It’s no secret that when I started this website back in 2012 I had no idea what I was doing. I’d been to some courses and knew the nuts and bolts of putting together a website. I knew that I would need to install Google Analytics, do keyword research and have an email system.

I knew that I had a message to share. I knew that I wanted those coming into the health industry to make the right decision for them and get into a career that they enjoy. I knew that being a health practitioner is challenging and that we need to continually grow both personally and professionally to have successful and fulfilling careers.

I knew that I would need to get out and about and meet a lot of people in the careers and education spaces and present a range of perspectives on what’s happening in health.

And that’s about it.

I’d been to probably hundreds of different seminars over the years on things like “personal growth” and “success” and “making money” and “breaking through”. But the thing was, none of it ever seemed to “gel”.

In 2016 I spent a lot of time clearing out old ways of thinking. I had to “unlearn” all of that “success” stuff I’d been exposed to and for the first time, I really started to look at what was important to me.

By early 2017 I knew that I wasn’t yet in the headspace to dive right in as I had a lot more “unlearning” to do, but I knew that I’d created enough space to start to learn new things.

So in January and February 2017 I went to introductory seminars by 3 different business coaches with a view to joining a program. I wasn’t entirely sure what I was looking for, but I knew that I would “know it when I saw it”. I had been to either introductory or paid seminars with each of the 3 coaches before, so did have some background with each prospective coach.

Seminar one:

• I realised that I really didn’t gel with this presenter because there was something about their way of being that just seemed to rub me the wrong way – it was all the little derogatory comments they’d make that just didn’t sit well
• I also didn’t like how their “program” was actually a series of different programs on all sorts of things; from property to shares to business; it didn’t seem focused enough to me
• I was one of about 30 people (out of about 200) who stayed until the very end of the second day; it was as though I was waiting for the presenter to say something that would convince me to join his program, but it just never came

Seminar two:

• I really, really didn’t gel with this seminar presenter, to the point where when I turned around at the networking event and we were literally then facing one another, I instinctively took a step backward because I could feel that there was something “off” about his energy
• While there is no doubt that their content was good, I felt that the vibe here was to make more money at the expense of everything else, and this does not fit with what I’m wanting to do
• I felt that there was a lot of “striving” to be “successful” according to society’s definition of “success” here, and that didn’t gel with me at a time when I was starting to seriously look at what success is to me
• My energy level plummeted during this two day event

Seminar three:

• I had gone to seminars by this presenter quite a few times previously, and saw that he had changed from being a bit of a “punk kid” with loads of potential to someone who was actually realising his potential; as well as having some serious runs on the board, he was now working towards even bigger goals to impact more people
• I noticed that there were some long term staff on this presenter’s team and could see how well they were working together
• I realised what a brilliant program they had, and that I would be able to learn from literally hundreds of business owners and consultants who had spoken at every conference they’d ever run because I would have access to the videos of every single talk via their website
• I could see the attention to detail in every aspect of the event and that the presenter genuinely knew he has a great capacity both personally and via his organisation to deliver a quality education experience
• It was noticeable that my energy lifted but simultaneously had this wonderful sense of balance (as in not just over-excited and hyped up) when I was in this room

So now that I’ve just finished my first 12 months of the education program, and registered again for another year, I can say that it was an excellent decision. I will be continuing at least for the next 2 years. The 4 conferences a year feel like a family reunion of 300 people. There is such a great vibe, which makes it a fantastic environment to learn in. The quality of the education itself has far surpassed my expectations, and the main coach / presenter is able to help all the business owners look within ourselves to our “why” and match that up with what we’re doing. It’s a very powerful space to be in.

Looking back at how I made my decision:

• I looked at the coach and saw that yes, they are living their life in a way that is aligned with my values
• I looked at whether I thought I would be able to work with the support team in the organisation
• I used my intuition and looked at the nature of my energy when I was in each room
• I looked at which program would be most beneficial in terms of its mode of delivery; I have a consultant who I can call any time during business hours, I can watch the video recordings of all the talks from the previous conferences 24/7, and I get to be in a room with like-minded people 4 times a year
• I realised that I would have access to many different coaches and specialists within this program which would give me a much greater depth of knowledge than I would have if I went and hired a more traditional “business coach”.

Amanda Griffiths is the founder of My Health Career. Since starting the website she has been an invited speaker for organisations including the Career Development Association of Australia and Career Education Association of Victoria, myfuture, and the Master of Ceremonies at the HealthFusion Team Challenge. She graduated from her optometry degree with first class honours in 2003, and spent two years as a part-time clinical supervisor of optometry students in a university setting. Amanda has worked as an optometrist in full time, part time and locum roles that have stretched from far north Queensland to Tasmania and Western Australia.

More articles on My Health Career:

• Data breach with your patient records? Are you fulfilling your new legal obligations?
• What Makes a Good Psychologist? Advice for Psychology Student
• Loving your company culture – by Amanda Griffiths, founder MHC