Editor's Note: I asked the CLNC^® Pros to share the best advice they've ever received and how they've applied that advice to grow their CLNC^® practices. You too can use this advice to overcome any challenge and achieve unprecedented CLNC^® growth.

I am celebrating my fifth year as a successful CLNC^®. Many people have given me advice on this journey into my second career in nursing. I have tried to listen to it all.

My friends and family have advised me throughout my journey to balance all the long hours I was spending to attain my goals and meet deadlines. When I started my CLNC^® practice, I was working seven days a week. While this helped me establish my credibility as a CLNC^®, build a client base and master the learning curve for reviewing cases and writing reports, I have now learned to balance more. I also have reevaluated the focus of my business, choosing to concentrate on my special talents, rather than trying to do everything.

Then there's Vickie Milazzo. Throughout my journey as a CLNC^®, I have been involved with Vickie Milazzo Institute. I respect Vickie and her staff, and that feeling seems to be mutual. I believe her motto, "We are nurses and we can do anything."

The best advice I have received came from Vickie: Retie the connection. I have proven the validity of this advice over and over again with my attorney-clients. Whenever I call on a client, deliver a report face to face or just stop by when I'm in the area, I walk away either with more assignments or with a stronger professional relationship.

Recently, I realized that I also needed to take time to retie the connection with friends and family, to make time for that weekend family reunion or week-long vacation with my husband and children. I needed to reprioritize and set limits on my workload to retie the connection with my social life.

As my business grew, I recognized that I needed to retie the connection with Vickie. She and her staff continue to provide me with information that I value in my CLNC^® practice.

That phrase has become a mantra, like an angel seated on my shoulder saying, "Take time, retie the connection." Now, I apply Vickie's advice throughout my life -to my cases, professional associations and social life. Retying the connection has served me well.

– Marie L. Wendle, RN, BS, CCRN, CLNC

I always got my best advice from my dad, who passed away last year at the age of 83. I am proud to say that besides my wife Karen, my dad was my best friend. He showed me how to build a deck in our backyard, making sure it was level and square. Dad showed me how to convert my son Michael's playhouse into a chicken house shortly after he gave my son some chicks to raise. He always seemed to know everything about everything.

A few years ago, I decided to build flower beds around our home and purchased hundreds of big landscaping stones to form the bed walls. I soon figured out that some of those very large stones would have to be cut to make them fit together properly. Of course, I picked up the phone, called Dad and explained my monumental dilemma. Dad said, "no problem." He told me how to use a chisel and hammer to score a line on both sides of the stone where I wanted it to break, and then place the chisel in the center of the scored line and gently hit it with the hammer. I remember saying, "But Dad, you don't understand. These stones weigh 80 to 90 pounds each." In almost no time, Dad was right there, showing me how to score a line on both sides of a stone, then handing me the chisel and hammer. I followed his instructions and watched with amazement as the huge stone broke into two pieces exactly along the scored line. Once again Dad had made the impossible possible.

Over the years I learned a simple yet valuable lesson from Dad: Always take advice from those you respect and trust, even if the task at hand seems next to impossible.

Great mentors like my dad and Vickie Milazzo can always show you how to make difficult things look simple. More importantly, they always place the hammer in your hand as you embark on hitting the chisel. Vickie and my dad both helped me believe in myself and believe that "I really can do anything!" Always take advice from those you respect and trust.

– Lawrence H. Frace, RN, CLNC

When I first became a CLNC^® four years ago, I just wanted to replace my hospital earnings and work from home. I loved what I was doing and I had great relationships with my attorney-clients. My business was small but had big potential.

As my CLNC^® practice grew, it took some twists and turns, slow at times, overwhelming at others. But I stayed proactive, never giving up, always looking ahead for the next opportunity. Hard work, patience, persistence and a positive attitude carried me through the tough times, and the rewards have been great.

During this building phase I was so meticulous that I was very cautious about expanding. I did not want to make mistakes along the way. A typical type A personality, I wanted to do it all myself.

My husband realized that my business was doing very well and that my attorney-clients respected me. He knew that my CLNC^® services were desperately needed in the legal field and that I had what it took to deliver. He helped me see beyond where I was and encouraged me not to limit the size of my business. He saw before I did that my business had the potential to be something far grander than I had anticipated. I really did want to do more and be more.

As I have matured in my business, my dreams have grown and changed. I have revised my marketing plan for next year to include professional exhibiting and more extensive subcontracting. I am thinking out of the box, trying new things, exploring without fear. Now my business has no limits. I continue to apply the principles of hard work and positive thinking as I pursue the dreams I have come to believe are limitless.

My motivation for changing my thinking and my business strategies wasn't just the money but the taste of freedom I had experienced. I have had more time with my children and husband in ways that I thought would be a long time in coming - for example, two vacations to Hawaii. I have the extra money to help others because I want to. I can create surprises "just because it's Wednesday" and for no other reason. I have fun on a new level and with more meaning.

I can see now that, in the beginning, I was the only one planting the seeds of my business, and planting them one at a time, I might add. One by one I nurtured them into a beautiful garden. Now I'm taking a handful of varied seeds, spreading them over more fertile ground and allowing others to help me nurture them as they grow. I still have a garden, but there is more to enjoy and I enjoy it with others. That is the best part.

– Rachel Cartwright, RN, MS, LHRM, FNC, CLNC

The best advice I ever got was to not be afraid to step out of my comfort zone. I have applied that advice to my CLNC^® practice over and over again. The first hurdle was getting out there to market myself. Then I took the big step of letting go of ancillary work to become a full-time CLNC^®. Scary, but I took that leap of faith. Ever since then, I have taken one step after another. I have learned to enjoy cold calling. It was uncomfortable at first, but I learned to make a game of it. One time I served on a jury in a personal injury case. I went up to the plaintiff's attorney after the trial and told him he could have used a CLNC^®. That amused him, but guess what? He is now a client and also a friend. Another big step is getting up to talk in front of a group of attorneys. When you realize they don't bite, it's a piece of cake.

Step out of your box - step out of your comfort zone. Just do the little things that don't seem quite comfortable but that might win you that extra case or client. You will surely increase your CLNC^® business and have fun doing it.

– Dale Barnes, RN, MSN, CLNC

The best advice I got was to give lectures for attorneys on topics that would interest them and allow them to receive continuing legal education (CLE) units. I implemented this advice as follows:

1. I contacted the state department of insurance (DOI) and requested an application to become a continuing education provider. I had to pay a nominal fee and provide an outline of my presentation.
   
   
2. Once the DOI approved and issued a continuing education provider number, I sent attorneys and insurance companies a brochure including the CLE approval and an outline of the presentation.
   
   
3. One week later I followed up by phone with the attorneys or office managers and asked if they would like to schedule a lecture. For insurance companies, the claims supervisor in the medical or injury unit is the best person to follow up with.
   
   
4. Once lectures were scheduled, I went to the law office or insurance company and met with the principal attorneys. I told them about the CLNC^®'s role and how I could save them money and help them better defend their cases. I also asked if they had any specific cases I could consult on.
   
   

Before embarking on this type of campaign be sure you develop an appropriate lecture and do your research to identify a "healthy" number of attorneys and insurance companies in your target market. Then prepare a professional-looking brochure advertising your lecture and include the number of CLE units it provides.

– Brian D. Johnson, RN, PhD, CLNC

The best advice I ever got was to not be afraid of change. Whether at work or at home, I used to be a creature of habit. I always did things the same way - always. I was so predictable, I drove the same route to and from work every day. Tons of different routes were possible, but I always went the same way.

One day a friend gave me a great book about fear of change, Who Moved My Cheese? After reading it, I decided to be daring and drive a different route home from work. Of course, I got lost, which initially validated that the book was wrong and I shouldn't have deviated from my familiar day-to-day routine. As I was trying to find my way back home, I was overcome by the beauty of the neighborhood I was driving through. Soon enough I discovered that the street I was lost on connected with the street behind my house. To my shock I discovered I had cut nearly 10 minutes from my commute. How could this be? I'd gotten lost and actually discovered a new shortcut home.

I began forcing myself to drive home a different way every day. Most days I got lost again, but took pleasure in the scenery. I quickly learned which streets connected, and over time I realized that my navigational skills had really improved. I was getting lost less and less, not to mention discovering some really beautiful neighborhoods.

This venture into trying new things carried over to my CLNC^® practice. I began by marketing to attorneys handling different kinds of cases. This has led me to broaden my scope of CLNC^® services in exciting ways. I have also begun experimenting with my report style, trying new kinds of tables and graphs to summarize my findings.

Best of all, my new approaches, whether to driving or to my CLNC^® business, really keep the day-to-day routine from becoming a bore.

– Holly Bedgio, RNC, BSN, CRNI, CWS, CLNC

One day I heard a motivational speaker ask, "Where do you want to be with your career in five years?" If you continue to do the same thing you're doing today, that's where you'll be in five years. If you want to be doing something different, you have to make the right changes to get where you want to be.

In 1999 I was ready to be in a different place. I wanted to work from home so I could have a flexible schedule and spend time with my daughters. I researched Vickie Milazzo Institute's CLNC^® Certification Program, signed up for the CLNC^® 6-Day Certification Seminar and started on a new direction in my nursing career.

My husband was extremely supportive, assuring me that if I could believe it, I could achieve it. I was the hardest person to "sell," and his encouraging words helped me believe in myself and my success in this new area of nursing. Once I bought into the concept that attorneys really need our nursing expertise, the sky was the limit. Believing my nursing knowledge is of extreme value to my attorney-clients has allowed my CLNC^® business to thrive and grow to new heights.

– Gina I. Rogers, RN, BSN, CLNC

The theme running through the advice I've received over the years from colleagues, family and friends is, "Be yourself, remember who you are and don't compromise your beliefs for others." While this rule may seem relatively simple to apply, it's easier said than done. Like so many nurses, in my desire to please, I found that my willingness to meet everyone else's needs essentially left me feeling overused and underappreciated.

I started asking myself, "How can I continue to give, but preserve myself?" This question prompted me to ask something deeper: "How can I protect myself and still be 'nice'?" This finally led to a third question: "How can I continue to be 'nice' and protect the proprietary aspects of my CLNC^® business?"

After struggling with these questions for a couple of years, I have grown strong enough to firmly practice the following basic rules:

1. When asked how much you charge, respond firmly, don't waiver and don't be quick to offer a discount.
   
   
2. When asked to provide a budget for an assignment, offer an estimate of the time required. Halfway through the project, provide the client with an update. If the project will exceed the budget, stop work until the client responds. Too often, unexpected complications arise during chart review. Once a client told me the nursing home record consisted of a two-week admission. When I received the records, I found a six-month residency. This changed the review budget considerably.
   
   Don't underbill. If the estimate was 20 hours and the project took 30 hours, don't bill 20 and swallow the rest for the sake of making the client happy. Communicate the reasons for amending the budget and bill the full 30 hours.
   
   
3. Don't commit to performing a CLNC^® service based on limitations created by the client. Explain how a thorough, comprehensive review is performed and why it will provide sufficient information for case development. If the client insists on sending only the portions of the record he thinks you need to review, decline the project.
   
   
4. When negotiating rates, keep the "warm fuzzies" out of your decision making, even when dealing with loyal clients. Remember that they have a business to run, too. Years ago, an attorney-client said to me, "Stop being a nurse." Then, I laughed it off. Now I say, I am a successful CLNC^® and my rate is $100 per hour.
   
   
5. Be open and honest, even when it hurts. When working with subcontractors, offering constructive criticism or suggestions comes with the territory. Don't make excuses if the project is unacceptable. Remember, your reputation is on the line. Offering a work product that is not up to your usual standard and the client's expectations can be detrimental to your business. If a subcontractor cannot accept this, terminate the contract quickly. Spending countless nonbillable hours revising a subcontractor's work, just because you're afraid to hurt your colleague's feelings, is neither smart nor good business. This has been one of the hardest rules to follow.
   
   
6. Don't fall into the trap of listening to gossip created by jealous competitors. Stay focused on business development, growth and innovation. Remember that you can't force the world to understand and accept you.
   
   
7. Choose to find your inner peace and spiritual place, so that you trust your own decisions without compromising yourself or your business.
   
   

Thank you, Vickie, for allowing me to contribute to this valuable CLNC^® support network. Your brilliance and creative business insight, along with your encouragement to look deep inside ourselves, consider our core beliefs and act upon them, mean more to me than you'll ever know. God bless you, Vickie.

– Suzanne E. Arragg, RN, BSN, CDONA/LTC, CLNC

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