Written by: Laura Di Franco, 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.
“Are you crazy? You should never mix love or friendship and business!” How many times has someone told you not to mix business with pleasure?
The shoulds trigger me, y’all. As soon as I hear one, I pay attention to the old, conditioned, habitual thoughts and beliefs I was taught about how to live my life and run my business.
In honor of February and the month of valentines, I’d like to share my 5 top reasons you should go ahead and be friends with your clients, and dare I say it, love them and show it!
Should clients be friends?
Most of my clients have become friends. Does this get sticky sometimes? Maybe. But in a good way. I choose clients who practice a level of awareness that ensures that as my inner circle gets bigger, it also gets stronger. The sticky part is how we all walk the walk of awareness and communication as we navigate this journey.
I asked this question in my networking group this week: How are you being love in your business?
I got some great answers—answers that created a conversation around the energy we all want as a foundation of what we do every day. Everyone wants to feel more love.
The highest vibration of energy we can practice is love. Why wouldn’t we want more of that in our business? Whether it’s friendships, clients, business partnerships, or collaborations, I’m aiming for those higher vibes, no matter what.
Boundaries matter!
What gets people stuck is a lack of boundaries, not the expression of friendship or love. Remember, in any good relationship—personal or professional—boundaries are what ensure the health and longevity of the bond.
I’m guilty of poor boundaries in the past. This has bitten me in the ass once or twice. But as I’ve practiced setting and maintaining them, my relationships have grown and become powerful. I’ve realized what’s possible when I come at my business relationships with more awareness and a lot more love.
You have also heard, ‘we never know what the other person is going through.’ This is part of the love I practice being in my business with others. Everyone is dealing with something you can’t see from the outside. Caring about people, what they’re going through, and how that’s affecting their life and business matters. We should love people more. We should show more patience and compassion. We should not assume anything about people until we’ve been brave enough to ask the questions. And those are three shoulds I can get on board with.
So go ahead, mix up your love with your business, and watch how much more you end up loving what you do. People are the reason you have a business. It’s time to ditch the old ways and pour love into the people who make you successful. If they become friends as a result, that’s a bonus.
Here are the top 5 reasons to mix love and business:
The vibration of unconditional love is the highest frequency of energy there is. When you practice feeling it and being it, you’re bringing more of that kind of energy into your life and business and end up attracting more of it, too. Ask yourself: What am I actually feeling on a daily basis? If it’s not in the “love” category, maybe it’s time for a shift.
People are the reason you have a business and how it becomes successful. Practicing compassion, understanding, gratitude, patience, and love—inside of yourself and outwardly toward those people—is going to help them make the decision to work with you, keep working with you, or want to partner with you.
Clients that turn into friendships can ultimately become partnerships and beyond. If you’ve been afraid to create friendships in your business, it’s because you fear vulnerability. But vulnerability is what makes us human and lovable. Vulnerability won’t weaken your business; it will strengthen it. Go at people with more caring and more love. Be brave.
The ripple you create when you lead with love is huge. It’s expansive. It’s evolutionary. In business, most of us would like to leave a legacy and create that huge ripple. Try more love.
Old thoughts and ideas about mixing business with pleasure come from ancient beliefs and rules—from who? I don’t even know who taught me this. Today I’m questioning everything I was ever taught about love and business, and I’m doing it my way—with much bigger love. So far, so good.
A last note on boundaries. Healthy boundaries in life and business are always important. If you do not hold, practice, and maintain healthy personal boundaries around your values, you will find yourself in a mess of conflict many times, whether it’s personal or business life. Knowing what matters to you and what’s right and wrong for you and your soul comes from connecting with your inner guide and intuition. A heightened intuition will serve you well in life. When you trust your inner guide to move you in the right direction, it’s easier to lead with love.
So, Happy Valentine's everyone. May you live, breathe, and lead with love in every aspect of your life!
Laura Di Franco, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine
Laura Di Franco, CEO of Brave Healer Productions, an award-winning publisher for holistic health and wellness professionals. She has 30 years of expertise in holistic physical therapy, 14 years of training in the martial arts, and her company has published over 50 Amazon bestselling books. She's a spoken-word poet, lover of dark chocolate, and has a contagious passion for helping you share brave words that build your business. BraveHealer.com
