MFA, CHT
Hello! This is Jan Probst and I'm glad you have stopped by my website. I hope you find the content to be useful in your search. Since the internet can feel impersonal,
I would like to tell you a bit about myself. Before becoming an internet entrepreneur,
I traveled many roads. Below is the short version of a few of them.
Off the Starting Block!
Born and raised in a small town in Indiana, I attended college at Valparaiso University, where I graduated with
a BA in Psychology. Having grown up in a small farming community, I was eager to live in a big city and have an "urban experience."
After graduation I moved to Chicago, and joined the social services department of a neighborhood childcare center. There were no fewer than seven languages spoken among the 150 families served
by the center.I thoroughly enjoyed the multicultural environment of both my job and the Windy City, and took full advantage of the rich Chicago arts scene. And yet, I knew something was missing. One summer I piled into a van with some friends, and headed west for what was to be a month's vacation. I soon found myself in California,
with a backpack, a guitar, and the dream of
a new life. I have remained in my adopted state ever since, having made my home in the San Francisco bay area for more than three decades. While always a Hoosier at heart, I enjoy the diversity and opportunity afforded by the Golden State. But that was just the beginning.
Many Hats
Having relocated to California, quite innocently one day, I became
a founding member of a women's theater collective. Always interested in the arts, I jumped at the chance to explore the stage with a group of talented women.
While my time with that theater group was short-lived, my love of the dramatic arts was not. Acting and playwriting became a central part of my life. I graduated from a professional acting program and then as a playwright earned an MFA in Creative Writing from San Francisco State University.At almost the same time that I became involved in theater, I began to explore martial arts. After having studied and trained in 3 different styles,
I earned my black belt in Kajukenbo in 1988.
Throughout this time, I was using hypnotherapy as a means of accessing my creative voice, both through my writing and on stage. Wanting to go deeper, I then chose to study this healing art, and became a practitioner as a Certified Hypnotherapist (CHT).
Always interested in the use of energy, its direction and its power, I then studied energy therapies, and became a Reiki Master. I needed to find a way to fit it all together.
By Day and By Night
In order to pay the bills and carve out a life for myself, I did what many artists in this country do:
I got a day job. I sought training in graphics and began a long and fruitful relationship with the commercial printing industry. By day I wrestled with fonts and images, while by night I headed off
to the dojo or the stage. Always surrounded by the loving support of friends and family, I was blessed with a rich and busy life. This worked well for many years. And then it began to unravel.
Finding the Right Mix
I was growing older, and this way of life was taking its toll. The printing industry was in decline, and wages had not kept up with the cost of living. I had many skills that were not being put to good use. Eager for a change, I began to look for ways to simplify my life. I wanted to take control, and that entrepreneurial spirit began tugging at my sleeve. Several years before, I had a small hypnotherapy practice. After some refresher courses, I decided to reopen my practice. I began considering other options as well, and it was at this same time that
Network Marketing
first crossed my path. While open to the idea, I was new to the field and didn't really know what it was all about. I remembered a man who used to knock on our door when I was a kid.
He carried this big case of hairbrushes and would sit in the living room telling my mother about the values and virtues of each model. I couldn't see myself doing that, and hoped that wasn't what it was all about. I began to investigate the network marketing industry. What I found were many good, solid companies with high quality products offered at wholesale prices. Distributors were all given the same opportunity for advancement, often with generous compensation plans. I found the promise of a flexible lifestyle with ample residual income to be very appealing. I signed up.
Although I did generate some income, things were not as good as I had hoped. The products were superb, yet it was a struggle to find people who actually wanted what I had to offer. This just wasn’t working for me. I was beginning to feel like the hairbrush dude. Something was missing. With products this good, there had to be a better way of going about it. So I did what any good twenty-first century seeker of information does:
I went straight to the internet.
Win-Win Feels Really Good
In my search I discovered the wonderful world of
Attraction Marketing.
I began to read anything and everything I could about how it was being put to use on the Internet.I attended webinars and studied what others were doing. I read ebooks on attraction marketing. I visited websites and blogs promoting the concept. At the center of it all I discovered the idea of providing solutions: • Someone has a problem and is on the Internet looking for a solution. • You have something to offer as a solution, posted on the Internet. • They find you through your posting (article, website, blog). • If your solution is a good fit for their problem. . . Voilá! You both win. Now this was right up my alley. Quickly it became apparent that I could leverage what I already know,
and combined with some new skills, a successful Internet-based home business was well within my reach. What a relief! I got busy and soon launched my home business. While network marketing has remained a part of what I do, it's just one piece of a multi-faceted puzzle. I take to heart the advice of creating multiple income streams, and continue to diversify. I use the skills already in my pocket and enjoy learning new ones. It's a brave new world that I'm happy to embrace.
Same Hats, Different Outfit
Here is how I have translated and applied my knowledge and experience
to my Internet-based home business. Psychology: Useful in the study of human behavior known as marketing. Martial Arts: This training taught me focus and discipline, as well as teaching and leadership skills. Hypnotherapy: Mindset and clarity of purpose. Creative Writing: Self-expression, marketing, communication. Graphics: No special skills required! I'm happy to stick to the basics. Heritage: Midwesterners are some of the friendliest people on the planet. Very useful for networking. All business is based on relationships. Life: When to say no and when to say go. Aging indeed has its perks.
No doubt you too have many skills to bring to the table as you launch your own home business.
Ready to get started? Contact me for a
free consultation.
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