Breaking out of my comfort

I’m a true introvert. In school, I dreaded presenting reports, reading out loud, or even speaking in class. The anxiety would start the night before and was so intense it literally caused hives.

Now, as a new patient advocate working to grow my business and clientele, I’m realizing how important it is to network with agencies, provider offices, and fellow patient advocates. I’m also learning that I don’t know everything about advocacy — there are complex cases and rare diseases that, even after almost 20 years as a nurse, I’ve never encountered.

What matters most to me is helping my clients, and sometimes that means referring them to another advocate who has the right expertise. To do that, I’ve had to step outside of my comfort zone and break out of my bubble.

One thing I want new advocates to understand is this: there is no competition in patient advocacy. We all bring different strengths, experiences, and knowledge to the table. Lean on your peers. Reach out to other advocates. Collaborate. At the end of the day, we are truly in the business of helping our clients, and together we can make an even greater impact.