How to be an educational consultant: It is rewarding! Do the job for you!

Transcript:

Speaker: (00:00)

You're here today because you run your own College advising business.

I really appreciate you taking your time to listen and be a part of this business development Academy.

Speaker: (00:13)

Imagine yourself zipping together a jacket. A little piece of plastic or metal fits into another piece at the bottom and you're pulling the tab slowly so it doesn't snag bringing two pieces of fabric together.

Speaker: (00:31)

Zippers, they keep us warm. They brace Us Against the Wind and sometimes they keep us from losing other pieces we need.

If one side of that fabric is what you do in your life to keep the lights on and the other side is what you love and what you like to show the world about you, zipping those two together will keep you warm.

Speaker: (00:55)

I knew early on that I loved to teach and to learn. I also knew early on that I was in charge of my own Financial stability.

So from the beginning, I was always in some kind of school and I always had a job.

Speaker: (01:12)

At 30 I moved across the country with my young family and stayed at home with my toddler, this was the first time I wasn't financially independent and it was the first time I wasn't in a school.

I looked into teaching jobs in San Diego after we moved but I also like the idea of having more flexibility as a mom with a growing family. So after a few years in California, when looking for a next career step, I explored the College counseling certificate program at UC San Diego and signed up.

Speaker: (01:47)

Those years off work taught me a lot about who I am and what I need. Mostly I realized that when I loved what I was doing not only was I happier but others left smiling and feeling pretty good about themselves too. I love that.

So let's be clear, I work because I need it. Clearly I haven't always felt like an expert in college admissions and in this industry's ever changing world there's a large learning curve that doesn't ever feel flat, but what can I pass on to you today basically, I feel like I'm here to help you know that it's not just okay but it's great to feel good about what we do as much for ourselves as for our students.

Speaker: (02:39)

One of my constants is other people who do this work I've gained such close friendships in the last 10 years. Particularly, collaboration is key to the way I practice. Even though my practice is just me, together we have hosted a blind college fair, run case studies with admission counselors, and Essay workshops with each other.

Speaker: (03:05)

Another thing I love about this work is the travel. And seeing college campuses is a great thing to build a trip around. Going beyond my students and educating the broader public has become a bit of a mission for me, and I've steadily gained followers and even clients from it. And if you're not sure how people feel about you, ask for testimonials. It's such a wonderful feeling to read how you're valued through the eyes of others. You can either define it or let it define you, and if you know all those maybe personal and selfish reasons for wanting to do this work, you can own it, not just run it.