Video BC Day Greeting by Wendy Burge

Hi Everyone -
I just wanted to wish everyone in British Columbia a great BC Day!
As you can see I was celebrating the day with my family at Cultus Lake Waterpark, near Chilliwack, BC. It was a fun day with a few great reminders that no matter what business you operate creating specialty services, products, and or in this case “play areas” for each age group is a wonderful way to enhance the experience for everyone who does business with you.

Watch my video to learn more.

Happy BC Day !

Wendy

The Secret to Receiving–Just Ask!

One of the short-comings of working as solo entrepreneurs or as small business owners is that because we spend so much time working on our businesses alone, we appear to have glossed over the fact that there is often a simpler approach to receiving the things we need for our lives and business.  Due to limited cash flows and lack of extra support at times, we personally handle every task in our offices and are ruthlessly commitment to the mantra, “I’ll do it myself”.  However, this takes a toll on our ability to refocus, and sometimes, in order to receive the outcome we are looking for, our focus and actions need to be shifted to allow others to help us.

A few days ago, I was out with some friends and I was reminded of one of the biggest secrets to receiving those things you want in life and business. And, this is not so much of a secret really, as it was a reminder. To get what you want, you must ASK for it.  Now hear me out, this is not meant to be cheeky. I know you know this but, I guarantee if you are like me, sometimes we forget how much power there is in Asking—especially for the really big stuff. Please don’t get me wrong, I am not afraid to ask for those little things I need help with, but, it’s the bigger items that I stumble over at times because I forget to ask for those things, too.

The power of asking was brought back into my awareness by recently watching my friend just effortlessly ask for something very large, very specific, and very last minute.  This person pulled out their phone, quickly dialled an acquaintance they thought might be able to assist them, and asked for the favoured request. Again, this is not rocket science, but the favoured item they were looking for was not some small gesture either. 

However, my lesson did not stop there. What struck me most was what happened when the conversation had ended and the person on the phone was not able to yield the response hoped for. My friend let go of that outcome and went into action thinking of another way they could find what they wanted—without feeling the least bit slighted by the fact they did not receive the favoured item they were wanting.  So, after the first unsuccessful try, they just moved on to the next idea of who might have what they wanted and went into action, once again, to ask for it. Eventually, and with no more effort from the initial start, they successfully found what they wanted.

From this experience, I came away with some take-away points which I can see TRAP entrepreneurs around the idea of ASKING  for the help we may need to assist us in growing our businesses—especially the bigger things.

1. We DO NOT ASK enough for help in our business and lives for big or little items which could substantially move us into action faster.
2. We UNDER ESTIMATE that people are genuinely willing to help us be successful—if only we would ask them for what we need.
3. We ASSUME that we know HOW the things we want will come to us and WHO will or will not help.
4. If our request does not appear the first time, we “mistakenly” LET GO of the idea instead of moving on to the next person or option.
5. If someone can’t help us, initially, we FORGET to ask them “Who do you know that could help me then?”
6. If someone was unable to help us with that ‘item or project’, we tend to AVOID ever asking them again—when in fact they may hold the key to another request.
7. The WORTH of the request in UNDER VALUED by our own beliefs in the request itself or within our selves.

 

 

 

7 Points for Start-up Businesses and Newbie Entrepreneurs to Consider

(This is just my commentary about recent encounters with newbie entrepreneurs…)

If you REALLY want to go into business for yourself please use this check list to make sure you understand you aren’t creating just a job or hobby for yourself.

1.   Understand you are a CEO not a technician – You must view your business like a BUSINESS not a job with a lot to do. So what do you want this business of yours to look like? Find a model of a successful business in your field and industry and follow their steps. Success leaves clues!

2.   Determine WHY you want to go into business for yourself – Don’t just open a business because the economy is iffy. Your WHY must be greater than your need because you will have those days that your WHY is WHY you are hanging in there doing it! What purpose is it serving your life?

3.   Get “To legit to quit” – Make the decision and go all out, not half way and stop – then tell people it did not work out. Treat your business like its a child – with all the ages and stages you have with children. Businesses have a life of their own too. Hire a Coach to help you map and plan out how to help your business along.

4.   Invest in KNOWLEDGE. If not for yourself then that of others. It cuts your learning curve immensely! And do not expect “Experts” to continue to give you advice for FREE. They will help to a point but you must INVEST in your business/learning.

5.  You MUST SPEND MONEY. Pay for the best if you can – again YOU GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR in the end. While there are alot of great FREE things for businesses online and off to use –pay for the people, tools, systems, and resources that help you get the job done right the first time!

6.   Understand you MUST learn about MARKETING & SALES if you want to own your own business. There is no way around this! Next to being the CEO your Primary Position is as Marketer & Salesman – no matter how big your business grows. Yes, it’s nice others can speak for you – testimonials are great but if you can’t talk about yourself and how you can help someone with your business – well you won’t have a business for long.

7.  Your MINDSET will either Make You or Break You! If you do not have the self-esteem, courage, or faith in yourself to move into or be in business for yourself you will not succeed. There are acres of books, systems, resources and people to go to in order to learn to grow a business but if your FEARS are big enough you will not accomplish your “Entrepreneurial Dream” because they will take over and cause stagnation, doubt and analysis paralysis!

Happy Earth Day!!

What a marvellous day to be writing to you.  There are so many great events planned around communities to celebrate this day. Earth Day is one of those days that everybody can take part in and contribute towards. It evokes a sense of responsibility and belonging, as well, care and preservation.

These attributes are also the very same we find in the foundations of businesses built by ‘passion’-preneurs. These are people who have stepped into serving others in their community, physically or virtually, with their natural talents, gifts, and innate understanding that they are on this planet to do something more with their lives than take up space.

Last week I shared the first of a series of questions to help clarify this process of awareness for new entrepreneurs within my ezine, On the Edge.  It starts with an internal dialogue – getting clear on how to create a business which feels more authentic. In today’s issue, I am offering the second set of questions to help continue this dialogue for ‘newbie’ entrepreneurs wanting to create great businesses for themselves and that serve people from a higher spiritual place.

I believe we are in a time in history where we, as a people, have more to give to each other-to share and help.  We also have resources available like the internet to connect us more easily with more people. This ability to reach out and have contact with people from around the globe brings us together by the most common of denominators-we all share the same living space on Earth, we all experience life within families, we all have the ability to participate in commerce and trade, and we all thrive in supportive relationships with others.

Owning your own business anymore can be more than merely a means to survive. It now has the power to affect people on a new and totally personal level.  And I am reminded about this -especially on days like today when as a people we put aside differences and stop and care for the abundant beauty we have by living on this planet together.

Click here to read today’s edition of On the Edge ezine

Many Thanks!

I want to thank all my friends, colleagues, and “fans” for their great feedback and response to my new ezine “On the Edge!” now published weekly. Thanks for all your love and support! I’m here to rock your business with my marketing tips – keep standing On the Edge!–with me!
Radiantly yours,

Wendy
PS. Want to get on my list – Subscribe here: http://tinyurl.com/bt75nh

Strengthening Faith Management Systems In Your Small Business

Recently, I was speaking with a woman who was considering starting her own small business. As we talked, she stated her husband’s concerns over her idea and then remarked, “Who would start a business in this economy right now, anyway? I mean, there is so much going against this idea during this economic time!”  
 
My response surprised her. “I would.” I replied, and then I explained my position as she listened. Shortly thereafter, I wished her well with her decision, and we went on our ways.Her concerns for stepping into the world of an entrepreneur were definitely warranted yet, before she even could let her dream get off the ground she had already shot down her idea with all the reasons why it would not work. And in my experience, it surely would not, because she lacked an under-acknowledged ingredient to being a small business owner: Faith.

During the 16 years I have been a small business entrepreneur, I have experienced many challenges that directly have affected my business. Over this period, I have discovered that if I wanted to keep my doors open I needed to stop focusing with worry about potential external influences that may or may not directly impact my bottom line. Instead, I learned what I call risk management systems that allowed me to weather through a variable of challenging times.

However, to step into the domain of entrepreneurial stewardship requires more than business acumen, it requires faith. Faith is essential to moving any business venture forward. It means you clearly trust not only yourself in serving high quality skills that you’ve developed to help others, you have faith that this is the path you are intended to walk in alignment to fulfill your life’s purpose.

While there are many factors to how faith can be applied to business, I found the following 5 points essential to creating a solid faith management system as an entrepreneur – many of which are keys in “recession proofing” small businesses. I have even offered a series of questions at the end of each point to help you create your own faith management system in your business.

1. Clarify Your Real Values

Many solo-professionals and small business owners often refer to their businesses in terms of what they do: accountant, personal coach, massage therapist. However, their real value is found not in the service specifically, but in what they personally solve as identifiable problems their clients have. Consider why you chose your profession in the first place-what was that calling? What were you trying to achieve by being in service?  This will often show up in your conversations with clients or how exactly you enjoy working with your clients. The value you create in people’s lives is often tied to the purpose you felt compelled to follow. This makes your market position unique and not mainstream. And if you are unsure what exactly this is, do not hesitate to ask your clients. They will often provide incredible insights into your business that you can utilize to enhance their experience and your value. Now, answer this question for yourself and see how it applies to your business and marketing: “What is the intention in which I created my buisness that is a refreshing alternative to my competitors?”

2. Strengthen Client Relationships 
         
It has taken larger corporations a while to catch on that people like quality, competent service; however, small businesses know this fact all to well. It is incredibly costly to attain a new client initially at the front door, so strengthening relationships with your clients is essential if you want to keep them. Once a business owner understands the real value of each client, they can enhance their experience with them through more personalized services and close the back door from their leaving. (Starbucks does this incredibly well, in spite of being a large corporation.) Hand written thank you cards, special VIP incentives, and customer appreciation days are just a few ways businesses can recognize the value of their clients while adding more value to their service. The client experience becomes less about ‘making the sale’– as it is now about enhancing their lives with your service or product. People love personalized recognition and they want to see those businesses succeed that make them feel special and valued. And, because this is the purpose of passion-based entrepreneurs, it is a natural extension of their work to treat clients as if they were dear friends. Now, answer this question for yourself and see how it applies to your business and marketing: “How can I personally make my clients’ lives better because of my business?”
 

3. Leverage Your Expertise

A mentor of mine recently stated, “It takes guts to follow your passion–to fulfill your soul’s work, so while it’s important to pray for guidance, you must still move your feet into action if you are to take your message into the world.” Positioning yourself as an expert is an absolute necessity for your success and empire building. Showcasing your divine gifts is essential in this process and there are many ways to start building your credibility as an expert in your field. Developing your own systems, courses, and digital teaching tools are now even more easily do-able with web based software – especially when it comes to accessibility and deliverability. There are traditional methods that still work just as well, like speaking, book publishing, and writing articles and ezines.    If there are still things that you feel you must understand about your industry, then invest in learning. It is often the marketing not the mastery that catapults expertise status. There are people already waiting for your help right now – you just have to find them and lead the way. Now, answer this question for yourself and see how it applies to your business and marketing: “What problem can I best solve for my clients that will enhance their lives and others?”

 
4. Understand Your Goals

Traditionally, goals are set as a measurement of success. Attainment of a material, monetary, or professional status is also a sign of success in our culture, as well. Unfortunately, we often see public figures reach these heights only to be jaded by personal feelings of un-fulfillment with their status. They chose to play out destructive behaviours and the world watches wondering “why?”- when it appears they have “everything”! I believe goals are misunderstood. Most people create their goals based on the concept of their worth. They get caught in the trappings by questioning if they are worthy of their goals and whether they will ever achieve them. Although, as a conscious entrepreneur, one who has mindful intention to the purposeful service they offer, there must be a belief that the success you desire in your life is based on the utilization of your divine gifts. Goals serve a completely different purpose then. The real question of goals becomes more of a statement “Are your goals worthy of you?” You must have confidence in yourself, your ability, and the vision you hold for your life. Then with big dreams, step into it with the confidence that the Universe has gifted this space for you to achieve your goal. Therefore, the purpose of any personal or professional goal is meant for us to step into our personal greatness-it is a way for us to tap into the gift of living life to its fullest expression. This is evident when you have big dreams about your business-how it looks, acts, and responds to the care of people. Now, answer this question for yourself and see how it applies to your business and marketing: “Are my goals worthy of me and the purposeful path I am on?”

5. Accept Your Profits

Spirituality and money are rarely seen in the same sentence, let alone the same topic. However, the concept of being spiritually sound in your service, but living barely within your means does questions the intention of a fulfilled life purpose. While miracles and manifestation are a means to tapping into the divine, payment for service is essential to tap into the human soul. Money can actually be seen as a spiritual experience. Yes, you heard me correctly! Let me explain. Choosing the path of purpose-filled work required an openness to tap into your connection to the divine – through mediation, prayer, or a calling. In return, you discovered that you were actually good at a skill, talent, or gift–if you will. The highest respect to life then, is to live out your purpose in service using this divine gift. In exchange of honouring your gifts people must pay you for your service. Money is a Universal form of appreciation in return for offering your gifts. I must also address the value in receiving payment. The deeper you understand this concept, the more you will see this enhancing your self-worth – it honours your soul’s purpose. Over time this leads to wealth generation allowing you to move into greater offerings where money can make substantial differences in people’s lives through charitable contributions, foundations, grants, and sometimes by just being able to fund the initial start-up of another project that will directly impact the well-being of people. Not having money is counter-intuitive to living a life full out! Now, answer this question for yourself and see how it applies to your business and marketing: “What value do I place on my own services in order to increase my worth, which allows me to be profitable in my business?”

To be an entrepreneur takes courage, an openness to learning, and faith that this is the best opportunity for you to express your divine gifts. To have a faith management system in place allows you to trust this path. While, it does not mean you will not encounter challenges in your business, it does however, make it much easier to course correct when you are solid in your belief and understanding about your business intention – for this truly is the soul of your business.
 

© 2009 Wendy Burge – Radiant Edge Consulting.

WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR EZINE OR WEB SITE? You can, as long as you include this complete blurb with it: Conscious Business & Marketing Coach Wendy Burge publishes the On the Edge! weekly ezine–Where business, marketing, and lifestyle meet. If you’re ready to have radiant marketing, make more money, and have more freedom in your small business, get your FREE tips now at www.RadiantEdgeConsulting.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thursdays, Driven Women, and Divine Paths

Whew! I cannot believe it has nearly been a month since I posted last. So where have I been? Well, since you asked  I have been taking the road less travelled. In the past month I have been under the influx of attending the most amazing events – not all business yet, related by a very curious common denominator – Thursdays, Driven Women, and Divine Paths.

Thursday, October 30th

I attended Madonna’s concert in Vancouver; which was packed with raving fans for the fabulous and ever changing diva. Over the years her concerts have been controversial at best and have presented the next evolution of her being. This one was no exception. Looking like the mother of Guns and Roses’ guitarist Slash, her long blond curls draped down under a black top hat while her well buffed Pilate’s body was poised in fishnets and high heels. She strapped on an electric guitar and played her heart out while accompanying a majority of her own songs throughout the evening- who knew she could play?

I found myself watching her in amazement as I felt she was the poster child of what it means to be a Driven Women. What made Madonna so special was that she embodied, throughout the concert, this “can do” energy.  She treated the whole event as a play ground of sorts, letting you see many sides to her that I believe stretched some people in her audience. With blatant political messages in support of US presidential candidate Barack Obama – humanitarian images of Middle Eastern villagers scrolling on jumbo trons above the stage – and the simplicity of a gypsy band performing with Madonna as she sang in a very earthy tone, she was able to showcase new dimensions of herself within her show. She really knows how to leverage this in her musical performances.

When the whole experience was over I was left thinking that she had done it again. She surprised us with her performances but, it was her open expression of her views, her ability to step into something unexpected without worry that she was not presenting the “pop star darling backed by club music” her audience probably expected. There was something more authentic to her in this show than I expected to see. I was more aware in the end that something was shifting within her and we were witness to a more conscientious, wiser woman. A women driven by most peoples’ standards but, I believe it was a demonstration of her personal grown over the past few years where she allowed it to stretch her expression of her work as well. Like great artist can do.

This is something rare as I see it. There are many people famous and not so famous that ties their identity into which they initially started out being in their work / career. As they grow personally over the years, with age and experience, they still maintain a very structured role – a possible condition to maintain their position of separation of their work and personal life.

Madonna presented the first of my Thursday lessons. People get stuck in their work when they do not adapt their work to express who they are as they grow and mature with age. Because they are conditioned to perform a certain way initially in their careers they begin to feel unauthentic in their work as they grow personally. This can leave people with a feeling of being stifled, stuck, and without options for advancement. They do not feel passionate about their job performance anymore. Ultimately as they have grown and matured their values have changed yet, they have not brought their career growth along with their personal growth. This can often lead to the jumping off point when people decide to step out of the constraints of the corporate world and move into the freedom of entrepreneurship in order to have more personal control and expression over their work.

Thursday, November 6th

I was invited to attend an event in Vancouver called The Power of Women. It was an all day event featuring female key note speakers on topics such as connecting, teamwork, communication strategies, ambition, and motivation. All the women who presented – some very well known and some more local celebrities, were brilliant in their presentation. The energy of the room was high with nearly 1,800 women, and a few men, to hear the inspiring talks of the likes of Olympic gold medalist Cassie Campbell, team captain of Canada’s Women’s Hockey team, author and brain scientist Jill Bolte Taylor, and TV host and comedian Joy Behar from the TV show The View – just to name a few.

One speaker particularly stood out the most for me. A presenter named Alison Levine. Petite, classically dressed, and very attractive, she walked out on stage. Within a few minutes into her talk you knew this was going to be a different experience. Here before us was another Driven Women. This mighty force of nature standing a mere 5′3″ tall was a professional mountain climber and explorer – forget entrepreneur! She had served as team captain of the first American Women´s Everest Expedition, climbed the highest peak on each continent, and skied 100 miles across the Arctic Circle to the geographic North Pole.

Her story was riveting with life and death experiences of the expeditions she had lead. Telling her story about climbing Mount Everest was incredibly profound. In preparation from base camp to camp 4, up near the summit, her team had to climb up and down the mountain several times to each camp station. She explained how the climbs allowed their bodies to adapt to the extreme shifts in elevation. Once they reached the top at camp 4 they carefully traversed over the frozen mountain side in slow motion towards the summit. Every step they took needed ten breaths before the next movement of their step. And as they reached the finally few feet – less than a hundred, a storm broke and they had to decide if they were going to end the climb there or continue. Due to the nature of the elevation that last few feet would take nearly three hours to accomplish and as she stated, “If you are taking ten breaths for each step there is no way to “run” off the mountain if extreme weather hits.” So she and the other women on her team decided to quit and turn back for safety reasons. Disappointed not to reach the summit it took time for her to realize the amazing accomplishment of the climb because her focus was to reach the summit. She realized the value of the experience as an individual and as a woman to have been but less than 1 percent of the world’s population to ever attempt this climb.

My second Thursday lesson presented itself to me in that moment. The assent to the top of our success “mountains” are often filled with a sense of going backwards while we are in motion. As Alison spoke about the climb up and down numerous times to base camp, then to each camp up on the summit she demonstrated a unique point about progress and growth. If people just head up the mountains of their entrepreneurial dreams without establishing a base camp it is incredibly easy to get off course. Without a base camp to define an initial start all the foundations and help needed to climb successfully would not be in place. There would be no place to stop and check equipment, review trail maps, and reestablish focus. Further Alison’s team had to turn back and descend the mountain each time they reached the next camp site and in doing so they understood their terrain better. While it may feel like we are  climbing ”backwards” at times in our businesses I now believe this gives us the ability to adjust to the new elevation changes we are about to embark upon. You cannot just run up Everest any more than you can start up a business and expect over night clients and fortunes.

The second part to this lesson is that it is important to know when to quit. I believe it’s our social conditioning to never quit – even in the event of foreseen dangers. Although in some cases in business, and most especially as small business owners, we need to stop and asses if where we are going is taking its toll on us physically, financially, emotionally, mentally and personally. Driven women understand one thing that is critical in reshaping the notion of quitting; they know it may be essential in the preservation and care of their well being. If situations demand that a pull back is necessary they will. As disappointing as it may appear they often find the journey held invaluable lessons for them along the way but they have faith a better opportunity exists just beyond the next horizon. Self care is always a first priority and taking the time to evaluate and asses the conditions of personal environments is crucial for entrepreneurial success.

Thursday, November 13th

I was in LA at the last ever Ali Brown’s Online Success Blueprint Workshop with 450 other entrepreneurial women from across the globe. The energy was even more magical and amazing than the week previous. Some of the most innovative, courageous, and driven women congregated together to take part in Ali’s final event. The energy was contagious and there was a feeling of support, encouragement, and drive expressed during the four day event yet, without the need to feel like we had to compete with one another.

Ali Brown has been one of my personal mentors for many years. I have watched her grow the most successful online information marketing business over the past five years. Her vibrant charisma has always shown through in her writing, tele-seminars, and products but, at this event you could sense something was different with her. As she spoke on stage you did not see just an info marketer you saw the birth of a star. She was a woman who had fully embraced her success and was indebted to her followers for helping her catch that light. She declared that she had started down the next new path of her business ventures, which included launching her own national magazine called Ali, launching her own online boutique, and negotiating a possible TV show.

Presenting her final event she created the ultimate business woman experience for all who attended.  Hosting a wonderful boutique in the lobby with pink briefcases, clothing, and jewelry all branded with her new Ali logo. Her event was truly feminine, diverse and accommodating to the number of women in attendance. She even went as far as to take into consideration the volume of women in comparison to bathrooms in the hotel! She rented princess potties – deluxe port-o-potties hosted just off site to accommodate everyone during our well timed breaks. It was truly the most well thought out workshop I have ever attended as a woman!

While we were all there for business education by this master marketer you could feel the energy of the room take flight each time we gathered for the sessions. It was unlike the rah-rah moments of a motivational conference but, that of a vibrational shift happening of the energy levels of each and every woman in that room, and the few men who had the boobs enough to attend!

At the end of the event, I left feeling like I had once again witnessed another emerging soul who had claimed her Divine Path. Lying flares for the rest of us to follow and join her. Ali’s success is truly inspirational to all that know her. She is a definitely a Driven Woman for sure, and like Madonna she used her event as a stage to play out her full dimensionality. Similarly, like Alison Levine, the mountain climber, she was nearing the next camp site on the summit of her great career and we were all there to experience it with her.

My third Thursday lesson arrived that day. As women entrepreneurs we have very few opportunities to move forward in our businesses unabated by additional responsibilities of family, marriages, and the salvaged of a few moments during the week we can actually spend time alone. It would be easy to slow down, settle for less or quit because we are tired from all the other responsibilities we often incur. So why do some women quit and some have that drive? I believe I was witness to the answer: Divine Paths. When a woman’s divine path appears, even just as a glimpse of what is possible, she embraces it and runs. This does not mean that there is a clear vision to all that is before her but I believe she senses that divine timing is at play. Faith is the navigator on her journey and as each step is taken the next step magically is revealed. This process requires trust and possibility thinking in the opportunities ahead; a definite characteristic of a conscious woman entrepreneur. That is how I ended up at this amazing event!

I have been blessed to see so many wonderful lessons presented to me these past few weeks. Witnessing the courage of self expression, the value of the climb, and the faith in moving forward on the divine path and all curiously enough to me experienced on Thursdays!

Hum, I wonder if Freud would have a different point of view, “Sometimes a Thursday is just a Thursday.”  Well regardless, it has been an interesting journey to witness the roads less taken by a few very extraordinarily, driven women. By the way Ali, I will be joining you soon.

Hello Conscious Entrepreneurs!

Welcome to the Radiant Edge!

This blogsite is dedicated to entrepreneurs!  Most specifically those that are out there selling services as professionals & solo-preneurs (health & wellness practitioners, coaches, special interest consultants, and virtual assistants)

I have personally been a solo-professional for many years and along with my husband — also a solo-professional, owned a holistic wellness centre for 15 years of that time. As an art therapist and  lifestyle & wellness coach I managed to — mostly out of necessity — begin to study the value of business principles and practices. 

One of my focused principles was to really understand marketing.  Soon this became my favourite thing about my business. As I realized that marketing — really good marketing had a powerful way of tapping into the right group of people who desperately desired a service that I was able to offer. The more I understood this and could clarify for my clients what I did and who I worked with my business started to grow.

Then I hit a wall with my marketing and growth. 

Some marketing concepts that I was learning about did not feel right to me anymore. Maybe flashy, big loud marketing pieces worked with larger businesses but, as a small independent professional this did not fly with clients. Worst yet, I felt out of integrity.

Why?

I was doing what every book I read, lecturer I listen to, and every conference I attended said to do.  Why does one concept such as marketing work so well with large businesses – even those considered large by my standards usually having 10 or more employees and yet not so well with small businesses or solo-professionals?  

Then one day on line I found a little book called Spiritual Marketing by Joe Vitale — now this was many years ago and many readers may recognize his name from being in the movie The Secret. What they may not know is that he is actually a brilliant copywriter and marketer. And I might say is still very well respected in the industry. What was different about his book was that he successfully combined two topics that seem to have very little in common to me at the time… SPIRIT and MARKETING.

I could not put that little book of his down. I read it cover to cover in a mere hour and a half. Closing the last page my mind was fluttering with thoughts that I had never conceived before about business, marketing and the idea of spirit as the bridge to both.  It completely altered how I did business from that point on. I realized that my service stemmed from a story of my desire to help people. And a desire to do something purposeful with my life. A way to touch and alter people and their internal environments through art therapy and coaching. It reframed for me that marketing in the end is really about me not selling myself but telling my story, about building stronger relationships with clients and prospective clients, and about wanting more for others than they could see for themselves because of the places they were stuck in. From then on how I related to clients changed – even operationally I changed within my business practices as well. I was happy and saw that my clients were happy too. I really began to feel like a BEntrepreneur – like being more of myself was the key to my success. This action was dynamic, engaging, and more real to me as I was in service to others. Not the serious side of business where emotion and genuine expression of self host a limited existence.  While I enjoyed working in my business again I realized very few of my professional friends and colleagues had this kind of experience.

Then I noticed a shift happening in business over the past two to three years. One that I have seen slowly swelling over this placid idleness in business.  Spirit is slipping in more and more into the world of business. I do have my theories about this as the Internet has expanded professional practices in reaching a greater global audience. Yet, like a tsunami this shift of spiritually infused business practices using Universal principles are hitting professionals with a wave of change that they may not be aware of and I feel is a true sign of things to come. Then this past July, 2008 I attended a conference called The Reality of Success with David Neagle. It was the first time I felt like I had truly stepped into the complete unabridged version of what is happening with all of this. Every entrepreneur sitting in that room, myself included, felt drawn to this idea of business having a higher purpose. And with the information we were learning the 250 plus individuals in that room were there for a greater purpose of sending this message out through their channels of contacts and connections. I came home back to Canada changed, challenged, a bit fearful of what I was given yet excited about what I received.

And once again I could not look at my current business the same. Radiant Edge is a business name I came up with at the beginning of 2008. I had wanted to create a business where I had a more ‘hands on’ concept of assisting other entreprenuers in crafting their personal marketing message. Yet as “hired help” I was not in a position to necessarily coach and share the concepts of SPIRITUAL BUSINESS PRACTICES. Let alone open a dialogue up about what I saw happening in business — a need for all solo-professionals to align with their truest gifts and intentions, to generate more wealth for themselves, and to bring their transformationals services to others.

Then I remembered something David Neagle said, “If you are standing on the edge you better not be taking up space.”

It occured to me that its time to step off the edge and play this game a bit larger as there are many solo-professionals who desire change, passion, joy, and abundance in their business again — who are really closet ‘conscious’ entrepreneurs and need to hear this information. The how, where, and what it means to be in a business built with purposeful intention using their God given talents. I believe now I have captured  in this blog what I really feel the name of my business was meant to mean.

The Radiant Edge is a point of alignment where the message, marketing, and media presentation of a business merges seamlessly when purposeful principles and practices are applied thus creating a radiant expression of ones professional self — where your gifts & talents can shine.  This in turn develops into a radiant relationship with clientele and offers a dynamic business experience. 

It is my intention to offer diverse spiritual business topics, innovative business tools, and practical marketing advise to solo-professionals using these spiritually based priciples in the context of personal and business growth. (And of course, this information also applies to people interested in turning their passions into a business.)

I hope if you have read this far you realize that you too are being affected by what is shifting in this big world of ours. That you realize this calling you feel deep down is not individual but collective now. That this spiritually purposeful approach in buisness is what is going to help change our personal and world economics. We need more ‘conscious’ entrepreneurs generating healthy bottom lines to contribute to the wealth of our communities, countries, and nations. I believe no matter how large or small we may feel, we can equally contribute our part to healing our planet and its people. And it is through business we can do this.

As Neale Donald Walsch states in Christine Kloser’s book The Freedom Formula -

“Business is your highest spiritual understanding, demonstrated.”

So here is to my love of business and to your success!

Regards,

Wendy Burge