Spiritual Biz Basics

  • Spiritual Biz Basics

    Focus On One Thing – Sensitive Soul Business Tip

    As a Spiritual Entrepreneur or budding online Psychic or Tarot Reader, you might get overwhelmed by all of the tasks piling up on your to-do list.

    Let me tell you what you can do.

    Pick one thing to focus on today. That’s it. Give it your energy. Do your best. Mark it off of your to-do list. Then move onto the next thing. One thing. Give it all of your loving energy. Then mark that thing off of your list.

    I think a lot of the overwhelm comes from seeing others who have all of their stuff already built out, who are repurposing old blog posts, who have their sites up and running and their email sequences written and set up.

    And then there’s you, feeling like you are digging a hole in the sand. No matter what you do, you never finish your work; you never get done because more work just keeps sliding right back into that hole you just dug. It’s disheartening and a demotivating, too. 🙁

    You can’t sit there, comparing yourself to those other people. You know what they did? They chose one thing, focused on it, got it done, and then moved on to the next.

    Ready to dive deep into creating a business you love and that loves you back? Let’s chat! Book a Getting To Know You Chat and we can take an hour to explore what you have, where you want to go, and how to get there. Click here to schedule an appointment!

     

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  • Blog, Spiritual Biz Basics

    Tips For Newbie Spiritual Entrepreneurs And Tarot Readers

    When you are working to start and grow your spiritual business or tarot reading business, you need to know a few things. Growing a spiritual business can be exhilarating, but it can also be hard work. Far too often, people give up before they really even put effort into their spiritual business or tarot business. Here are some tips that will help you understand that you aren’t alone, that your efforts will be worth it — if you put the effort in, that is!

    I want to let you know that this list is honest. It’s not airy fairy and it’s not Law of Attraction based. It is the real deal. Far too many people will tell you to wish until it comes true. Well, while you are wishing, here are some things you should know…

    You are going to have to work. 

    Sorry to say it, but you will have to put some hours into growing your spiritual business. Blog posts don’t write themselves. Podcasts and videos don’t appear out of the clear blue. You can spend all the time you want journaling and wishing, but if you don’t put in the effort, you won’t make a profit or grow your audience.

    This is one reason it is so important for you to LOVE what you do, so much so that you could write and talk about it all. day. long. to anyone who will listen, up to and including your partner or your pet. My dogs learn all about symbolism when we go for our walks, and they help me to get focused on what I want to talk to my audience about.

    It’s going to take time.

    This is one thing I see over and over again — people expecting that they will write a blog post or two, put up a Facebook page and an Instagram account, and WHOOSH — the money will start rolling in. When it doesn’t, they get sad and quit.

    Patience, Grasshopper. It WILL happen, but it WILL take time, energy, and focus. Your business will grow day-by-day and with loving care from you. Nurture it. Give it love and time. Cut out weeds, prune when needed, make adjustments, and it will grow.

    Shout it from the rooftops

    “If you build it, they will come.” Even Kevin Costner got a big wakeup call when he followed the advice he was given by Spirit. It wasn’t just about building it, but also about letting people know it was there. So, share your blog posts, videos, and readings with anyone who is interested in seeing them. Keep sharing. And then share some more.

    You can and should share your blog posts and videos multiple times — that is totally OK. The algorithms limit who sees your posts to like 10% of those posting, and then they have to be online that day to see what you broadcast.

    Create great content and share it all around!

    Also, the more you talk about and share your business, the more eyes you’ll have on it. Once your audience grows, people will start sharing your blog posts and videos and recommending your readings. Encourage them to share your spiritual based business and don’t let their sharing stop you from sharing.



    I can share it for you if you want me to. Let’s chat to see kind of help you need for your spiritual business.

    You do you.

    There are millions of spiritually based businesses out there — and the difference between what you are doing and what they are doing is 100% personality. You know the old adage: your vibe attracts your tribe — well, get out there and vibe it up!

    The thing is, when you aren’t being you, people feel it. It dulls your work and, on a subconscious level, steers people away from you to someone who is more real and honest. YOU are a totally spectacular part of your spiritual business — your personality, your thoughts about different topics, your journey, your unique take on things. Don’t hide that from the world. Embrace it and let the world get to know you!

    Speaking of honesty.

    It’s the best policy. I’ll tell you, there are charlatans and scammers GALORE on the market. Don’t be one of them. It cheapens you and your work and it cheapens our collective work as a whole. It makes people distrust all healers and readers. Don’t be the person who sows that kind of energy into our space.

    Don’t rely on unicorns.

    What is a “unicorn”? A unicorn is a client who spends bank on your services, day in, day out. Someone who is addicted to your readings and hands a huge chunk of their decision making process over to you. The bad thing is, these people are likely not making the changes or doing the internal work, but putting all of their hope into you saying or doing some magical thing that will bring them love or fortune. When the results they are hoping for don’t come to them, they’ll be asking for a refund. In full. For all the money they’ve paid you through the months and years.

    I have seen this happen more than once. It’s not good. If you find someone becoming overly reliant on you for advice, healing, or spell-casting, it’s time to draw a line in the sand and let them wing it until something changes in their lives. It might be hard to turn down the money, but you don’t want to nurture unhealthy, codependent relationships with clients.

    Boundaries will save your sanity.

    Trust me on this one. I’ve been “overly available” for clients before. I’ve let people continue to contact me after knowing (and telling them) they should see a psychiatric counselor or just give things time to unfold. I’ve let people spend my time looking things up they could Google themselves.

    People are impatient and the internet — especially things like Facebook Chat and What’s App — gives people far too much access to your personal space and time. They want to get you to do freebies or they want to get around paying or doing the work themselves. I’ve been down this road before, and it led me to burn out and resentment.

    People will value your time if you value your time by setting boundaries and being strict with them.

    Get a scheduling application, like Acuity, and do not allow your clients to PM you or just reach out to pick your brain. Make them continue to work with you over the chatlines or through a pre-paid app. Make them pay for their appointments BEFORE you send an email or spend an hour with them (you can send a PayPal invoice right through your Facebook messenger). Trust me on this one.

    I’ve talked to many other readers and healers who got scammed out of hundreds of dollars by clients — and I have as well. Keep firm boundaries and honor them, or your clients won’t honor them or value your time.

     

    Speaking of value, charge your worth.

    This might rub sandpaper on the nerves of many a generous and “5D” spiritual entrepreneur, but we are still living in a 3D world and we still have stuff to pay for. Our businesses have real expenses, like computers, internet access, phone lines, new decks, training seminars, electricity, an office space (or home office), gas, parking, rent, etc. — and we have needs (food and clothes) and desires, too.

    If you want to be a full-time psychic, tarot reader, or healer, you have to charge a rate that will cover your expenses and pay for your living costs, food, clothes, and the things you want in life. If you don’t want to charge for your time, then go get a job and do your spiritual work as a hobby, because it isn’t a business. I know that sounds harsh, but it is true.

    Don’t be shy about asking what you truly think your readings or sessions are worth. Factor in things like drive time, booth rent, parking, and hourly rates. Be confident that you will find people who will pay what you ask. Put your prices on your site in plain view!

    And don’t base your business on the lowest common denominator. Be valuable, not cheap. There are a million other people in other situations who might charge less. That’s OK. Charge more, but make it worth it.

    Don’t half-ass it.

    I hear about people who are running multiple instances of hotlines on their computers at once, chatting with multiple people at one time. Whaaaaat? How can you get a good spiritual connection with several people at once? That sounds like a barroom conversation, and who knows if you are getting crossed lines.

    I’ve seen people say they type slowly during the “free three minutes” when they work on chatlines or just copy/pasting readings. C’mon now! And courses — don’t just regurgitate what you’ve seen/heard other people doing. And DON’T STEAL.

    And, while the occasional typo or misspelled word can slip by without harming your reputation (even if the Grammar Nazis point it out), sloppy, hard to read, and low-quality posts and content will definitely harm your credibility. We all start somewhere and we get better as we go, but consistently churning out messy, mediocre, and just boring content won’t likely do anything good for you.

    You are building a reputation for yourself with each and every action and encounter you have. Make your reputation speak for you in a good way.

    Ask for testimonials.

    This is kind of like reputation building. People LOVE to see that you have helped other people. They want to see a name and a picture of a person with a testimonial.

    Make sure you ask for the testimonial from someone who has mentioned they loved working with you or said your healing session was heavenly. Also, ask if you can use the person’s name and picture on your site. Most of the time, the people who are happy with your work will be happy to provide you with not only a little paragraph of praise, but also a nice picture to use on their site.

    Check out my Praise Page for a look at how this is done.

    One thing I have to say here, though, is how icky it is when you tell people that you will give them free minutes for or ask for a 5-star rating at the beginning of a reading. When I was doing QA at the psychic hotline I worked at, that drove me NUTS! Don’t waste a person’s time — especially if you are charging like $9.99 a minute — asking them to inflate their opinion of you. Do a good job and the 5-star ratings will accumulate.

    Don’t freak out over bad reviews.

    Not every review you get will be 5-stars. It’s OK. If you are consistently doing your best, you’ll still have some person who won’t like what you said. Don’t let it affect your energy or your confidence. Just shake it off and move on.

    Click here to read more Don’t Freak Out About Bad Reviews.

    BUT, if you are getting a lot of bad reviews, it might be telling you something. A bunch of bad reviews might mean that you need to polish your skills, take time to type better, or sorry to say, do something different. A bad rating from time to time is authentic. If you are getting all bad ratings, then you need to change something.

    Hang out with people who are a level up from you, get a mentor, or join a mastermind.

    I cannot tell you how much I have learned over the last few years by participating in some great online courses, like the Sparkling Biz Academy, The Conquer Club, and BSchool. So. Much. Good. Stuff. And the people I’ve met??? Phenomenal!

    When you are working on building your business, it’s a great idea to join a group of people who are also working on building their own businesses, along with hiring a mentor who can look after your specific needs and keep you motivated. The conversations you’ll have and support you’ll receive go a loooong way in helping you learn the ropes, discover tips and tricks and go from zero to 60 in a way shorter time than it would take if you did it all by yourself.

    And last, but not least…

    Set your spiritual business up as a business from the start.

    My sweet Lamb, your business IS a business, so let it be just that. Businesses earn money – they function to profit. Businesses have business hours, products or services, payment options, savings for paying taxes, organized receipts, business accounts, separate cash flows from personal finances, etc.

    You want to realize this from the get-go so that you set things up properly. Let me tell you, I got whopped with a $2K tax bill that I am making payments on because I didn’t put the money aside to pay my taxes. It happens.

    It’s just best to be organized, keep good records (and your receipts), charge money, and start learning the biz stuff from the get-go. It will help you create good habits right from the start and also avoid costly and stressful mistakes down the road.

    Ultimately, even though there is a lot to keep in mind, running a spiritual business can be fun and rewarding. I just shared my experiences with you all to give you tips about what I’ve discovered while running my spiritual business.

    Do you have a tip to share with us? Please feel free to comment and let us know what your best advice about starting up a spiritual business or a tarot business.

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  • Spiritual Biz Basics

    Value Your Gifts

    Lightworkers and Tarot Readers need to learn to value their gifts!

    It is funny, but not funny at all. When you work with Angels, tarot, and energy healing like I do, you find a lot of people who think that your gifts should be freely shared — without any benefit to you: the reader, the healer, the one with the gift!

    These people wouldn’t bat an eye about paying their accountant because he is a whiz with numbers. Nor would they think twice about paying a gifted stylist who could color and cut their hair like a pro. So why the difference between ‘us’ and ‘them’? Shouldn’t a gifted healer be paid a fee that suits his/her level of talent with healing, just like a doctor of Western Medicine? Shouldn’t a card reader be paid the same amount as a therapist of any other sort – especially when the end result would be the same?



    Most of us Tarot Readers and Lightworkers started like many other successful professionals. We recognized our gifts at a young age. We started working with them on a basic and natural level. Then we realized what our talents and interests were and we pursued knowledge. Many of us have studied (ravenously, continuously, and broadly) on our own. We’ve taken classes, courses, gotten attunements, practiced with and on friends and relatives. We’ve honed our crafts and learned to help others with them.

    We Lightworkers and Tarot Readers have put as much time and effort into learning about our gifts and how to use them as any person who has gone to college to get a degree so that they could pursue a job that they loved.

    But for whatever reason, some people don’t expect us to value our gifts and our efforts. They feel we should live in poverty and piousness – or they point to the olden times when healers and seers were revered tribe members who might not receive money for their services.

    They forget that we, too, have physical needs that have to be met.

    What they might not be aware of, and what you need to keep in mind as a Lightworker or Tarot Reader is that, in the olden days and in tribal cultures, the healers and shaman were given tokens of appreciation and gifts for their healing work. Their food, shelter, and clothing were provided to and for them by the tribe in return for their services. They didn’t go without. Their gifts were valued.

    And just because you are a Lightworker doesn’t mean that you don’t have a mortgage! Your physical needs aren’t less because you believe in and speak to Angels. Tarot Readers still have to purchase food, clothing, etc. Personally, if someone thinks that I should ‘get a job’ to pay for those things while asking for a reading or healing from me, well… I’d bless their heart and send them on their way!

    I’ve chosen Reiki, energy work, business mentoring, and card reading for a profession — or they have chosen me. And so that is the field I will work in. And, what I do IS WORK, too! I write, I sit down and devote time, effort, and energy to each and every one of my readings. I have administrative tasks, like emailing potential clients, advertising, travel to events, tracking expenses, etc. So the cost associated with a reading covers my time, effort, study, etc.

    Not to mention, what I do is a valuable service to begin with. The Reiki that I channel helps people to relax, unwind, de-stress, and put their bodies into states that allow for healing to occur. The card readings I give bring comfort, a different perspective, A-HA moments, and peace of mind. The advising I do revolves around increasing self-worth and value. All these things are worthy of payment.

    And really, money is the new form of energy exchange. The cash that you give out for a service or session represents the value that service or session has for you. Zero cost, zero value. People who are willing to invest in themselves and in their therapies tend to do better as a result. Those who pay for a reading might take the outcome or advice more seriously than those who don’t.

    Ultimately, as I mentioned before – this profession chose me and I chose it. I honor my gifts and feel they are valuable services to pass on to others, therefore, I will charge according to the value these gifts give to others and also for my time, education, and administrative costs. I am super generous – but I won’t give all of my gifts away to benefit others.

    What are your thoughts on this, and are you a Tarot Reader or Lightworker? Please feel free to leave a comment with your thoughts on the topic!

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  • Blog, Spiritual Biz Basics

    3 Reasons You Should Fire Your Client

    Firing a client is a really scary thought to many of us sensitive and spiritual entrepreneurs. We are here to serve. We’ve been called upon to help others with our work. We rely on our clients for our financial well-being. But really, we can’t expect others to heal themselves and stand up for their best interests if we, ourselves, are not. There are times when we need to fire a client.

    1) Rude or abusive behavior. Lord knows we don’t need to cater to anyone who treats us like poo. For some reason, there are those clients – especially when working on chat lines – who are abusive to the people they are turning to for help.

    Abusive behavior can be anything from comments on your race or background to demanding that you read for free to making unwanted, explicit comments toward you. If a client makes you feel uncomfortable, then you have every right to let that person go. Standing your ground might feel a little bit uncomfortable, but that momentary discomfort is far better than continuing to put up with a person’s abusive words.

    2) Not valuing your time and services. Clients who show up late, pay on their own schedule (not yours), or expect you to drop everything to cater to their needs are clients you should fire. Ultimately, people who aren’t valuing your time and energy won’t value the services or advice that you give them. Of course, if the person is doing what it takes to work out a payment schedule or is willing to wait for an appointment (or your time), that is one thing. Continuing to make demands on your time while having outstanding invoices or trying to push their projects to the front of your to-do list is quite another. See how the client makes you feel and go with your gut.

    3) You’re not a good fit. This is one of the harder reasons to fire a client, or to pass on that client in the first place, but it is totally important to really be honest with yourself and the people you work for. If you can’t help a person, then you can’t help them – and it’d be better to refer someone who could help rather than hanging on and muddling through and hoping.

    It’s like this: if your client needs a manicure and goes to a hairstylist and asks for a manicure. Sure, she’d likely get a manicure – maybe even a nice polish change and some cuticle cream. But a nail technician would be the better fit for the job and would likely do a much better, more thorough job.

    This was one thing that I struggled with at the beginning of my career. I wanted to be a reader, healer, and business mentor for everyone who came knocking. As time progressed, though, I realized that my gifts were in helping newbie business owners, helping polish writing, and doing some totally honest readings for those who wanted to hear the truth and make transformative changes in their lives. Believe me, this net doesn’t catch everyone out there – not all of the spiritual business community or all of the people who need an editor or a tarot reading. But, it describes those I can help the most. And honestly, it’s best if I pass on or refer those who need something other than what I offer.

    As you know, your time and energy are important to conserve and protect – especially if you are a sensitive or spiritual business person. Cutting clients who just aren’t a good fit is one of the best ways to ensure that you have enough energy (and avoid frustrations and negativity) so that you can do your best work.

    What do you think about firing clients? Have you ever had to fire a client before? Feel free to leave a comment about either keeping a client who wasn’t a great fit or freeing yourself from a client who wasn’t.

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  • Spiritual Biz Basics, Strength for Sensitives

    Don’t Freak Out About A Bad Review

     

    What should you do when you get a bad review?

    I see time and time again – people like you and me who are doing readings and putting their hearts and souls into their work – feeling down in the dumps about a bad review or negative feedback.

    Don’t worry, Sensitive Spiritual Entrepreneur! Bad reviews come with the territory.

    You have to learn to use some of the negative feedback you get to up your game – and also to fully appreciate the fact that you won’t please or connect well with everyone. Some of the clients even lie about their situations and then get mad at us for pointing out that we see the truth!

    What can you learn from a negative review?

    Now, don’t think I am saying to ignore scores of bad reviews! If you are getting more bad reviews than good reviews, check your work. Are you giving your clients 100% of your attention or are you multitasking or having more than one conversation at a time? Are your kids making a lot of noise in the background? Is your connection clear and crisp, or do you need a new headset and microphone to chat on? Is your computer fast enough? Do you need to polish your psychic, communication, or typing skills? Are you staying logged in through the night, groggily answering chat requests when they wake you from a deep slumber? How’s your attitude?

    If bad reviews aren’t a common thing for you, then your bad review or feedback might be due to one of the following things:

    You don’t say what the client wants to hear

    Many of our clients are lovesick souls who call in or chat with a tarot reader or psychic hoping to hear that the ex WILL come back or the married lover will leave the spouse. When the cards or Spirits say something different, the client gets mad (not at you, but at the Universe) and either leaves a bad review or clicks on that one-star review.

    Learn to let these bad reviews roll off you. It’s not about you or your reading. It’s about something the client likely needs to know but doesn’t want to face.

    Sadly, these people will usually visit as many psychics or tarot readers as it takes to find one to say what they want to hear. And then they’ll expect a refund when the ex doesn’t come back. Go figure.

    You don’t connect with the person

    No matter how in tune you are with your Spirit Guides or how you’ve mastered the cards, you are going to come across a client from time to time who you just don’t jive with. Everything you say will be met with either a negative response, silence or “that isn’t a message for me.”

    When this happens, it’s OK to tell the person that you just aren’t connecting with him or her and to either offer a refund or give a referral to someone who might be better able to connect with the person – or both. (You might even want to take a moment to meditate, cleanse your deck, or take the afternoon off if you’ve been pushing yourself.)

    You won’t connect with everyone. It is important, however, IMHO, to tell the client that you don’t feel that you are connecting and offer an alternative.

    In these situations, you will often cringe while you wait for a bad review. Some people are nice enough to just move forward without dinging your reputation. Others leave a bad review.

    You won’t connect with everyone you read for, and everyone you read for won’t be ready to hear what you have to say. That’s OK. Just refund their money, bless them, send them on their way—and DON’T take another appointment with them!

    You don’t offer what the person is looking for

    A client might reach out to a tarot reader when looking for a medium to connect with someone who has passed on or talk with an angelic healer when hoping for a shamanic experience. Some want medical advice or even Power Ball numbers!

    These mistakes in direction happen simply because the general public doesn’t understand the distinctions between psychics, tarot readers, healers, and other modalities and what specific people can and can’t do.

    When confronted with this issue, it might take a bit of time to figure out what the client really needs or is looking for – or it might be obvious right away. I’d recommend letting the client know what your services cover and don’t cover, offering a refund, and referring the client to someone who specializes in the service he or she is looking for.

    I also joke that I wouldn’t be doing readings if I had the lotto numbers! I’d be winning multiple millions often and using that money to better society (and myself, honestly)!

    Again, one would hope a client wouldn’t leave a bad review for a misunderstanding of services provided. Some will, though. And you have to learn to shake it off!

    The client is lying

    There are times when you will get a client who isn’t being wholly truthful about the question he or she is asking about. Some clients will flat-out lie about their situations.

    When your Spirit Guides, your cards, or your deep listening skills pick up the contradictions, the client might exit stage left (and leave a bad review on his way out) or get kind of miffed that you figured them out and leave a single star for your review.

    It always cracks me up in a way when people try to pull one over on their readers, because – well, many of us kind of just see or feel the dishonesty. That’s what we do. It’s the basis of our work.

    If a person values the money he is putting into a reading and the advice being given, it would be wise to be totally honest so that the reader can properly advise. After all, we aren’t trying to judge our clients about their lives, but to help them!

    Unscrupulous competitors and trolls

    Last, but certainly not least, are the bad reviews left by unscrupulous competitors and/or trolls. Some readers contact new readers on the sites they work on, get a reading, and leave a poor review.

    Most websites frown on this type of behavior and threaten termination in their T&Cs. Unfortunately, though, it might cost a new reader clients and money before the perpetrator is discovered.

    Other times, people with far too much time and money on their hands will troll readers, getting readings about fake topics and leaving bad reviews.

    If you think that you are being catfished and dinged by someone who works on the same site as you or a troll, make sure that you document reading times, dates, subjects, and reviews. And don’t be afraid to contact your rep to alert them to the issue.

    Ultimately, I use bad reviews as an opportunity to grow. I know that there are some people who just won’t be pleased with me, the messages I have for them, or the extent of the services I offer. I fully expect to get a bad review from time to time and I don’t let them affect my confidence in my skills or my overall feelings about the work I do.

    What do you think? Have you let a bad review get to you or do you use them for learning opportunities?

    Feel free to comment below!

     

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