FROM QUEST TO BUSINESS
Entrepreneurs find a way
It’s become commonplace to say that business can be a platform for making your dreams come true. But this maxim seems to apply even if your dream encompasses creating life-changing events halfway around the world.
On Monday, more than 200 women (and a few daring men) gathered in Ubud, the cultural capital of Bali, Indonesia, for the first annual Awakened Women Conference.
For one week, they are sharing their hopes and fears, explore Hindu spirituality, rekindle their femininity, create connection, and learn to become better leaders without sacrificing their personal uniqueness.
Behind the scenes are two Canadian entrepreneurs: Phoenix Muranetz, a coach and speaker from Victoria, B.C., who helps clients master creativity and sensuality, and Melissa Mackey, an Edmonton author and leadership coach with her own personal brand, Ignite Me Now.
Putting aside eastern spiritualism, meditation and sister circles, the journey of Muranetz and Mackey resembles that of any startup — a hopeful quest slowly becoming a business, through passion and hard work, sprinkled with moments of doubt, terror and rare joy. Here are some highlights of their journey: Form a team: Early this year, having seen so many of her clients torn between self, family and career, Muranetz had a vision for a women’s festival/retreat in Bali and called Mackey to help out. At the time, Muranetz had a twomonth-old baby, and Mackey was seven months pregnant. “We both heard the call,” Muranetz said, and they committed to creating and achieving their vision within six months. Financing: When you tackle a big project, look for investors who share your dream. The institutions Muranetz and Mackey contacted said the pair had neither assets nor a detailed business plan — but those responses steeled their determination to succeed. Work with your constraints: Undaunted, Muranetz and Mackey developed a business model that maximized their odds of success. They made the conference one week long — twice the length of similar retreats — to ensure a transformative experience. And they priced it affordably, at about US$3,000 (including hotel and meals), to ensure they were creating value.
“Similar programs charge three times as much for just three days,” Muranetz noted. “We decided to focus on building relationships and trust with our attendees by creating an unrivalled experience at a reasonable price.” Find your tribe: Lacking much of a marketing budget, the founders made the most of social media. The Awakened Women (AW) Facebook page quickly grabbed 500 likes, and proved a potent tool for both awareness and community-building. They also used attention-getting events, such as their “art installation” at Vancouver’s Jericho Beach in which 30 women met to paint each other’s bodies and fearlessly pose for a photo. Think big: For speakers at the conference, Muranetz and Mackey targeted big names in the women’s movement. Their biggest “get” was Eve Ensler, the Tony Award-winning playwright and activist whose hit play, The Vagina Monologues, dares women to celebrate their bodies.
Ensler’s presence helped attract other key speakers, gurus, coaches, teachers and activists. But it wasn’t just karma that attracted top talent; many of them have products and followup programs to sell to followers, so AW stressed the affluence of its market of professionals, entrepreneurs and emerging leaders. Take nothing for granted: Just weeks before the event, they were horrified to discover the hotel they’d booked didn’t match the quality of the event they wanted to hold. But in their view, everything happens for a reason. They quickly found New Earth Trust, a global movement for peace and sustainability that recently opened a showpiece restaurant and retreat centre, tucked among rice fields just outside Ubud. Sell more to your best clients: While the partners were over the moon about their new venue, they had to forfeit a hefty deposit with the first hotel. This loss forced them to tighten their revenue plan. Many of the women in attendance are or hope to be speakers and seminar leaders. Muranetz and Mackey now hope to sell the AW model to their guests, to help them connect with amazing leaders and pull off similar consciousness-raising retreats. And if this revenue channel helps transform the brand into a global platform, then everybody wins.
Although AW 2016 didn’t come close to selling out, Muranetz expects they will net about $100,000 for six months’ work. To keep the karma flowing, a portion of that will be contributed to uplifting causes.