Is it too late to start a university degree? And is there any point?
- Thread starter Keyhole
- Start date
That's terrific, keyhole! And, as others have said, it's great that you are happy with the classes.
Yeah, makes me wonder if there will be some dropouts from her class now that the vegetarian/vegans have seen that their way of eating is not beneficial. They have a hard time with facts and stuff if it is counter to what they believe.
Alada said:
Yeah, makes me wonder if there will be some dropouts from her class now that the vegetarian/vegans have seen that their way of eating is not beneficial. They have a hard time with facts and stuff if it is counter to what they believe.
So, its been four years since I started this thread and I thought I would give an update on how things are going.
I just want to say thanks again to everyone who posted here, because it gave me the courage to take steps in the direction toward being able to function as an adult in society and provide myself with a sustainable income, and also to hopefully help some people along the way.
The past four years have been insightful, because I switched and changed between different ideas and at the beginning I did not really know what I wanted to do, nor did I have any clear path or direction. My initial ideas to take the psychology route morphed into neuroscience, and then eventually into nutritional science (which was more of a leap of faith than anything). As it turned out, I discovered a passion for nutrition that I was not aware of before I chose to study it. I was actually quite lucky in that regard, because I absolutely love learning about it.
Three years on, I am now qualified in nutrition and am able to professionally consult with people about their health. I am currently trying my best to set up a business and market my services to the local community. The past couple of months have been very stressful with handing in final assignments, working on a website and producing content which is suitable for the general public. I handed in my notice at the school I was working at, and so from September onwards I am officially unemployed. However, now that I am technically self-employed, and I have the appropriate insurance, I am ready to take on clients.
Exactly how to get clients is something I am currently working on. I have dabbled with facebook advertising of my articles, which have gotten a couple dozen clicks. However, my main strategy (at the moment) is to give public and profession talks and lectures.
Over the next two months, I have seven talks booked. I already gave two professional lectures educating chiropractors. However, I was hesitant to recommend that they refer some clients on to me when appropriate. Soon I am giving talks to a group of osteopaths, and then to another chiropractic clinic. I am hoping to build up a referral-type relationship or perhaps a partnership with these clinics in the near future if they like the work that I do.
Aside from that, I am now an affiliate with a local holistic autism centre, and they would like to start referring parents to me after I give a talk on that in October. I am also giving talks to the multiple sclerosis society, a local Autism Parents group, and a fibromyalgia meetup group. So overall, the next month or two are going to be quite busy. I have been working very hard on presentation material and sending out emails to local groups the past five weeks or so, and as I said before, it has been significantly stressful. I am just praying that my consistent efforts will start paying off in the future. Listening to JBP has given me the courage and inspiration to just keep going, despite my work receiving little interest from the general public as of yet. I am trying to have faith and trust in the concept that, by continually investing my energy into a specific aim, I will make progress and it will yield some results. Sometimes people do not respond to the emails I send out, and my facebook posts do not receive much interest, and witnessing this invokes feelings of failure which is disheartening. However, Jen keeps reminding me that the progression of a business is slow to start, and that there are many stumbling blocks along the way. Hence, I have been trying to keep this in mind and it helps. My hope for immediate results is not realistic and perhaps characterised by a sense of entitlement.
Since I qualified in nutrition, I began studying another distance-learning diploma in functional medicine with FMU. This has been insightful, although I have found it quite easy so far - the in-depth knowledge and study of others on this forum forum is to thank for that
. The average time it takes to complete is between five months-one year, but since I have been on summer vacation I have managed to complete half of the course already. I expect to complete it in full by the end of October, and perhaps even earlier than that. Therefore, from October onwards I will not be officially studying anything.
This brings me to the next avenue that I would like to explore - botanical/herbal medicine. I have found a course which is equivalent to a bachelors in herbal medicine, and I would really like to start it later on this year. The professional title afterwards would be "Master Herbalist". It is mostly self-directed learning, with the addition of compulsory attendance annual conference and face-to-face training, along with paid supervision. This is appealing, because I think it could help to complement nutritional therapy and also be a very useful skill to have. The whole course usually takes 5 years to complete, but since I already have training in anatomy & physiology, and then also in nutrition and naturopathy, I am exempt from three of the modules. This means that I would be able to complete the degree in 2-3 years, depending on how fast I paced myself. The educational establishment is also a non-profit organisation "The International Register of Consultation Herbalists & Homeopaths", so the cost of the course is quite cheap. So, I think I am going to enroll on it.
Overall, I am not quite sure what the aim of this post is/was. I guess I just wanted to thank everyone who gave me the courage to take a leap of faith, and to let everyone know how I am getting on in this area, since it has been a while. Thanks for taking the time to read.
I just want to say thanks again to everyone who posted here, because it gave me the courage to take steps in the direction toward being able to function as an adult in society and provide myself with a sustainable income, and also to hopefully help some people along the way.
The past four years have been insightful, because I switched and changed between different ideas and at the beginning I did not really know what I wanted to do, nor did I have any clear path or direction. My initial ideas to take the psychology route morphed into neuroscience, and then eventually into nutritional science (which was more of a leap of faith than anything). As it turned out, I discovered a passion for nutrition that I was not aware of before I chose to study it. I was actually quite lucky in that regard, because I absolutely love learning about it.
Three years on, I am now qualified in nutrition and am able to professionally consult with people about their health. I am currently trying my best to set up a business and market my services to the local community. The past couple of months have been very stressful with handing in final assignments, working on a website and producing content which is suitable for the general public. I handed in my notice at the school I was working at, and so from September onwards I am officially unemployed. However, now that I am technically self-employed, and I have the appropriate insurance, I am ready to take on clients.
Exactly how to get clients is something I am currently working on. I have dabbled with facebook advertising of my articles, which have gotten a couple dozen clicks. However, my main strategy (at the moment) is to give public and profession talks and lectures.
Over the next two months, I have seven talks booked. I already gave two professional lectures educating chiropractors. However, I was hesitant to recommend that they refer some clients on to me when appropriate. Soon I am giving talks to a group of osteopaths, and then to another chiropractic clinic. I am hoping to build up a referral-type relationship or perhaps a partnership with these clinics in the near future if they like the work that I do.
Aside from that, I am now an affiliate with a local holistic autism centre, and they would like to start referring parents to me after I give a talk on that in October. I am also giving talks to the multiple sclerosis society, a local Autism Parents group, and a fibromyalgia meetup group. So overall, the next month or two are going to be quite busy. I have been working very hard on presentation material and sending out emails to local groups the past five weeks or so, and as I said before, it has been significantly stressful. I am just praying that my consistent efforts will start paying off in the future. Listening to JBP has given me the courage and inspiration to just keep going, despite my work receiving little interest from the general public as of yet. I am trying to have faith and trust in the concept that, by continually investing my energy into a specific aim, I will make progress and it will yield some results. Sometimes people do not respond to the emails I send out, and my facebook posts do not receive much interest, and witnessing this invokes feelings of failure which is disheartening. However, Jen keeps reminding me that the progression of a business is slow to start, and that there are many stumbling blocks along the way. Hence, I have been trying to keep this in mind and it helps. My hope for immediate results is not realistic and perhaps characterised by a sense of entitlement.
Since I qualified in nutrition, I began studying another distance-learning diploma in functional medicine with FMU. This has been insightful, although I have found it quite easy so far - the in-depth knowledge and study of others on this forum forum is to thank for that
. The average time it takes to complete is between five months-one year, but since I have been on summer vacation I have managed to complete half of the course already. I expect to complete it in full by the end of October, and perhaps even earlier than that. Therefore, from October onwards I will not be officially studying anything. This brings me to the next avenue that I would like to explore - botanical/herbal medicine. I have found a course which is equivalent to a bachelors in herbal medicine, and I would really like to start it later on this year. The professional title afterwards would be "Master Herbalist". It is mostly self-directed learning, with the addition of compulsory attendance annual conference and face-to-face training, along with paid supervision. This is appealing, because I think it could help to complement nutritional therapy and also be a very useful skill to have. The whole course usually takes 5 years to complete, but since I already have training in anatomy & physiology, and then also in nutrition and naturopathy, I am exempt from three of the modules. This means that I would be able to complete the degree in 2-3 years, depending on how fast I paced myself. The educational establishment is also a non-profit organisation "The International Register of Consultation Herbalists & Homeopaths", so the cost of the course is quite cheap. So, I think I am going to enroll on it.
Overall, I am not quite sure what the aim of this post is/was. I guess I just wanted to thank everyone who gave me the courage to take a leap of faith, and to let everyone know how I am getting on in this area, since it has been a while. Thanks for taking the time to read.
Well done! When you list everything out the way you have above, what you've managed to achieve is both amazing for yourself and inspirational to others. I love how involved you've gotten in a variety of groups, just spreading yourself far and wide and it's great that you're doing so much public speaking.
About the part when you were writing about how you're going to try and keep promoting yourself, building things up, advertising, so you can 'get to where you want to be' so to speak...
Something came to mind when I read that. Some friends of mine have a band and things have been going really well for them. J. whose band it is primarily once told me how they were chatting one day and the other guys were talking about how badly they wanted to 'make it', and what it would look like when they did make it.
J. said that the truth was, they'd already 'made it'. A year ago, no one had heard of them. Now they've got a loyal group of dedicated fans and they're selling out local venues.
No, they're not famous, and they're not making any money yet, either. But I think J.'s attitude is a great example of how to apply non-anticipation in life's ventures.
I think it ties in with the C's quote about not missing the gems between the cracks in the pavement. Take stock of where you are and what you've achieved. The 'worst' that could happen?: That you'll always remain at the level you're at in terms of clients and activities, doing talks, promoting yourself. And that'd be great, right? Because you do all this because it's what you love and it's what's in you to do: "pursuing what is meaningful".
It sounds to me like you're going about everything just right, and if you keep doing what you're doing, working hard towards an aim but remembering you've got yourself to this wonderful new reality that you built and moved into, and appreciating that at the same time, you can't go wrong.
About the part when you were writing about how you're going to try and keep promoting yourself, building things up, advertising, so you can 'get to where you want to be' so to speak...
Something came to mind when I read that. Some friends of mine have a band and things have been going really well for them. J. whose band it is primarily once told me how they were chatting one day and the other guys were talking about how badly they wanted to 'make it', and what it would look like when they did make it.
J. said that the truth was, they'd already 'made it'. A year ago, no one had heard of them. Now they've got a loyal group of dedicated fans and they're selling out local venues.
No, they're not famous, and they're not making any money yet, either. But I think J.'s attitude is a great example of how to apply non-anticipation in life's ventures.
I think it ties in with the C's quote about not missing the gems between the cracks in the pavement. Take stock of where you are and what you've achieved. The 'worst' that could happen?: That you'll always remain at the level you're at in terms of clients and activities, doing talks, promoting yourself. And that'd be great, right? Because you do all this because it's what you love and it's what's in you to do: "pursuing what is meaningful".
It sounds to me like you're going about everything just right, and if you keep doing what you're doing, working hard towards an aim but remembering you've got yourself to this wonderful new reality that you built and moved into, and appreciating that at the same time, you can't go wrong.
Thanks Keyhole for sharing your updates with us! It's good to hear things are going well in your end, the idea of the lectures IMO is excellent, cause people will be able to have better understandings about nutrition and the other topics you cover. I think it's great cause the word will spread out and then you will be able to get more clients.
I also think that even if you think the word is not getting out there to as much people as you want maybe that one or two people that do get your message will talk to other friends and family about it. I believe that in this kind of health related business the whole recommendation thing plays a big part into getting more clients, and also a lot of patience I think. I would say that if you work diligently towards your goal, consciously and putting all your skills into it then maybe little by little you will start getting more clients, but it sounds to me that things are going well! And the whole "Master Herbalist" idea sounds pretty interesting! I've been reading a lot on Ayurveda for example, and oh boy, it's a magnificent world!
I also think that even if you think the word is not getting out there to as much people as you want maybe that one or two people that do get your message will talk to other friends and family about it. I believe that in this kind of health related business the whole recommendation thing plays a big part into getting more clients, and also a lot of patience I think. I would say that if you work diligently towards your goal, consciously and putting all your skills into it then maybe little by little you will start getting more clients, but it sounds to me that things are going well! And the whole "Master Herbalist" idea sounds pretty interesting! I've been reading a lot on Ayurveda for example, and oh boy, it's a magnificent world!
munaychasumaq
Dagobah Resident
Step by step you are creating the reality you want.Congratulations and thank you very much for sharing your experience with us
Botanical/herbal/medicine sounds more that promising.
Botanical/herbal/medicine sounds more that promising.
Congrats Keyhole! Really well done!
I'm not sure how things work in the UK, but one way health practitioners in Canada would get clients would be to work part-time in a health food store. It might seem like it's not a good utilization of your skills, like you're over-qualified, but it puts you face to face with the public in a one on one situation many times per day. Recommending supplements or protocols gives people an idea of where you're coming from and often leads them to recognize your valuable knowledge. It's a small percentage of people who will actually be looking for a practitioner and will be interested in your services, but if it's a busy shop, that small percentage can actually translate to a lot of clients.
I think the idea of giving talks is great! Maybe consider some venues where you talk to the general public as well, instead of just practitioners. Referrals from other practitioners are great, but going directly to the people may drum up interest, too.
Good luck, Keyhole!
I'm not sure how things work in the UK, but one way health practitioners in Canada would get clients would be to work part-time in a health food store. It might seem like it's not a good utilization of your skills, like you're over-qualified, but it puts you face to face with the public in a one on one situation many times per day. Recommending supplements or protocols gives people an idea of where you're coming from and often leads them to recognize your valuable knowledge. It's a small percentage of people who will actually be looking for a practitioner and will be interested in your services, but if it's a busy shop, that small percentage can actually translate to a lot of clients.
I think the idea of giving talks is great! Maybe consider some venues where you talk to the general public as well, instead of just practitioners. Referrals from other practitioners are great, but going directly to the people may drum up interest, too.
Good luck, Keyhole!
That sounds fantastic Keyhole, glad to hear that you made such a huge step forward in your life since starting this thread!
I think that's interesting and a good example that we often tend to overthink things in the search for the "perfect plan". It's more about starting something and then committing to it - doesn't really matter what it is, really. Sometimes, we find our passion that way, and if not, we learned a whole lot of things and return wiser and stronger. I think that's what JP also often emphasizes.
FWIW, in Germany, when you're unemployed and are entitled to benefits, there are some funds you can apply for to start your own business. That's how we did it when we started out - 6 months of our basic expenses were covered so we could focus on getting clients and the like. Maybe there are similar programs in the UK, either from government agencies or private programs? Just an idea.
I think building your own online platform to the point where it generates clients and "followers" can take lots of time and patience and is best done as a "side hustle". If your goal is to make a living as soon as possible, then I think you need "multipliers", i.e. institutions and individuals who are sending you a constant stream of referrals. Doing presentations and the like seems like an excellent way. I wouldn't worry about offering your services directly too much at such events, it's enough if people get that they can book you, but I guess that's part of your bio/introduction at such presentations anyway. What I found to be hugely important with business networking is the social aspect - little small talks over the phone or in person, hanging around a little after a presentation to talk to some people (and listen to them!) etc. When they are comfortable with/around you, they are much more likely to recommend you, regardless even of the quality of your work!
Another idea would be to start a youtube channel and do a short presentation/introduction or something - in the long run, I think having some great video content could help with raising your profile, it seems video is where it's at these days. In the short term, having at least one video somewhere might help with securing presentations. If you thought about inviting someone for a presentation, what would be the first thing you would do? Right, check youtube to see what the guy is like and whether it's a good idea to invite him... FWIW.
Best of luck to you!
I think that's interesting and a good example that we often tend to overthink things in the search for the "perfect plan". It's more about starting something and then committing to it - doesn't really matter what it is, really. Sometimes, we find our passion that way, and if not, we learned a whole lot of things and return wiser and stronger. I think that's what JP also often emphasizes.
FWIW, in Germany, when you're unemployed and are entitled to benefits, there are some funds you can apply for to start your own business. That's how we did it when we started out - 6 months of our basic expenses were covered so we could focus on getting clients and the like. Maybe there are similar programs in the UK, either from government agencies or private programs? Just an idea.
I think building your own online platform to the point where it generates clients and "followers" can take lots of time and patience and is best done as a "side hustle". If your goal is to make a living as soon as possible, then I think you need "multipliers", i.e. institutions and individuals who are sending you a constant stream of referrals. Doing presentations and the like seems like an excellent way. I wouldn't worry about offering your services directly too much at such events, it's enough if people get that they can book you, but I guess that's part of your bio/introduction at such presentations anyway. What I found to be hugely important with business networking is the social aspect - little small talks over the phone or in person, hanging around a little after a presentation to talk to some people (and listen to them!) etc. When they are comfortable with/around you, they are much more likely to recommend you, regardless even of the quality of your work!
Another idea would be to start a youtube channel and do a short presentation/introduction or something - in the long run, I think having some great video content could help with raising your profile, it seems video is where it's at these days. In the short term, having at least one video somewhere might help with securing presentations. If you thought about inviting someone for a presentation, what would be the first thing you would do? Right, check youtube to see what the guy is like and whether it's a good idea to invite him... FWIW.
Best of luck to you!
I know some practitioners who give a talk once a month at a health food store. They aren't working there, but the fact that they are there on a regular basis makes it so that a lot of people interested in getting supplements (and their health together) participate. One of my acquaintances (a naturopath) does that, AND one afternoon a month she'll give consultations in a little back room at the store, at a discount price. People sign up during the week, get to try it, and usually go to see her again later at her office. Maybe that's a compromise between working at a store, and getting to meet some potential clients?
Good job, Keyhole! I'm really happy for you. You seem to have found your vocation and making the best out of it.
I'm glad to hear that you finished your studies and that you are enjoying it. Congratulations!
I think that if you like doing talks and people enjoy them and find them useful, partnerships will naturally build up as time goes by. If people prefer talks, perhaps some of them can be filmed and you can later upload them on youtube. You'll know if youtube videos are more viable for potential clients than posts fairly quickly. I think people like how you explain things. I know I do, it's like listening to a most interesting documentary with the accent of David Attenborough ;) Just an idea!
I think that if you like doing talks and people enjoy them and find them useful, partnerships will naturally build up as time goes by. If people prefer talks, perhaps some of them can be filmed and you can later upload them on youtube. You'll know if youtube videos are more viable for potential clients than posts fairly quickly. I think people like how you explain things. I know I do, it's like listening to a most interesting documentary with the accent of David Attenborough ;) Just an idea!
