Deriba

I always joke that, “you couldn’t pay me to run the Houston Marathon.” But there are people who get paid to do just that. Marathon running can seem like a lonely sport but not all marathon runners run alone. Even marathon runners hire subcontractors (at least the ones who win enough races to be able to afford them)!

Deriba Merga, who won the Chevron Houston Marathon back in January, 2009 (setting a new Texas record) hired four runners, called “rabbits.” The rabbit’s job is to help him keep his target pace and keep the wind off of him. The rabbits are not going to finish the race (how could they?). Each rabbit is expected to start the race with him and then drop off at predetermined points along the way depending upon their own running ability. They often train with the main runner.

Nurses are a tough bunch. We learn early in our careers to be independent (Don’t worry – I’ll turn this 250-lb patient by myself) because we know better than to ask for help. As a Certified Legal Nurse Consultant, you need to change this mindset and start to think and act like a world-class marathon runner. The fastest way to expand your business is by subcontracting with other Certified Legal Nurse Consultants (CLNC^® consultants who have trained with you or you connected with at an NACLNC^® Conference). Like any world-class marathon runner, having great CLNC^® subcontractors will allow you to go the full 26+ miles, take a vacation and grow your legal nurse consulting business. Without CLNC^® subcontractors you can only bill for the limited number of hours you are able to work. The only way to fit 36 hours into a 24 hour day is with CLNC^® subcontractors.

Each additional legal nurse consultant you have working on your cases is an additional income stream. You can bill your attorney-clients your full hourly fee and pay your subs 50% of that fee. Subcontracting is what makes the difference between a part-time business and a booming shop. Have your CLNC^® subcontractors ready to go. That way, the next time an attorney tells you he has a bunch of cases, you can get your CLNC^® subcontractors on them quickly instead of saying “No, I’m too busy to take more than one case at a time.”

Even with CLNC^® subcontractors you are the one who has to run your legal nurse consulting business across the finish line. On that sunny January day in Houston, Deriba had to run the last nine miles (into a headwind) alone, after he left his last rabbit in the dust. He still set a record that day. Teyba Erkesso, who won the woman’s marathon that same day had a male rabbit who ran the entire race with her and she felt he contributed to her setting a record time. Think of subs as a multiplier. Instead of just one of you, now there’s a whole team of CLNC^® marathoners running beside you on your team. (Just don’t call them rabbits!)

I’ll be with you for the long run – just as long as it’s not the Houston Marathon.

Success Is Inside!

P.S. Read more on Subcontracting Do’s and Don’ts.

About an hour after the photos below were taken, just a block from my home, the street was filled with runners from the Houston Marathon. Over 23,000 participants showed up to run. Some finished in just over two hours while others were still running (or had dropped out) when the six-hour time limit expired.

Before the marathon

Here’s a picture of the front runners at the half way point including the winner, Deriba Merga who collected $45,000 for finishing the marathon in a record time of 2:07:52 beating the previous men’s record of 2:10:04.

You may remember him from the 2008 Olympics marathon. Deriba entered the tunnel of the Bird’s Nest stadium in third place, 50 meters ahead of his Ethiopian teammate, Tsegaye Kebede.

Tom and I were at a friend’s house watching the race. As Deriba came into the stadium I said, “He’s not going to get the medal.” Tom asked “How do you know?” and I pointed out how Deriba was struggling. Sure enough in the last 400 meters, Tsegaye passed him and Deriba finished fourth. It was tragic to watch a world-class runner fade before your eyes and everyone else’s in the Bird’s Nest that day, and be overtaken with the finish line in view.

What does running a marathon have to do with being a Certified Legal Nurse Consultant? In marathons, like business, you have to pace yourself. If you shoot off the starting line too fast, you’ll lose steam and won’t have the energy to finish the race.

The big difference between marathons and legal nurse consulting (all that running for 26+ miles aside) is that in business, there is no finish line. You must keep your pace as long as you want to keep your business. This means that sometimes you run slowly, sometimes you sprint and sometimes you stop and catch your breath. The trick for each of us is to find our pace and keep it. Knowing my pace and sticking to it are two of the reasons I’ve stayed in the legal nurse consulting business since 1982 and the biggest reason I still love my business after 27 years.

I’ve seen legal nurse consultants who start their business full of fire. They market themselves at a sprinter’s pace and then suddenly get tired and quit. Others plug successfully away, day after day after day. Business can be like a Venti^® Peppermint Mocha Twist Frappucinno^® from Starbucks^®. Those 660 calories and 116 grams of carbs (not to mention the 55 mg of caffeine) fire you up and set you off at a sprint. Soon though, you’re in a carb-sag and need a nap. It’s hard to keep the fire burning on artificial stimulants.

For the first week of January our gym, where I’ve been a member for 20 years, is full of newcomers throwing weights around like Arnold and nearly flying off the treadmills and elliptical trainers. By the second week in January, the gym’s back to normal because those newcomers went at it a little too hard at first, got stiff and sore and lost their steam for the long term. I see this in yoga (stretched a little too vigorously the first day back) and in dieting (after a week of steamed broccoli and turkey, a hamburger sounds really good).

Your personal life and your business life are like marathons. The key is to manage the pace at which you run them. You need to pace yourself to maintain your energy level for the long run. For my business, sometimes I go fast, sometimes I go faster and sometimes I stop and smell the sneakers. I do take 12 weeks off each year for renewal time. But even on vacation I keep a certain pace – exercise, diet and sleep. That’s what gives me the energy to keep me in business. Are you running at a pace that will keep you successful in your CLNC^® business or will your pace put you out of business before the finish line?

See you at the CLNC^® finish line!