babysitter would (or a cool aunt or uncle)! Rent a movie, eat pizza, stay up late, build a fort, and soak it all in. These tiny tweaks in the relationship can put you on a whole new trajectory for what’s possible. And I know in the day to day of life, parents value these little tools, suggestions, and reminders along the way. And yet, despite how much I knew in my head and wanted to share from my heart, as a 32-year-old finishing school, I wasn’t sure where to turn. I knew my place wasn’t as a midwife, or in a clinician’s office, or in a school. I moved back to Austin, TX, and I was struggling to finish my dissertation, find work, and live a life I was only grasping at. I’ll be honest - I got caught up in worry. I stopped appreciating my life and the prosperity inside it. I created challenges where they didn’t exist and I began to doubt myself.
I was at a crossroads. I wasn’t sure where to go, or what to do. My savings was dwindling and I had no work prospects. I knew I wanted to work with families, but I didn’t know how or in what context. It all seemed possible, and it felt daunting. When I’d meet with possible families, I would get anxious around pricing and nervous about charging too little or charging too much. This wasn’t my realm - I was focused on humans. Then a friend suggested that I reach out to a mentor, and the price they quoted shocked me. That’s when I realized - if I’m going to ask people to invest in my wisdom, I have to know what that experience is like. I have to dive in as a client. I am not overstating this fact when I invested in my growth, others began investing in me, and everything shifted. 16 • Hat Trick Magazine • hattrickstrategies.com