The 5 P's of Being a Soulful Business Woman

I started my soulful career at 5 years old. You see, I had just received my first camera, a Brownie to be exact, and it needed film. I didn't have enough money saved up and my parents thought it best for me to earn the money anyway. I thought for weeks about what to do to make money. Brainstorming was in order, and a technique I use to this day. I decided that everyone likes flowers in their house, so I headed out to an obliging field and picked the prettiest wildflowers I could find. There were purple ones, white ones, and yellow ones. Perfect!

 
 

Field of Wildflowers and the 5 P's of being a soulful business woman

I took them home and put them in water. The next step in my plan was to draw these beautiful flowers. Luckily, I had reams and reams of computer paper. The old kind that was big and perfed with green lines on the back. I drew and colored about 20 different views of these flowers, had a little PB & J, and headed out the door with my wares in my little red wagon. I know it sounds cliché and more than a little old-fashioned, but it worked!

Looking back on those times, I definitely had the 5 P's of being a soulful business woman.

1. Possibilities. In my 5 year old mind, there were a ton of possibilities for someone like me to make money. I just had to come up with the one that worked. As I remember, I came up with about 10 ideas. The one that I chose worked best for my needs and wants. The idea to sell the flowers came first. Then, I realized I could increase my profits if I drew them, too. It's amazing what happens when you don't have saboteurs standing in the way of your possibilities.

2. Passion. I loved flowers, drawing, and my new camera. They were all passions. I combined them into a lucrative business for a 5 year old. How can you combine your passions?

3.  Purpose. That was easy. I wanted money for film. Do you know what I took photos of? More flowers...that I could sell! Here's one of them. Why are you doing what you're doing?

Dandelions - Heather Dakota at 5 years old.

 

4. Patience. I don't know where I lost patience along the way to becoming an adult, but I did. This is something I've had to relearn over and over again. As a kid, I seemed to have all the patience in the world. I picked just the right flowers, took my time drawing and coloring them to the best of my ability, and even took the time to take care of myself by having lunch before I headed out to sell. Smart girl! How has the Universe been teaching you patience?

5. Persistence. There were a few neighbors who smiled politely at the cute little girl with the curly hair, but didn't buy anything. (Wha! I know right?!) Somehow that didn't matter to me. I would just go to the next neighbor, and the next, and the next, until I'd made enough money to buy my film. There was nothing that was going to stand in my way of that roll of film. Have you given up before the miracle?

It took me 1 day to earn the money to buy the film I needed. Then, I changed my business model a bit by selling the photos, instead of the drawings. Looking back on this time, it's amazing to me how easy it was to be a soul-o-preneur. It came naturally and easily. I didn't worry. I didn't fret over margins. I simply enjoyed doing what I was doing, making money was the bonus. Guess what? That's where I am now, too! But it took me a while to get here...and I still fall into the trap of my Saboteurs from time to time.




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"Enjoy doing what you're doing and making money will be a bonus." ~Heather Dakota

If you want to know more about the 5 P's of being a soul-o-preneur, check out the Business Foundations class at Wise Woman Alchemy.

Tell us: How are you doing with the 5 P's? Which one is a weakness? Which one is a strength? by writing a comment below.