career Archives - Seren Holistic Lifestyles

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How’s Business? Defining success.

June 1, 2016 By Kat

It’s always an interesting question when I get asked how business is going.

What really defines a successful business?

Is it by the dollar amount in the bank account?
How full my schedule is?
Has the business grown beyond a local audience?
Have I a created a buzz in the social media & real world with people lining up to interview me or book a public speaking gig?
Is Hay House ringing to offer a book deal & a world publicity tour?
Do I love what I do with a furious passion, leaping out of bed every morning with a spring in my step?

Out of all the above I feel the last question is the magic one to answer.

A diary bursting at the seams or a full & happy heart or both!

Therefore I would say business is going very well thank you because I’m loving what I do. There is never a dull moment or times of boredom. I can easily leap out of bed buzzing with excitement for what the day has in store. The work I do is assisting me to evolve, learn & spread the light. This in turn has a knock on effect for those around me.

I’m not a fan of boxes & labels. I struggle with anything that is deemed ‘conventional’ & ‘the way it is.’ Over the years I have tried to fit in with these ways & that is how I discovered it caused me discomfort. This is probably why I find it hard to define success on the usual business theory scales, as I don’t fit into them!

The one thing to understand with my business it that it is multidimensional. Just like we are multidimensional beings I’ve created a ‘job’ that has many layers. It seems to make sense to me that way. My ‘professional’ life mirrors my human make up by both being multidimensional.

All the individual modalities of my business are each very different but they all come together as one in the grand scheme. It is difficult to measure the success individually so I don’t.

Each modality works wonderfully together on a constant ebb & flow. This keeps life interesting & varied for me, which is a must. When I have a lot of healing clients my design jobs naturally slows down. If I am teaching yoga more than usual naturally there is less openings available for healing but I find the inquiries get less until my roster lightens up. I’m naturally being taken care of.

It takes a great deal of trust in the universe not to get hung up on the quiet times. Especially when work in all areas screeches to a halt. I take this as my sign I need to stop & have a rest. The universe is my business manager of sorts. Taking care of my schedule by sending me exactly what I need at the right time.

Having a beautiful space to work from makes all the difference.

To answer the question ‘I am fully booked’ I can quite often say yes. The definition of fully booked can vary. I can say I am fully booked if one week I have three healing time slots open that are all taken, I’m teaching seven classes, one full day allocated for design clients & time for my own marketing/design/writing/channeling. This is my definition of fully booked, as my schedule is full whilst still allowing enough down time.

Another week I may only have four classes to teach, six healing sessions available & two days for design. If the healing slots don’t book or I finish designing sooner than planned I can utilize the time elsewhere. Usually when this happens the extra time goes to me for some fun stuff like creating content for my blog/page or catching up with friends. Therefore you could say this isn’t a fully booked week in work terms but I’ve used the time to give back to myself, which is so important.

Making room for some me time, I do love a good brunch!

Each week is different for me it’s always changing. There is no set in stone amount of anything! I’m super happy about this, 9 – 5 is not my style I like my freedom & variety. For some this may sound like a total nightmare of insecurity or lack of structure. It works for me just fine & it is quite the organization task at times so I’m not just flying by the seat of my pants.

Don’t get me wrong it’s not all sunshine & unicorn poo. There are weeks when I’ve spent too much time in the hot yoga room & literally feel fried, adult life can be throwing curve balls or the ‘screamer’ design job comes in. (You know the one’s, super last minute or the print deadline changes & they need it NOW. The reaction a good old ‘ahhhhh!’) There has to be downs to balance the ups I strongly believe. But as long as the downs are shorter than the ups everything flows with ease & grace.

I’ve come to the conclusion the main things to measure in terms of success is:

How happy & healthy I am
How much energy I have
How my creativity is flowing
How connected & in tune I am

If I’m feeling good & enjoying what I do that is enough success for me. To be able to say I want to get up in the mornings, as over the years there has been plenty of days I didn’t, is a real gift. There will be days that aren’t so rosy. This is just the natural law of opposites showing up to confirm that everything is working out just the way it should be. I put my trust in the Universes divine plan. The result = so far so good.

Till next time, with love,

Living a Life I Love!

September 24, 2013 By Kat

Hello there! I’ve been dropping some hints over the past few weeks to a grand ‘big reveal.’ Today is the day. My apologies go out to those who know me personally for not getting told this news sooner or personally.

What I’m about to share is a huge move for me, probably one of the biggest decisions I’ve made thus far. Believe me I wanted to shout it from the rooftops the moment I decided. Somewhere inside, after everything I’ve learned I just wanted to keep it to myself, let it be sacred, special, unique, my own. I needed to let the idea sit first to make sure I was comfortable with my choice. If I shared too soon chances are I would certainly meet some resistance that may sway me to change my mind.

I love an analogy I heard recently about comparing my situation to a brick wall. You build the wall with bricks and mortar. Before the wall is solid and strong you have to wait a while. Allow the mortar to dry & the bricks to settle into position before it is stable & supportive. This is just what I did. I am settled, strong and standing firm.

Oh okay already what is my news? I quit my day job. After working nearly four years at the same place I walked out of the door on Friday no longer an employee. It was emotional, I am so grateful for the past few years & a role I’ve learned so much in. It was super hard walking away from a team I truly love & who feel like family. It’s a heck of a lot easier to leave somewhere you don’t like!

Why did I leave if I liked it so much? I needed to create the life I love. Doing what I love everyday and making a living from it. That was my brief fifteen months ago when I started down my spiritual path. Now that dream has manifested into the opportunity I have now.

What am I going to do then? Basically I’m going to be pretty much doing what I have been doing for the past two years apart from I will be in control. I am now officially my own boss, as of yesterday, day one. I will be teaching yoga on a full time roster, seeing more healing clients and freelance designing from my home office. Of course I’ll be blogging. All this will be done under my trading name Seren Holistic Lifestyles. Growing the Seren brand will be a big exciting project in itself. I even have a business coach to help guide me along the slightly scary path of ‘business owner.’ I shall master Excel spreadsheets.

How did I come to make such a massive life overhaul? For many months I was trying to create space so I could see more healing clients, doing the work my Soul loves to do. I kept asking my inner guidance for the answer. All I got was ‘wait’ or firm ‘no’s’ when I suggested something ‘I thought’ I should give up to make room.

You see I was trying to control the situation & not hand over to the powers that know best. When you surrender to the universe you have to trust the answer will present in due course. Most of the time it’s not what you thought it would be. I asked for space to create a life I would love to live. At first I thought it meant dropping off a yoga class a week. Then I wouldn’t be so tired in my day job & I’d have more energy on weekends for clients. That wasn’t the answer. Teaching is a huge part of why I’m here and the perfect complimentary modality to my energy practice. Finally I did what I was told and ‘waited.’ Sat back, was patient and then the answer came through.

It seems so obvious now that the 9 to 5 city job had to go. I’d not been happy with the lack of creative work for a while. Sitting it out waiting on other people to bring in the clients and some decent work. What I should have been doing & what I am doing now is attracting clients I wish to work for from industries aligned with who I am. The messages were calling out from the start I just wasn’t connecting with them.

Why wasn’t I receiving the messages? Fear was holding me back. My city job was secure, a regular wage every week and paid holidays. Why would I give that up to be self-employed with a bucket load of risks? It is time to get uncomfortable. Change is needed. The fear and risks of self-employment shall empower me to get things done, work hard and achieve my goals. I need this. I also reminded myself I travelled the world for a whole year living off my savings & not getting paid. Since then I’ve taken many unpaid leaves & never hit any problems. I had just forgotten. I’ve done it before I can do it again.

Once the penny dropped I could very much hear the celestial choir singing out. Oh how obvious it is now. Work for myself, set my own goals, have the freedom to do as I wish on my terms. Have 100% responsibility for my own life.

I am happy. I am well supported. I’m stepping up to the greatest adventure yet and I’m ready for it.

There you go! I’m sure I’ll still be as busy as ever if not more but I’m now officially living a life I love.

Who’s gonna join me?

Love K xx

Boxes & Labels

September 17, 2013 By Kat

Who likes variety? Changing things up, trying new things, never getting stuck in the same old, same old routine. Who doesn’t like variety? It’s okay to do & like the same thing, have a routine, know where you’re at & what you are getting. I’m the former I need variety. I do have consistency in my life and a routine but I switch things up on a daily basis to keep life interesting.

My need for variety does cause other people some issues. For example the usual question one gets on first meeting “what do you do for a living?” It’s very hard for me to say the expected ‘one thing that I do.’ I reel off my list of different modalities that form ‘my career’ & a blank stare usually meets me.

I dislike being a ‘one thing’ person. It’s not me. If I just do ‘one thing’ and I get frustrated pretty quickly. At the end of last year a friend was questioning me in terms of my career “what is it to be then? Are you a yoga teacher or a graphic designer? Which is it?” I felt they were implying I should choose just one career to follow & put a label on myself so I fit nicely into a box. My reply “both and more.” This fits very nicely into ‘my box.’

Why do we have to be one thing just because somewhere along the line society made that ‘rule’? Gone are the days of graduating school and staying in one career (often even the same work place) for 45 years I feel. That model would not work for me. I’d go stale. Why can’t I be a graphic designer and teach yoga? Now I can add energy healer, business owner & writer to that list too.

Okay I’m not Super Women and in order to do everything I desire there needs to be a balance. I’m slowly pulling that together now. Combining all my skills and passions into a more stream lined balanced version. The big reveal is coming soon dear readers just a while longer till I’m ready to share.

I’m envisioning my life as a smorgasbord with many pieces of loveliness all on the one tray. I can pick & choose which piece to sample day by day. Just because I do lot’s of things doesn’t mean I’m any less ‘good’ at any of them because I’m not doing that one thing day in day out. The saying “Jack of all trades, master of none” does not resonate.

Doing a little of each of my jobs every day keeps my interest alive, it makes my life exciting & I want to get up in the morning. When I get a bit stuck on a design or blog post if I’m lacking inspiration I take a break, refresh go do something else, do some metaphysical study or yoga. Then I can come back to my creative work refreshed. Some days I will just focus on yoga or healing & not do anything creative. It will be organic & flowing the way I’m guided it to be.

I’ve re written the saying above to this: “Jack of all trades equals master of one.” You & your own life, may you all be your own Master.

Love Seren xx