He’s also a licensed acupuncturist who is currently the Chair of Professional Development at the Oregon College of Oriental Medicine, who teaches hundreds of acupuncture students how to launch their practices.

In the following interview, I asked him five questions, including “What are success indicators? When you are working with someone new, what tells you that they are most likely going to be successful?”

I loved his answer. I was also surprisingly touched by his answer to my first question. And surprised again at his answer to my fifth question. It’s a little less than ten minutes, and I think you’ll get a lot out of it.

I made this interview to go with the free learning series we’re currently doing. I just sent out the second lesson, but you can still get that, and the first lesson, if you register for the series.

The Second Lesson Wasn’t About Funnel Cakes

Funnel cakes are one thing, product funnels are another. I’ve really liked funnel cakes, at least before we were gluten-free.

I’ve never really liked the idea of a product funnel. If you aren’t familiar, a product funnel is the metaphor meant to communicate using an inexpensive or free first offer to get as many people into the funnel as possible. Then, you hit them with progressively more and more expensive offers.

It feels a little like a meat grinder. The funnel concept has the benefit of helping a business be profitable and more into momentum, but it doesn’t necessarily feel so great to implement it.

There’s a different way to approach this issue. We call it Sequence and Flow, and it’s your second lesson in this free learning series.

To get Sequence and Flow, and the first lesson, just click on the faucet:

June has been teasing us, here in Oregon. We’ve had a few bright blue days in the 70s and 80s (that’s 20s for my celsius friends), but otherwise gray, cloudy, wet, cooler.

The wisdom ’round here is that you can count on sunshine and our famous summer weather starting on July 4, before that it’s hit or miss. So I’ve been taking my vitamin D, getting outside despite cloudy skies, and otherwise just getting ready for summer.

This has included planting squash, cucumbers, greens, beets, cabbages, dill, and parsley. I might or might not get to the tomatoes.

I’m not ordinarily much of a gardener, but in prayer while at my Masters of Divinity retreat a few months ago, I saw that, 1) I needed to get outside more and my promises to start bike riding solo just weren’t happening- mainly because I’m a social person and it’s hard to do that on my own and 2) We’re at a very… full… stage in our twins’ lives: they are 2 1/2. Have you ever lived with two three-foot tall tornadoes? Me neither. But this comes close.

So gardening was a way that I could still be close to home in case of need, and do something that really supports the family, get some exercise and get outside. Win-win-win. Loving it.

However, the biggest surprise for me was the bed where I planted the greens and cabbages and beets. I dug it all up, added compost, extended the size of the bed to make room for a few more plants. Even climbed on a ladder to trim the laurel/blackberry forest so sunlight could reach one corner of the bed.

Then, in between the robust, big kale plants were…. lots and lots of little baby kale plants. “Volunteers” gardeners call them, coming in from last time we planted, which wasn’t last year.

It’s crazy, there’s a lot of them! Gardener wisdom would’ve had me thin them out, but I was delighted by all the greens, I’ve let them grow in. It would be a problem, except we’ve been eating big bunches of fresh greens every day, so they aren’t choking each other off.

Having all of these extra greens from doing a bit of work is a form of garden momentum.

Not Just The Garden

We’re experiencing it in Heart of Business, too, where seeds planted over the past few years are continuing to bear fruit, in terms of opportunities, revenue, relationships, expanding audience.

Some businesses never seem to gain momentum, perpetually starting at zero every month.

Even after years in business, there’s maybe a little bit of momentum, but it perpetually feels like an uphill climb. And when something challenging happens, as it does to all of us (three pediatrician visits in a week, anyone? Don’t worry, everyone’s okay.) can your business handle it without sinking?

Momentum is not just a good idea, it’s what makes business fun. It’s also what makes giving your gift to people easy. Momentum doesn’t necessarily mean aiming for a huge six or seven-figure business, as some people like to propose.

Momentum is just the simple idea, like riding a bike downhill, that your business has enough parts working well together that a little bit of effort is multiplied, and the whole thing starts to move on its own.

Why don’t you join us July through December, and get the practical and spiritual support to move your business towards momentum? Wouldn’t it be nice to coast into 2012 without as much effort as your putting in now?

The early-bird deadline is today. Which means for the Core and Premium programs you need to apply by today to get the early-bird price. And for the DIY version, you need to click the register button and make your first payment.

Recently I’ve been on a kick around accessing power. It’s such a tricky subject, because power is necessary, and yet it has a tendency to corrupt, to take us out of our hearts, to be used in ways that Mom wouldn’t approve of.

There is so much pain and dysfunction in the world, and the momentum in the wrong direction seems to just run us over. Yet, in your attempts to make a difference, it’s all overwhelming. You have way too much going on, and between worrying about getting your bills paid, and doing the minimum you need to nudge your business along, how in the heck can you take on larger tasks?

I’ll tell you how. Not everyone is in the position to use this teaching, but if you are, it will free up a tremendous amount of time and energy, and make what you do more effective and impactfull.

So let me give you the goods.

The June Teaching

Yesterday was the monthly Spiritual Teaching call for the current Opening the Moneyflow program. We spent 90 minutes on this topic, but let me give you what I can in written form here.

The topic I introduced was this: stop apologizing. Stop justifying and explaining yourself.

You know what I mean. You’ve got something important to say, a strong opinion, or a bite of truth you’ve sunk your teeth into. And you’re about to deliver it to… someone you met networking, a potential client, an audience for a presentation you’re giving presentation, a page on your website, an article.

Before you deliver this golden nugget, this egg your heart has layed, you… preamble… ramble.. “Well, I’m not an expert, and maybe this won’t be quite right for you. And it’s okay if you disagree, and well, maybe what I’ll tell you is this…”

Am I right? I’m right. We all do this.

It took me years to stop doing this, and when I did, the impact of what I was saying went up dramatically. And it took less time and less energy.

Instead of pre-ambling, justifying, and explaining, you can just do things, and say things.

Three parts to this teaching. Here we go.

Part One: Safety Is a Legitimate Need

Emotional safety can be hard to come by. In a world built on cynicism and competition, our hearts can get hurt easily, even if you’re used to toughing it out. If you are toughing it out, you could ask yourself, why are you being tough? That’s protection. And if you are protecting yourself, you must need… safety.

Safety is a quality of the Divine, much like Love, Wisdom, Compassion, Mercy, Strength, and more. As humans we can’t manufacture it, but we can receive it, immerse in it, experience it, express it.

When facing a situation where you are intimidated, or otherwise needing to protect yourself emotionally, instead of creating a wall with a preamble, take a moment in your heart to breathe and ask for the quality of Divine Safety from Source.

Accessing the Divine quality of Safety means that when I watch someone walk out of a talk I’m giving, I wish them well, hoping they a) get to the bathroom in time, or b) get some much-needed rest, or c) find what they are truly

Notice what you notice.

Part Two: What Are You Serving?

Humans are happiest when we’re in service, contributing. The human heart is made to serve. Because of this, we’re always in service to something.

The question is: what are you in service to?

My parents had a retail store. Their employees would work to be useful to the customers, but they were serving my parents. The porters would carry cases out for the customers to their cars, but wouldn’t actually go home with the customers to clean their house, for instance.

And, in an extreme case, a customer made a racist comment to an employee. My parents stood up for their employee, telling their customer, “We don’t allow our employees to be treated like that. Please leave and never come back.”

When your heart is taking orders directly from the Divine, you can be making yourself useful and helpful to the people around you, but you don’t have to explain yourself to anyone but Source.

Source is asking “Are you living from your heart? Are you listening to the truth you know? Are you truly in service?”

Part Three: You Aren’t Enough

Explanations often arise out of a sense of inadequacy. The truth is that we aren’t enough, we are inadequate, in that we don’t have everything in us that we need.

However, as a vessel for what flows through us, we are more than adequate. What we give arises out of the connection that is formed between the person in front of us who needs in some way, and the Infinite Divine Source, through the intermediary of your heart.

One of the most challenging exercises we led when I was faculty with the University of Spiritual Healing and Sufism was to have out teacher internship program participants stand up in front of the room, without any preparation, and to surrender to speak tot he needs of the hearts in the room. What flowed forth was often awe-inspiring, and the teachers had no idea what they were going to say.

Mix and Deliver

Accessing safety, being surrendered in Divine service, and letting yourself be the vessel means that you can deliver what you’re here to deliver, without excuses, without apologies, with justifications.

This will free up a tremendous amount of energy and effort for your business. Your impact will be much greater, and you will stand as a leader.

Of course, it’s a lot different to actually hear the teaching, along with the exercises, and let it really change your reality. Many of the people on the call were reporting immediate relief with situations they were facing.

I’d love for you to be able to dive into these teachings, too.

Do You Need Spiritual Support To Make Your Business Work?

Opening the Moneyflow provides just this kind of support. A library of spiritual teachings about accessing power and being in your heart in business that expands every month, plus the in-depth library of actual business teachings as well.

Plus support and feedback. Plus virtual spiritual retreats so you can declutter your brain and heart and get super clear about your own wisdom and direction.

I invite you to join us for the next six months. See if it resonates for you, and if so, we’re here for you:

Opening the Moneyflow Six Month program, July-December

The early-bird deadline is Monday, after that the price goes up.

If you have questions, please ask.

peace
Mark Silver

One of the things I’ll talk about are the different kinds of Divine power. Sometimes we get a little loose and sloppy with terms, and it’s important to know that power isn’t just one thing- there are many shades and kinds of power.

Think about this: what kind of power do you use in your own business? And then join me and compare it to what I’ll talk about tomorrow.

Also, by now I assume you’ve read or at least glanced through the Money/Power Manifesto. If not, it’s a quick read- 12 small pages, with some key insights that will help to deepen your learning on the call.

Two Things

1. Join me for the Money/Power Teleclass Tomorrow

2. If it’s right for you, sign up for The Heart of Money Transformational Journey.

As you probably know, because of human nature, there’s a big a rush at the deadline.

Here’s the facts: Over 650 people are registered for the call. The Manifesto has been downloaded thousands of times. There are only 38 seats left at this point. Last year we sold many more than the 50 seats we’re making available this year.

Please don’t go into scarcity or panic. If you are one of the many people I’ve spoken with or written to who either already know, or are leaning strongly towards taking the course, this is meant to encourage you to just go ahead and register, rather than wait for the deadline rush. Make it easy on yourself. Go register now.

If you aren’t sure and are still deciding, then by all means take the time you need. The early-bird deadline when the price rises is next Tuesday, April 19.

So take a few minutes thinking about power in your business, what you use, how you use it.

I’m looking forward to being with you Wednesday on the call!

peace
Mark Silver
Heart of Business, Inc.

At the end of the seminar, after helping folks learn how to handle their own neediness and to truly connect to the heart of the client, something emerged from the group.

If you study sales and selling, you know one of the big topics is on “overcoming objections.” I have sitting on my desk right now a well-known book that has dozens of answers to objections.

However, what we found is that there is only one answer needed for any objection, and you don’t even need to say anything. It’s your heart, shining in it’s brilliance and strength, bowing in complete service to your potential client.

In dyad after dyad around the room we saw potential clients who were wary, scared, suspicious literally couldn’t hold onto the contracted, judgmental feelings when their partner went through the exercise. And people tried. They reported trying to hold on to their skepticism… instead they involuntarily melted into a mushy ball of love and trust for the other person.

It’s an amazing exercise (which will also transform your love relationship if you try it with your partner), and is the essence of the sales conversation.

But it can be hard to get to it, to feeling like you can truly access your core strength and gifts and shine with them when you are facing a potential client, and then to bow into service from a place of strength, instead of collapsing into a doormat.

Luckily, there’s an answer. You can join in on the exercise, and all the preparation we did leading up to that, with the home study version of the seminar. And we have it for a special price now through the end of the month.

Click-> The Sacred Moment Home Study “During the Live Seminar” Special

Here’s Pace and Kyeli Smith, of Connection-Revolution.com, telling about their experience with the seminar yesterday:

(By the way, the video has their URL wrong- it’s http://www.connection-revolution.com. Sorry! I’ll fix it after I teach today!)

A Special “While the Seminar Is Happening” Price Through the End of the Month

If you need to finally start earning a living instead of just having a lot of people “interested” in what you do, I invite you to come get the Sacred Moment Home Study. It’s where the rubber meets the road and you get and paid, and it’s a profound heart-healing.

The Sacred Moment Home Study “During the Live Seminar” Special

If you have any questions, please ask. Okay, time for me to get going. I get to hang with everyone for Day Two!

Peace to you.

Last week I made up for being incredibly impolite and finally introduced you to Jason Stein. Today I’m wanting you to meet Yollana Shore, our other Heart of Business practitioner who is involved with Opening the Moneyflow 2011.

Yollana is someone I’ve also known for several years. She’s been a client, and she did our first and so far only practitioner training two years ago. And she just rocks.

You see, she also has a gift. A gift that has helped me very profoundly on at least two occasions. The one I’m thinking about at this moment was a conversation that wasn’t really a healing session, but managed to zero in on an issue I’d been working with for a long time. And I had a transformational experience in the conversation and then the next day as it continued.

And the results made a big difference in my life. It’s a little too personal to share here, but let me assure you that if you click with Yollana, she can help you in profound ways that move you more quickly than you thought possible.

It’s a short video, take a look.

Yollana is one of the practitioners here at Heart of Business and will be facilitating a group for the Core version of Opening the Moneyflow 2011. If you want a compassionate, fierce, gentle healer who knows business on your side, Yollana is probably going to rock your world.

Click to read: Opening the Moneyflow 2011

And here she is herself:

I was so chagrined because it took an email from one of our fans to wake up to the fact that I haven’t properly introduced you to our practitioners.

I’m starting with Jason Stein today, and I’ll introduce Yollana next week. I’m also prodding both of them to create their own video intros.

I’ll disclose that Jason is a personal and family friend. Our kids know each other, and we’ve seen each other through hard times over the last seven years or so. It gives me a particular insight into who he is, and how he truly responds, not just with clients, but with everyone in his life.

I also need to tell you that Jason has what I would be tempted to call a “superpower” when working with clients, except that we’re not really into using hyped-up language. So I called it a “gift.”

His gift? A hint: it has to do with money. It’s crazy. Watch the video.

Jason is one of the practitioners here at Heart of Business and will be facilitating two groups for the Core version of Opening the Moneyflow 2011. If you need your business to work, like, make money, and you resonate with him at all, then jump into one of his groups.

Click to read: Opening the Moneyflow 2011

And don’t forget, we have a no-cost teleclass November 18: You’ve Got Six Months: Go! which gives you the inside skinny on how to make the most of your six months, including a Sufi spiritual teaching from me on sovereignty- which is the closest thing to a magic bullet for your business.

Which, come to think of it, is another sterling quality of Jason’s. Sovereignty.

Addition: Here is Jason’s video of himself, explaining the true nature of how he helps people. Watch it, I think you’ll really enjoy getting a sense of who he is.

Questions- please ask.

I was talking with someone who had participated in our most recent Momentum class. It made me a little sad because it reminded me of something they taught us in paramedic school: if you go on a call for a choking victim and you can’t find them, check the bathroom.

Why? Watch this short video. It has serious implications for your business.

And then join me November 18 for a no-cost call on “You’ve Got Six Months: Go!” For three reasons:

1. I’m going to teach about how to make six months of business development really effective.
2. I’m going to do a profound teaching about sovereignty, which is the nearest thing to a magic bullet in business.
3. I’m going to talk about Opening the Moneyflow 2011 and what it can do for your business, and answer any questions folks have.

Click here to register for the call.

And then tell as many people as you like.

You should know that applications for Opening the Moneyflow 2011 are coming in and the various groups are starting to fill. If this course speaks to you even a little, get your application in now and let’s talk.

If you can’t make the call, you will receive the recording.

And whatever you do, if you find yourself choking, don’t go to the bathroom.

peace

Mark Silver

It’s late Sunday as I write this.

As I was scraping up way too much dried caulk from places far removed from the edge of the sink (I made an utter mess of the caulk job), I reflected many times on how much expertise I have in my own business and how very little I have in plumbing.

Still, even being a complete noob, and aside from some messy caulk-success!

It took four trips to the hardware store, and the willingness to have profound conversations about p-traps, brass couplings and 1 1/2″ pipe with friendly hardware store people, but I did it. (Shout out to the folks at Hankins Hardware in Portland) I successfully replaced our kitchen sink, with a new faucet, and even an under-the-counter water filter.

Not only did I save us hundreds of dollars, but I also had the extreme satisfaction of taking on a challenging project that I knew nothing about, and completing it, which was my real motivation. Although I like saving money, too.

Do You Love That Feeling of Satisfaction And Saving Money?

If you work on your business yourself you can sometimes make a mess. But, you can do it. And you can save money in the process.

By the way, reliable sources tell me even the professionals make messes, they just know how to clean them up.

You may not be into home improvement, but if you are into DIY business improvement, today would be a great day to jump.

All week we’ve been offering a special price for the home study version of our Momentum Course: Three Journeys to an Ongoing Flow of Clients and Money. It’s designed to walk you through the basics of planting a stake in the six different areas of your business that help most in gaining momentum.

Momentum? You know, when you don’t have to keep starting from scratch every month, and you can coast a bit? Or even build a bit more?

And it’s a home study, so you work it at your own pace, on your own time, with friends if you like. Full color, spiral bound, with hours of audio and additional PDFs.

Things That Would Make You Want to Get This Home Study N ow:

• You’ve been wanting to put your business into momentum.
• You want clear guidance and solid principles, but you’re suspicious of outright step-by-step formulas.
• You need to have your heart, your spirituality, or the sacredness of what you do integrated into everything you do in your business at a foundational level.
• You need practical, here’s-how-to-do-it advice with some things.
• You like a great deal.
• You’d love to get really darn good and much faster at writing compelling articles.

If you’ve been considering it, today would be a very good day, because Tuesday morning pacific time, whenever we wake up and get to it, is when the price goes back to normal, a hundred dollars higher.

And after today you also lose the special bundle price that includes our Heart-Centered Article Writing home study course as well.

Click here to go get the Momentum Home Study.

Click here to see what a whole bunch of people said about the course.
(All unedited comments on a blog post.)

Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to get some sleep before Monday morning arrives. I’m going to have quite a day scraping caulk up. But at least it will be dry under the sink.

If you have any questions, Kate, Susan or myself will be happy to get back to you.

I wish the very best to you and your business,
Mark and the rest of the Heart of Business team

When Friday afternoon arrives, I close my laptop, I shut down Twitter, and it becomes, in the words of Ziggy Marley, “Family Time.” Because I’m a little neurotic, and because I tend to wake up one to two hours before the rest of my family, I sometimes check email weekend mornings when it’s still dark outside.

But, in general, weekends are family time. Oh and installing a new kitchen sink time. At least that’s on the agenda this weekend. Wish me luck, I’ve never done it before. We may be eating out next week.

The truth is time is just moving very quickly. The darn thing is that it takes time and effort to put your business into momentum, it just doesn’t happen overnight. Putting the different pieces in place makes such a huge difference to your ease, your cash flow, the impact you have.

Momentum Home Study Deadline Is Monday

If you’re considering getting the Momentum Home Study and Heart-Centered Article Writing at the special price, I want to suggest that you go ahead and decide now rather than wait until the deadline Monday.

The only reason I suggest it is because it’s so easy to forget. After you’ve spent hours installing a kitchen sink, and more hours on a wet and muddy playground with a couple of two year olds, and then you get up Monday morning to jump back into the flow of business… well, it’s easy to forget a bunch of things.

But maybe that’s just me.

Anyway, here’s what one of our participants said:

“Mark,

“This is the first course I have taken that “gets the heart stuff” and, in fact, helps that stay the focus. I am so grateful. The Heart of Business Momentum content is absolutely the best. It’s concrete, logical and makes sense-and it keeps me in touch with my heart.

“If anyone is skeptical about the Sufi stuff-don’t be. I was, but that was short lived. Mark, what you bring is a beautiful blend of both the spiritual and business teachings in a way that supports me to be “whole” as serve others.If anyone is skeptical about the Sufi stuff-don’t be. I was, but that was short lived. Mark, what you bring is a beautiful blend of both the spiritual and business teachings in a way that supports me to be “whole” as serve others.

“I have never taken a course that has brought more value in every way-content, feedback, Q&As, resources galore. I believe that it’s the biggest bang for your buck!I have never taken a course that has brought more value in every way-content, feedback, Q&As, resources galore. I believe that it’s the biggest bang for your buck!

“I thank you, Mark, for your gentle, brilliant and wise spirit as you teach. I appreciate the richness the course has brought to my business and to me as a person. The words “seen and heard” have a whole new meaning-which is deep and wide and fruitful.I thank you, Mark, for your gentle, brilliant and wise spirit as you teach. I appreciate the richness the course has brought to my business and to me as a person. The words “seen and heard” have a whole new meaning-which is deep and wide and fruitful.

“Blessing, Lee Miller”

You can read what 28 other people also said, unedited and untouched by us:
Does This Momentum Thing Really Work?

And to read about the Momentum Home Study, and about the Heart-Centered Article Writing bonus, here you go:
Momentum Home Study: Three Journeys to An Ongoing Flow of Clients and Customers

Just remember that after Monday the price goes back to what it normally is.

Any questions? Please ask. And have a restful weekend. Think good caulking thoughts for my sink installation.

with love and appreciation,

Mark and the rest of the Heart of Business team
Heart of Business, Inc ]]> http://www.heartofbusiness.com/2010/weekends-are-for-installing-sinks/feed/ 0