The Transformation of Business
A dialogue between Sandy Penny and Claire Papin, host of "It’s All Good" on Sirius
Satellite Radio and www.lime.com online radio, December 2005.
Intro bio: Today’s guest, Sandy Penny, is a visionary, a highly intuitive spiritual
advisor, an accomplished entrepreneur and a published magazine author. She has
built businesses from the ground up with little or no up-front investment, incorporating
her creativity, lifestyle interests, and spirituality into unique expressions of her
authentic self. Sandy has been a graphic designer, a marketing and financial writer for
fortune 100 companies, and the publisher of two newspapers, "The Rising Sun," the
first metaphysical journal in Houston, Texas, and "Family and Friends," a resource
journal for kids and parents. Currently reinventing herself as a marketing consultant
and inspirational speaker for New Age and spiritual businesses, she is traveling the
world and developing material for several upcoming writing projects.
People talk about the New Age and the Aquarian Age all the time, but very few people
talk about those terms in concrete ways. Can you define those terms for us?
There are many casual references to New Age people and thought and the Age of
Aquarius, but few discuss it in a practical way. The "Old Age" was called the Piscean
Age, and the fish was its symbol. It corresponds to the sign of Pisces on the cosmic
astrological calendar. Our world has moved from the energy of the Piscean Age into
the Aquarian Age, also called The New Age, and now the Current Age.
What was the Piscean Age about?
The Piscean Age was associated with the experience of hierarchy, structure, power
and control, deep emotion and addiction - and the positive outcome of addressing the
inherent lessons is to master the ability to build lasting structures while honoring the
earth and the people who help build and sustain the structures. There are many
extremes offered in the Piscean Age, drug, alcohol, work and relationship addictions.
All that and more was readily available for us to choose. Once the planet moves out of
a cycle, the lessons of that sign are no longer appropriate, even if we have not
mastered them. The energy shifts into new patterns, and the old structures begin to
break down so the energy can be used to build the new age structures. We have been
witnessing that breakdown of the old age since the 1960s, slowly moving through the
dawning of the Age of Aquarius into the full onset of Aquarian power.
How does the Aquarian Age differ from the Piscean Age?
Aquarius is the water bearer. It is heralded by events concerning wind and water – like
hurricanes, tornadoes, tsunamis, and as a complementary energy, fires that are
spread by the wind. In the past few years and this year in particular, the
transformation has become more intense, and few people have escaped experiencing
it or at least feeling it in some way. The impact has been to bring up all the old Piscean
karmic issues for us to look at because as a famous TV therapist says, "You can’t
change what you don’t acknowledge." We have the opportunity to make significant
growth and change at times like this. We can integrate the lessons of the old age and
embrace the challenges of the new one. The good news is that a great deal of energy
has been freed up for us to use in new and different ways, ways that are in harmony
with the new energy of Aquarius. For those who resist change, events of wind, water
and fire will free them from old attachments and create radical change. However, we
can make mindful decisions about change, using our intuition and inner guidance, prior
to being forced into a change by external circumstances.
What are the attributes of the Aquarian energy?
The sign of Aquarius includes what I call the four Cs: communication, cooperation,
creativity and community. These are the challenges and the areas that will offer the
best opportunities for success and growth for the next couple of thousand years. The
Internet is the ultimate symbol for the Aquarian Age. It offers instant world wide
communication, the ability to build and change communities and businesses quickly and
to respond to changes as they occur. It also offers the opportunity for a great deal of
creativity and cooperation as a result of the connections it offers globally and the
marketing strategies available to businesses.
How do these attributes affect us on a personal and business level?
On a personal level, we have seen how the Internet offers us the opportunity to
connect with people all over the world, to communicate, to cooperate, to date and just
as easily to shut down that communication instantly if we choose. It offers us the
ability to live in remote locations and access a global marketplace, to order what we
need and have it shipped to us from all over this planet.
In the same way, the world of business is changing just as fast as the World Wide
Web these days. The traditional business model with its hierarchal structure is giving
way to the flatter, more fluid nuclear model that can respond quickly to new trends and
plug in experts at all levels and phases of a project. Business owners and executives
have to be thinking on their feet all the time and learning new skills and technologies.
The days of the big behemoth companies are numbered, and their dinosaur bones will
fuel the new economy as oil fueled the old one. Even Wall Street now offers a
sustainability index so people can choose companies that are focused on what will
make them last, like good environmental policies, employee ownership and
commitment to fiscal health.
We have been seeing many of those changes in business recently, and there seem to
be a lot of people out of jobs these days. Why is that and what does the New Age
offer us in the way of financial support?
"To paraphrase W.E. Butler, a spiritual person serves by what he is, not just by what
he does. In other words, there is no mandate for spiritual people to subjugate
themselves to a collective ideal of servitude, for their very existence is a conduit by
which spirit enters into and transforms society, no matter how subtle and unnoticed it
may be."
What I mean by using that quote is that the jobs of the past that we have lost
recently are not coming back in the same numbers, and rather than worry about what
kind of jobs we will have, we have to refocus our attention on small businesses that
offer us the opportunity to use the four Cs: communication, cooperation, creativity and
community. We have to become more self-sustaining instead of depending on large
businesses to support us. The days of the lifetime job and retirement after 30 years
are gone. The energy of the Aquarian Age will not support that structure.
More good news is that it offers us the chance to evaluate the lifestyle and work
choices we have made and to consciously choose something that brings us joy,
challenges us, and expresses our creativity. We all have strengths and activities that
we love that can be converted into money-making ventures once we accept that we
can truly be paid to do what we love.
What kind of business ventures do you think will thrive in this new business world?
Anything centered around communication, radio, TV, all media will thrive. Entertainment
ventures will become more and more desirable, computer games, more complex cell
phones that can do so many things, creative movie making, travel, ethnically diverse
foods, clothing and cultural events. All creative ventures: writing, painting, sculptures,
music, photography. Personal service businesses like massage, personal trainers,
meditation, yoga and tai chi instructors, nutritional counseling, alternative healing and
preventive medicines. Unique and excellent organic products like coffees, teas, wines,
canned food items. Environmentally sound products of all kinds. Non-violent toys,
educational items and entertainment for children. And, there are so many things that
have not been thought of or invented yet: light and sound technologies for healing,
experiential homes and office buildings, so many wonderful changes that can occur if
we continue on our current path.
So many people think humanity is headed down the path of destruction, how do you
respond to that?
Well, I like to point them to research that was done more than ten years ago
identifying the fastest growing market in the western world. It was originally called
Cultural Creatives, and over ten years ago, it was calculated at around 35% of market
share, and now has grown to more than 50% market share. The interest and
personality factors identified in this group of people include concern for the
environment, focus on community and cooperation, interest in cultural diversity in
friends, food and entertainment, commitment to personal and spiritual growth, and a
desire for peaceful coexistence including religious and racial tolerance. This is the
market for the New Aquarian businesses, and it’s a huge market with a potential to
thrive in ways we’ve never seen on this planet, good ways.
With encouraging numbers like that, why do you think so many people have a negative
take on what is happening in the world?
At the same time that this number is growing, the aspects of our culture that need to
change are aggressively asserting themselves in an attempt to preserve their own
existence. The old age is struggling to hang on, even though it is destined to
disappear. I believe that because most people are inherently good, there is a morbid
fascination with our shadow side, and that’s why the media often focuses on the
negative events that are happening. There is more drama and dynamic tension in what’
s wrong with the world, and a bad habit of trying to get attention for negativity has
created a perception that we are all bad. I think it is our very goodness that makes us
fascinated with what is bad. We can hardly believe such horrible things are possible for
human beings, because, for most of us they are not possible. And so we gawk at the
three-headed chicken because it’s a curiosity.
How can we shift this habitual negativity?
We can just begin focusing on what is good in our life and putting our energy into
projects that move us forward. We can consciously choose to work on our own
negativity. We can refuse to watch violence and ask for more positive programming
and support businesses and products that are environmentally friendly. We can vote
with our dollars and express our opinions when people are running their fear and
negativity. We can offer suggestions to people in our lives on how they can help
support a world they choose instead of one that is forced upon them or accepted by
default. Everything we do is a choice, even the act of not choosing is a vote for the
status quo. We have to claim our power and put it into action. We’re creating a new
world for ourselves and our children. We have the power to make it better. We can
create, communicate, cooperate and build sustainable community. It’s a powerful
opportunity, and we have everything we need to move in the direction of Utopia if we
just let go of our fears and focus our power and energy in a forward thinking direction.
This is the time of choosing and creating. Use it well.
What advice do you have for those in the throes of change and challenge who don’t
understand what is happening?
I urge them to assess their skills and talents and to evaluate what brings them joy in
their lives and then to look at how to turn that into a business. Make sure it is
something you want to do as a business. Many don’t want to use their arts for money-
making. They want to retain that as a joy-bringing experience only, and that’s fine. I
also urge you to look beyond logic and let go of the limitations of what you think you
can do and beyond what you think will make money. Also, look beyond what you think
you deserve. Move into the realm of possibility and dreams. Whether we ever allow
ourselves to look at them, we all have dreams. We all have vision of what our lives can
be. We have to get in touch with them. That is where our mission lives. It lives in our
imagination, and imagination is the meeting ground of heaven and earth. It is the
realm where creativity reigns supreme. It is also where our personal wants and
desires meet the collective unconscious and find points of connection that allow us to
serve the greater good while serving our individual wants and needs. If you ask any
spiritual person what they want to do, they always want to serve humanity in some
way. And if you ask them their greatest challenge, they almost always say: making
financial ends meet, paying bills and providing for their daily needs. If you combine
those two, you have a winning combination for a successful business venture: serve
the greater good while meeting your personal needs.
What are some ways we can do that?
You can get help from life and business coaches to clarify and focus your vision and
create goals. You can meditate and ask for an idea that incorporates the aspects of
your life that you want to fulfill. For instance, sit quietly and pray or think about what
you want a business to do for you. Don’t say, make money. That’s an overlay. What
you want may be to meet your financial obligations, to provide extras like vacations
and upgrades to your home and lifestyle, joy in your daily endeavors, utilize a
particular set of skills and talents you already have, bring together a harmonious
group of people to work with. Things like that, whatever it is for you. You have to delve
into your innermost wants and desires, and discard things like power and control over
other people. That’s also an overlay, and you want to find out why you feel powerless
and controlled by others if that comes up. You may need someone like a therapist or a
new age counselor to help you sort out the emotional pieces and identify your true
heart and soul desires. Once you do that, ask the Universe or Spirit or God to offer you
an idea that exactly meets those heart and soul desires. You may not even have to
identify them. You may just have to connect deeply with you inner self and ask for the
solution. You’ll recognize it when you get it, and then you have to have the courage to
act on it. Don’t discount it and talk yourself out of it. Take steps in the direction of
creating it. If you don’t know the steps, ask in meditation or pray for the steps to take,
then follow them. It’s always your choice to take the steps or discount them, but you
will find your joy mounting as you move forward. That is the sign that you are moving
in the right direction.
Will you always succeed if you do this?
It depends on how you measure success. I believe that no experience is wasted, and
that every step we take leads us closer to our highest and best reality, so even if it
looks like a failure in society’s eyes, take what you learn and keep moving in the
direction of your happiness. The experiences, the synchronicities, the magic that will
occur will bring you great joy. And that joy is what makes life worth living. We are
creating a new age society that is more honoring of people, animals and the earth
system; more ethical and more accepting of diversity and creativity.
It’s exciting. What will you do with this great opportunity?
A dialogue between Sandy Penny and Claire Papin, host of "It’s All Good" on Sirius
Satellite Radio and www.lime.com online radio, December 2005.
Intro bio: Today’s guest, Sandy Penny, is a visionary, a highly intuitive spiritual
advisor, an accomplished entrepreneur and a published magazine author. She has
built businesses from the ground up with little or no up-front investment, incorporating
her creativity, lifestyle interests, and spirituality into unique expressions of her
authentic self. Sandy has been a graphic designer, a marketing and financial writer for
fortune 100 companies, and the publisher of two newspapers, "The Rising Sun," the
first metaphysical journal in Houston, Texas, and "Family and Friends," a resource
journal for kids and parents. Currently reinventing herself as a marketing consultant
and inspirational speaker for New Age and spiritual businesses, she is traveling the
world and developing material for several upcoming writing projects.
People talk about the New Age and the Aquarian Age all the time, but very few people
talk about those terms in concrete ways. Can you define those terms for us?
There are many casual references to New Age people and thought and the Age of
Aquarius, but few discuss it in a practical way. The "Old Age" was called the Piscean
Age, and the fish was its symbol. It corresponds to the sign of Pisces on the cosmic
astrological calendar. Our world has moved from the energy of the Piscean Age into
the Aquarian Age, also called The New Age, and now the Current Age.
What was the Piscean Age about?
The Piscean Age was associated with the experience of hierarchy, structure, power
and control, deep emotion and addiction - and the positive outcome of addressing the
inherent lessons is to master the ability to build lasting structures while honoring the
earth and the people who help build and sustain the structures. There are many
extremes offered in the Piscean Age, drug, alcohol, work and relationship addictions.
All that and more was readily available for us to choose. Once the planet moves out of
a cycle, the lessons of that sign are no longer appropriate, even if we have not
mastered them. The energy shifts into new patterns, and the old structures begin to
break down so the energy can be used to build the new age structures. We have been
witnessing that breakdown of the old age since the 1960s, slowly moving through the
dawning of the Age of Aquarius into the full onset of Aquarian power.
How does the Aquarian Age differ from the Piscean Age?
Aquarius is the water bearer. It is heralded by events concerning wind and water – like
hurricanes, tornadoes, tsunamis, and as a complementary energy, fires that are
spread by the wind. In the past few years and this year in particular, the
transformation has become more intense, and few people have escaped experiencing
it or at least feeling it in some way. The impact has been to bring up all the old Piscean
karmic issues for us to look at because as a famous TV therapist says, "You can’t
change what you don’t acknowledge." We have the opportunity to make significant
growth and change at times like this. We can integrate the lessons of the old age and
embrace the challenges of the new one. The good news is that a great deal of energy
has been freed up for us to use in new and different ways, ways that are in harmony
with the new energy of Aquarius. For those who resist change, events of wind, water
and fire will free them from old attachments and create radical change. However, we
can make mindful decisions about change, using our intuition and inner guidance, prior
to being forced into a change by external circumstances.
What are the attributes of the Aquarian energy?
The sign of Aquarius includes what I call the four Cs: communication, cooperation,
creativity and community. These are the challenges and the areas that will offer the
best opportunities for success and growth for the next couple of thousand years. The
Internet is the ultimate symbol for the Aquarian Age. It offers instant world wide
communication, the ability to build and change communities and businesses quickly and
to respond to changes as they occur. It also offers the opportunity for a great deal of
creativity and cooperation as a result of the connections it offers globally and the
marketing strategies available to businesses.
How do these attributes affect us on a personal and business level?
On a personal level, we have seen how the Internet offers us the opportunity to
connect with people all over the world, to communicate, to cooperate, to date and just
as easily to shut down that communication instantly if we choose. It offers us the
ability to live in remote locations and access a global marketplace, to order what we
need and have it shipped to us from all over this planet.
In the same way, the world of business is changing just as fast as the World Wide
Web these days. The traditional business model with its hierarchal structure is giving
way to the flatter, more fluid nuclear model that can respond quickly to new trends and
plug in experts at all levels and phases of a project. Business owners and executives
have to be thinking on their feet all the time and learning new skills and technologies.
The days of the big behemoth companies are numbered, and their dinosaur bones will
fuel the new economy as oil fueled the old one. Even Wall Street now offers a
sustainability index so people can choose companies that are focused on what will
make them last, like good environmental policies, employee ownership and
commitment to fiscal health.
We have been seeing many of those changes in business recently, and there seem to
be a lot of people out of jobs these days. Why is that and what does the New Age
offer us in the way of financial support?
"To paraphrase W.E. Butler, a spiritual person serves by what he is, not just by what
he does. In other words, there is no mandate for spiritual people to subjugate
themselves to a collective ideal of servitude, for their very existence is a conduit by
which spirit enters into and transforms society, no matter how subtle and unnoticed it
may be."
What I mean by using that quote is that the jobs of the past that we have lost
recently are not coming back in the same numbers, and rather than worry about what
kind of jobs we will have, we have to refocus our attention on small businesses that
offer us the opportunity to use the four Cs: communication, cooperation, creativity and
community. We have to become more self-sustaining instead of depending on large
businesses to support us. The days of the lifetime job and retirement after 30 years
are gone. The energy of the Aquarian Age will not support that structure.
More good news is that it offers us the chance to evaluate the lifestyle and work
choices we have made and to consciously choose something that brings us joy,
challenges us, and expresses our creativity. We all have strengths and activities that
we love that can be converted into money-making ventures once we accept that we
can truly be paid to do what we love.
What kind of business ventures do you think will thrive in this new business world?
Anything centered around communication, radio, TV, all media will thrive. Entertainment
ventures will become more and more desirable, computer games, more complex cell
phones that can do so many things, creative movie making, travel, ethnically diverse
foods, clothing and cultural events. All creative ventures: writing, painting, sculptures,
music, photography. Personal service businesses like massage, personal trainers,
meditation, yoga and tai chi instructors, nutritional counseling, alternative healing and
preventive medicines. Unique and excellent organic products like coffees, teas, wines,
canned food items. Environmentally sound products of all kinds. Non-violent toys,
educational items and entertainment for children. And, there are so many things that
have not been thought of or invented yet: light and sound technologies for healing,
experiential homes and office buildings, so many wonderful changes that can occur if
we continue on our current path.
So many people think humanity is headed down the path of destruction, how do you
respond to that?
Well, I like to point them to research that was done more than ten years ago
identifying the fastest growing market in the western world. It was originally called
Cultural Creatives, and over ten years ago, it was calculated at around 35% of market
share, and now has grown to more than 50% market share. The interest and
personality factors identified in this group of people include concern for the
environment, focus on community and cooperation, interest in cultural diversity in
friends, food and entertainment, commitment to personal and spiritual growth, and a
desire for peaceful coexistence including religious and racial tolerance. This is the
market for the New Aquarian businesses, and it’s a huge market with a potential to
thrive in ways we’ve never seen on this planet, good ways.
With encouraging numbers like that, why do you think so many people have a negative
take on what is happening in the world?
At the same time that this number is growing, the aspects of our culture that need to
change are aggressively asserting themselves in an attempt to preserve their own
existence. The old age is struggling to hang on, even though it is destined to
disappear. I believe that because most people are inherently good, there is a morbid
fascination with our shadow side, and that’s why the media often focuses on the
negative events that are happening. There is more drama and dynamic tension in what’
s wrong with the world, and a bad habit of trying to get attention for negativity has
created a perception that we are all bad. I think it is our very goodness that makes us
fascinated with what is bad. We can hardly believe such horrible things are possible for
human beings, because, for most of us they are not possible. And so we gawk at the
three-headed chicken because it’s a curiosity.
How can we shift this habitual negativity?
We can just begin focusing on what is good in our life and putting our energy into
projects that move us forward. We can consciously choose to work on our own
negativity. We can refuse to watch violence and ask for more positive programming
and support businesses and products that are environmentally friendly. We can vote
with our dollars and express our opinions when people are running their fear and
negativity. We can offer suggestions to people in our lives on how they can help
support a world they choose instead of one that is forced upon them or accepted by
default. Everything we do is a choice, even the act of not choosing is a vote for the
status quo. We have to claim our power and put it into action. We’re creating a new
world for ourselves and our children. We have the power to make it better. We can
create, communicate, cooperate and build sustainable community. It’s a powerful
opportunity, and we have everything we need to move in the direction of Utopia if we
just let go of our fears and focus our power and energy in a forward thinking direction.
This is the time of choosing and creating. Use it well.
What advice do you have for those in the throes of change and challenge who don’t
understand what is happening?
I urge them to assess their skills and talents and to evaluate what brings them joy in
their lives and then to look at how to turn that into a business. Make sure it is
something you want to do as a business. Many don’t want to use their arts for money-
making. They want to retain that as a joy-bringing experience only, and that’s fine. I
also urge you to look beyond logic and let go of the limitations of what you think you
can do and beyond what you think will make money. Also, look beyond what you think
you deserve. Move into the realm of possibility and dreams. Whether we ever allow
ourselves to look at them, we all have dreams. We all have vision of what our lives can
be. We have to get in touch with them. That is where our mission lives. It lives in our
imagination, and imagination is the meeting ground of heaven and earth. It is the
realm where creativity reigns supreme. It is also where our personal wants and
desires meet the collective unconscious and find points of connection that allow us to
serve the greater good while serving our individual wants and needs. If you ask any
spiritual person what they want to do, they always want to serve humanity in some
way. And if you ask them their greatest challenge, they almost always say: making
financial ends meet, paying bills and providing for their daily needs. If you combine
those two, you have a winning combination for a successful business venture: serve
the greater good while meeting your personal needs.
What are some ways we can do that?
You can get help from life and business coaches to clarify and focus your vision and
create goals. You can meditate and ask for an idea that incorporates the aspects of
your life that you want to fulfill. For instance, sit quietly and pray or think about what
you want a business to do for you. Don’t say, make money. That’s an overlay. What
you want may be to meet your financial obligations, to provide extras like vacations
and upgrades to your home and lifestyle, joy in your daily endeavors, utilize a
particular set of skills and talents you already have, bring together a harmonious
group of people to work with. Things like that, whatever it is for you. You have to delve
into your innermost wants and desires, and discard things like power and control over
other people. That’s also an overlay, and you want to find out why you feel powerless
and controlled by others if that comes up. You may need someone like a therapist or a
new age counselor to help you sort out the emotional pieces and identify your true
heart and soul desires. Once you do that, ask the Universe or Spirit or God to offer you
an idea that exactly meets those heart and soul desires. You may not even have to
identify them. You may just have to connect deeply with you inner self and ask for the
solution. You’ll recognize it when you get it, and then you have to have the courage to
act on it. Don’t discount it and talk yourself out of it. Take steps in the direction of
creating it. If you don’t know the steps, ask in meditation or pray for the steps to take,
then follow them. It’s always your choice to take the steps or discount them, but you
will find your joy mounting as you move forward. That is the sign that you are moving
in the right direction.
Will you always succeed if you do this?
It depends on how you measure success. I believe that no experience is wasted, and
that every step we take leads us closer to our highest and best reality, so even if it
looks like a failure in society’s eyes, take what you learn and keep moving in the
direction of your happiness. The experiences, the synchronicities, the magic that will
occur will bring you great joy. And that joy is what makes life worth living. We are
creating a new age society that is more honoring of people, animals and the earth
system; more ethical and more accepting of diversity and creativity.
It’s exciting. What will you do with this great opportunity?
| The Age of Entrepreneurship |
| WritingMuse |
 | |  | |  | |  | |  | |  |
Writing by: Sandy Penny WritingMuse sandy@writingmuse.com Explore my life, writing and the magical mystical winding road I have traveled to become the WritingMuse |
| The Age of Entrepreneurship an interview with Sandy Penny by Claire Papin for "It's All Good" |