Written by: Katie Carswell, Executive Contributor
Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise.
When I first came across Human Design it was like a light going off, both personally and professionally.
It turns out that I had been operating in many aspects of my life, including my business, as someone I am not, like so many of us have been conditioned to do. All of a sudden things made sense and I felt like I had something tangible to help me unravel it all, to understand myself, my strengths and weaknesses and to discover my true uniqueness, on a much deeper level.
For those of you who are new to Human Design, it was first channeled in 1987 by its founder, Ra Uru Hu. This system combines ancient teachings from Astrology, Kabbalah’s Tree of Life, the Chakra System and the I’Ching with the modern sciences of biochemistry, genetics, and theoretical & quantum physics. Every single person is a unique combination of nature and nurture, traits that we were born possessing and others that we were conditioned to adopt based on external influences such as our families, friends, teachers, members of our community and society as a whole.
Human Design is concerned with the nature aspect of this equation and provides a map of who you are and what you’re here to do based on your date, time and place of birth. The idea is that by gaining insight into who you are as your most authentic self, you can start to identify limiting beliefs and damaging ways of being from your conditioning, in order to release them, find your way back to the purest version of you and start living a truly aligned life. Sounds great right?!
Your Human Design (HD) chart will consist of centers, channels and gates, they could be open or closed, connected or absent, on or off. There are lots of potential combinations and because of this, it makes it unique to everyone.
And this is where it is so fascinating and enlightening. Human Design can be used for every aspect of your life and I have used it to learn so much about myself in every respect. The piece I am most interested in though and where I have seen this system come to life for me and my clients, is how we approach growing our business and doing our marketing.
I am a Projector (more on the different types shortly) and anyone who is familiar with my story will know that I have burnt myself out twice, one of those times quite seriously. Turns out that the potential to burn out, if I’m not living in alignment, is part of my Human Design. I was running my business as another Human Design type, which meant I was making life hard for myself. As I wasn’t living in alignment with who I truly am, I was never going to get the results I craved from operating in the ‘wrong’ way. Now I know that I can change that and accept things about myself that previously I had continued to fight against and berate, and that is where it holds its power.
Learning about my Human Design has been hugely liberating, it’s also been tough at times as we are so indoctrinated to push and hustle and work hard, whereas my HD (Human Design) says I should take lots of daytime naps. I jest (slightly) but the essence is, I am not made for a 9 – 5 lifestyle and if I push myself to do that or more, I will burn out. This has been and continues to be a lot to take in, process and accept, as [in our society] we are taught that hard work equals success, although that paradigm is starting to shift and I am proud to be part of that.
Having access to this kind of information has enabled me to help my clients so much as well. We have been able to co-create a business and marketing plan that is 100% aligned to them, to their energetic blueprint, strengths and weaknesses. And this is where it can be a gamechanger, when you know your strengths and your weaknesses you can play to them, not fight against them and the world magically opens up to you because of it. This means you know what to focus on, where to get help or what to let go of all together. You know what the best way of doing business and marketing will be for you, so you don’t have to spend loads of time, effort, energy and money trying to work it out through trial and error. It also means you can start to really accept who you are, stop constantly comparing yourself to others and their results or jump from course to program looking for the missing piece of the puzzle or answers outside of you.
Human Design is like having your own blueprint and it’s why one person's business methods might not work for you. If you’re a Projector following how your Manifesting Generator coach climbed the ladder of success, their tactics are unlikely to work for you and could actually make you sick trying. Hello, burn out my old friend! That is why it is so empowering, it’s not that you can’t work with a coach that’s a different HD to you, you can, the power comes from having the knowledge about what’s right for you and saying yes to the advice that's aligned to you and no thanks, to that which isn’t. It means you are in a far more authentic and empowered place to grow your business sustainably and make the right decisions for you and we all want that.
There are 5 Human Design types, Manifestors, Manifesting Generators, Generators, Projectors and Reflectors and as the founder Ra Uru Hu tells us there is a mutually beneficial relationship designed to exist between the five types, meaning we really are not all designed to operate or grow our businesses in the same way, we are meant to be different and to compliment/support one another, work collaboratively and celebrate our uniqueness. If you want to find out more about Human Design and your type then I would recommend getting your bodygraph done here. You can also read about the different types and every aspect of them, in far more depth than I can go into in this article. I have mentioned some of my favourite sources below too.
However, I would love to give you some insights into how knowing your type can really help you with growing your business and your marketing, see if any of this resonates with you or if you are currently doing the exact opposite to what is aligned for you, like I was!
Manifestors
Manifestors you are here to initiate, you are actually the only ones in Human Design who are truly meant to. This means you can come up with an idea, course, program or service, act quickly on it without having to wait for anyone else (no waiting for the invitation or to respond here) and because of this, you can really make an impact (to your business and others). You are great at starting up conversations, networking, coming up with ideas and creating collaborations, which is great for selling those services you have just created. The more you share what you are up to the better and you can do this through any means you like (lives, emails, podcasts, content, interviews, DM’s, in-person events). The world is your marketing oyster and we want to hear what you are up to, so please, please, share it with the rest of us.
Generators
Generators are here to respond, not initiate, which I know can cause a lot of angst for you, as we live in a world which says ‘go out there and make it happen’. Generators have tons of energy and enthusiasm, which makes not initiating even harder. So how the heck do you do your marketing if you are just here to wait to respond? Well, you are the master at responding to ideas, questions, needs and desires in others, plus noticing them through your gut instinct and intuition. Because of this, you are great at responding to questions and queries, anyone needing advice, in groups or on social media posts, or feeling into situations and responding accordingly. Even better for you, is to create your own community and respond to what your audience needs and asks you. You have great energy, so allowing people to get the opportunity to know you better, will really help. Lives, videos, networking, events and podcasting are perfect for this, alongside growing that community of super fans who will feel like you are talking to their soul.
Manifesting Generators
Manifesting Generators do things differently, you move quickly, you grab an idea, put everything into it, your heart and soul...you’ll have lots of things on the go at one time...but... you don’t always finish what you started, as another idea grabs you and you move on to the next new and exciting thing. This is how you are here to live, you are here to show the rest of us what it really looks like to pave your own way. Because of this, you need variety in your marketing and your business, if it feels like a chore then streamlines it. Make everything more simple so you can create and move quickly. Don’t spend ages on canva creating pretty graphics that might never see the light of day because you're onto the next thing already. There aren’t enough hours in the day to do this for all of your ideas and projects! Quick and dirty marketing (as l like to call it) is perfect for you, i.e don’t spend too long faffing over graphics and making it look pretty, social media stories are great for this, an email from your soul, a selfie and your thoughts. Experiment with new ideas, see what works and above all have fun with it. Feeling joy is a big thing for you, so if it doesn’t light you up anymore, that’s fine, that’s your thing, it’s a sign to move on. Next!
Projectors
My fellow Projectors, you are here to lead and guide others. Your strategy is to wait for an invitation and this is something that I know many struggles with, I do myself! So how does that look in terms of business and marketing, especially when it appears like the rest of the world is out there making sh*t happen. This is about your mastery, whatever you choose that to be. It could be a system, a field of expertise, a skill, a method, something you can help others with. Rather than actively seeking out your people or opportunities, you attract them to you, by sharing what you know in as informative and educational a way as possible. The other Designs need the skills and information that you've got! Projectors are able to recognise what another person needs at their core, which makes you a great guide for others, whilst your energy is magnetic, if you are coming from a place of passion for what you do, others will be drawn to you because of it. Reaching out and pushy sales tactics can actually repel people from you, this is all about being the lighthouse. Because you aren’t designed to work as much as the other types, creating an evergreen marketing system, with high value ‘how to’ content, informative lead magnets and nurture sequences, plus repurposing content, that can be working behind the scenes whilst you pop off and take that nap or continue mastering your system, is perfect for you.
Reflectors
Reflectors are the rarest HD of us all, only 1% of the population! I have yet to meet one (please do say hello if you are reading this!). You are literally here to reflect back to the rest of us what is going on in the world.
Reflectors work with a lunar strategy, they are supposed to wait for 28 days before taking action on a decision. I think we can all appreciate how difficult that can be in a business world that often expects instaneous decisions and results.
Reflectors don’t have any defined centres, so it is really important that you honour your own energy. Getting a great team around you or an incredible assistant would be fantastic for this reason. It will allow your business to keep moving forwards, whilst you take the time out you need. You are not designed to work a lot and it can affect your health if you do. Because you reflect on what's going on outside of you, this can be really draining, so be mindful of this. Make sure you get some self-care rituals in place that help you move any uncomfortable energy through you and spend as much time in nature to the ground as well.
You are great at trying new things and sharing your wisdom. When you are ‘on’ you have a really high vibe and people find you magnetic, so this could be a great time to batch create content, make videos, talk on podcasts, speak at an event etc. Then hand it all over to your VA to repurpose and post for the rest of the month. A repurposable content library will work brilliantly for you too. Just make sure you are aware at what point of the lunar cycle you peak and be gentle to yourself outside of that period.
One of the other things I love about Human Design is that it asks us to look at life in a different way, through the lens of individuality and how we can complement one another, not compete. There isn’t one version of success and abundance, it will look and feel different to each of the different Human Design types. It’s not just about how much you can earn, it’s about living in truth and alignment, it acknowledges that we are not all the same and for that reason, there cannot be a one size fits all plan for business. I have found it both daunting and liberating, but the more I have understood my HD and therefore myself, it has helped me to embrace my version of success even more. Yes, I want money but that is not the only marker of success and abundance for me personally, what I also value is the time during the day to go wild swimming, to pick my daughter up from school and enjoy her company, to practice Kundalini yoga or immerse myself in the latest system I am learning, whereas before I felt guilty for that. I haven’t had a daytime nap yet, but who knows, maybe one day soon I will.
The deep conditioning within me, that says this is lazy, frivolous or damaging to my business and therefore my income, runs deep but the more I embrace who I am, my uniqueness and the life I want to live (which Human Design has helped me to translate as well) the more abundant and empowered I feel and become on a daily basis, not just by looking at my bank balance. I also no longer compare myself to other coaches and business owners out there hustling to make things happen, using tactics that make me wince (no judgement). I just know my way of doing life and business is different to theirs and I know longer fight against that, I embrace it.
This is your life and you get to say how success looks and feels for you. Human Design can be a fantastic tool to help you uncover and align with that if you are struggling.
If any of this resonates with you, I specialise in helping soul led, heart centred entrepreneurs like you, to live your life and grow your business in a truly authentic, sustainable and aligned way for more ease, joy, income and impact. Empowering you to become your own Guru, in business & life. You can find out more about my 1:1 coaching options here
Katie Carswell, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine
Katie Carswell is a Business Alignment Coaching, Queen of Efficiency and seeing what others don’t see for themselves. She guides and empowers entrepreneurs to grow their business in an aligned way to them for more income, impact, freedom and fun.
Katie is passionate about helping business owners stop all the second guessing and self doubt by finding the right way for them, whilst simplifying and streamlining, so they can focus more on doing what they love, in and out of their business.
Katie has 22 years of business and marketing experience, she is a coach, mentor and strategist, as well as a certified mindfulness life coach. She helps her clients with their mindset, removing subconscious blocks and limiting beliefs, energy work and Human Design to create an aligned business strategy bespoke to them.
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