Choice Versus Guidance in Business
There seem to be two camps in the world of doing your own thang and being self-employed. One camp, which has overall tendencies for being less woo-woo, proclaims you are powerful, can make powerful choices, shouldn’t follow the herd, need to be an individual. It’s all about making choices and forging your own path. The […]
Finding Freedom in Business
As you may know, I spent last week in a residential study retreat that is part of a Masters of Divinity program in Spiritual Ministry and Sufi Studies. I spent a week with my spiritual teachers and the other students in a remote rural area in northern California, immersed in learning about love. One of […]
The Two Costs of Being Heart-Centered In Business
Being heart-centered, following spirit, connecting to Source seems to be all the rage these days in certain small business circles. And why not? It seems so fun, so nourishing, and it certainly seems to be effective. What gets glossed over are the costs of being heart-centered. You may already be familiar with the pain of […]
Are You Humble and Tender Enough to Have a Niche?
In last week’s opening class to our Momentum Course, I addressed what I call “The Tender Art of Niching.” It’s a funny topic, because it’s at once extremely fundamental to having a successful business, and it is something that nearly everyone struggles with. Everyone. There’s a lot to be said for having a niche, or, […]
Six Sufi Teachings That Give Shelter in the Storm
We all know how many struggles each of us face. Sometimes things are beyond hard, challenging, or dispiriting. I find that in situations like that an insight into the nature of the universe and how things work can help me shift my perspective and gain a toehold to move forward. To honor any struggle you […]
Squishy and Non-Squishy Love in Business
As I write this I’m on day eight of our ten-day family trip, and I’m eating a cookie while the rest of my family naps in the hotel room. In between visiting my family in Maryland, and then visiting our adopted twin sons’ birth family in Ohio, we all spent a lovely short visit in […]
Letting the Silence Master You
Someone wrote me recently, “I wish I could master connecting with the silence.” I hear that. Actually, I hear a lot more than that. I hear the jets constantly passing overhead toward Portland International, I hear traffic outside my window. I hear my kids crying and running on the floor above my basement office. I […]
Why You Have To, Must, Need To Be Effective In Marketing
At 1:10 p.m. I’m standing in line at the post office. I know it’s 1:10 p.m. because my iPhone prayer app lets loose with a resounding call announcing the time for the midday prayer. The three other people in the post office avoid looking at me. Or maybe it doesn’t bother them. I carry the […]
Leaving Money on the Table
“You aren’t helping anyone by leaving money on the table. That means you’re missing getting your message out or that you aren’t making a fair value for your work.” That’s a quote from Lee Stranahan within a comment he left on the Productive Flourishing blog. As someone who grew up in punk rock culture, I […]
When Making a Profit Feels Greedy and Selfish
On the surface it seems absurd. Of course it’s okay to have some money for yourself. It’s okay to take care of yourself. It’s okay to make a profit. And yet when it comes time to actually collect enough money from your clients and customers, you balk. By “enough” I mean an amount that’s actually […]