In two years I went from making about $20,000 a year as a part-time staff nurse to making about $50,000 this year as a CLNC® consultant.
The CLNC® Success Stories Book Inspired Me to Double My Nursing Income as a CLNC Consultant
by Jennifer Graney, RN, BSN, CLNC
From the moment I received the CLNC® Success Stories book, the prospect of working in the legal arena was interesting. But I was a nurse – what did I know about the law? I tucked the book deep inside my nursing bag, only pulling it out for a peek on slow days at the hospital. I carried that book around with me for over six months before I made the jump to becoming a CLNC consultant.
Burned Out by the Bureaucracy, I Craved Autonomy
I was a critical care nurse approaching my tenth year and feeling burned out. Over the years I’d moved a lot as my husband climbed the corporate ladder, but I was still at the bottom of the nursing ladder. With every new move I started over, working day/night rotations, weekends, holidays and mandatory overtime – same schedule, different hospital. After the birth of my daughter I went part time and still found all the 12-hour shifts weighing on me.
With the hope of gaining some control over my schedule, I took an agency staff position. The switch worked. I did what I wanted to, not what the hospital said I had to, and it felt great. Sadly, the rigidity of the hospital crept back in.
I soon grew sick of the bureaucracy and craved autonomy again. I started accepting assignments based on how much money I could make. I still loved science, the intellectual challenge of critical care medicine and using my brain to figure out the big picture, but I was tired of the short-staffing and the mental, emotional and physical toll the hospital environment took on me. I knew I had to change, but I had no desire to start over with another vocation.
Once again I dug deep into my nursing bag to pull out the CLNC Success Stories book. The idea of becoming a CLNC consultant was appealing, but I was afraid I wasn’t smart enough to converse with attorneys. I thought they might see me as “only a nurse” and blow me off before I had a chance.
Finally, with my husband’s encouragement I realized I had nothing to lose and everything to gain. I have a few favorite mottos I live by, and the one that kept ringing in my head was, “Feel the fear and do it anyway!” I did just that and, three-and-a-half years ago, I completed the CLNC Certification Program.
This comprehensive program prepared me for a new career without starting over. I learned I had all the tools I needed to achieve success with my own CLNC business. My job wasn’t to find the legal answers, but to provide the attorney with answers to the medical and nursing questions.
I Forced Myself Out of My Comfort Zone
After completing the CLNC Certification Program I was fired up. Right away I started sending out six promotional packets a week followed by six phone calls. I got three interviews that first week. This was easy! I knew every attorney would want what I had to offer. But I got no cases from those three interviews. The attorneys wanted me to work for them in-house, and I wanted to maintain my autonomy. My momentum dwindled.
I forced myself out of my comfort zone and added exhibiting as a strategy to my marketing plan. That’s when I started getting cases. My first exhibiting experience was at the New Jersey State Bar Association annual meeting, a three-day event which I attended alone. I left that meeting with a whole new education on exhibiting and two cases. Every trade show, attorney conference or bar association meeting I’ve attended, I’ve either made my money back or made a profit.
With two small children at home the goal of my career in nursing and now as a CLNC consultant has been to supplement the family income. In two years I went from making about $20,000 a year as a part-time staff nurse to making about $50,000 this year as a CLNC consultant. My husband and I were able to take a five-day trip to a villa in Mexico and had enough money to fly my mother in to watch the kids while we were gone.
One of my recent cases grossed $35,000. I have made more money in less than six months than I made in my last full-time year as a staff nurse. I’m confident that by this time next year I will double my current income as a CLNC consultant.
I Am Confidently Creating My CLNC® Success Story
While my CLNC career is still blossoming, the first case was all it took to really boost my confidence. I now have five attorneys who regularly use my CLNC services. I subcontract research projects to a fellow CLNC consultant and know that in a year’s time I will be looking for steady subcontracting help.
I always give my all in every aspect of my life, and my CLNC career is no different. When I was practicing nursing at the hospital full time, I couldn’t understand coworkers who adopted the “not my job” mentality. My question was always, “If it’s not your job, then whose is it? Let’s get it done!” I have taken my can-do attitude into my consulting practice and feel it has benefited me tremendously. I’ve never met an attorney, or anyone for that matter, who doesn’t appreciate a hard worker. I know I can accomplish anything I want as long as I am willing to persevere and learn from my mistakes.
I enjoy my job and feel blessed to have found a fit. Even though I work hard, I have much less stress. Sure, I’ve had some sleepless nights, but for the most part, I make my own schedule, I work at my own pace and my life is less hectic. I work for me. I look at my business and I realize that I did this myself, and that’s very fulfilling. This business is mine and it feels good.
Being a VIP has given me a tremendous advantage. I have a business head and I’ve learned that I can present myself well in conversation. And the CLNC Mentors are always there for me when I have a tough question or face a new business situation. For every question, I’ve received a prompt educated answer or at least accurate guidance on where to find the answer myself. I’ve used the CLNC Mentors for absolutely everything – they’re priceless.
After carrying that CLNC Success Stories book around with me for six months, I realize that with each passing day I am building my very own CLNC Success Story.
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