Does the idea of “building your business” leave you cold?
It did for Holly.
“I just want to have fun and share it with others!” she said.
So instead of seeing her business as a building made of bricks and grids…
Holly’s business is a SUNFLOWER.
What would it be like to do business as a sunflower? We explored this in conversation…
First, you don’t “do” a sunflower.
It grows. On its own.
Placed in its natural environment, you don’t even need to water it!
It doesn’t need you, or anyone, to produce beautiful flowers and share them with the world.
You hang out with a sunflower. Appreciate it. Talk to it.
Leave for a while and do your own thing, then come back and see what has grown.
Watch what happens. Follow the seeds as they float through the air, land on fertile soil, and grow.
***
This is a beautiful metaphor for business, but what does it have to do with the “real world?”
Most of us have been taught to “build” a business through hard work and effort, hustle and strain.
But there’s a way of being with your business that’s organic and natural.
There’s a way of being with Life that’s organic and natural, and your business is an extension of that.
When you notice and listen, it tells you what to do.
A sunflower knows exactly what to do to be a sunflower. It’s essential nature shines through.
You’re not the “boss” of the sunflower. There’s nothing you can do to make it grow faster than it’s meant to grow, and digging up the roots to check on its progress doesn’t help.
You observe. Tend to its needs. Put it in the right environment. Invite bees and butterflies to come play and fertilize.
This isn’t simply a feel-good exercise. It’s redefining business for yourself so that it’s inspiring and fun.
Your business probably isn’t a sunflower. Even if it is, your relationship with it would likely be very different than Holly’s.
Today, my business is a delightful experiment.
We play the Game of Money and Changing the World together. We tell stories of inspiration and profound wisdom.
Your experience in business will be as unique as you are.
So if your business could be anything, what would it be?
A conversation
An adventure
A cup of tea
A lover
A book
An animal
A shooting star
I invite you to imagine having a chat with your new business avatar. Write or journal about what you notice and the message it has for you.
What are the qualities of your business?
What do you do together?
How do you feel when you’re with it?
What if you showed up like that with your real-life business?
Set aside some time to ponder your way of being with your business, and notice how it shifts your perspective, opening new possibilities.
Let the freshness of it drop in and see what occurs to you.
This is one of the many ways I create in business and (un)marketing with my client-playmates.
I’d love to invite you into a conversation with me exploring the joyful creative expression of your business. It might just be one of those moments that changes everything. (Which is every moment, when I think about it.)
Yours in creative play,
Steph
