Creating Alignment in your Business - Leading from Money vs. Passion and Soul

I frequently talk with my clients about the difference between creating a business by way of making money versus your soul and passions. 

I have seen the difference in my businesses and see it frequently in other businesses. When we create with the motivation of making money, the product is very different from when we create in alignment with our values, passions and soul. 

Finances play a huge part in the creation of and running of a business, there is no denying that. And it is hard to escape fears around money as an entrepreneur. For many of us entrepreneurs, we are not a good fit for working for someone else - we are too wild, too independent and as for this community, too ethical. We can’t work for big corporations without selling our soul, and that is not an option. 

And so we feel the pressure to make enough money running our business to feel financially stable and secure, all the while, not working so much that we burn out. 

Yet, when we create from the motivation of money, we quickly and easily lose track of what we actually WANT to be doing or what we are passionate about. 

In fact, there are many business coaches out there that employ sales tactics and psychological tactics that encourage business owners to do market research. Among many other tactics, this type of business strategy is one that gives people a false sense that they will be successful. When we are afraid to fail in business, we grasp for strategies and proven roadmaps to success. Business coaches feed off of our fears by offering strategy after strategy, leading us further and further away from our hearts. 

This particular strategy - market research - is one that has been shown to be effective for large companies. And it can potentially be very effective for creating a small business that has a focus on making money as well. However, if you are someone that wants to run a soul-led business, researching where there is a need in the market for a business or how other businesses are marketing will draw you further and further away from your goals. 

Running a soul-led business means making the hard choice to focus on what you are passionate about and what your soul really wants to do. 

And occasionally, the market isn’t there or isn’t ready for your idea. But successful business owners are experts in embracing trial and error. In fact, I personally built an entire matchmaking business infrastructure before realizing the market wasn’t ready. It was total failure and flop. And guess what, I would do it all over again. It was the best experience of building something that was truly soul-led and learning about myself and the community while doing it. In the process, I reconnected with a deeper level of love in myself and with others. 

My point being, you have to be willing to try, fail and learn in order to run a soul-led business. Additionally, you have to be willing to focus on learning about your own values and passion as well as the relationships you have with your clients and community. 

Rather than focusing energy on market research, you could instead focus on getting clear on what would make you the happiest person on the planet - in terms of a business you could create. What qualities matter to you in running your business? If you put aside all the industry standards and cultural expectations, how do you want to show up with clients and/or in your business? 

Marketing happens in relationship in a soul-led business. It isn’t about social media, blogging or successful products/offers. It is about getting to know who your ideal customer is and how best to connect with them so that they trust you and organically (not because of unethical sales and marketing tactics) want to purchase your products. 

And if money is creating anxiety for you, can you find a solution? It takes 2 years or more to create a successful business. If you are putting 40 hours a week in, I find that it takes 2 years for a business to come to full fruition. If you are working on it part time, it takes much longer. So if money is a concern, can you find an easy job that pays the bills while you work on building your business without stress? 

When you really commit to creating from your heart and soul, the product will be wildly different than being driven by money. Having created and launched 3 businesses, I can tell you how different they feel when I am interacting with them. Money focused businesses feel draining, heavy and stuck. Soul-led businesses feel energizing, easy and ever expanding. And believe it or not, the money comes even more easily and freely with soul-led businesses. 

So if you are wanting to create from the soul, I hope this blog helps you hone in on how you might create or adjust your business or even your career to be more aligned with your heart and soul. I promise you won’t regret it!

Please share this with friends who may be interested! I write simply to share my expertise and experiences with you, so that we may work together, in community, to create positive change for our broader community, the earth and women. Friends can sign up for the newsletter here! Thank you for supporting me and lifting the women in our lives.