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The Big Shift is a podcast, a community, and a movement. It is our aim to help those who want to make a difference, have success in carrying out their mission. The goal of our podcast is to inspire heart-centered entrepreneurs to create their dream business, do what they love, and make the world a better place in the process.

We will help you get there by sharing with you the best marketing, sales/enrollment and mindset practices known to humankind today… All of these practices are tested and come from the people who are the very best at utilizing and teaching them. These will be some of the most extraordinary people on this planet. Get ready for your Big Shift!


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Announcing the Client Mastery Blueprint Winner

July 2 by Leave a Comment

Thank you to everyone who submitted their entry in the scholarship contest.

This was an incredibly difficult decision, because there were many worthy entries that took my breath away with their passionate self-exploration, courage, and deep spirit of service to others.

In the end, I allowed my intuition to guide me to who brings the greatest need, a strong potential for positively impacting the world and who is absolutely ready to take a leap in their business NOW.
And, it turns out that there are TWO people who I felt were deserving of receiving this scholarship.

Id like you to meet the amazing winners of our Client Mastery Blueprint scholarship contest.

And the winners are…
Stephani and Michael!

You can learn more about each of them at their websites.
Stephani’s site: http://www.nourishingjourney.com
Michael’s site: http://www.lifebalanceclub.com/

For everyone who entered the contest, I fully trust that the passion and commitment that you expressed in your entries will be a strong message to the universe to bring you the support that you need. And I believe that we will find a way to work together, some how, some way.

And now, please leave a comment below congratulating both Stephani and Michael…

Filed Under: Business, Getting Clients, Social Responsibility

Is Peace Good for your Business?

August 4 by Leave a Comment

Ill Squad by Andrew Hem

(This painting by Andrew Hem inspired this post. Thanks to the Drawn blog for the discovery.)

  • Is peace in the world good for your business?
  • Does what you do create what you want to see more of in the world?

If you create military equipment, you need war or at least violent unrest to grow your business. If you are in the business of problem solving, you need to attract more problems into your world.

What are your own core values and will the mission and the success of your business promote these values?

Filed Under: Business, Creativity, Social Responsibility, Success

Is it true? Portrayal of Business on TV and Film

August 3 by Leave a Comment

The television and film establishment hasn’t been overly friendly to the business world lately.

The Business & Media Institute studied 129 episodes of the top 12 Nielsen-rated network TV dramas airing on ABC, NBC, CBS and FOX. Only 39 episodes featured plots alluding to commerce or primary characters who were businessmen. Of those, 30 (77 percent) were anti-business – almost four times as many as were graded pro-business. Only nine episodes (23 percent) were graded pro-business for the actions of the characters or the nature of the plot.

On primetime television, victims were 21 times more likely to be kidnapped or murdered by businessmen than the mob. Businessmen also committed crimes five times more often than terrorists and four times more often than street gangs. They were nearly as prolific villains (21 felonies) as hardened criminals like drug dealers, child molesters, and serial killers put together (23 felonies).

Businessmen and women killed their associates and slept around the office, while their corporations were painted as big, faceless and evil. While one character on CBS’s “Without a Trace” accused drug companies of “doing experimental drug trials on kids, seldom did any business-related characters produce honest work or benefits for society.”

Film, especially documentaries, aren’t angling to become business’ best friend either with a slew of documentaries bashing corporations. Filmmakers have exposed the concept of the Corporation, Enron, Walmart and McDonald’s. This is just the tip of the iceberg (which maybe melting as we speak) of what’s out there in the business NegativLand.

_______________

  • Is this perception right on?
  • If so, what can we and our businesses do to alter that perception?
  • Is the rise of a conscious corporation possible?
  • What can we as individuals do to be a part of that movement?

_______________

As I sit, write and ponder the global transformation of business, I am overwhelmed by the long road ahead of us. How can I be more of a catalyst for a change towards a more conscious triple bottom line approach (profit, planet, people) to business? Is it even possible? I am reminded that revolutions happen one person at a time. Revolutions are fueled by the passion of a few individuals that are able to ignite the belief of others and incite them to action. I want this revolution and I want the whole world to want it. I am now more inspired then when I began writing this post. I feel more connected to my mission of helping entrepreneurs create conscious businesses and prosperity for themselves and beyond.

What can I do today? What can I do to align my belief system with my actions now?

Filed Under: Business, Leadership, Prosperity, Social Responsibility

Integrity is a Choice

June 28 by 1 Comment

Conscious Capitalism is based on the triple bottom line of people, planet and profit. Seth Godin reminds me today that it’s also about integrity. It’s not enough for integrity to be part of the personality of your business. Integrity must be a part of its essence.

Systems are always going to be manipulated by some. That’s inevitable. What’s happening today is that manipulation has become part of the system. How unfortunate it is that the people that choose not to manipulate are the ones going against the grain. Integrity is going against the grain. How sad is that?

We don’t have to play the game, we can, we should, we must create a new game. Integrity is a choice. It’s not an easy choice. Conscious Capitalism is about making conscious choices.

*** Thank you Andrea for such an appropriate post…

Filed Under: Business, Leadership, Social Responsibility

Business Bystander Effect

June 5 by 1 Comment

On March 13, 1964 Kitty Genovese was brutally murdered near her apartment complex in Queens, New York. She was an ordinary girl. The stabbing was not extraordinary for NYC in the mid-60’s either. What shocked the nation was that 38 people witnessed the happenings and no one called the cops until thirty-five minutes after the assault began. How is it possible that 38 people allowed an innocent 28-year old woman get killed and did nothing? How can this be? What’s wrong with these people?

What does this have to do with business and entrepreneurship?

A single person will typically intervene if another person is in need of help. However, when more than one person witnesses a situation in which their help is needed, there is lesser likelihood of intervention. In some instances, a large group of bystanders may fail to help a person who obviously needs help. This is known as the bystander effect, where each individual experiences the diffusion of responsibility and simply chooses not to act.

What does this have to do with business and entrepreneurship?

The more people we have working with and for us in our ventures, the more likely we may experience the business bystander effect. You’ve been a part of this phenomenon, I am sure.

I am bystanding now. There’s an email in my in-box asking for volunteers to lead the next teleconference. I am not that into it. Apparen’tly, neither is anyone else. It continues to sit in my in-box, waiting for someone to respond. Had the email been directed only to me, it would certainly not have taken me a week to respond.

I spoke in a company a month ago where I saw a white elephant in the room. Everyone else saw it. In fact, they’ve been seeing it for a long time. Yet no one talks about it and no one does anything. It’s too big. The responsibility is massive. Yet someone needs to make that phone call. Someone needs to own the white elephant. Someone, anyone, help!

** How is bystander effect playing out in your business?
** How can each project be conceived with each member taking full ownership of his/her part?
** How can your company structure be designed with the bystander effect in mind?

I want to know…

Filed Under: Business, Leadership, Social Responsibility

The Chicken Soup Nazi

June 3 by Leave a Comment

I had an interesting “Soup Nazi” experience at the Farmer’s Market today. The woman selling organic pasture-fed chickens became really rude to me because I wasn’t standing in line properly. I had visions of my teacher yelling at me in first grade during an evacuation drill (I was born in the Soviet Union – for anyone that doesn’t know me), during which we needed to line up in a single file line. I didn’t like to be talked down to at as a seven year old and I don’t like it now.

Yet I thought she was simply having a bad day, so I smiled and collected my chicken. She proceeded to short me $5 on the change. When I told her of this mistake, she began yelling at me. Then she told me that she knows what I look like and might not sell to me again. “Is this really about me?” I asked. She just gave me a dirty look.

Now, Hoffman Chickens are the only regular organic pasture-fed chicken suppliers at the Market. Marin Sun Farms, the other supplier, only brings in chickens on a rare occasion for double the price. I had a dilemma. Somehow I stayed calm and made a gut decision I gave the woman her chicken back and collected my $. All I wanted was a chicken and friendly service. All I got was the chicken. It simply wasn’t good enough. A few people came over to me and said that’s how the woman is all the time. She is “grumpy” said one of the other vendors nearby.

I remembered the Soup Nazi again. He thought his soup was so good that he didn’t need to be nice to his customers. The chicken lady sells out every week and has very little competition in the organic pasture-fed chicken market. She places a lot of value on the quality of the chicken and no value on her customer care. It’s a short-sighted strategy. One day she will find herself with lots of chickens and no customers. It makes sense as she does care more about the chickens than her customers.

The story ends with me going to the Marin Sun Farms stand and pre-ordering more chickens from David, one of the friendliest sellers at the market. Hoffman Chickens lost a customer. Marin Sun Farms gained a customer despite their less frequent delivery and much higher prices.

I learned a lot from this experience, but most of all I was reminded of this mantra:

Place a high value on the experience of your customers in your selling process. How you sell is a big part of your branding and the perception your customers will have of your business.

** Does your selling or client attraction process match the personality of your business?

** How can your selling process reflect more of your brand and come from a place of integrity?

Filed Under: Business, Marketing, Social Responsibility
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