Is Your Spiritual Business Ethical? 3 Questions to Ask as a Solopreneur.
We’ve all heard the guru horror stories. Sages and wise people who turn out to be villains. Behind closed doors, they are causing more harm than healing.
“They weren’t who we thought they were!”
The best example I can think of is Osho. He said some great words. People still share his quotes all the time. But under the surface, he was creating a community with extremely questionable ethical practices.
…like poisoning people who didn’t believe the same thing he did.
Click here if you want to learn more about it from one of my favorite podcasts, Mysteries and Histories.
You want to be careful you’re not out there with a spiritual business, coaching people on how to be better people, but walking around with 7 of Swords energy.
The 7 of Swords is the thief, the trickster. The one who acts like he’s a good person in the light but steals guiltily away in the night. As a community of people who claim to be about making the world a better place, we MUST hold ourselves accountable for our actions. You have to be better before you can teach others to be better.
So, are you ethical as well as spiritual? Let’s break it down into 3 big questions.
Do your actions match your words?
“Fake it till you make it” is about confidence not lying. You’re supposed to put on the confidence you may not necessarily feel — not fake qualifications you don’t have.
To be honest, I think the question here really should be twofold. Do your actions match your words and do your words match your actions?
When promoting your business, are you telling the truth?
If you say something like, “Act now. Only a limited number of spots left!” that should be what’s really happening. If you promise “Customer satisfaction guaranteed or your money back,” then they should get their money back if they aren’t satisfied.
Words matching actions is about honesty. It’s about holding up your end of the bargain and not just aiming for a money grab or a quick sale. Don’t claim you can do something you can’t do. Don’t claim you know something you don’t know. Your products and services should be adding real value to your customers’ and clients’ lives, which leads me to my next point.
Do your practices match your values?
You’re a spiritual entrepreneur. Your mission is to make the world a better place. You value authenticity and alignment. Your goal is to elevate the Earth.
Lofty goals! I like that.
But that’s the 4D and 5D stuff. I want to talk about the 3D for a moment. Do you have the practical tools you need to match your business practices to the values you hold? Where might you need help?
I wrote an entire blog post about ethical marketing here if you want to read further.
Avoid clickbaity, exaggerated, or dishonest marketing tactics. You don’t need them to be successful. In fact, in today’s world, people are so used to disingenuous marketing that authenticity is a breath of fresh air!
You have to know what you value to be able to focus your practices on those values.
Here are some examples of values with an accompanying practice you can put in place:
Example 1: Practicing What You Preach
You value mental health and it’s part of what your business teaches, so you implement a policy where you are unavailable for business calls and communications on the weekends.
Example 2: Being in Energetic Flow Instead of Force
Your business is all about embodying the feminine and embracing flow, so you keep a flexible schedule for posting on social media that aligns with your energy instead of forcing yourself to post a certain amount of times a week.
Example 3: Letting Your Business Be a Beacon
Holistic health is the focus of your offerings, so when your employees tell you they are sick, you gladly and generously give them the time off to recuperate. You know the value of health and that your business will thrive when your employees feel taken care of.
Once you focus on aligning your practices with your values, you will begin to feel much more in flow with your business. I can speak from experience! When I started saying no to clients who were not a good fit for me and my values, I began to have an influx of people who were on the same page as me.
✨This alignment feels like magic! ✨
Do your values match your beliefs?
Here’s the big one and it might take some soul searching. You’ll want to break out a journal for this section.
First, ask yourself these 4 questions about your beliefs:
What are my beliefs about business?
What are my spiritual beliefs?
What beliefs were I raised with?
Are there new beliefs I need to embrace?
Then, ask yourself these 4 questions about your values:
Which values are most important for my business?
Which values match my beliefs?
Which values do not match my beliefs?
Which values are my business not aligned with?
Lastly, ask yourself these 3 questions to bring it all together:
Where am I out of integrity?
How do I shift my beliefs to match my values?
How do I shift my practices to reflect my values?
Integrity doesn’t require perfection. However, it does require alignment. If you plan on guiding others, you must hold yourself radically accountable. Other people’s lives, and mental, emotional, and spiritual health are on the line. You’re doing incredibly important work and it deserves to be taken on by someone who has a strong ethical code.
Do you need a mirror?
Sometimes, it can be hard to see where you aren’t matching your actions and words to your energy. Good intentions don’t always translate to inspired steps.
I would love to take a look at your marketing plan and help you get honest with yourself. My passion is in ethical marketing for spiritual businesses. Let me be your cheerleader! 🎉🎉🎉