My very first date as a provider was in January. It was close to my birthday, so right around this time actually. There have been lots of shifts in my model of business. It evolves with me, to suit my life and to help me focus on the fun parts of the job (that’s you!) I’ve learned to streamline (as much as I can) the office work and other parts so the best dates seem to happen by magic: a lovely email with all info included, his requested date matches my calendar, we exchange a few text or a quick phone call, all done! Now we can invest this energy into face to face session.
Every year I take most of January to contemplate what I want to shift, what I want to stay. A few years ago, I was living from hotel to hotel. I had a lot more availability….sometimes I *was* just sitting around in my underwear waiting for a call! And while it was the busiest time of my life, it was also the most costly and wore me down. I am still shifting away from this model, working fewer days at a time.
Another shift is taking place. I’ve moved away from the Bay and only visit each city a few days a month. I want to encourage pre-booking dates—but *only* from serious suitors. I’ve had, in the past, problem with potential clients pre-booking & then cancelling last minute. I lose money when this happens now. There is no waiting list of clients, and I am happy with my low volume model currently. My best dates are always the longer ones—we start with a glass of wine & some conversation, taking our time with each other. Savoring the experience.
Okay, that’s a lot of talk about shifting but what exactly am I changing? Great question, I’m trying to figure out just that. I will be shifting my rates a bit to incentivize longer dates, and planning my tour dates out several months in advance. These dates will *not* be in stone—I will need a few brave men to schedule & pay a deposit for their date to make sure my costs are covered (And they will be *handsomely rewarded* for their bravery!)
I hope to come back to my blog and begin writing every day again. It’s something that I enjoy once I convince my “monkey mind” to sit down and just try for a bit.
Thank you for the encouragement, you know who you are!