I set a big goal for my business for 2014: to welcome 800 dreamers into my Creative Dream Circle. And to do this not by getting super pushy about selling – but to do this with heart and soul and creativity and joy and LOVE.

(you can read my original post about this here)

At this point though, it?s less about the numbers and more about growing my capacity to serve dreamers everywhere in bringing their dreams to life.

In support of this goal, I am writing weekly updates on Fridays, for all of 2014. This is where I’ll share the story of all the ups and downs of bringing a big dream to life.

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A part of me is frustrated that this is not happening faster.? She reminds me that my goal was to stop doing one-on-one sessions and have the Circle be my main income and that I should be there by now.

And also: I know more than anyone about bringing a dream to life, so why am I taking so long with this?? This is so stupid.

This part of me wonders if? making this journey so public is messing with my ju-ju and wants me to stop posting these updates.

I send this part of me a lot of love and a teeny tiny little reminder that I know it feels like it, but it isn’t really taking “so long”.

Which she tries to brush off.? I don’t need love, and I sure-as-fuck do not need patience!? What I need is for you to get your shit together and get this done. NOW.

I put her in a sound-proof bubble of love and compassion and gentleness.? Slowly, she starts to mellow out.

The truth is, if all I cared about was reaching my goal – I would be there by now.

I have learned so much about online marketing and sales, I know if I was doing certain things I would have more sales.

That is not how I want to get there.

How I do this is way more important to me than how fast I do it.

I spent two years developing the Circle while it was relatively hidden.? What if it takes me two more years to get it to optimum capacity?

Right now, the Circle feels absolutely blissful to me.

When I look at what it offers people, what happens for them when they join, what happens as they work with the tools over time… bliss.? I am so proud of what I have built and the impact it is having on the people who choose to join.

• The relief they feel that now they have a place where they can go any time they feel scared, stressed, angry, stuck, unsure… and transform that feeling, and leave feeling connected and bright and happy and knowing what to do next next.
• The amazement they feel at discovering aspects to their creative genius they didn’t know where there.
• The miracles and adventures they find as they use these tools to excavate and transform their inner worlds.

What happens inside the Circle is delicate and vulnerable – that’s the nature of TRUE healing and transformation.

So even though outside of the Circle – my blog and social media streams – is not the same kind of container for transformation, it needs to be somewhat in alignment with the deep magic of inside the Circle.

I mean, that only makes sense, right?? I can’t use standard internet sales & marketing approaches to push more people into the Circle then suddenly demand that they get vulnerable enough to do the work.

Trust, safety and sovereignty have to be a part of this EVERYWHERE.

But just because I don’t want to go the traditional sales & marketing route does not mean I don’t do ANYTHING about sales & marketing.

For every strategy and tactic that I am saying no to – I need to find something to say yes to.

What I’m doing is exploring the essence and looking at where the essence of the marketing tactic meets the essence of my work and then exploring what I can do with that.

Much, much longer process than simply following proven tactics.

Also: richer.

Frustrated little me in the sound-proof bubble has found a deck of index cards and a marker and she’s sending me a message:

Yes, I like this.? I see that this is what you have been doing but you’ve been doing it a bit haphazardly.? Let’s make a list of tactics and strategies that are effective, put it in Evernote, and make a plan in your calendar to work with one every week.

“Working with” meaning: doing that journal thing you do where you draw out the essence of the thing, put it beside the essence of the Circle and then find the places where they overlap.? Then brainstorm ways to work with the essence in ways that are in alignment with the Circle.? This probably won’t take more than an hour.? And then of course you have to implement what you learn.

See what happened there?

I started by giving some space to the frustration I was feeling.

Rather than try to pretend it’s not there or bury it in positive thinking, I listened to what it has to say, and what it wants me to do.

Then I made space for my centered myself, to listen to what I have to say when I’m not listening to my frustration.

Then I showed my frustrated self what I want.

Then my frustrated self and I were able to work together to create a plan that makes us both happy.

This is the essence of healing and transformation. It doesn’t obliterate the parts of you who are afraid, it embraces your inherent wholeness and wisdom.

This is what I teach, in step-by-step detail, in the Un-Sticking Station in the Creative Dream Circle which is basically, a recipe for a miracle.

Nothing, EVER, has to stay stuck.

Having an Un-Sticking Station is soooo important because getting stuck is part of creative dreaming.

The whole concept of stuck = bad is a muggle concept.

But when you’re a creative dreamer you’re working with the unknown so of course you’re going to get stuck.? That’s just a natural part of it.

Learning how to recognize a stuck, and then un-stick it quickly and effectively is a necessary skill for creative dreamers.

And more importantly – it’s in the stucks where you find the gifts – the gifts you use to build your unique & gorgeous path.? That’s where the magic is!