All flourishing is mutual

At the end of our workshop on Relationship Marketing earlier this week, Christina read this quote, a favourite of both of ours, from Robin Wall Kimmerer:

“The currency in a gift economy is relationship, which is expressed as gratitude, as interdependence and the ongoing cycles of reciprocity. A gift economy nurtures the community bonds that enhance mutual well-being; the economic unit is “we” rather than “I,” as all flourishing is mutual.”

It felt particularly appropriate, because the workshop had raised $953 for humanitarian aid to Gaza, with no one participant paying more than $30 to reach that total (and many paying $1 or $5). As Robin Wall Kimmerer expresses it, “the economic unit is ‘we’ rather than ‘I’”. We raised nearly a thousand dollars, without any one person having to go beyond their means to donate.

It can feel like we’re living through apocalyptically dark times. What I know to be true is that the best antidote for the darkness is community and connection. We need to weave more community into all aspects of our lives, including our businesses.

As Jennifer Armbrust, of the Feminist Business School says,

“A business can be a healing for yourself and others.

A business can be a model for a new social and economic order.”

At the beginning of this week’s workshop, I asked people how they wanted their marketing to feel, and the answers ranged from, “I would love it to feel like sharing with friends or tending my garden creatively and generously.” to “easeful, generative,” and “fun, juicy, useful for all.”

If you’d like to bring more creativity, fun and generosity into the way you do business, I’d love for you to check out either my beta group programme, The Collab Collective or my 1:1 Relationship Marketing Mentorship.

Book a call if you’d like to find out more about either programme, or just reply to this newsletter (or comment if you’re on the app) with any questions.

May we all find more connection, creativity and community, both within and outwith our businesses,

Sophy