by Tara Joyce | Oct 29, 2009 | Self/Business Growth
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Door A: “Either” accept the world as it is
This is conventional thinking. It’s a self-reinforcing lesson that life is about accepting unattractive and unpleasant trade-offs.
e.g., Either you are an artist and know little about business or you are an economist and have no understanding of creativity, art, culture and growth.
Door B: “Or” accept the world as it is
This is conventional thinking. It’s seeing all aspects of life as an “either/or” exchange. Life is full of dichotomies, and you just need to pick the lesser of two evils.
e.g., You are a spirituality aware person and know little about making money or an entrepreneur and you have no understanding of compassion, meaning or purpose.
All other doors: Shape the world for the better
This is integrative thinking. It’s about what can be, not what is. It’s about examining the “either/or” option presented and coming up with the “and”. It’s about developing ways to have your cake and eat it too.
It’s a challenge and it’s scary and lonely and, of course, you’ll have people tell you you’re wrong, but f them. What do they know? If they’re not open to a new way of thinking, so be it. There are plenty of unconventional people who can’t wait to hear what you have to say.
The point isn’t to be right. The point is to try. The more you try and the more you fail, the closer you’ll get to what is possible.
Question everything that man has accepted as necessary. There are no rules. Be your own teacher. Believe in your thinking and let your Self get carried away. Your greatest tool to change the world is your ability to challenge and change your own thinking.
photo credit: Pieter Musterd
by Tara Joyce | Oct 26, 2009 | Innerpreneurship
There are still 2 empty chairs at dinner with me and 8 other Innerpreneurs in Toronto next Monday. If your in Toronto, why not stop by and have some delicious Southern Italian food and great conversation. I’m confident you’ll get value from the night.
Toronto Meet-up
Monday, November 2, 2009, 7:30 PM EST
at Terroni restaurant
57 Adelaide St. E.
RSVP here
Can you help me?
I don’t know a damn thing about leading a group meetup. What’s a great way to break the ice? I was thinking we’d each introduce our self and our business… and go from there. Do I need more structure?
by Tara Joyce | Oct 26, 2009 | Self/Business Growth
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There’s a whole lot of shit that you can’t control, but you can control how you respond to it. Adaptability is more than simply rolling with the punches — it’s about being able to calmly, intelligently and readily respond to circumstances. As a business owner, it’s important for you to be able to collect yourself and take control of whatever situation your way. A self-sustaining business is one that is proactive. Don’t wait for all the chips to fall before reacting.
But keep your eyes on the prize
Keep your long-term goals in mind, as they’ll help you to respond to situations in ways that keep you on your path and aligned with your aspirations.
It seems to me that an important key to running a self-sustaining, organic business is to strategically adapt to the world around you. Figure out what you want and constantly make natural adjustments in your business that support those goals.
On your path, keep your head up, take note of what’s around you and what’s changing. Being proactive about responding to changes will remove potential obstructions before they are realized.
by Tara Joyce | Oct 22, 2009 | Featured, Innerpreneurship, My Journey | What's On My Mind
I’ve said it before and I’m sure I’ll say it again, I did not make the word Innerpreneur up. I was only drawn to it once upon a time ago (early 2007) when I was starting my business.
I saw the book Karma Queens, Geek Gods and Innerpreneurs in the bookstore and despite the fact that I had little interest in the book’s overall themes, I bought it. I was compelled by the term, Innerpreneur, and intrigued by the people it described.
It spoke to me. I connected with it. I didn’t totally understand what being an Innerpreneur meant but I found truth in it.
I don’t know what it means to you but here’s what it means to me.
A year and half later, I still don’t know what being an Innerpreneur means to you. And I not sure I ever will. I’ve tried to define it for the community but the reality is I only know what it means to me.
As an Innerpreneur, I believe in:
- Authentic marketing (If it’s not the truth, I’m not going to say it.)
- Integrative thinking (I’m not an either/or kind of girl. I’m not creative or logical, left or right-brained, I’m both. I come up with ways to have my cake and eat it too.)
- Inner-directed action (There is only me and my relationship with others and the world. It is my responsibility to be aware of how I think, feel and act.)
- Values-based business (Business that supports purpose, profit and people.)
- Integral living (That the relationship between body, mind and soul needs to be integrated into all aspects of living.)
Do we really need to define it in order to feel it?
The word is just a word. It has no real tangible value. It’s the ideas expressed in the word that have real power.
My intention was never to use the word to separate us from other business owners. I use the word to connect with those of a similar mindset and as a means to encompass my radical (aka inner-directed) views on business… and life.
If you are drawn to the word, you might like what I have to say. But then again, you might not. I’m just expressing what I am learning on my Innerpreneurial journey. I’m not every Innerpreneur, I don’t represent anyone, nor do I know the answers. Your journey and your learning might look similar to mine, or they might not.
It’s my words, not the word, that counts.
I’ve been torturing my Self by thinking that the word defines me as a writer, that without it I don’t have a voice. That without Innerpreneur to stand behind, my words don’t count. That you only visit because of the word, not because of my words.
I worry about you getting bored with me. And the great irony of my fear is if I rest on the word, you inevitably will. Boredom only sets in when something is no longer relevant. If I stop growing and exploring my ideas and rest on some term, I would cease adapting and I would become stale.
So I write this article as a reminder to my Self that the word Innerpreneur does not define me, it is simply my means to find you and to draw you in. The word is part of my radio signal but it is not my music.
by Tara Joyce | Oct 20, 2009 | Cultural Creativity, Innerpreneurship
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It’s true
No matter what you’re doing, whether you’re a therapist, coach, or artist, if you’re selling products or services, you’re an entrepreneur. It’s a mindset, not a title.
An entrepreneurial-minded person comes up with creative avenues to generate income. It doesn’t matter how they do it or what they know when they undertake it. All that matters is that they are building a system to make money.
Entrepreneurs aren’t just business geeks
Being educated in business and starting a business, doesn’t make you any more an entrepreneur than the photographer selling his work. You might know a bit more about running a business but you’re still hawking your shit to make a living. You’re still using your creativity to generate income.
It doesn’t matter whether you have an MBA. It matters that you have an idea and you are executing it.
Sustainable entrepreneurs must be marketers
If you want to stay in business, embrace that you are a marketer too. Always be working to understand how you can better connect your work with the people who want it.
photo credit: ‘photoplacebo’
