Gosh, it is windy, rainy and grey-yellow outside this morning. I hope everyone makes it to and from work and school safely.
This has been one of my better months business-wise. My LLC is showing a profit and I have been able to help a number of clients meet their goals. A friend of mine related that I look a lot younger since I started working for myself. I feel good about going to work each day and believe that what I am doing is good.
I have been working on developing my web presence by posting some youtube videos. Check this one out. Any comments, here or there would be appreciated. Thanks, Chris
Alright already. I finally got it together and posted this stuff correctly. I did have to cut it into two roughly equal parts as the original mp3 was over 50. I apologize profusely for any confusion and consternation I may have caused earlier.
And, if you are interested, or simply a glutton for punishment, you can hear me again on Wednesday, April 13, 2016 from 2-3:00 PM by clicking on the link below.
Over the past several months, I have been making weekly marketing trips to drug and alcohol treatment centers, drug testing facilities, truck stops and trucking companies in the area. So far, I have not been “shown the door” by anyone. There have been a few places where the positive mood and attitude was infectious and almost intoxicating; maybe they were piping in extra oxygen.
What I have found has been that people here are really quite friendly, even when I am temporarily disrupting their day to day activities.
I really appreciate each of the folks that have taken the time to teach me more about their business, especially some of the logistics companies. I was in shock and awe at some of the technology being used and impressed with the professionalism and friendliness of most everyone that I have met.
I just got another credential today, an MAC, or Master Addiction Counselor, from the National Certification Commission for Addiction Professionals.
Look (listen) for me on Wednesday, March 30 from 2-3:00 on KABF 88.3.
Click to go to the KABF website where you can listen live.
This photo is actually from our spring break trip to Florida. Sanibel at Sunset.
Wednesday, March 30, 2016 from 2-3:00 PM.
click here to go to their website and click on “listen live”
This is my first ever You Tube video. I would appreciate any comments or suggestions. No need to be terribly nice about it as I know this is the internet and all.
So far, I know that I have to use a better microphone and show a little more soul in my voice.
I just spoke with John Sarna, with 88.3 KABF’s show “It Could Be You” and set a date for another on-air interview, March 30, 2016 from 2-3:00 PM. The format is part presentation, part discussion and part call-in. If you type in: http://www.kabf.org and click on the “Listen Live” link, you can hear it anywhere in the world.
I came up with a short list of topics that I would like to touch on, including the role of substance use in crime, symptoms of sobriety, and meeting challenges. There are a few others; but, I think we will find plenty to talk about.
So far, my practice has been going well. I have visited with a number of referral sources and treatment centers and been well received. I have yet to be kicked out of anyone’s office and nobody has tried to eat me.
I will post a link to that show when I get it posted. I have asked for a recording of the one I did earlier this month and will post it as soon as I am able.
One of the areas of my business where I have seen some growth is providing DOT/SAP evaluations. Quite simply it works like this:
Anyhow, I really like doing these evaluations. It is kind of like getting a survey done on a boat or a pre-purchase inspection done on a house in that the person making the assessment is not the person, or agency, providing the service or making the repair.
Tags: SAP, DOT, Evaluation, Assessment, Huntsville, Madison, Substance Abuse, Counseling, FMCSA, Rule Violation
A month into my own business and I am just beginning to be profitable. I have paid the rent for February and have already had paying customers this month. The mixture of excitement and terror about making my own way is nearly an addiction of it’s own.
Most of the business I have had so far has come from my online presence and advertising. When I started laying the groundwork for this venture in November and December, I got myself this website, a facebook account and gmail. I already had a linked-in page; but, had not done much with it.
I figured out that whenever I post so much as a photograph, I need to tag it with something related to my business using a number of key words such as counselor, substance abuse, North Little Rock. There is some sort of algorithm that is used to figure out which posts get put on top. Some of it has to do with the number of views; but, some of it is promoted by meeting certain criteria.
One thing that I need to do is make a youtube video that promotes my business. I have been told that I have a face for radio, so I may use my daughter’s stuffed animals as prospective clients seeking services.
Anyway, that’s about all for now. I have to get back to actual work so that I can keep this thing going.
christopher h. gerhart, mac SAP/DOT (256) 885-5193 