How to Break 3 Myths About Being a Spiritual Entrepreneur

Jul 11, 2018 | The Business of Yoga, Travel, Yoga, Yoga Teacher | 1 comment

Spiritual Entrepreneur?! What’s that?!

Most people look at these two words and see them as a paradox. How can someone be spiritual AND be an entrepreneur (i.e. actually care about making money)?

Well, the fact is, we need money in order to survive just like the rest of the world. Not all spiritual people renounce the world and go live in a cave. That mindset is so outdated! The spread of spirituality is a worldwide phenomenon, and I think the more, the better! But, just because we have all these awesome “tricks up our sleeve” and want to help the world be a better place does not mean we should just give it all away for free or for very little, either.

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Do you feel a stigma around charging certain amounts of money (or even at all) for your spiritual work? Do you have a passion for what you do but feel blocked in promoting yourself or charging your worth?

You are not alone.

Many who work in this field deal with mental blockages and thus undervalue themselves… which in the end, is a scarcity mindset and lack of abundance in more ways than just financial. This is self-sabotage before even getting started!

When managing your business and your finances become a spiritual practice, everything will shift!

Do you want more people in your yoga classes? More massage clients? Dream of leading that retreat on your favorite beach? What steps are you taking for them to materialize? You can’t just sit back and wish for it all to happen. If you feel like something is holding you back, it’s time to step up and face it!

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It’s time to move from fear to Love.

If you are starting out as a yoga teacher, reiki healer or attempting to make a career out of any other type of mind-body-spirit modality you will find yourself running your own business before you even know it! However, most programs for these spiritual or creative professions often lack any sort of business or marketing training. This leaves many newbies (and even seasoned practitioners) feeling like they lack the skills to promote themselves.

Some spiritual entrepreneurs may also choose not to promote themselves at all because they see it as ego-tistic and narcissistic. Truth be told, I do know many people in this field who have little to no online presence who are able to be successful and find international jobs, but I personally know that if they had a website and actively promoted themselves more their success would multiply.

For some, it’s like there is some sort of unspoken fear about breaking a holy law in order to promote your spiritual work. There is ultimately no need to feel shame for doing what you love because it is an expansion of your Self! According to nondual Shaiva Tantrik philosophy, the ego is an ally rather than an enemy (Christopher Wallis, Tantra Illuminated). He goes on to say:

“The ego is not to be annihilated in Tantrik yoga but rather purified and infinitely expanded. Since the ego means ‘what you think you are’ expanding it means expanding your sense of self, including more and more in your self-definition. Ultimately, when the ego expands infinitely, you experience all things in yourself and yourself in all things. There are no boundaries to selfhood. When you experience all beings as part of yourself, you naturally act with compassion and wisdom.

Just as the mass of any object accelerated to the speed of light increases to infinity, in the same way when the ego reaches the state of complete expansion, it merges into the ocean of Consciousness.”

I am here to tell you that promoting yourself mindfully is less ego-driven than you think and there is absolutely nothing to be afraid of! The only thing holding you back is YOU.

So are you ready to get out of your own way?

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As creative spiritual entrepreneurs, we sometimes tell ourselves stories in our heads that are simply not true. We are now in the internet age and connected to people on a global scale like never before. People are hungry for growth and knowledge. That YOU have to give!

This doesn’t mean you have to be a door-to-door salesperson or try to sell yourself to every person who follows you on Instagram. All you have to do is simply share your gifts. Yep, it’s easy as that! And isn’t that what we want to do in the first place anyway?

You can have a balance between effort and surrender when it comes to marketing yourself. There are many mental blockages people like you have when they want to grow their own yoga career that prevent them from doing so. I know because I have felt and dealt with these very issues over the past decade as a yoga instructor, performance artist, and spiritual entrepreneur! Read about my the lessons I’ve learned traveling the world here.

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Are you ready to unseed your marketing beliefs when it comes to your spiritual career? Then keep reading for my 3 biggest myths about being a spiritual entrepreneur!

1. Marketing is Boring

First of all, you do not need to have a lot of money, pay for ads, or know SEO to market yourself in the beginning. Yes, all of these things help but really they are best for larger, established companies. When you are just starting out, you don’t need them! Build yourself up organically and then hire someone to do this for you when the time is right. Save the boring stuff for someone else.

So what can you do? Get creative!

Marketing yourself can be tons of fun. You get to take pictures of your life and whatever your offerings are. It can be as simple as posting every day to your Facebook business page or you can get fancy and color coordinate your Instagram. Write blog posts, make videos, do whatever your heart desires to get your message out there! The key is to be consistent and disciplined, however, which is where many people fall short.

So, how to alleviate this?

Make a bunch of content at once.

Do a photoshoot. Make several tutorials in one day. Bust out a bunch of articles. Then, all you have to do is schedule them! (I use the Later App, btw) Voilá, done!

2. You have to be Insta-famous or have a large following to be successful

Oh, yeah! This is a big one I see people butting their own head against.

Do you think you need a bigger following in order to lead that yoga retreat or sell your video series? Think again.

It doesn’t matter how many followers you have.

I’m going to say it again. It doesn’t matter how many followers you have!

What matters is your connection with the people in your network. This means there is no better time than NOW to start getting your message out there.

In the end, numbers are numbers, but remember that the quality of your offerings is what matters the most. Ask yourself why you are doing what you’re doing and write down your answer to this question. When you feel discouraged, go back and read it as a reminder to stay true and authentic to yourself.

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Yes, more people in your network does often to lead to more sales, but it’s about getting your message out there FIRST and not amassing the biggest following in the world.

I speak from personal experience here~ I don’t have a large following on any social media comparatively and I just lead 3 international aerial yoga teacher trainings in the past 6 months. Did I ever feel discouraged at some point? Yes, of course. Did I continue to work through own self-doubts? Yes. Do I consider myself successful in the end despite the number of hardships I overcame to lead them? YES!

And you know what helped? Talking to people in my social network and previous students referring my programs to other students. This is the true power of authenticity.

3. There are already too many people doing what you’re doing, no one cares about what you offer and people don’t want what you have

Look around and you will see that the yoga, fitness, and spirituality world is booming! People everywhere are looking for change.

I recently landed on my favorite side of Koh Phangan island in Thailand which is accessible only by boat. My friend was helping me carry my luggage when we passed by a new giant yoga shala being built. My first reaction was “damn, there are already like 5 places to do yoga around here within 15 minutes walk of each other, do we really need another one? Wouldn’t that just create more competition?”

I asked him how he felt about it, to which he replied, “I’m happy to have more yoga people around.”

My natural instinct in this situation, unfortunately, was fear, which I attribute to social conditioning. But what if our natural instinct was one of love and abundance?

That there is truly enough money and resources to go around for everyone to be successful. And that the more we pass on these skills and heal people, the more our students and clients will continue sharing these teachings, and it becomes an ever-expanding ball of joy and prosperity for the entire world. Sounds peachy, right?!

Now, what about moving past the mental block about fear of failure? The truth is, there are so many people in the world now that chances are someone out there has at least thought once about whatever it is you have to offer. Our thoughts are vibrations which connect us throughout the world. If someone has thought about it, chances are someone wants what you have to offer!

Not to mention… we’ve got Google, Facebook, Instagram, and so much more at our fingertips. Don’t be afraid to use those hashtags 😉

So, the more you talk about your offering and your beliefs, the more you will put yourself out there and the more your own success will come back to you! There’s no shame in this game, so get out there and do the damn thing!

Do you consider yourself a spiritual entrepreneur? What blockages have you had to overcome to get where you are today?

Whether you’re just starting your career or are a seasoned spiritual teacher, a little mentorship can go a long way. The first 3 people who sign up for my Wandering Yogini program will receive this 7-week mentorship at 50% off.

Apply here today!

 

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1 Comment

  1. Chandra

    very well written, loved this article. I am going through the same conflicts in my mind and this article helps. Thank you Lindsay

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