategies for the 2010 NACLNC^® Conference.

Success Is Inside!

This past Sunday Tom and I visited the Houston Museum of Fine Arts and their special exhibition on Arts of Ancient Vietnam. We’d already seen many of these rare treasures in the National Museum of Vietnamese History in Hanoi and the Museum of Cham Culture in Da Nang. The museum was filled with holiday spirit.

I love the holiday season and call me strange, but it’s not just the decorations and everybody’s good moods, I even like holiday traveling. I think what I like is the organized chaos of holiday travel. You find disparate groups of people all moving in their own holiday migrations across a state, across the country and sometimes, just across the airport. The lines at the airline check-in counters are fairly well organized, but once you pass the TSA security lines, the real chaos ensues. Some travelers are organized and move with intention, some are not and move like it’s their first time in an airport. I like to think of Tom and myself as travel pros, creating our own choreography as we move through the crowds of travelers.

Seeing the Vietnamese exhibit brought me back to an experience I had while stuck on a curb in Saigon (I know it’s Ho Chi Minh City but nobody calls it that). My objective, a restaurant where my husband and my lunch awaited me, stood on the opposite side of the street. I could see the food, smell it and, if you know me, you know I had built up quite an appetite.

Stranded in the Chaos

The only barrier between me and my lunch was crossing the street. Now, this sounds like a simple task, but at noon in Saigon, my objective might as well have been the far side of the moon. The road was crammed with motor scooters (called “motos”), bicycles, motorcycles, cyclos (pedaled rickshaws), cars, trucks and buses. The fewer wheels a contraption had, the more passengers it seemed to carry. I saw a family of 5 riding a Honda scooter – sans helmets, of course.

Even the center lines contributed to the confusion. In Saigon, rather than dividing the traffic into two lanes, each moving in opposite directions, the yellow markers apparently serve only to indicate that you are on a paved road. I watched as people passed, stopped, turned around and crisscrossed the center lines with utter abandon.

Traffic flowed both ways in the same lane, more traffic merged from the side streets, and people pushed their motos off the curbs into the flow at odd angles. At any given moment traffic bore down on me from as many as 6-8 directions, front, back, sides and all angles – everywhere, it seemed, except from above. To me it was a scene of incredible chaos.

The traffic lights compounded my problem. In Saigon they serve only an advisory purpose. Even when the light turned red, traffic continued to flow, as drivers blatantly ignored the red light! The lanes of traffic impatiently waiting at the green light would edge forward into the traffic that was ignoring the red light. At some point traffic trying to move with the green light would build up enough momentum (and vehicles) to stop the traffic running the red light. Traffic would then flow correctly until the light changed, and the whole process started again.

Dancing Through the Chaos

Under this onslaught, the flashing green “walk” sign over the crosswalk taunted me from the far side of the street. I was ready to look for something to eat on my side of the street when an older Vietnamese gentleman took my arm.

In English he kindly said, “Crossing the street is not a problem, but a dance.” With that, we stepped off the curb and entered the maelstrom together.

My heart pounded as we walked slowly across the street. Instead of greeting us with blaring horns, irate shouts and screeching brakes, the drivers saw us and adjusted to us. As long as we made no sudden movements (like diving for the curb or running screaming from the street), we were fine. I felt like we were swimming through a school of fish. The tempest flowed smoothly around us and before I knew it we had reached the other side.

I thanked my benefactor and went on to lunch. Later that day I taught the same technique to my husband and friends – at one point crossing a busy boulevard with an entourage of eight people strung out like a Broadway chorus line.

Later I thought about how the traffic in Saigon is a metaphor for your legal nurse consulting business. There is a sort of graceful chaos, everyone going in their own direction, some traveling with traffic, some across it and some against it. Buses and trucks barrel through the streets, stopping for no one. Certainly collisions and accidents happen, but for the most part the system works. People reach their destinations and life goes on. And the best way to survive is not to struggle against the flow, but to approach it like a dance.

Invitation to the Dance

Do you dance through your life, your CLNC^® business and the surrounding chaos? Or do you struggle against it, exhausting yourself, causing collisions with others and keeping yourself from reaching your chosen destination?

On any given day, each of us must adapt to life and pass through it gracefully. Occasionally things are going well, then out of the blue a big truck bears down on us, forcing us to stop or change directions. How we deal with such routine chaos as Certified Legal Nurse Consultants determines whether we prosper or fail.

In your CLNC^® business, you have attorney-clients, subcontractors, vendors, obstacles and challenges that appear in the road in front of you. You have many choices. Tell me – do you collide with them head on, turn down a side street, take a detour, avoid them altogether or simply flow with them? How well you adjust your dance to this chaos controls your future success as a Certified Legal Nurse Consultant.

You can adjust to the chaos and dance through it gracefully, or you can allow it to stop you or force you into costly detours. The choice is yours.

In Saigon, I chose to cross the street with my new-found guide and enjoyed the reward of a wonderful lunch. Then I plunged back into the chaos, feeling a lot more comfortable with it all. Every day in my business I face the traffic, dance with it to the best of my ability and hope to enjoy continued success. You can do the same for your CLNC^® business if you cultivate the grace to flow with chaos.

Success Is Inside!

I just got back from four wonderfully luxurious days sitting on a beach in Mexico with nothing more on my mind than my stack of novels. You’d think that for a woman who grew up in New Orleans, in a home that didn’t have air conditioning, I’d only like warm weather places like beaches or jungles. Surprisingly it’s exactly the opposite! Many of my favorite travels have taken me to colder climates.

I’ve been snow-shoeing in the high Rockies, explored Iceland, the Antarctic, the Arctic (600 miles from the North Pole), trekked the Everest and Annapurna sides of Nepal and stood among prayer flags on a 13,000-foot high mountain pass looking across Bhutan’s Haa Valley and the Himalayas into Tibet. Standing in rushing water up to my waist while fly-fishing in a Canadian river in a cold drenching rain, I remarked to

Vickie at Chelela Pass in Bhutan

If you plan to go somewhere or start something big, whether it’s a vacation or a legal nurse consulting business, you need to be sure that you’ve completed all the necessary preparations. You need to dress yourself and your CLNC^® business appropriately if you want to enjoy success. Just like you can dress badly for an outdoor event, you can also dress your legal nurse consulting business badly with poorly designed marketing materials, an unprofessional-looking website and unclear communications with attorney-prospects.

As a Certified Legal Nurse Consultant, you need to always dress yourself and your business for success. Today, as you begin your day, I’d like to know what clothing you’re planning to wear for your legal nurse consulting business.

Success Is Inside (but the fun’s outside!)

I love to travel to remote places. I’ve been deep inside the Arctic Circle, the Antarctic, the high Himalayas and the plains of the Serengeti. The farther I am from home the clearer my mind becomes. All of my energies (physical, emotional, spiritual, mental) realign and I’m renewed again. But only if I’m careful to leave my American comforts at home.

One year I was packing for a trip to Morocco and I noticed that even though I had invested a lot of time and money in the adventure of exploring an exotic new destination, I was trying to bring my American comforts with me. Tom says that I travel like those old British explorers with teapot, table and tent. He lovingly told me I didn’t need my hair dryer unless I was planning on blowdrying a camel.

It got me thinking, “If I’m going to bring the U.S. and all my comforts with me, I might as well stay home and watch it on the Discovery Channel from the comfort of my couch while enjoying a cup of healthy green tea.” In other words, if I replicated the comforts of home, I would actually miss what I was going in search of – an exciting, unexpected experience. The only way to spark my senses and stimulate my creative juices is to move me out of my comfort zone and clear my mind so I can return home ready to deal with all the challenges of life and my business.

I quickly decided Tom was right. I didn’t need my blow dryer to ride a camel into the desert to camp out. By leaving some of those unnecessary comforts behind, I not only packed lighter (Tom said “hooray”) but I was able to fully immerse myself in the Moroccan culture. The result was a more complete sense of adventure and some slightly wilder hair for both me, and the camel.

Does the same thing that almost happened to me getting ready to embark to Morocco and the Sahara Desert happen to you as you embark on your legal nurse consulting adventure? Are you packing all your old “nursing career comforts” as you pursue your new CLNC^® career?

To experience all that legal nurse consulting has to offer, you must be willing to shed your old ways and habits. You’ll need to step out of your nursing comfort zone and let go of old beliefs that no longer serve you and may only hold you back. As a RN, you may have that steady paycheck, but as a CLNC^® consultant, you’ll have more fun and the potential for greater financial prosperity as soon as you open up to the possibilities within you. You’ll develop a new support group of other CLNC^® consultants through the National Alliance of Certified Legal Nurse Consultants association while abandoning the nursing station and cafeteria clique that may be dragging you down. Beliefs in administration, policy and procedures, red tape and “that’s not the way we do things here,” will be tossed overboard as you prepare for the faster moving world of business where your “life and death” decisions are made not for patients but for your business.

Start packing your bags today. One warning though, the wardrobe and accessories you take on your CLNC^® career are not the same as what you needed in your old life as a RN.

If you pack even one familiar “career comfort,” you might learn painfully that you could have stayed “home” and saved yourself a lot of time and money.

Success Is Inside!

On a recent trip to Paris, I had the chance to meet up with a young friend, international artist and filmmaker Edward Silhol. We met at his new studio on a hilltop with one of the best-kept secret views of the city I’ve ever seen. He’d just moved in and was still getting it ready so I felt privileged to be one of his first visitors.

I met Edward in Burgundy a couple of years ago. Since then, I’ve walked and Metro’d over half of Paris to see his art in galleries and have cruised the far reaches of the Internet to see the private portions of his website (it’s so secret I can’t disclose it, although I would love to).

Edward’s talents and love of art are far more impressive to me because you can sit with Edward in a café and drink (too many) French coffees or bottles of wine (a personal record that still surprises not only me, but anyone who knows me) and never, ever run out of things to talk about. From FaceBook to the French Revolution, from Impressionists to Indian food or where to find the best darn baguette in Paris (it really was) you can sit and talk, or just be with Edward. Enlightening conversation is a trait that more Americans should take the time to embrace.

I’ve been privileged to meet many well-known artists, but what strikes me most about Edward is that he’s got an incredible understanding of what it takes to be an artist. And Edward’s sage insight is exactly what it takes to achieve legendary success as a Certified Legal Nurse Consultant. I want you to hear it from Edward himself so check out this video with Edward and me at his new studio in Paris. By the way, we did turn off the video at the café – yes, some things are meant to be private and don’t worry – Tom was right there by my side (red wine and all).

Success Is Inside!

Karen, Vickie, Reese & Jill at Disney	Vickie and a Fan

My sister and I took my first nephew, Joshua, to Disney 25 years ago. At that time my legal nurse consulting business was only 2 years old. I had a blast seeing Mickey and Minnie through a child’s eyes, but I also noticed that just looking around this innovative enterprise, I was experiencing a crash course in entrepreneurship.

Everywhere I looked I discovered lessons and ideas for my own legal nurse consulting business. And this was a lot more fun than boring business class with a boring instructor who probably had never owned a real business. Thanks to my nephews, I’ve been to Disney more times than I can count.

I just returned from a trip with Josh’s daughter, my great niece Reese, her mom Jill and my sister Karen.

25 years ago I started with the kiddie rides, advanced to the wild ones as the nephews got older and here I am again starting all over with “It’s a Small World.” I can’t wait for Reese to be tall enough for Space Mountain.

The Disney entrepreneurship lessons live on 25 years later and are as valid today for your CLNC^® business as they were for mine when I pioneered the legal nurse consulting profession in 1982.

The Disney Experience

We pay big bucks to Disney to stand in line, long lines, for long periods of time that would challenge even a nurse’s bladder. And we smile while we are doing it. Some are really smiling even after paying extra to jump the line.

The Certified Legal Nurse Consultant Experience

Give your attorney-clients a reason to stand in line and pay big bucks for you and your CLNC^® services. Sure they could get a mediocre report “yesterday” from an untrained or mediocre consultant, but the smart attorneys aren’t searching for the legal nurse consultant who has a lot of free time on her hands. They seek successful Certified Legal Nurse Consultants who are in demand.

At Disney the more successful a ride, the more successful that ride becomes. Success breeds more success and attorneys (like people) only stand in line and pay big bucks to legal nurse consultants who they perceive to be already successful.

If you are successful and deliver superb work product and 5-star customer service, your attorney-clients will be willing to pay bigger bucks to be at the front of your CLNC^® business line.

Success Is Inside!