Global Entrepreneurship Week: Should You Build Your Empire Online?

Someone recently asked me a business-related question which instantly struck me as an awesome topic for one of my Global Entrepreneurship Week blog posts. I know that many people who find themselves called to be in service with their spiritual gifts struggle with this particular topic, so let's get stuck in!

Question: 'I am at the early stage of my Tarot career and all my work so far has been, with one exception, face-to-face and mainly with friends. It seems as though if I'm going to make a go of this as a business (focused on personal spiritual development/life coaching) I need to begin working online. However I'm not sure if this is the vibe or connection I want to create. I'm sure there are pros and cons to this..'

Answer: The first thing that strikes me about this question is your use of language. You're not sure if an online business is the 'vibe or connection' you want to create. It might be time to work out if you have certain preconceived notions about the online business/consumer experience. Maybe you feel that it has serious limitations, that it wouldn't permit you to let your authentic self shine through or that it just doesn't offer the degree of contact which you deem appropriate for the services you want to offer. There's nothing necessarily wrong with these beliefs. Many people refrain from doing online business for these reasons. But I would encourage you to probe and question any beliefs of this nature before committing to them. Maybe you just haven't given yourself a chance to see if your ideas stand up to scrutiny.

If you decide that you're open to the idea of working online, the next advisable step is to do some test readings. This is where you really get to solidify your ideas, experimenting and taking the process for a spin. You might like to try visiting the exchanges forum on Aeclectic Tarot and offering to do a few free readings for feedback. Alternatively, if you're on social media, you can offer a reading to an acquaintance or ask your friends to ask their friends if they'd like a free reading via email. Let them know that the reading is free of charge but that you are interested to know what their thoughts and responses are. (There are also some Facebook pages run by groups of people who offer short, free readings. You might like to try this avenue.)

As you are working on the readings and after you've sent them, check in with how you're feeling. Find out if you actually enjoy the process and feel that you're able to convey the messages of the cards clearly. The feedback from querents may also be a vital tool in determining whether or not the online process is for you.

I would then recommend asking people about their experiences with giving or receiving readings online. Talk to online readers to find out what they like and don't like so much about the process. Ask them why they work online. Talk to people who have employed an online reader. Talk to those who have received online and face-to-face readings; they can talk to you about how the experiences differ and what their overriding impressions have been. Remember that many online Tarot readers have testimonials from clients which you can check out. Testimonials offer plenty of evidence that people benefit hugely from online Tarot readings and they also dispel the myth that distance readings aren't worth their salt. (Of course, it's still important to work out how you feel about giving online readings and services. But looking at glowing testimonials may at least enable you to see how possible it really is to support someone profoundly via the magical power of the internet.)

I'd recommend getting real about the fact that giving online readings does differ from face-to-face readings in a number of ways. They are just different animals. For example, when you do a Skype reading, you need to hold up the cards so that the client can see them. When you work on an email reading, you can take your time when composing your response. You can pause, stretch your legs or sip a cup of tea, whereas face-to-face readings involve instantly communicating your ideas with no drawn out pauses. Email readings do not involve immediate and ongoing dialogue. You work from the client's notes but you cannot verify anything with them or ask them any additional questions 'in the moment'. These are just a few examples of the inherent differences. I also want to mention energetic connection; some readers feel that they connect and 'tune into the energies' of the querent differently depending on the method of contact. (I personally don't experience any difference, but many readers do. For example, the omission of the querent's body language and non-verbal responses during email readings means that some readers need to 'tune in' via a third eye activation or something similar.)

Once you've accepted the fact that these differences exist, you can work out which strengths you need to bring to online work and which to bring to face-to-face work. It's simple. Many readers offer their services face-to-face and online. They find that they just need to slip into a slightly different 'mode' for each so that they are really bringing their A-game.

You mentioned that it's become clear that you need to go online if you really want to make a go of your business. Whilst it's undeniable that you can reach a much larger audience online, I would urge you not to do something you're fundamentally uncomfortable with. Some people make a nice living reading exclusively for face-to-face clients, particularly if they also have other skills such as reiki, astrology guidance etcetera. I know a woman who's worked in a New Age shop for almost a decade and makes a good livelihood. She also gets involved with local festivals, hosts private parties and teaches Tarot to workshop groups but has never maintained an online presence and insists that she's not interested in doing so. It's possible.

But yes, the online scene is thriving right now and many people who can't find a suitable reader in close proximity hugely appreciate being able to source someone on the internet. Gone are the days when we needed to settle for connections which could take place on our home turf. This Tarot thing has been blown wide open! It's exciting and wondrous! If you can be a part of it, you should. But if it doesn't vibe with you, don't do it. You want your business to come from an authentic place and be truly enjoyable for you. If, deep down, you know that working online doesn't tickle your fancy, be honest with yourself about that and then consider other avenues for marketing your skills and getting the word out.

Another thing I need to point out is that the vast majority of Tarot readers who only offer face-to-face consultations still maintain a web presence. It makes sense. When someone receives a word of mouth recommendation, it often seems logical to tap the name into a search engine and find out more. Showing what you know and who you are online is therefore still worth doing although it won't be as integral to your business plan. You could even take advanced payments from people in your area online. Your booking system could be organised using a simple free platform.

Let me impart something else to you before I wrap this up.

One thing I love about the online business experience is that I can be very clear about what I offer and what my approach is like. Many people with only a basic understanding of Tarot are still stuck with a rigid, old-fashioned view of it. They think it's about predicting the future. They are not aware that Tarot has moved on in leaps and bounds, that it's often combined with counselling techniques these days and that it is used to help people design their future rather than discover its pre-written form.. I don't encounter these problems and I don't have to consistently explain my approach to every new client or prospect who comes along. The people who purchase my readings are already very aware of how I use the tool and this avoids confusion and enables me to connect with clients who can truly benefit from my services. For me, this is the reason that I actually prefer conducting readings online these days. Something to think about..

I hope this has been helpful!

Much love

X

Global Entrepreneurship Week: A Big Juicy Profound Shift

Sometimes, you just know. You know what I mean?

Don't ignore that stuff in business. Your intuition is your faithful Sat Nav.

And sometimes you may feel as though the signposts are everywhere, offering up all these possibilities, guiding you lovingly. You can see them in your peripheral vision. But you're keeping your eyes so locked onto the stretch of road in front of you that you don't even have time to consider where you'd really like to go. You're just driving.

Some people feel seriously weird about going against the business advice of gurus and experts. Some people convince themselves to shut off the sound of their inner voice which has been knocking at the door of their rational mind for months on end. Some people, against all the odds, manage to step over their own hearts in business and keep doing something just because they feel like they should. I want this blog post to be about reading the rule book and then throwing it out of the window. Sometimes you can see the logical reason for a solid piece of business advice, you can appreciate why it has been embraced by entrepreneurs everywhere, and yet.. and yet..

It's just not right for you.

It's ok to own that. It's ok to face it. It's ok to realise that your individual take on things actually bolsters your brand.

I was hanging out with my amazing heart-centred business group once and lamenting the fact that I was struggling to find the impetus to write my newsletter every month. I couldn't work out why the desire wasn't there and why resistance would set in whenever I tried to compose something to be sent to the increasing list of people who had invited me into their inboxes. I knew that there were certain mindsets I had to deal with, certain narrow perspectives I needed to overcome.. I wanted to define exactly what my newsletters should include. I wanted to work out my angle. I wanted to be sure about what kind of themes were appropriate. I wanted to understand which material to put into my blogs/videos and which to send to my newsletter subscribers exclusively. I was in a bit of a pickle.

Then, a wonderful woman responded to me. Her question was blunt and beautiful - straight to the heart of it. She asked me why I needed to write a newsletter every month.

I sat with the question for a while. I realised that my answer was, 'Because it's the industry standard.. It's what most business owners do in my sector.. It's what the experts recommend..' 

All of these reasons suddenly seemed so hollow and alien to me. I had taken my own autonomy for granted by seemingly giving it up, surrendering it to articles about how I should do things and what was required and what was normal and what was expected..

The wonderful woman suggested that I try a novel idea. She said, to summarise, how about you stop trying to force it and wait until there's something you truly want to send? I'd rather receive one newsletter a year full of incredible insights and fiery wisdom than a monthly newsletter that you had to force yourself to write.

Big juicy profound shift + instant connection to my heart centre + simplicity in the midst of complexity.

Yes yes yes.

This is how I want to do it. 

So, I suppose more than anything, I want to ask you to ask yourself why you simply must to do something.

Do the answers stand up under scrutiny? Or do they offer you the delicious realisation that you have handed your business over to someone else?

If so, take it back.

x

Global Entrepreneurship Week: Troubleshooting Ten Common Dilemmas for Spiritual Biz Owners

A couple of weeks ago when I first decided to write blog posts for Global Entrepreneurship Week, I started thinking seriously about my own business journey - the ups, the downs and the weird little cul-de-sacs along the way. I have learned so many lessons and yet I still feel like a complete novice. I think that's pretty much the healthiest mindset there is in business - embrace what you know, don't downplay it, but recognise that there's so much more to get your head around and be humble about that.

I have found that the most interesting thing about the spiritual/metaphysical side of the street in business is that many of our concerns are exclusive to our particular crowd in many ways. This creates an amazing hotbed of dialogue and debate! So many heart-centred biz owners are chiming in with their thoughts about the issues which affect those who want their spiritual interests and their livelihood to meet in the middle. We often talk about how to approach marketing and promotion so that we are matching up with those who resonate rather than forcing our products and services onto those who don't. We talk about creating strong, sacred connections. We talk about the guilt and weirdness associated with money. We talk about how we can approach the current value system, with all its shitty associations and corrupt devotees, in a spiritual and down-to-earth way. We talk about being authentic in business. We talk about the beauty of collaboration, the icky nature of competition and how we're basically stronger together.

It's always lovely to see that people are willing to be honest about their issues as spiritual business owners, and even lovelier to see that those who have been on the war path for a while are willing to share their advice on how to deal with things.

I hope that you will consider this blog post to be a contribution to that dialogue from somewhat of an old business battleaxe (who still feels like she's taking her first steps).

So, here are ten of the most persistent and common dilemmas for spiritual entrepreneurs and how to troubleshoot them with the utmost grace..

1. 'I don't relate to all this advice about "hard selling", "closing the deal" and "refusing to take no for an answer". That's not the kind of business I want to run!' 
It's not the kind of business I want to run either! If you're new to entrepreneurship, swimming in a sea of sales speak and finding it difficult to see where you fit into it all, you are undoubtedly in the wrong place! There are so many heart-centred bloggers, coaches, business owners and mentors writing and speaking about how to hustle from the heart and you should be paying attention to them!

One thing I occasionally love to do is listen to a Daniel LaPorte interview whilst getting ready in the morning or scroll through Tara Gentile's blog before I go to sleep. These women have a fresh take on so many things and I often feel as though they're speaking to me directly, taking my spiritual approach into account. Cerries from The Brand Alchemist even uses archetypes to help you improve your approach to branding for your biz! (You can take the test here.) I also love to spend time with fellow heart-centred business types in our private Facebook group. No one talks about hard selling techniques and everyone has a business which aligns with their passions and principles, so it's the perfect place to start a meaningful conversation and get some useful feedback. Feel free to join us, by the way.

2. 'Networking seems so inauthentic. I'm just leaving comments underneath people's content in order to get noticed. How is that a reflection of my authentic self?' 
If you don't love networking, you're probably doing it wrong! The first thing to do is ensure that you're only engaging with people whose business/content/outlook reflects or compliment yours in some way. This is fairly obvious as a networking strategy since you're more likely to receive collaboration, mutual appreciation and discussion from those peeps. But it's also a sure-fire way to ensure that you don't die of boredom when you're reading through blogs or watching videos. Don't convince yourself that networking is about casting the net as wide as you possibly can. It's not! It's about being a treasure hunter, a talent scout, a curious explorer.. Find the people who seem to vibe with you and then check out what those people like and then check out who they're following and then go from there and see who those people appreciate. You're looking for your playmates. Don't forget that! When you approach the process this way, how could it be anything but authentic?

Every time you leave a comment for someone, think about how wonderful you feel when you receive interaction and feedback. You are paying that lovely stuff forward when you show up for someone else in the same way. Think of yourself as a fairy, sprinkling shimmering fairy dust all over the interwebs! Networking is friendly, communicative, inspiring.. Sure, 'networking' is an ugly term for it. Try using a different one. I like to call it 'going hunting'. Just hunting for treasure out there in cyberspace, discovering some new Tarot tigress with a fresh perspective or talking to a magical group of people about their favourite archetypes. It's an adventure!

(I also want to mention this because it's more important than you think: If you take your business seriously, try taking networking a little more seriously and you'll see hugely positive results. If you're in your first year of entrepreneurial business, might I suggest scheduling regular time into your week for networking? Don't treat it as that thing you sometimes do for a while in the evenings if you have time. Treat it as a vital part of the process.)

3. 'I have an important message to put out into the world and I feel like no one's listening. My business comes from the heart - how can I get it into other people's hearts too?' 
I hear you loud and clear. Here's a few things you can try. Firstly, think about the story behind your business and whether or not you're really telling that story. There's a story behind everything and many people connect to their heart centres through the power of stories. Truth! I am the centre of my business. Everything within it comes from me, therefore I need to be prepared to give people a slice of who I am. Many people are vividly aware of how and why my business came into being because I told them. I also choose the stories which reflect the passion within me and connect with the passions inside other people. I blog about heartbreak, make videos about shadow work and post statuses about self-love because those things have saved my life and I know that they can save and enrich other people's lives too. Gala Darling recently said that she thinks it's important to tell other people about the things which have helped you to get through something. It's like sharing vital information. Are you doing that? How can you do that more?

Write down the story of your business from start to finish. Who were you at its inception? Why did it come into being? What were your intentions at the start? How have your ideas changed? How has the dream expanded, deepened or shifted in unexpected ways? What qualifies you to be the one sole person on the planet who can develop this business and make it fly? How are your business and your identity really linked? Write down the key stories of the life experiences, triumphs and disasters which have brought you to this point. Write about why they matter. Write about how they have shaped you and how they now influence what you choose to put out into the world.

Seriously, get as clear as you can on this stuff.

Next up, are you appreciating what you are doing, the impact you are having and the people you are reaching right now? I understand that you have big, fluffy dreams and that's absolutely fine. But if someone leaves you a comment, writes you an email or purchases something from you, be present with that rather than daydreaming about that point in the future when you'll have a five figure annual income and an assistant to deal with your inbox. Your dreams are gorgeous but the present is handing something just as gorgeous to you and you're missing it!

Finally, are you good enough at conveying your passion and imparting your knowledge? Be honest with yourself about this. Read back over your blog or watch a few of your videos. Are you feeling it? Are you inspired? If not, is it likely that other people are going to be?

4. 'I find myself envying other business owners in my sector or comparing myself to them in a negative way. Help!' 
Your envy is a reflection of your awareness of your own abilities. You see a successful spiritual business powerhouse inside of you. Your envy of those who have managed to manifest theirs is the sign that you really want to unleash yours! Take that straight to your heart and sit with it for a while. Then I would suggest that you do some serious journalling. Get to the bottom of that envy, dissect it, find the fuel and ditch the waste. There is always some fuel in envy - and I'm talking high-octane fuel which will take you exactly where you want to go. There is always some waste in envy too - that's the shit that weighs you down and makes you feel horrible. Learn the difference, make the separation and run with the good stuff. If you trust me on nothing else, trust me on this.

5. 'Taking money for my gifts makes me feel bad. I am convinced that I should give my products/services away for free.' 
No one can tell you what you think. No one can make this decision for you. I personally don't feel that there's anything wrong with someone deciding that it doesn't feel right to charge for their spiritual abilities, whether it's making witchcraft tools or offering lessons about chakra activation. I do take issue with those who ceaselessly judge others for accepting money, however. Everyone's path is different and everyone's approach to money is different.

Before you go any further on your business journey, take some time to journal from a really deep place about your emotional response to the idea of taking payment. You may run into some 'money monsters' - some shards of your shadow side which are hell-bent on ruining your relationship with money and making you feel icky about it. Sorting through those things before you try to make a go of it in business is important. They will come back and bite you in the behind later on if you don't deal with them now.

6. 'Lots of people seem to think that those who charge for spiritual services are charlatans or money-hungry, selfish types.. I don't feel that it's wrong to accept money for my time and skills, but I hate feeling judged by others.'
At the risk of duplicating the advice above, give yourself the time, space and focus to work out what you think. What you think, and why. Again, what you think. (But if you're just looking for some reassurance that you're not a big ol' fake just because your base chakra is concerned with making rent and buying food, read this.)

Secondly, if you hate being judged by others to a debilitating degree, you may need to rethink entrepreneurship as a plan. I know it seems super harsh, but seriously - in entrepreneurship you are aiming to do something, be something and say something with your business. When you dare to do those things, you will be judged by other people and it won't always be pretty.

7. 'I'm following all the business advice but I feel like playing by the rules is stopping me from making my business into a reflection of who I really am.' 
It probably is! Advice is like a buffet - taste a little of everything at first and then grab more of what you liked whilst avoiding what wasn't really working for you. (For the full-length version of this analogy and how to implement the advice, check out my free business e-guide, 'Work It, Baby!'.) The bottom line is that all business advice is optional, some advice is more suited to different kinds of businesses or different kinds of business owners and, above all, you have every right to find your perfect combination of techniques and methods. In fact, that's part of the fun! You get to rule your own kingdom.

8. 'It's time to raise my prices but I feel awful about it. What if my clients can't afford my services anymore? What if I end up excluding people who earn a lower income?'
First of all, get clear on why it's time to raise your prices. Once you've got your reasons lined up in a row, shoot them and see if they stay standing. What I mean is, if your reasons are super solid and you feel comfortable with them, you're far less likely to feel awful about the decision. If you're feeling bad, it makes sense to start with your underlying motivation and see what you find there.

Secondly, there are ways and means of ensuring that everyone, no matter their situation, can receive help from you. If someone is aware of your paid services, they are either in possession of a computer or find themselves able to use a computer at someone else's house or in a coffee shop. This means that they can take advantage of all of your free content. If you create informative or encouraging blog posts and/or videos, offer a free gift on your website or maintain a social media presence, they are getting something from you. You can rest easy. I know that you wish you could give one-on-one help to everyone or send everyone your product, and that's super sweet and heart-centred of you. But it's not possible. Instead, package up as much wisdom and good intention as you feel willing and able to and give it out freely whilst ensuring that you're getting a fair price which feels right to you for your chargeable stuff.

Everyone is saving up some money for something they want. I'm saving money for things I want and I bet you are too, right? You may not be saving to buy a house or a car at the moment, but you may put some cash aside for something like a premium coffee and the latest issue of your favourite magazine. You're conscious of the fact that some of the things you want require you to be diligent with your cash. Well, lots of people save up money for a Tarot reading, crystal healing session or custom-made charm bracelet. Sometimes, when I receive notes from a client about their order, they tell me that they've saved up to purchase the reading. That's so cool to me! My work has been someone's investment. That's meaningful. When I see a business coaching session I want and it's too much money for me to immediately buy, it never occurs to me that the coach should give the work away for free. My first thought is, 'Should I save for this? Would it be worth the investment?' You're looking for clients who are prepared to appreciate the value in what you do and ask themselves that question.

Finally, don't forget that there are lots of lovely things you can do to ensure that your products and/or services are affordable. I conduct regular sales and let my tribe know that they can purchase at a discounted rate for a limited time. I also offer all repeat clients a 10% discount on every single future purchase.

9. 'I am super competitive by nature! I want to be at the top of my game and that means making my idols into my rivals. How can I marry my competitive take on things with my spiritual business?' 
Attempting to eliminate your competitive streak completely is likely to lead to suppression, weirdness and the suspicion that you're being inauthentic so that you can fit in with the heart-centred crowd. If you really want to level with yourself about your competitive take on things, I suggest competing madly, wildly and ruthlessly.. with the person you were yesterday. Self-improvement is often much easier for reformed competitive types who have decided to stop focusing on leaving others in the dust and instead start focusing on how they can outperform themselves. It's really about redirecting that competitive energy and tweaking your perspective.

Also, I personally find the 'turn your idols into rivals' phrase super low vibration. Seriously, I actually struggle to even type it without irking my heart chakra slightly. You know what I always sense when I stumble upon this super competitive paradigm in business? Scarcity mindset. Pure and simple. There's no need to behave as though every dollar you earn could be your last if you don't kill off the competition. There's no need to become hell-bent on being the last biz owner standing. This isn't some weird entrepreneurial Hunger Games, people.

10. 'I'm not sure how to pin down my key aims and work out what I'm really doing with my business. I'm interested in incorporating reiki, Tarot, crystals, witchcraft, psychology, astrology..'
Ahh, this is such a common dilemma and it's a testament to the multifaceted and super creative nature of us spiritual types, right? Ok, let's troubleshoot. What's great about a heart-centred, spirit-soaked enterprise is that the owner of the business is its beating heart. Rather than adopting the belief that we need to leave our ethics and personalities at the door to get sales, we swim in the other direction, embracing authenticity entirely and bearing our souls. You can use this person-centred paradigm to your advantage by working out what you stand for, what your key principles and beliefs are etcetera and then simply applying them to everything under the umbrella of your brand.

My business is about Tarot (reading for others and teaching), shadow work, self-love, witchcraft and creating a free-wheeling spiritual practice among other things. Whatever's in my heart is funneled into The Four Queens at any given time. What connects them all together? My chosen perspective. My way of seeing these things, teaching them and conveying them. That's where they all meet in the middle, that's what they all have in common. I have three keywords - three desired criteria for everything I do with The Four Queens. Wanna know what they are? Healing, empowerment and creativity. As long as one, two or all three of those things seem to be truly present in whatever I'm putting out into the world, I'm happy. What are your keywords for your brand? Once you've pinned them down, you'll find it much easier to add more strings to your bow!

I hope this has been a helpful exploration of some common issues.

May my journey and yours continue to divinely converge..

Much love!
x

Global Entrepreneurship Week: All That I Give is Enough

What does 'heart-centred' business really mean? I could fill an entire book with my answer, so let me just focus on one vital part of my personal perspective on this. To be a heart-centred entrepreneur is to truly care about your clients and your tribe.

Let me be clear about what I mean by 'tribe'. I enjoy the use of this word very much but it has occurred to me that different people mean different things when they use it. My tribe is effectively my participatory 'audience'. They are the people who interact with me, follow my work, give me their feedback and share their stories with me. They 'share' my content, give me their opinions on stuff and request that I cover certain topics that they'd like to see. They are the presence which has gathered around The Four Queens. They are the people I am addressing when I write, film or otherwise create and package my thoughts and perspectives. They do not need to become paying clients to qualify for entry to the tribe, nor do they necessarily have to agree with all of my ideas. They may not enjoy everything I put into the world, but for one reason or another, they have chosen to come along for the ride and offer me their good wishes.

Over time, this wondrous group of people has grown in size. This means that I receive more comments, more questions, more video requests and more personal stories than I did at the beginning. At the same time, my days are slowly becoming fuller and more business-related whilst retaining their 24-hour format. Nothing has changed in that regard. I have not yet learned how to fold space or pause time, more's the pity!

So, how does a heart-centred business owner stay heart-centred when it becomes impossible to answer absolutely everyone's queries and emails? This is something I've had to address and consider more than once. I have often found the reality of time pretty unpleasant! My inner Queen of Pentacles was the last of the four to actually become conscious and productive. For a long time, she lived in shadow. She refused to accept her own limitations and would spend hours trying to respond to everyone until darkness turned into daylight. Conversely, she would sometimes feel so overwhelmed by her desire to accomplish everything and reach out to everyone that she simply hid under the covers and hummed a tune, pretending she was in a kingdom made of clouds in which time was no object.

I still struggle with my inner Queen of Pentacles occasionally, even though she stepped out of the shadows quite some time ago. The essence of this particular archetype is realism. Without it, I just can't work out my abilities or my boundaries. Getting real is hard. Facing the truth is hard. Worrying about disappointing people or letting people down is hard.

One day, as I was experiencing these low-vibration concerns and feeling utterly swallowed by them, I closed my eyes, breathed deeply and said aloud, 'Everything I give is enough'.

It has to be enough, after all. Otherwise I'll just be a creature chasing my own tail forever.

I want communication with my tribe to be conscious because I believe that conscious connection is sacred. I love responding to emails, creating videos which cater to people's needs (provided they align with my own interests), checking out people's feedback and answering queries. But I have learned how to respect my own boundaries and stop beating myself up when there's more to do than I realistically have time and energy for. This is something you may need to learn to do too if you're in business or considering the possibility of beginning a heart-centred enterprise of your own.

My purest and most sincere advice is to make your peace with this reality as early as possible.

Also, be clear on this:

You will disappoint someone. You will let someone down somewhere along the line. You will not live up to every single person's expectations.

You won't let people down because you want to, because you are malicious or because you are inauthentic. You will let them down because you are not magnanimous and you are not a robot.

You are a human being.

It is your humanity which actually enables you to even conceive of a heart-centred business. It is your humanity which will allow you to make that business warm and inspiring and delicious. It is also your humanity which will lead you to piss people off occasionally. That's the way the cookie crumbles.

First thing's first.

It's never too late to reply to someone's email, comment or question. Don't tell yourself that you should simply delete a piece of correspondence just because you failed to reply to it for six months. If you're organising inbox and you come across something you initially overlooked or forgot to reply to, better late than never! Most people hugely appreciate the gesture and will understand that you have a lot on your plate but that you're operating with the best of intentions.

I recently discovered a random hidden message folder on Facebook. (It's called 'Other' by the way, and you might wanna go check yours if this is news to you. It's probably filled with stuff!) My 'Other' folder contains almost 200 messages from people in relation to The Four Queens. Some of them are from 2012.

Yeah. Uh-huh.

Needless to say I haven't finished working my way through them all yet. Nor do I intend to close my business and drop all of my social engagements in order to speed up the process because that's simply not plausible and would be a major overreaction to a simple mistake. Instead I have allocated some regular time to dealing with the backlog and simply apologising to people along the way for taking so long.

Do not freak out and fall over your own feet to meet people's expectations. This is a one-way ticket to a complete and total loss of perspective.

Consider the following ten points to be somewhat of a compassionate brain dump to help you get to grips with boundaries and best practices when it comes to business correspondence.

1. 'Canned responses' don't really work for heart-centred entrepreneurs offering services which are intended to help people drop into their hearts. When someone reaches out to you, reach out to them in return. However, partially canned responses do save time. You may find, for example, that you receive many personal stories from people about their reiki studies because teaching and talking about reiki is the centre of your business. There's no harm in preparing an introduction which conveys your thanks for the message, encourages the individual to continue with their work and states your appreciation for the fact that the individual is following your content. From that point, you can create your personalised response which answers the specific points in the email. This simply saves you from writing the first part over and over again.

2. If you have reached the point at which it is impossible to respond to everyone's comments on your social media platforms, stop trying to do that. Believe me, it gets a bit silly and you're likely to have a meltdown. Instead, use the 'like', 'thumbs up' and 'favourite' options to show engagement with the comment. If you have time to respond to individuals, absolutely do so! But don't convince yourself that you're a bad person if you don't! I like to try and respond to any questions and then see what I can do from there. If I have time on a certain evening, I love nothing better than to trawl through older videos and respond to random comments. Again, it's never too late to reach out to someone.

3. Don't fall into the all-too-common trap of only responding to other content makers or business owners. Those who don't have a prominent 'voice' in your industry via a Youtube channel or blog are still worthy of having their queries answered. It's easy for human beings to see a name or face they already know and gravitate towards it. But this creates somewhat of an 'exclusive club' vibe and can be unpleasant for someone whose question is left hanging while you get into an endless back-and-forth comment rally with someone who has a popular channel.

4. Conscious connection works both ways. You are not obligated to engage with anyone who is cruel to you, passes judgement on you or attacks you for not having time for them. You are not obligated to engage with anyone who is trolling your content, making passive aggressive jibes at you - you get the picture. Whether you choose to simply ignore them or block them from being able to respond, don't ever convince yourself that you are required to RSVP to their nasty little dinner party. They will soon get bored and leave the table when they realise you are not there to have food thrown in your face.

5. Someone who questions your opinion or disagrees with your perspective is not necessarily a troll. If you put a firm standpoint out into the world, expect other people to give you their firm standpoints in return. A debate is not the same thing as an argument and many people actually enjoy debating with someone they see as intelligent and open-minded, so take it as a compliment provided it is polite and diplomatic. Try not to be defensive if someone tells you that they see things in a different way and proceeds to tell you why. If you were bold enough to give your opinion in the first place, the person offering a contrary opinion probably assumes that you don't take issue with them doing so. Obviously, this works on a case-by-case basis. Most people like to think that they are good at seeing the difference between someone engaging in debate and someone wearing a troll hat. Just check in with yourself and make sure that you are on the right side of that line. Here's a hint: Responses that start with, 'You are wrong and you obviously don't know what you're talking about' go into the troll pile. Responses that start with, 'Interesting thoughts! I see things a different way however..' can go into the polite, well-intentioned debate pile.

6. When someone starts to gather a 'tribe' online, something logical happens. The creator of the content is one individual. The people who want to converse with the creator of the content are legion. People who are unwilling to understand that and cut you some slack if you fail to get back to them have a problem which is bigger than you can solve. So don't try. Do your best, give what you can and remember, all that you give has to be enough.

7. Conscious connection can exist in other ways. If you find that you're drowning in emails and questions every day, you may realise that you can't work in those particular parameters anymore. But that doesn't mean that you need to retreat behind a big wall of cyber isolation! You can use other ways of connecting with your tribe honestly and with absolute love. Here are some ways to do it:

- Ask your people what they want to see from you in the near future. Give them the chance to request content from you and shoot their ideas and desires your way. Letting people know that you want to be in service to them and hear their thoughts is wondrous. It's also a great thing to do if you're short on ideas and need inspiration. (You are not obligated to fulfill every request, and if you've already covered a topic that's been requested, direct people to it.)

- Give people the deciding vote on something. Leonie Dawson regularly designs a few different covers for her free e-guides and whatnot. Then she posts them on Facebook and asks people to give their opinions on which one is the best. She also asks people what they would like her next blog post to be about and so on.

- Ask a question. Let your tribe talk to you and each other in a way which has been specifically designed so that you have time to answer. I recently asked people which new decks they'd recently purchased on Facebook and we all had a big ol' natter about Tarot!

- Pay attention to the things people regularly want to know and create a love-drenched FAQ page on your website which answers the questions which seem to really matter to people. Alternatively, do regular Q&A blog posts or videos to give people the chance to ask you whatever they like (within reason).

8. Don't be scared to recommend your services. My friend and housemate is a self-employed landscape gardener. If our neighbour regularly knocked on the door and asked him to pull out weeds or cut back foliage free of charge, my friend would perhaps fulfill the request once or twice out of kindness because they know each other. But let's be totally honest - that kind of thing can't go on indefinitely. Acting as if you're above paying for services which you respect and require is, well, rude. The energy exchange which is good enough for everyone else is good enough for those people too. I'm sure you love to answer queries and help people out, and that you do that as much as possible. It's good for the soul. But if you're a business coach and the same person pops into your inbox every other week requesting free tips or asking if they can 'pick your brain', please, for the love of god and goddess, send them your price list. Some people don't even realise that they're actually asking for free stuff until you punctuate that reality for them. This is a particularly big problem for business owners of the metaphysical variety because everything they give and create is obviously so damn heart-centred and loving. News flash - just because you're living from the heart doesn't mean you are required to provide endless free labour. Doing that is a one-way ticket to closing your heart chakra and becoming resentful and upset. (Another thing to consider is the ethical problem which arises when you offer lots of free stuff to someone whilst your clients are paying for it. Is that really fair? Get clear on which services are only released after payment has occurred and try to stick to that out of respect for those who are willing to pay you.)

9. Take a look at your boundaries in other areas of your life. Sometimes you'll find that if your business boundaries are weak, the boundaries in other areas of your life are pretty unhealthy too. Practice declaring your needs and sticking to your limitations. Practice saying, 'No' and meaning it. Work out why you feel as though you're not entitled to defend your boundaries or make time for yourself. That stuff bleeds into business. Stem the flow from the source.

10. Use this mantra whenever you're in need of it: 'All that I give is enough.' If anything in this blog post has resonated with you, I recommend saying it aloud right now. Say it. Feels good, right?

Much love, darlings.

x

Global Entrepreneurship Week: The Awesome Power of Stickers

In honour of GEW, I decided to release a free e-guide and write some juicy blog posts about my own business journey. I'm going to start in a pretty random place. Although I have a list of all the topics I want to cover, I couldn't resist the urge to write about stickers after my latest Paperchase haul came in the post yesterday. Call it the nagging insistence of the inner child..

Pretty much all heart-centred small business owners have a memorised list of the tools and resources they swear by. Quite often you'll hear entrepreneurs talking about the apps they use to keep them organised, set reminders or plan their sales, price changes and blog posts. These apps do look pretty splendid but they're just not for me.

There are two reasons for this.

The first is that I am a super visual person, especially when it comes to scheduling my time and prioritising things. I love stationery and nothing really seems real until it's written down somewhere. I've adored the sensation of writing by hand since I was knee-high and although I've managed to adopt the useful habit of committing creative text straight to the laptop these days, some things just need to be married to the page. I love to look through a diary at what's coming up in the next few days. I get a much better sense of the timescale when everything is divided into segments in front of me 'in the real world' rather than in digital format.

The second reason is that I worked in offices for ten years and always used some kind of calendar or scheduling software to book appointments or meetings. This has made the notion of keeping my 'important business stuff' on a computer kind of dull and oppressive. It just reminds me of working for someone else and using clever mindfulness techniques to avoid clock-watching or wishing for Friday afternoon to just get here already!

Stationery is joyful to  me. I have always loved that feeling of purchasing a new project book, even if I didn't yet know what it was for exactly. (I often dream up a new project in the middle of the night when the urgency to get started is serious and there are no stationery shops open. Having one or two 'spares' is therefore essential.) So many of my archetypes are switched on by stationery - my inner child, my inner artist, my inner teacher, my inner student, my inner sage, my inner scientist..

Like most people on planet Earth, I have my 'off' days. I have days which don't exactly lend themselves to knuckling down and getting things done. I have days when I need a little nudge in the right direction. I have days when I just want to pull the covers back over my head. Those are the days when I'm so glad that I use stickers. (No, seriously, I really love them.)

I use stickers to place next to my time-sensitive appointments and deadlines. I use stickers to mark any plans to meet up with friends and family. I use stickers to plan release dates for projects and highlight the beginning and end of sales - handy reminders to help me keep my intentions in mind. Sometimes I just stick a glittery unicorn on the segment for Monday and write, 'It's Monday, baby! Take it by the balls!' 

I used to get stickers from the teachers when I did some good work at school. I used to get a sticker from the dentist after my appointments as a kid. I know lots of people had 'chore sheets' in their homes which were filled in with stickers, or they received stickers from their parents for good behaviour. Stickers are just so loaded with awesome associations.

Stickers brighten up the terrain of the diary and make me feel bright and fuzzy when I open it up. They make me feel as though it's time to do something. If you use a paper planner or diary, don't let it become synonymous with pain or drudgery - get some stickers and go wild!