Last weekend,  I attended a gathering in San Francisco at the invitation of Master of Enrollment Coach Bill Baren.  Twenty-nine  remarkable, conscious business owners and industry leaders gathered together to explore what it means to run a conscious business.    My colleague and Action Plan Marketing founder Robert Middleton shared his observations about the weekend in this very thoughtful blog post.  It’s well worth your time, especially if going deeper than the bottom line is where your bliss resides.  Morgana Rae also shared her observations at this link.

My hat is off to Bill Baren and his business partner Patrick Dominguez for their brilliance in creating a rich environment for all of us to connect and collaborate on a very deep level.

Being someone who loves the power of words, I was struck by a few of the sassy sound bites that were shared by many of the guests.

John Dulworth shared an elevator pitch that resonated in a big way with me.  He said, “I am a coach and trainer who guides kick ass women up to big shit.”

Keith Hanna, a coach who works with rock star entrepreneurs to create great lives and great businesses, contributed to a provocative discussion about the selling process.  He offered this quote that seems well worth repeating:  “A browser is a buyer in denial.”

Brian Whetten is someone with a bio that stands out and shines and someone with personal magnetism that lights up a room in a big way.   I thank him for supportive gazes and encouraging words he shared with me throughout the weekend — especially when the time came for drumming and dancing.  He helped me to step out of my comfort zone and step into my own light.

The authenticity theme was alive and in discussion throughout the three-day event, and I loved this comment that emerged organically.  “Love me, Like me, or leave me.”  The big idea here was to step into who we really are so we can do our work in the world with the right people.

Patrick Combs, founder of Life Path Unlimited, is on a mission to guide people on their own hero’s journey toward bliss and to live in the center of what we were all born to do.  He said asked everyone in the room to consider this:  “Does my dream want me more than I want it myself?”  He challenged each of us to consider that serving our bliss is more than enough along our paths to meet with true and real prosperity.

Jeffrey Van Dyk describes himself as “a doula for the doulas of the Earth.”  His mission as the leader of Spiritual Marketing Quest  is to guide people to identify their life purpose, give them permission to illuminate their genius, and build a platform upon which to stand to make their difference in the world. Jeffrey’s brilliant observations contributed mightily to the conversations throughout the weekend.  Among the most profound idea he shared that struck me right between the eyes was this one.  He said, “It is often our deepest wounds in life that give us the reason to create ultimate healing through our businesses.”

The truth is, I’ve struggled with being worthy and heard for most of my life.   That is why giving others their door to greater awareness of their gifts through my work is  my own hero’s journey to bliss.    This is the work I was born to do, and out of my deepest pain comes my greatest contribution.  This I know for sure.

My cup runneth over with gratitude for the gifts this weekend gave me in ways that are too numerous and too priceless to count.  My heart is full and my arms are wide open to welcome whatever may be coming next.