The business of business

I have an aversion to a few key things. Not the things themselves I guess, but the words. The words for these things make me feel boxed in, itchy, rebellious or worse yet, deadened. Math is one. Business is another. I’m also not fond of Business’ sidekick, Marketing.

This is my problem. It is all about me and my lived experience. It's my prejudice.

Whenever I see things like, how to get more twitter followers or drive traffic to your website, my heart sort of seizes up and little doorways all over my body shut down. I’m not a big fan of the hyperactive selling and buying culture in which I live and yet selling and buying is a necessity, and I do want people to visit my website. I am, in fact, running a business even though I shy away from calling it a business because that sounds a bit colder to me than I would like.

This is a place where I record my thoughts and share information and invite community. It reflects what’s going on in my life and a big part of what goes on in my life is my work so naturally, that shows up here. What I don’t wish, however, is for this space to lose its authenticity and I see that now and then with blogs that are also used as marketing tools. I don’t want this blog to be a marketing tool, but I do want it to be a place where my readers, whomever you may be, can find about the stuff I do, including the stuff I do in exchange for money.

When I brush up against Marketing, which is constantly, it often feels frantic to me. And false. I hear people making big claims and promises. I don’t wish to make big claims and promises. Neither do I wish to portray myself as someone who knows The Answer that will change you forever.

I do want to connect with the people who are interested in what I do.

I don’t like the word Branding. I don’t want to be a Brand. My work is fluid, my taste is fluid. I change things up a lot. And I change my mind. But there is, of course, a core – a beating heart at the center. There is the stuff about me and what I do that doesn’t change.

I know that I am doing my soul’s purpose when my heart sings. I want to do my soul’s purpose. I am creating a world for myself in which I can live that purpose as it unfolds, changes, rearranges and blooms. And I want you to know about it.

But I don’t want to Market to you.

I just want to be who I am and let you be who you are.

I believe that each of us can find a way to earn money without selling our souls.

The outside world tells me, nearly constantly, that it’s my job to make things happen, but I’m not convinced that is my job. I see my job more as opening to what happens, opening to what’s coming, picking through the pieces of my experience and choosing which pieces engage me. I am open to the flow of this work; I am open to you; I am open to the song of my heart.

Soon, maybe tomorrow, I want to tell you more about the e-course I’m offering.

Soon, I may ask those of you who have worked with me if I could use a testimonial or two on my website.

These things feel dangerously close to Marketing and Business. I don’t want you to feel that I’m trying to sell you something. I’m so weary of being sold to. And yet, I am selling something.

And I do want to know about what’s out there. I do want to know about what you offer. I find people and products and workshops and services all the time on the internet - people and services and products that enhance my life - and I wouldn't have known about them except that someone Marketed them to me. I'm grateful for those people and those things and this means of communication.

I’ve tried to figure out what makes the difference between the people who are selling on the internet in a way that is interesting and life-giving and the people who are selling on the internet in a way that shuts me down. Maybe it’s all just vibration and nothing I have to think about at all.

I’m dancing around with these concepts, but I’m not going to make anything happen and I’m not going to stop being honest and I’m not going to pretend to know things I don’t know and I’m not going to pretend to not know things that I do know.

What I do has some value for some people and if there are other people out there for whom it would have value, I want them to know about it.

Someday, I’d like to hire a designer and have a fully integrated blog and website and logo and what have you and that is probably what people mean when they talk about Branding. Right now, I’m fine with playing around with stuff on my own, changing it when I feel like it.

I’m not worried about finding my people. We find each other all the time.

But it's time for me to examine my resistant to the Business language and make Marketing my friend somehow. I think I'll start by making up a new word for it.

Comments

[Cynthia]

*nod* how about "tingalinging"? Just kidding...

[Christine (Blisschick) Reed]

I often think about these same things, in particular the thing you mention -- what differentiates the person who turns me on and the one who turns me off.

I think it has to do with authenticity and that definitely has to do with vibration, as you put it.

And I like to think that the "client" or the "audience" finds the "authentic" that they are in need of. Or that the reader or whomever can tell the difference -- at least the readers we WANT can.

I have a feeling I'm not making any sense.

But I want you to know you're certainly not alone in all this confusion. ;)

And hey -- we have to get over this idea that only desperate or scuzzy business types tout their wares. We are allowed to talk about what we are good at, what our gift is, how we can help.

You could say its kinda our responsibility so that the people who need us CAN find us.

[Jill]

How about inviting?

[Carmen Nessman]

I believe YOU

[Jeannine]

This is such a great post ... I am also averse to the very words "marketing" and "branding" and struggle with the same conundrum of putting myself out there and maintaining my authenticity. I'm pretty sure these things are not mutually exclusive, but it often seems they might be.

In the past I've pushed myself to promote some of my artwork in the ways we're told to, but it always felt "off". Recently, I've just focused on what feels right to me, even if it doesn't jive with what the "experts" say.

Thank you for sharing.