John Harrison joined us to discuss his amazing new development, the True Calling Project. The stories of those interviewed are revealed, and not just their journeys towards their profession, but their true passion, and all that emerged from it in their lives.
Before jumping into that, we asked John what led him into his business now of being a therapist. He opened up by stating that his life consisted of short term plans and visions instead of long term. He pictured joining the military after college, already knowing that it would not be his lifelong career. John started taking a few classes in Sociology and Psychology in college that he absolutely loved, but since he was already nearly done with his degree in Forestry, he made the decision to continue with his plan for the army. He was able to incorporate his love of working with people, team building, and working one on one in this field – something that nudged him towards counseling. After eight years in the army as an officer, he moved to New York to take a company job. Finally, at the age of thirty-two he went to graduate school for…guess what? A counseling degree.
“So, what led to the True Calling Project John?”
John assumed counselors went into agency work, didn’t get lofty pay, but truly loved what they did. He was hired by a VA Hospital shortly after graduate school, but still feeling unfulfilled, he began playing with the idea of going into private practice.
He began asking the question, “why am I doing the things I’m doing and how are they serving myself and others?”
John saw a lot of “how to’s” on building a private practice business, but not a lot of “why’s”. The idea was struck in him – what if he interviewed people and saw why they were successful, in terms of how they’re having their energy, soul, and creativity embedded in their work? And by John finding out his “why”, it has helped others find out their own “why”.
“When you’re looking at the destination and only that, and you hit those points, you’ll look for the next destination to achieve”.
The satisfaction still wasn’t there in his job, and John realized he wasn’t serving himself and his inner workings. He wanted his authentic self to shine through. He went on to describe, “Society wants real at all costs. People want to be seen and want to see other people be their true selves”.
Psst! Check out Kat Love’s interview with John that goes in depth on this intriguing and inspiring subject.
After finally making the plunge into private practice, John’s first year was great.
“John, what is the best advice you have ever received that relates to being in business, or being an entrepreneur?”
When John transitioned from the VA to private practice, he took on the job full time, but felt as if he was treating it more like a hobby. He reminded us how important it is to be accountable to yourself as the CEO or boss, even when you are the leader of your business. Once he made that shift, he began to see a change in his practice.
John also wanted us to remember to not get too tied up in the accomplishments. These are good indicators, but it isn’t what is going to bring us satisfaction. To find stability we must go back to something within, processing your thinking on a daily basis and allowing the process of self-introspection. Come back to yourself and center yourself.
“In your True Calling Project, who are you interviewing, and what is happening on those interviews?”
As of now, John has predominantly filled the schedule with therapists, although some guests do have different vocations in order for his audience to get a full glimpse of the world of therapy. He has been reaching out to people that he knows are “in touch” as they can be and are good at showing that to the audience.
John wants his audience to be inspired knowing that there is something within us that is wanting to be fully expressed. There is something that we can do with that inner calling – lean into the possibilities, and don't be afraid of failing.
“What are some things you’re learning about how people have found out their true calling or their process of getting to where they are?”
John communicated to us his curiosity with how the people on the True Calling Project verbalize what drives them. Around 20-30% of the interviews are practical advice, but the majority consists of exploring what made them dive into this line of work. He’s beginning to become more passionate learning about therapy than he has in a while and connecting people on a different level.
We asked John one thing he wants our listeners to get from the podcast today:
“Get curious about your potential. How can you let yourself show up in the most present way possible?”
John’s giveaway this week is access to his interviews on his Facebook page, or website! Check these out, you will not regret it.
Check out the Show Notes page to see the two amazing books John recommends as well!
CLICK HERE to listen to John’s podcast, and be sure to check out his recommendations! Assure you subscribe so you can stay in the loop of ALL the podcasts we release. The Private Practice Startup would also be super grateful if you could rate and review our podcasts. Thanks again for allowing us to Inspire YOU from Startup to Mastery!
~Dr. Kate, Katie & The Private Practice Startup Team