Business Tao with George Kao

A reminder for us soulpreneurs:You have to do stuff you don't naturally love… until you have enough money to do only what you love.Building a business as a solopreneur involves a huge variety of tasks and projects, most of which you wouldn’t naturally have thought – “This was what I was looking forward to doing, day to day, with an authentic business!”The stronger your passion and vision for what should be your ideal work, the stronger you’ll feel the gap. The destination seems so far from where you are now.The sane solution? You'll have to practice loving what you “have to” do now, to make money, so you can – one day in future – make money doing only what you love. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit georgekao.substack.com

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit georgekao.substack.com

I've come to see deadlines and metrics not as enemies of the soul, but as potential tools for its play. I mean, why did we even come to this Earth game with all its limitations, like needing to pay rent and all that? Back in the soulful realm, it's all abundance and freedom. So, maybe these constraints are actually part of the game, a way for our souls to practice expressing themselves powerfully within a specific context... This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit georgekao.substack.com

I've been part of several cults myself – religious, political, and even business ones! So I know the dynamics, and I'm susceptible to falling into those patterns myself. That's why I'm so passionate about finding a *healthier* way to build an audience. I don't want to be a "guru" telling people what to do. I want to empower them to find their own answers. It's about encouraging self-reflection, speaking to their deep desires, and helping them relieve themselves of unnecessary burdens. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit georgekao.substack.com

You have a rare combination of strengths. In this video, I'm rattle off a bunch of possible ones. What's your combo? Don't try to be the best at everything... it's exhausting. Other people are just naturally stronger at some things. Let them be. Instead, find YOUR combo, and become the ONLY one in your field with your unique strengths. See the full list at www.GeorgeKao.com/blog/listofstrengths This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit georgekao.substack.com

Authentic marketing is the practice of expressing your soul, from an energetic space of enjoyment and connection… This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit georgekao.substack.com

When I first started, I thought business ownership meant complete freedom to wake up whenever and work however I pleased. But here's the truth: successful businesses require the same dedication as professional artists or athletes. You need to create your own structure, follow your schedule religiously, and understand that skill development takes time. Just like you can't expect to run a marathon after one day of training, you can't expect immediate business success. It's about consistent practice and accepting that lag time between starting and seeing results.If you’re interested in working with a group, I run a membership community of joyfully productive business "athletes" :) called JoyPro: https://www.georgekao.com/joypro This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit georgekao.substack.com

Despite the abundance of free information and the rise of AI, I still believe that creators will be able to make a good living selling their own courses -- because you have a unique human presence and nuanced insights about your field... This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit georgekao.substack.com

As creators, we aren't the best judge of their own work... our time, energy, and emotional investment often cloud our objectivity. Let's continually practice creating with a light touch……detaching from expectations of outcome. Just like the vital rhythms of the body and nature, our business needs our reliable rhythms of creation... This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit georgekao.substack.com

Consider this:Your audience will grow far beyond the people you currently know.Your network right now is tiny, compared to your eventual (big) audience. Your current people might not even be a good representation of your true fans!So don’t make your content in fear of the judgment of your existing colleagues, friends, fans, or family. They are not your true audience.Create only for your future true fans. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit georgekao.substack.com