When one person has more power over the other, whether it is financial or otherwise, the one in the lesser position of power, needs to be respected or it creates an unhealthy power dynamic.

Women in particular have depended on others for their survival and as a result, they have avoided feeling powerful because they don’t want to be appear powerful like people who hurt them.

Money represents power and if women who have felt powerless try to take a stand for themselves, it will be very hard to ask for money. Even though, money in the right hands can be a source for good, but until one heals the powerlessness they may have felt, they cannot experience money as a good thing.

The #MeToo movement specifically focused on the trauma of sexual abuse, and the issues of unhealthy power dynamics were brought to the surface. The impact of trauma can extend into other areas of one’s life.

If one has experienced sexual trauma and felt powerless, chances are they also lost their ability to trust because they were not able to speak about their abuse, and when they did, they were not believed. As a result, it clouds their judgment and ability to trust themselves.

While it is everyone’s responsibility to be committed to heal their traumas, in the healing profession, the responsibility also lies with both the coach and their clients to make sure that both people have equal power (conscious or unconscious) when it comes to making decisions.

As an example, when it comes to asking for consent, it doesn’t just apply in the bedroom. The concept of asking for consent is very broad and applies in all other situations as well.

Whenever there is an unhealthy power dynamic, both people are contributing to it. As an example, somebody with freeze trauma response (freeze trauma response is when somebody is too scared to speak for themselves) may get overpowered by somebody in the fight trauma response. Fight trauma response person can push the freeze trauma response person to make a decision even when they are not ready, but are too scared to say ‘no.’

When somebody’s judgement is clouded and they don’t trust their voice, they are vulnerable to being manipulated. Making a decision from a place of powerlessness and later regretting it puts the people in healing profession in a very critical position to:

a) Do your own work so you are coming from a very clear place.

b) Be extra sensitive to not push anyone to make a decision.

c)Take care of your own needs outside of depending on any one client to take care of your bottom line.

There is a great responsibility to be very respectful of people we are influencing with our work and our words. Having power over others might get one sales in the short term, but it will not empower people.

How do you know that you are overpowering people and not empowering them:

· You think you know what is good for them.

· You use manipulative techniques to convince them of the value of your product (If their trust has been broken and their judgement is clouded, it is even more important that you do an honest analysis of their situation by asking all the right questions.).

· You overcome their resistance by pushing them. If they have survived trauma, they can go into a freeze response and pay you because they are intimidated by you and your success.

· You give a large number and promises without telling the background story of your success (This can be manipulative for somebody who is not starting at the same place.).

· You don’t give them enough time to think.

· You fake deadlines. As an example, you have a lot of spots or openings, but you say that today is the last day and you have limited spots by creating a scarcity mindset. Women in particular have been made to not feel ‘good enough,’ (due to the influence of the patriarchy) they sign up to compensate due to the fear of missing out.

I wish I wasn’t writing this piece without a personal experience. Being a survivor and having an experience of the #MeToo movement, I know that until I made a connection between being seen and being visibly connected to the powerlessness I felt during my trauma, my voice was compromised. I couldn’t write about the things I am writing about now. It was all there.

I would experience my personal powerlessness in many decisions I made; the tendency to people please, fit in, and not wanting to feel excluded wasn’t a good place from which I made some decisions.

Since a lot of my trauma was in freeze, the people who were in their fight trauma left me feeling scared to take a stand for myself.

Having gone to the other side of it, it is my mission to not only educate others about it, but also make sure my clients are well respected. That is why I created a ‘feminine sales process,’ to serve women. This process is very respectful and empowering.

Being a №1 salesperson in my previous position, I learnt sales from a very masculine perspective. I was itching to bring a spiritual element to sales, and starting my own business gave me the space and independence to do that.

Now that I have started to hone my voice even more deeply, I can serve my clients from the deep commitment I have to their healing, and my business can be a little piece that can contribute to the good in the world.

I would encourage you, my readers, to use your voice to do good in the world. There is so much possibility as well as responsibility in the world to do good and use the journey of entrepreneurship for healing the planet and using our businesses as portals for good.