How to (finally) make business fun

I’m thinking of Martha (not her real name). She’s 46 years old, and about 15 years ago she had a huge opening in her life. This led to a change of career, and she began learning healing work.

A few years ago she decided she was ready to start her business. And she has felt TERRIBLE ever since.

Not terrible doing the work. When she’s in front of a client she shines.

But all the things she has to do to make the business work weigh on her. When someone seems like they may be interested in her work, she feels nervous about what to say. When someone looks like they could actually become a client, she feels terrible asking for the money.

And every month not enough money comes in through her business, and she just feels crappy about it.

If it sounds like I’m talking about you, it’s because it’s an incredibly common experience. Martha herself may be fictional (she is).

But the situation isn’t.

The Big Question: How can it feel so amazing, like there’s an angelic choir around you, when you are doing the work you are meant to do, and at the same time feel so miserably terrible to make the business work?

The reason is surprisingly simple: people rarely bring love to learning business skills.

Think about it. Whenever you learn something new, doing it can feel terrible. Learning to ride a bike, or drive a car, can feel terrifying. It’s the love of something new that carries you through the scary part, so you practice, you scrape your knee a couple of times, and WHOOSH, you’re riding your bike!

People rarely do this with business skills. Why not?

One reason is that the scariness is way bigger, because one’s survival is dependent on being successful.

A second reasons is that voice, the one telling you that you should already know how do it. It’s just “asking for money.” It’s just, “having a conversation.” It’s just, “Telling someone what you do.”

“You don’t need to learn anything new. You know how to hold a conversation. Just get over it!” These lies of your subconscious help hide the truth: this isn’t just “conversation,” but new skills to learn, with love.

You’re scared, but think you shouldn’t be. You’re overwhelmed by the newness, but don’t think it should feel new.

Riding a bike is FUN! (And so should be business.)

The other day I took our huge 92 pound (42 kilo) dog for a run by getting on my bicycle and coasting down the long gravel road in our ecovillage. I could see Rocky running with his tongue out, and the wind was in my face. That was FUN!

You know what else is fun? Telling a room full of people what you do, and having a bunch of them say, “Oh, that’s me!” or “Oh, I have a friend who should talk to you!”

Or how about going into a conversation with a potential client, and knowing exactly how to hold the conversation. Not a script, but understanding the flow and structure of the conversation, and suddenly you find yourself, effortlessly and easily at the point where the other person says, “When can we get started? How do I pay?”

If that happens over and over again, consistently, then you start to trust yourself. You trust your business. You start to make money. And you are meeting with clients you love, doing the work you’re meant to do.

That’s fun! That’s coasting down a country road with the wind in your face.

Three things

If you’re struggling, there are three suggestions I have.

First, have compassion with yourself. These are skills that you probably haven’t learned before, or haven’t learned in a heart-centered way. Be kind to yourself and don’t expect yourself to be either effective or comfortable with skills you’ve never learned.

Second, let yourself imagine the fun! It can be easy to get stuck in a doom-and-gloom scenario. One thing humans do is to assume that however it is *right now* is how it will always be. Instead of getting stuck there, imagine fun! Let there be the possibility that things could change, in a big way.

Third, commit to learning. When you were young, learning to ride a bike might have seemed terrifying and really hard, but you did it! (Or, if not the bicycle, something like it.) Learning business skills, especially learning them in a heart-centered way, is absolutely possible. We see this ALL the time with our clients.

One place to start is with our free Readiness Assessment , so you can figure out what your business actually needs to make it fun.

I want to see you coasting downhill on your business, with the wind in your face, plenty of money in your bank account, doing work that really makes a difference for people. Having fun!

With love,

Mark Silver
Heart of Business, Inc.
Every act of business can be an act of love

P.S. Our F1: Clients & Money program is where most people start, learning the basics that make the biggest immediate difference in having fun, bringing in clients, and making more money. You *can* feel really good in getting clients and making money.

We start the first Monday of every month. Register now, and you start the next Monday.

Check it out and ask any questions: Clients & Money