Written by: Katie Johns, 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.
From a young age, we are taught to think our way through life.
Work hard.
Keep trying.
Figure it out.
Do more.
Push harder.
We have ended up in a world of busyness and ‘doership’ to quote the wonderful Tosha Silver.
But what if you are doing all of the things and it’s still not working?
What if you have tried, pushed, strived and still you are not where you want to be?
What happens if doing everything we are told we have to do [or you feel you ought to] in order to achieve success, makes you sick, unhappy and disconnected?
What if the traditional way of marketing and ‘doing’ business doesn’t work for you?
I’ve recently had a couple of weeks off, I got sick and it stopped me in my tracks. A few years ago I would've kept on working, struggled through somehow, worked from my bed, putting others needs before my own and definitely not asked for help.
But that way is not for me anymore. What I did realise during that enforced period of rest was that part of the reason I was ill, is that I had in fact slipped out of flow and back into push.
Even with all of my knowledge, the personal development work I have done and the work I do now with clients, I had fallen back into old habits. It’s indoctrinated into us on such a deep level, that even when we become conscious we can still slip back in. So how do we embrace a way of marketing and growing our business in a sustainable way, through ease, joy, flow and grace?
We simply choose and keep choosing.
It’s then our job to stay conscious and keep an eye on ourselves to make sure we don’t slip back into those old ‘doership’ ways.
This isn’t easy work, I am asking you to step away from one of the biggest constructs there is. Our society is built on the very foundation that you build your business through hard work, grit and determination. You do what it takes and if that doesn’t work you throw something else into the mix. It’s difficult for us to even contemplate another way of doing things because the online space is so noisy telling us this is the way you do it. And even some of the new wave of more spiritual business coaches don’t always seem to practice what they preach...the hustle seems very real.
And you absolutely can build a business like this but do you want to?
Those are the key questions you need to be asking yourself.
Do you want hustle or flow? Constriction or expansion? Ego or soul? Burn out or freedom?
Because the truth is, you can market, grow and sustain your business in a different way, one that feels aligned to you, that is easy, fun and joyful.
But you have to make that choice and then watch yourself like a hawk to make sure you don’t slip back into your old ways. It involves faith, trust and surrender and probably a fair bit of social media and email unfollowing /unsubscribing too!
In many ways pushing can seem easier, we believe we are making things happen, it’s in our control and control feels safe, solid and certain. The incessant doership is also a great way of drowning out the negative voices in our head, the ones that tell us we don’t know enough, do enough, good enough, so we keep busy and don’t give them space to talk. And then there’s everyone else, they’re all hustling and achieving incredible results, you don't want to be left behind do you?
Believing in the unknown and unseen is harder and why so many of us slip back, that’s why support and accountability from someone who has walked the path and understands how to grow and market a business from flow is so vital. And movements like Soulacy are so important in spreading the word about what it really means to build, grow and sustain a business from soul.
As part of my work with clients we look at the different levels of consciousness you might be operating from and how this impacts your marketing and business, so you can see where you might have crept back into doership, where you need to embrace flow and surrender more and how you go about doing that, in a way that feels right for you.
Here’s a few examples of how it feels to be in or out of alignment/flow, so you can start noticing when things aren’t right and what changes you can make to bring yourself back in, before you make yourself sick or burnt out.
Growing a business out of alignment is possible but it’s driven by ego, it’s not much fun, it doesn’t nurture your soul and eventually it catches up with you in one way or another.
Growing and sustaining a business from flow is amazing but it’s not always easy and can feel lonely and scary at times, as the old ways of doing business vie for our attention everywhere we turn. Feeling like you’re not the only one on this road to doing business in a more flow-based, conscious and soul legacy way, has immense power and it’s why surrounding yourself with like-minded people is so important. Remember, you are not alone, you are here to do great things, you are a change maker, and change isn’t always easy but always worth it when it’s soul-aligned to you.
If you’d love some support with all things soul led business and marketing, come and join my free community, a sacred space to discuss all things work/life blend, consciousness, doership and flow, to support you on the journey
Katie Johns, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine
Katie Johns is a Soul-Led Business, Marketing & Inner Guidance Mentor who works with Conscious Change Makers, helping them to run and market their business from the soul through her particular method of soul + energy + action. Katie knows that the traditional, old paradigm ways of marketing and running a business can leave soul-led entrepreneurs feeling disconnected, burnt out, and unhappy. However, she believes that your business is an energetic extension of you, so if you are not in alignment with certain areas, you are not going to create the impact and legacy you desire
Katie empowers soul-led entrepreneurs to start doing business their way, connecting them back to their purpose, passion, and personal power, ready to take inspired, aligned action in the direction of their dreams. Doing business and marketing that feels good and does good.
Katie is a monthly contributor at Brainz and Soulacy magazine, and she is regularly asked to guest speak on podcasts about her subject.
