Lamas is just around the corner; can you believe we’re half-way through the Summer already?!?
I hope yours is being a joyous one, full of explorations both on the inside and the outside.
Mine has been a bountiful one, spending time with family and doing a whole lot of letting go of attachments, Agreements, and unprocessed emotions.
There is a lot of energy available to us during this season. And, while Summer is typically about outward expression, in our line of work we can’t ignore the inner world.
As we put ourselves out there, or simply contemplate it…we will inevitably come up against obstacles in the form of things that no longer serve us: stories, attachments, Agreements, and the patterns & behaviors that keep them in place.
While this will always be the case for anyone on a soul-growth path, this is especially true in the early stages of what I call The Soulpreneur Journey. In fact, we meet these obstacles head-on in that moment we step onto the path of sacred leadership.
They are gifts from the Universe, who is 100% behind us; cheering us on while lovingly tossing in our path all the things we need to clear in order to get to where we are going. Thankfully not all at once, although at times it might feel that way.
""Change is inevitable. Transformation is by conscious choice." HeatherAsh Amara
My mentor, HeatherAsh Amara, teaches that when we step onto the path of sacred leadership, we have stepped onto our healing journey. I remember the moment so clearly when she shared that during the first class of my Warrior Goddess Facilitator training.
I thought to myself…YAY! I’ve arrived!
I didn’t reckon on just how challenging that path was going to be, or the gifts I’d discover along the way.
Change, transformation, and healing don’t happen in a vacuum. We need something to be a catalyst; and a constant yet shifting pressure to turn the coal into a diamond.
The alchemists would call it an alembic to turn the dross into gold.
For the Soulpreneur, it’s the desire to share her gifts to help others and perhaps in so doing, bring meaning to her life's journey. There’s a yearning to live with purpose; to step INTO her purpose and perhaps make a difference in the world.
It’s a yearning so strong that despite the challenges, obstacles, tears, and fears; she can’t seem to just give up.
She must answer the calling of her heart.
Like the hummingbird that migrates from Brazil to Canada and back each year. Even though she knows the journey is long and is not sure how she'll get there (much less back), she goes because she has heard the call to Spirit and answer she must.
What I’ve discovered--5+ years into my Soulpreneur Journey--is that the Inner Work is the point. I used to say the Inner Work was just as important as the outer work (business building activities).
I still see it as the 2-fold path of the Soulpreneur, but the Inner Work has more weight.
We can yearn all we want, but if we don’t clear what’s in our way, we won’t get to where we’re going. If we don’t take the time to recognize the obstacles, get curious, and clear them, we won’t get to where we are going.
It's been my observation and experience that when we put the outer work (business activities) first, there can be a tendency to fixate on the obstacles and we start spinning our wheels.
Getting frustrated, overwhelmed, and discouraged.
And, because there can be a tendency to run away from what we don’t want to face, it can be difficult to prioritize the healing appropriately.
But, if you put the Inner Work first, THEN you can start to make some progress! When you're wrestling with Resistance, feeling activated, or overwhelmed, no amount of pushing through is going to generate the desired results in your business — whatever they may be.
Believe me, I know.
When I first sold my 18-wheeler to follow the calling of my heart, I ran into a wall of paralyzing fear & self-doubt. Every day I was pushing through a constant buzzing in my chest that felt like a swarm of bees.
They were making so much noise with their buzzing I couldn't think straight!
Thinking I just needed more knowledge, I signed up for every Udemy course that might fill-in the gap. I signed up for Kajabi thinking I could just make money in my sleep and that would be the answer to my problems.
I persisted, pushed, & plowed through; going for walks every hour trying to move the energy and snacking on a lot of nuts. 10 lbs. later I didn't have a lot to show for my efforts.
Oh, I had a website, I was creating beautiful memes, even started a Facebook Group. But no one really knew what I did, how they could work with me, much less why they would want to.
I started to feel like I had traded in a profitable, 6-figure trucking business for a really expensive hobby!
So, I cancelled Kajabi before the end of the free trial period and signed up for a Toltec-based Spiritual, Life, & Energy Coach certification.
And THIS is when the work began.
What I received in that training was a framework, both in holding space to facilitate transformation for others AND how to navigate the obstacles the Universe was lovingly placing in my path so that I could move forward in my life and with my business.
I started offering free sessions in exchange for testimonials.
I conducted interviews in exchange for free sessions.
I started showing up in groups and being of service.
My confidence grew, I gained experience, and I started to feel like had a modicum of credibility.
I remember thinking "I really CAN help people!".
Suddenly, I could see before me the vast chasm between my desire to be of service and actually getting paying clients.
Determined to succeed, I enrolled in a high-end client attraction program, and I figured out how to use Facebook in an authentic heart-centered way.
We're coming up on 4 years since I signed up for the coaching certification, and 3 years since I began the year-long Client Attraction Mastery program. And, for the past 2 years I have been supporting myself full-time with my coaching business.
It wasn't until I committed fully to the Inner Work that the coaching & client attraction training started to bear fruit.
I'm sharing this with you today for a couple of reasons…
I want to be transparent around where I am in my soulpreneur journey - Spirit has guided me to this place. It's my hope that in so doing, you get a sense that you can make your business dream a reality.
There are a lot of 6 and 7 figure business coaches offering wonderful help. And, I have seen evidence that in some cases, they are too far removed from where the aspiring soulpreneur is.
I also want to shed light on the importance of not going it alone. I got pretty far on my own. I figured out Facebook, created a calendar of content that was scheduled out 4 weeks in advance, started a group, and got really comfortable going live.
Ultimately, I was just spinning my wheels. Not to discount what I learned in the process!
It was the combination of committing to the Inner Work while investing in my business that led to my success.
In fact, it was the investment in my business that created the pressure to do the inner work!
Because I got support and committed fully to the Inner Work AND attracting clients, my dream of having a business that allows me to step into my purpose and create the life I want to live is a reality.
Granted, the life I'm creating for myself now isn't the one I started out to create. But it IS the life I'm meant to live now.
I wouldn't be here if I hadn't prioritized the inner work and invested in myself & my business.
This is why I'm committed to bringing in both the spiritual AND business into my coaching. For me my business is my spiritual path.
And, what I've learned during the past 3 years of serving, earning, & learning is that for my clients to succeed, I HAVE to include the inner work in my coaching container.
I also remember how scary it was to make the commitment to both the coaching certification and the client attraction program.
It's why I offer complimentary strategy sessions - I want to make it easy for aspiring coaches and energy healers to get support. I want to create some clarity while building connection and trust.
And if, in so doing, I've inspired them commit to their dreams by investing in themselves, this too is part of being of service.
If you're yearning to step into your purpose yet unsure how to get your business started while fear & self-doubt are making it difficult to figure things out, I invite you to take my (virtual) hand and book a Your Next Steps Strategy Session with me.
Whether it's creating a foundation for your business, finding your voice, or getting known online (or all of the above!), I will hold you in sacred space and we'll dive into what's keeping you from your goals.
Then I'll offer a couple of clear recommendations you can take action right away.
And, if I feel I can continue to support you--and you'd like to explore that--we can talk about that when the time comes.
You can grab a spot on my calendar here.
(WHEW! This was a long one! Thank you for sticking with me through the end 💕)
May you follow the calling of your heart,
Cheryl