What’s with the ducks?

This is one of the most frequent questions that I get. I like ducks, okay, is that a good enough answer?

I did not think so. However, I had to name my business something. A vast majority of therapists use their name. I could have named my business James Anacker therapy. However, I did not.

Once I decided to have a business, I decided I wanted a creative name. But, please keep in mind that I did not have to have a business. I could have gone and worked for an agency, hospital, or some other organization.

The story behind the name is the following. In 2018, I was freshly board certified as a counselor. I was getting my associate’s license from the state of Washington. The world was mine, and I felt good to have options. I really only had two options, but for someone who was used to not having any options (former receptionist, comic book store worker, and pizza delivery driver), having some options of where to be employed felt pretty good. For the record, I was somewhat happy in these previous jobs, but I did not make enough money to live well.

Speaking of 2018, I had a one year old child at the time. I really needed decent options to provide for my family to have a middle-class life style. So, here were my two options:

1.  Work for an agency as an ‘employee’

2.  Go work under an established therapist as a ‘contractor’

I was torn. There are many pluses from being an employee, including benefits and sometimes student loan assistance. (Yes, I have student loans). The overall take home pay can be less, but it is comparable when all benefits are considered. 

As an employee, I would not have to administer a business. I would be given a safe and secure location with protocols for working. If the printer jammed, the air conditioner broke, or we were short on clients: it was not really my problem.  (Gosh, as I write this, maybe I should have just been an employee.)

However as a contractor I faced opportunity to make more overall take home money (no benefits), manage my schedule with far more flexibility, and claim my own small part of the world. However if the printer jammed (and oh gosh, the printer has jammed many times)—that was my problem. 

I felt vulnerable as a contractor. I had a one year old child to take care of. There was no guarantee that it would work out. I could incur a massive loss. There would be no regular paychecks. People may think ‘oh poor James, he tried and now he is even more broke.’

I should probably just go and work for someone. I was pretty sure that I would not pursue self-employment. I had tried self-employment (home based ebay selling), and I had not done well.

I was driving down southeast blvd in Spokane, WA and it was a busy traffic day. I was pretty sure that I would pursue employment. My dreams of self-employment could wait. 

Then it happened. In the middle of this metropolitan area busy thoroughfare, traffic in both lanes were stopped. A family of ducks were crossing the road. It was a beautiful spring northwest day. And I thought to myself, wow those ducklings are small. That mother duck is maybe 6 pounds, and the baby ducks are maybe half a pound. Any of these cars would crush these ducks. It was a miracle that traffic on this busy Spokane street even saw these low to the ground creatures.

I thought ‘if these ducks with the brain the size of a peanut, can work together to cross a busy street, and make it—well I have a shot at self-employment.’

I received incredible support in my journey. I worked under a very talented business owner and therapist who hired me as a contractor. Ducks Crossing Counseling was incorporated in 2018, and that is why my business is named after ducks.