why building a business is like practicing warrior I

Greetings Friends!

Wow, what a day?! A day that started at 5:45 this morning. Not sure what is going on on the sleeping front....thinkin' it might be the excitement and anticipation of all that's going on. Or my kapha body is getting really happy and balanced and doesn't feel the need to lounge in bed so long. Combined with the fact that I've been going to bed earlier, all making for an early rising (and shining sometimes too :)

I did work for about in hour, part of which was an email I sent announcing the 500 hour yoga teacher training we'll begin hosting in January! Yay for the yoga love....
Retta literally got the info posted last night. We were emailing back and forth, back and forth some more. It wasn't even officially linked up to the site but I just couldn't wait! Not the most brilliant of marketing plans, but hey....The excitement definitely won out on that one.

I also spent time on the floor of my BIG spacious room doing sun salutations, standing flow, a seated forward fold, then finishing with chanting and meditation to prepare my body and mind for the day.

And the actual day o' business. Shewwww it was pretty intense. Our two days are broken into three core areas:
1. Business Models
2. Operations, Projects, Systems
3. Marketing

It's a small, lovely, diverse group of biz owners. I feel totally at home and at ease. We actually met around Michael's (leader) dining room table the whole day. Very informal. Just the way I like it.

I have so many notes. I'm looking down at them now and see things like:

1. What's the BIGGER picture? What are the offerings to provide to get you there?
2. Business is like a house. You start with a foundation then you continue to add and expand as time goes on.
3. What great entrepreneurs do: articulate what they offer, reconfigure what they have, and cross appropriate (which I had no idea what this meant and he followed up with take good ideas from other industries, ethically of course).
4. Good entrepreneurs must be willing and able to re-configure, change, and improve with the times.
5. Three reasons to have a target market: so you know where to find your people, when you show up they know you're dedicated to them, they have a network to help you share your thing, your gift.

And. So. Much. More. Michael at one point was a yoga teacher. He still has a yoga and meditation practice (it was upon seeing this in his bio that convinced me sign up for the program). All throughout the day he referenced yoga analogies (four of us six entrepreneurs teach and/or practice yoga).

He says building a business is much like practicing Warrior I. Hmmmm, ok. "Sharon, where do you begin Warrior I?" At the feet I respond. "Of course. Then what?" The ankles and knees, again I respond. "Yep, we keep building the business much like we build Warrior I. It's not about how pretty the hands are overhead in Warrior I." Yes, you're right Michael. I couldn't have said it better.

In talking about projects and how some will be successful and some will fail he referenced the deities of creation (Brahma), preservation (Vishnu), and destruction (Shiva). I totally got and loved this.

Perhaps my personal most useful yoga analogy came at the end of the day when he asked us two things we were taking from the day:
1. Greatest challenge
2. Something exciting

Most exciting = Working on planning my next 12 - 24 months! Yes, just the stuff I love.

My challenge = constraints. Nooooo! Isn't that why I own a business...not having to endure constraints?! Michael spoke about how we need to be disciplined and take time each day and do the work...creating the protocol, the systems, the blah blah blah. He says (hear that tone) that constraints will create more business freedom. But this was tough for me. Not my happy place.

His yoga analogy was practicing a yoga pose. We come into, align our bones and muscles. We consciously create stability (and yes this is exactly what I say when I teach). Then we use the breath to access space. And freedom. And the general juiciness.

So again, my aversion to being constrained comes up. The one final thing Michael stated that pretty much gave me goose bumps....

"Most times business problems are personal problems in disguise."

And I'll leave it at that friends. Have a sweet night....