Dear Nurtured Entrepreneur,

“It’s a process” is one of the favorite sayings of an entrepreneurial friend of mine.  What she means is the process of learning how to be a nurtured entrepreneur instead of an undernourished one.  Recently, she gracefully gave notice to a client she’d been working with for a couple of years. This was no snap decision; she’d been contemplating it for months.

The mission of her client’s business was aligned with my friend’s social entrepreneurial values and she liked the client as a person.  Initially it appeared to be a good match.  So what wasn’t quite right?

The energy.  This client had an “everything’s a struggle” mentality.  It showed up in her relationships with her staff and how she approached projects.  As situations continued to arise that highlighted this misalignment, my friend began to realize what a drain this work relationship was on her energy.  They were not a match in their approach and outlook in a collaborative work setting.  This is what my friend kept bumping up against, but because other aspects were in alignment, it took a while to figure out.

Invent your world.

Surround yourself with

people, colors, sounds, and

work that nourish you.

                                   -SARK

Here are a few tips to help keep your mindful entrepreneurial self nurtured in relation to your clients and increase your discernment:

  • Notice your energy level when you are getting ready to call a client, work on their projects, or meet with them face to face.  Up or down?  Expanded or contracted?
  • Look for any recurring thoughts in relation to each client.  Are they stressful? (I hope she doesn’t call me today.)  Peaceful? (I love working with her!)
  • Revisit your written ideal client profile and see how it matches up with each of your clients.  (Oops! Didn’t write one when you started your work-with-passion business?  Do it now.  This is your template for selecting clients.)
  • Check in with your body when you’re working with your clients, working on their projects, or talking with them.  Are you clenching your stomach, fists, jaw?  Does your body feel relaxed and open?  Remember that your body is often more truthful than your mind.  Keep in touch.
  • Watch for ego’s efforts to control your efforts to keep yourself nurtured.  You’ll hear things like: “You should just work it out,” “She’s really a nice person,” “You can’t afford to lose this client,” “What’s wrong with you?” etc., etc., etc.

You deserve to be happy and richly satisfied in your relationships with your clients.  They are why you do what you do in your work-with-passion business.  They are your allies in bringing your gifts into the world.  We can learn a lot through our relationships with less than ideal clients because they help us know what we DO want in a client relationship, but you don’t need to stay tethered.

Until next time …