“There is a swamp in the mountain, and a mountain in the swamp.” – Japanese Koan
Over the years, this koan has remained one of my favorite bits of poetics that informs my business and life. Born on the edge of the Okefenokee Swamp, and now living in western North Carolina, I’ve always interpreted the meaning to be akin to the idea that we carry within us the treasured experiences of each place we’ve lived. Today, however, I see there is another meaning: that within every ending, there is a new beginning, and a new beginning in every ending.
Sherri L. McLendon
Finding our calling and the work we’re meant to do takes practice, and not just following the dotted lines to get the outline just so. It takes a Practice, an intentional way of showing up with the sacred part of ourselves and allowing it expression in the world. The part of us that cannot be duplicated is the key to our wholeness, our uniqueness, and the creation of our business and personal brand.
In a heart-centered business created from the feminine, our uniqueness emerges as distinctively as our fingerprints, and as strong as our spirits. To get from that unrewarding day job into building the business of your dreams, here’s what I recommend:
1. Date Yourself
Once each week, make a date with yourself to do something different that lifts your spirit and expands your idea of what’s possible.
2. Express Your Truth
Whether in a blog post, photo essay, or journal, begin to develop your personal voice, and listen to what it has to say.
3. Whip It Good
If you’re a heart-centered or wholistic professional in WNC, put this on your networking calendar: the second Monday, 3 p.m. “Meetup” of the Asheville Area Wholistic and Integrative Professionals, or AAWIP. Tell Michelle Payton I sent you, and reserve your space in advance. The room always fills, and you don’t want to miss it.
4. Acquire New Skills
Learning curves can slow us down when we’re figuring out what to do. Opt for simple and effective over complicated and expensive, whether we’re talking about opening a Blogger account or social media posting. Just remember to make each expression of your identity online flow into the next using links, tags, and automatic posting options.
5. Release Fear
Don’t be afraid to mess up, because the only way to mess up is by not taking the actions needed to improve and grow.
6. Cobble Until You Can Hobble
Piecing together the resources you need to learn and grow can be difficult, but women starting a business on a shoestring may need to commit to ‘freemium’ resources until their business is limping along steadily. In addition to scouring the web, you can find free resources from me and Professional Moneta at womenspiritandmoney.biz. I also suggest you explore the WNC Woman Life is Mastery series at a fabulous value.
7. Build a Personal Brand
When you strip away your job, who are you really? The best version of your true self is the person you want running your business and interacting with your clients. She’s the face and voice of your brand. Invest in yourself consciously and with an eye to the future.
8. Diversify the Way You Earn
Multiple income streams created by the ways and means you choose to express your passion through your business are more reliable than putting all your eggs into one basket.
9. Invest for Success
If you choose to tap into your retirement, inheritance, mutual fund, or other assets, please, please, please make certain that the money is an investment in your future earning potential. Spending money on free and barter ‘opportunities’ won’t grow anything except a deficit.
10. Respect Ebb and Flow
In business, as in nature, there is a cycle to things, an ebb and flow of energetic exchange. To grow our businesses, it’s not always necessary to predict how relationships and projects will end. We just need to know the next step. But sometimes, it’s time to release those things, even those we love, when their natural cycle is complete.
Recognizing what it feels like when something feels complete or needs to be released can be difficult – especially if we’ve been happy, felt loved, or received reward or gratitude for our efforts. That ability takes a kind of wisdom I am only coming to understand and to know.
That’s why this conversation about the beginning of the journey toward heart-centered steps for woman entrepreneurs marks the closure of this time as a ‘Women, Spirit and Money’ columnist for WNC Woman Magazine. Ours is a relationship I have enjoyed immensely, and which has endured the tests of time and the challenges of life-changing events. To Sandi, Sandra Grace, and each of you, I remain grateful for these opportunities to learn and grow together toward abundance, with more than enough for us all.
So be it.
Sherri L. McLendon, M.A., is a recognized feminine business leader, lead content strategist, and marketing public relations consultant with Professional Moneta International. Learn more about her conscious business coaching at www.womenspiritandmoney.biz.
