By Stacy Kamala Waltman
I would love to have your opinions, ideas and stories (books, people you know, reference materials, etc.) on actual examples of how to develop a successful business and infuse it with spiritual principles.
- What are spiritual principles when it comes to running an effective business in this day and age?
- How do we authentically survive as a sole proprietor or limited partnership of a spiritual business model that isn’t based upon greed and/or fear and competition in the business world?
There seems to be a lot of examples in both camps but very few integrated examples representing both sides.
Some of the questions I am pondering include:
- How do we compensate (or not) for referrals?
- How do we discount to those who appear to be in need and yet be fair to all?
- Are trade dollars the exact same equivalent of hard money or is there more leeway with trade dollars?
- When is it appropriate to give our services freely and when are we not being good business people to go down this road?
- How do we demonstrate charity instead of welfare?
I always liked to look at the interconnected angles to these questions and in this case, I love the wonderful analogy of the tree.
As long as the tree is taken care of; it is watered, has sun, the bees are pollinating, the worms are irrigating, and everything is contributing to the well being of the tree: the tree will provide abundant fruit.
As a result of being taken care of by an invisible web of support, the fruit is there for all to enjoy and be nourished by. The tree does not give its fruit to those who are worthy ~ it gives to all ~ beggar, thief, holy person, and all sentient beings.
Because it is nourished by an interconnected system of caretakers, the tree will produce an abundance of fruit and if there aren’t enough beings to take the produce, the excess crop falls off the branches and onto the ground.
As long as there are enough creatures to take the grounded morsels and there isn’t too much excess that lies rotting on the ground, the decomposing fruit eventually re-circulates back to the tree as nourishment.
However, if the tree were to hoard its fruit – waiting for only the worthy to taste it or holding back for those who could pay for it – the overabundance of fruit – its gifts – would rot and the tree would eventually suffocate- it would die from its excess.
In my business, I have looked at referrals and their contribution to my success and exposure as an opportunity to show gratitude for people who are taking the time to remember me and pass my spiritual business information along.
If someone refers a potential client to me and that referred individual actually signs up for one of my programs, I send the referrer a gift as a show of my appreciation and gratitude.
I also have the following mechanism in place: when I have six full paying clients, I offer two half price scholarships as well as one full scholarship.
In service to the community, I also write this BLOG. The aim of this venue is that its contents may nourish some people in the world. There is a cost to me in the aspect of my time and a small charge by WordPress.
I also give free monthly talks. Do I give too much? I don’t know. I seek a balance of serving all of the people who need my services regardless of their place in the economic pyramid and having the financial ability to participate in a simple yet abundant life.
Sometimes I have created a waiting list for those who couldn’t pay and when one scholarship program ended, it became time for another to fill the spot.
At this stage in my life, I am always looking for opportunities to give what I have in excess. When I was 18 or 19 years old, Swami Satchidananda told me, “Kamala, don’t hoard the pens.” At the time I was hand-drawing mandalas and coloring them in beautiful colors.
Back then, (just a couple of years ago), I had very little in terms of excess and thought, “What in the world is he talking about? He must think I’m someone else because I don’t have anything!” I am still contemplating this teaching from this enlightened master.
Today, I feel my energy circulating by making a living and still having compassion for others by offering my programs to them at a level they can afford.
One of my favorite children’s books found offered on my website under Resources and then Children’s Books : http://www.integrationcoaching.com/resources.htm is: The Quiltmaker’s Gift (Hardcover) by Jeff Brumbeau (Author), Gail De Marcken (Illustrator).
You can also find it here: http://www.amazon.com/dp/0439309107?tag=wwwintegratio-20&camp=14573&creative=327641&linkCode=as1&creativeASIN=0439309107&adid=0QMAD3Y6Q3KBRAWA5J6E&
I love its story about the freedom of giving and the detriments of hoarding.
However, I’ve had some spiritual colleagues who have a different point of view from mine which are posted here (I don’t know how accurate any of their comments are):
“When I look at how some of the gurus like Gurumayi, Ama, Shree Ma, Gangaji, Maharishi, Swamini Mayatitananda and Sai Ma handle referrals to their businesses it was pretty much the same answer. They really heavily on word of mouth but they never compensate in any way for referrals.”
And this from another individual.
“I think the issue of referrals is interesting. It never occurred to me to be compensated for referring business to a certain place. I have sent plenty of people to this business, but I do it because I want the business to thrive and the community to grow and the people to get benefit. And selfishly, if this business thrives, then I can continue to get benefit too. Building community is based on referral – I have referred my doctor, my dentist, my attorney, my accountant, etc, etc. I have never been compensated financially, but I have been compensated by the sense that the community is stronger as a result.”
What are your thoughts on these subjects?
- How do we authentically survive as a sole proprietor or limited partnership of a spiritual business model that isn’t based upon greed and/or fear and competition in the business world?
- How do we compensate (or not) for referrals?
- How do we discount to those who appear to be in need and yet be fair to all?
- Are trade dollars the exact same equivalent of hard money or is there more leeway with trade dollars?
- When is it appropriate to give our services freely and when are we not being good business people to go down this road?
- How do we demonstrate charity instead of welfare?
- What are spiritual principles when it comes to running an effective business in this day and age?
With respect to referrals, scholarships, and trades, I do what feels right in the moment, depending on the specific situation. In general, I don’t expect compensation for referrals and don’t usually give it unless there’s a specific agreement beforehand. I prefer referrals to be based on genuine recommendations, free of any expectation of return, more part of the natural flow.
Same with scholarships and trades. Sometimes there are people with great enthusiasm for the work who truly can’t afford it, and for these people I often reduce the cost or take a trade because I can sense their passion and desire. But other times I sense that reducing the cost or taking a trade would be doing the person and myself a disservice. This is especially true around issues of self-worth, when I feel that asking them to pay full price actually honors more who they really are and what they’re capable of.
I agree with Brandt, I don’t think compensation is the way to go – it muddys the water and takes away from the spirit of sharing or giving someone the gift of a wonderful thing that they’ve discovered. I personally send people a nice note or simply make sure that they are aware of the fact that I notice and appreciate what they’ve done.
When it comes to scholarships there’s a system that Master Yoga uses that may be helpful. The participant answers a few questions on a form or email and then they have a chance to contemplate whether or not they need assistance.
I had a recent experience with a trade that got a little sticky. I had a friend do some graphic design work for a yoga trade, which she has yet to ‘cash in’ on. It feels uncomfortable having that hanging over my head, even though she tells me that it’s fine. I also don’t want to ‘push’ yoga on anyone & people also can change their minds about whether they want to utilize your services. It’s all likely going to work out in the end, but I’d rather have paid her for her services.
On offering free classes – I did a free class last week, my first one ever. I didn’t do tons of advertising, so I had a small group – 3 people. They all wanted to sign up for a 4 week course (called Daily Practice) & a few of my current students want to take the course too. SO – I think that “free” may “free” up energy……or something????
Hi Janis,
You and I had a couple of trade and scholarship situations that actually turned out nicely. Are you comfortable sharing that experience in general terms?
Love,
Kamala
Sure Kamala,
I think that if the trades are for ‘like’ services it’s less sticky. If I trade a Yoga Therapy session for say a massage or Reiki then it’s a little easier than say trading painting or computer work for yoga. When you are trading intangibles it can be unclear what a ‘trade’ really is. What I’ve heard that make sense to me is that it has more to do with how well you know the other person you are trading with – if you know each other and there’s a sense of trust already in place then it would be easier than doing a trade with someone who you haven’t established a relationship with – which doesn’t always mean you need to know them for an extended period of ‘time’.
In terms of our trade it was nice because we know each other well & we discussed the situation beforehand.
Love,
Janis
I’ve never been very interested in trades–in fact, I usually tell people I don’t do them–for the very reason Janis mentions: they can get kind of sticky. They don’t seem very professional to me. On the other hand, I think free classes are great, and they make good business sense, too. I’ve done quite a few free introductory classes–teleclasses and in-person Vision Walk experiences, for example–in bookstores, libraries, and various meeting centers. Regardless of the size of the crowd (usually anywhere from a half dozen to about 20), I always meet new and interesting people, get a chance to interact with them, give them a chance to experience my teaching, and talk about other classes, workshops, or journeys coming up. Invariably these “freebies” lead to people signing up for other things, but even if they didn’t I would consider them time well spent.
Hi Brandt,
Thank you for adding your part to this interconnected community. Your work sounds fascinating.
I am very curious about the following comment you made on your first posting:
“But other times I sense that reducing the cost or taking a trade would be doing the person and myself a disservice. This is especially true around issues of self-worth, when I feel that asking them to pay full price actually honors more who they really are and what they’re capable of.”
Is our self worth tied to how much money we have at our disposal? I know a lot of wealthy people who’s self worth is questionable. Is our business one that is financially supported by people who have the money to pay but they drain us because of their lack of development in other areas?
What about the things money can’t buy: wisdom, character, lightheartedness, love, intuition, playfulness, the ability to put aside our ego, kindness, generosity, freedom, balance, the ability to really listen, spirituality, goodness, etc. Do these qualities have value and if so, how do we ascribe a dollar valuation to these traits? Do we throw up our hands in exasperation and default to the status quo because it is too difficult to do things differntly than they have been done before?
We live in a culture that does not tend to give financial compensation to certain gifts and yet these are the essences we love to have around us. As a society we tend to finanically reward competition, looking out for ourselves, wondering if we give something – what will we “get” in return. Yet its the people who embody the gifts we undervalue that we tend to want to have around us – infusing us with their light.
Are there perhaps other influences at play which affect our cash flow such as Karma, a radical shift in economy and revenue streams which have dried up, financial commitments to the raising of children rather than paying for a program for ourselves, and so on…?
Is the issue of trade and lending support where we can a test of our trust in the Divine and a capacity to surrender to a power that is governing the balance of things where it is “not up to us to decide”?
If we further develop our capacity to know, beyond a shadow of doubt, that we are all “One” ~ interconnected, intersupported, interwoven, multifaceted, all links in the same chain- how do we treat the “other” as an aspect of ourselves? How do we take care of ourselves and take care (not take care of) with the other?
I love the prayer, “There but for the grace of God, go I”. To me, this is not a prayer of judgment or one that feels superior or more blessed but rather a recognition that with my current level of understanding, I would be very very uncomfortable if I had to live the life they are currently experiencing and is there anything I can do for them while I also take care of myself?
I look forward to your feelings and thoughts on these ideas.
With love,
Kamala
Hi Kamala,
I agree on trades. What I found works for me, is paying each other.
Also, after being people like Francis Lucille, Adyashanti, and my friend Brad, who runs his business from a very non-ego place, I find that I retreat from much of the pseudo-spirituality in the form of manifestation.
Brad has a question he asks in many situations: Is this useful? If you notice, he doesn’t say, is it useful to me. For example, he quoted a fixed price job for a customer. His estimate was way off and cost him money. In his business, because there are always surprises, it’s difficult to predict the cost of his work. So, looking back it wasn’t useful, because it created stress for him financially. He has a colleague who refuses to bid based on a job for this very reason and he won’t take a job that isn’t based on his rate. Brad, decided that, for him in this type of work, the more useful thing is bid based on his rate.
On another level, what you and I discussed yesterday.
Free seminars can be a great tool for your business, as long as you know why YOU are giving the seminar. Is it because you like to? or to just spread the word? or is it to start generating business? Each of these requires a different approach to the seminar structure. If it’s for building the business, the seminar requires a call to action for the attendees; back of the room sales, signing up for another talk, a private consultation to see if working with each other is a fit.
You mentioned people needing your services. I can’t know what another person needs. What I can do is set up my marketing so that people with the kind of needs I serve are most likely to show up and attend my events or knock on my door. Even at that time, I still don’t know if I can serve them and would it serve me to serve them. That is the time for the finding fit conversation.
More later….
Hi, Kamala,
What I meant by the comment about self-worth is that there are people who chronically complain about not having enough and who make a lifestyle out of asking for discounts and trades. They’re easy to spot, and I don’t think I do them or myself a service by agreeing to lower my prices in order to support a habit that comes from a belief that “I’m not enough; poor me, I deserve special treatment.” In these cases, I think it’s much more supportive to explore ways of finding the resources, saving for the next class, or paying for it in installments if need be. (Of course, this can be dangerous, too, as I well remember a couple of times when those extra installments never came in!) In other words, the kind of self-worth issues I was referring to have to do with the basic ego identity of “not enough”–the very thing I’m interested in exposing and dismantling. I can’t help to dismantle it if I’m supporting it. Fortunately, this is pretty easy to spot.
On the other hand, it’s just as easy to spot the person who has all the positive qualities you mention–wisdom, character, lightheartedness, love, intuition, playfulness, the ability to put aside ego, kindness, generosity, freedom, balance, the ability to really listen, spirituality, goodness, not to mention passion for the subject of study–and these are exactly the sorts of people to whom I have no hesitation in saying, “Sure, I understand your financial situation, and I’m going to offer you a scholarship, or a place in the class in exchange for assisting me in some way. In fact, I would be honored to have you join us because I know how much you will give to the group just through your presence and dedication.”
And they do. As far as I’m concerned, this makes good business sense, too, because it always comes back in ways I could never predict. In fact, it comes back in full just with the feeling of YES! I get after making the offer. As you would say, in those moments I know beyond the shadow of a doubt that everyone (including me) is taken care of because the decision has come from a place that’s in tune with a flow that goes far beyond and is much more important than anybody’s pocketbook.
Blessings,
Brandt
Hi Brandt,
YES!
Smiles,
Kamala
In one of my favorite books, The Golden Present by Sri Swami Satchidananda, the March 3rd passage called To Which Category Do you Belong?, reads,
“We all have a duty toward our children, our parents, our neighbors, our sisters, our brothers, toward everything with which we come into contact. We have a duty toward the land that brings us food, toward the rain that brings us water, toward nature. We are constantly getting things from nature, and we have to return something in some form to that nature, to God.
This is what the Hindu scriptures call yagnya, or sacrifice. What is sacrifice? To give at least a little more than you get.
There are several types of people in the world. One group always gets and never gives back; they are called thieves. Another group gets a lot and gives a little; they are debtors. The third group gives one hundred percent and gives back one hundred percent; they are fair business people. Whatever you get, you give back. Then you are not a debtor, you are not a thief; you are a fair business person.
There is another group of people. They get something but they give back much more; they are better people.
The final group doesn’t get anything; they just give. They give all that they have. They know only giving. They are the best people.
So the five categories are: The thief, the debtor, the business person, the better person and the best or the super person. Out of the five, to which category do you belong?”
I don’t think I believe in sacrifice or giving to get. I like to think in terms of attracting my fellow spirits for mutual benefit. I believe myself to be God’s unique expression as lawson and as I become more conscious of that I tend to give more of me, which has an automatic return of me feeling better about me.
Lawson
Hi Stacy Kamala,
As a lifetime spiritual person, many years ago I was in a spiritual closet. That is to say I was definitely a spiritual person and that has always been reflected in my personal life and business practices as well. I felt the need to be closeted, because the atmosphere was not conducive to spiritual “woo woo” understanding at the time. Remember the saying don’t talk about death, politics or religion.
Unless one lived in, or was surrounded by a supportive community of like minded souls you stood in a place of difference, than those who did not yet understand, judged, or accused. I am aware that we are now shifting to a more enlightened world thinking and it is now becoming savvy to be a spiritual entrepreneur.
So, the practices that especially small businesses can give to thrive in a mega corporate world is giving that extra mile.
Since many have responded to how to be compensated for services I will too. We train people to communicate better whether in a personal relational setting or within the business company structure. ACE Compassionate Communication™ is one of my workshops. I do give discounts to those who have been on going clients, as well as a free session for a referral that has turned into a client. For the new client they also get a discount because of having been referred by a regular client.
It always makes one feel good to receive a bonus or a prize.
Last Friday I got a gift certificate and 3 reusable bags from a drawing at Trader Joe’s. I was ecstatic. You would have thought that I won the lottery. The feeling was, that I was lucky! I now understand how my clients feel when they receive a bonus session at a valued dollar amount. This is one of the ways of giving more, and when we give scholarships to those who really want, understand the training and deserve it ~ that is compassion in action.
Namaste, Nancy
Here is an excellent article on bartering from SignOnSanDiego.com: http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/business/20080326-9999-1b26barter.html
here’s an idea that promotes spirituality in corporate business… project called Spiritual Corporate Experiment. I would be grateful if you guys could give me your feedback on it
many thanx in advance,love&peace
Well, nothing like an easy question, eh? I wrote an entire book on this subject, because it’s not easy. And yet, what I’ve found is that every business practice that is truly effective and nourishing has a corresponding spiritual teaching to it- and the business practices that don’t have supportive spiritual teachings connected can be safely discarded.
Some articles that address a few of the things you’ve asked, from my own Sufi point of view:
The True Measure of Money in Your Business
http://heartofbusiness.com/articles/2007/Sept26.htm
Right pricing? Or pricing for exclusivity?
http://heartofbusiness.com/articles/2007/May9.htm
Is It Okay Not To Give All Of Your Profit Back to Your Clients?
http://heartofbusiness.com/articles/2007/Dec26.htm
How Spiritual Teachers Make A Living
http://heartofbusiness.com/articles/2006/Jul19.htm
How to Deal With Freeloaders In Your Business
http://heartofbusiness.com/articles/2006/Jul26.htm
I hope these strike a chord- I welcome questions and challenges.
peace
Mark
Really Enjoyed your Insight on this topic!
Thank You.