Building a non-traditional, dreamy, counter-culture kinda business
Building and running a business that feels good to you – a way of working that is non-traditional, dreamy and counter-culture at its core – might sound intimidating. Or too difficult. Or even impossible.
But the essence of what this actually means is having a business that meets your needs and wants – on your schedule, at your capacity, in a way that fills up your cup.
- It does not mean adhering to the demands of capitalism and the patriarchy.
- It does not mean doing things the way everyone else does them or the way you’ve been told they should be done.
- It does not mean meeting the expectations of your family, friends or clients if their beliefs don’t align with what you want for yourself.
Let’s flip tradition on its head.
Listening to your intuition
You already have innate instincts about the way you want to do things, gut feelings about the way you want your business and life to be.
Yet so often as women, we’re pressured to conform and bend ourselves into constraints that not only prevent us from doing our best work but, more importantly, hinder us from living our best lives.
We’re told to swallow our feelings, our dreams, our words. We’re fed messages on repeat that sound something like:
- That’s just the way it is.
- Welcome to the real world. It sucks.
- This is the way things have to be done.
- You won’t earn more if you work less.
- You have to struggle to succeed.
It’s in the best interest of capitalism and the patriarchy for us to hear and believe these messages until they drown out our own intuitive wisdom and inner voice. It benefits the traditional world of work if we believe there is no other way, if we feel downtrodden, hopeless and selfish for wanting more.
But, friend, there is always another way. There is always another path you can take. And if you can’t find that path, you can carve out your own.
Soaking up every opportunity to choose
So, how do you actually do it? How do you create that dreamy business that provides you with an abundance of money, time and joy?
Here’s how I do it. First up, I chose to.
We often forget how much choice we really have. We feel like certain choices aren’t available to us or that it’s not safe for us to make those choices. But we do get to choose. We just need to step into the belief that we can.
Then, I work through my Heartwood Way, an approach I created which stems from the ancient Yew tree. You are the heartwood, the core, the centre of your business. Your needs are the roots, the anchor from which your business grows. And you deserve to have your needs met. Because when your needs are met, you’re free to want.
“I feel so much clearer on my boundaries – what I need them to be, and how I can put them into action. I’ve finally settled on an approach to pricing that works for me as well. I feel braver in my decisions and also trusting my intuition. Since working with you, I have actually turned clients down as I knew they were not in line with my values. I trusted my gut, I’ve never done that before.”
Amber Badger – The Wild Wordsmith
Putting yourself first
When I work through my Heartwood Way, I’m always putting my needs first. In other words, I’m performing a counter-cultural act of rebellion.
This is an act of rebellion because the patriarchy tells us that the epitome of womanhood is to be selfLESS – to lose ourselves. We should always think of those around us first, always subordinate our needs to the whims of others.
So, when a woman builds or restructures her business with the goal of serving herself before it serves others, it flies in the face of the patriarchy – and sticks the finger up to it.
“I have started to really think about what I want my business to do for me, as well as what it does for my clients. I’ve started to give myself more permission, implemented boundaries that work for me and found so much more contentment in my work.”
Sophie Cliff – The Joyful Coach
I go with what I WANT to do. And so should you, my friend.
- Do you want to create a vision board for your new offering instead of a stuffy, corporate-looking strategy document? Go for it!
- Do you want to read poetry or dance around to music to conjure inspiration for your new product? I’ll be there, cheering you on.
- Do you want to set up systems that allow you to spend less time working and more time earning, travelling and living? Let’s do it!
So much of the beliefs we need to untangle and set fire to exist to stop us from feeling free. But there is always an alternative and something truly magical happens when you choose it. My love, there is a way that you can build a non-traditional, dreamy, counter-culture kinda business.
