Long time, no write, eh? The Monk has been busy!
In fact, that’s exactly what I want to talk to you about. No, not the “busy” part, the “Monk” part.
You see, I got out of spiritual healing work for a number of reasons, one of the biggies being that I didn’t like the feeling of charging for spiritually specific work (intuitive work, healing work, business work… sure. No problem. But teaching it? Just didn’t feel right.).
But even though I transitioned to full-time web design, I was still running everything out of MonkAtWork.com, and that just kinda bugged me. I would’ve preferred to have a different home for the web work, and leave the spiritual stuff here.
At the same time, as I worked with a number of clients, I began to realize a few things about the way my clients and I were approaching the design process, including what made a big difference in people’s success levels with their new sites (and, of course, what didn’t). I wanted to rectify those pitfalls, make it better/cheaper/faster/easier for folks, and do it in a way that really played to my strengths, and the strengths of WordPress (my platform of choice).
Long story short: I have a new home for my “web design” services, and it’s going to blow your doors off. Enter: Bright Coconut.
What’s the big diff?
Well, I’m great with WordPress, great with teaching WordPress and webstuff to people (hence, WebFit), but compared to some of the geniuses out there, I’m no graphics pro (that’s what happens when you major in Literature instead of Design…). And I believe that if you’re doing a bunch of custom design work, you should be a designer.
As much as I know solid design, I don’t do design in that create-unique-artwork-from-scratch way… and I didn’t want to let my lack of graphics cred keep my clients—who’ve appreciated my educational/teaching background—from having beautiful sites. I mean, I’m a form-follows-function guy when it comes down to it, but if you don’t have to choose, why should you?
So, at Bright Coconut, I’m thinking of myself more as a “web educator” than a “web designer”, if you get my drift. When you see what I’ve got going on over there, you’ll see what I mean.
The evolution of WebFit
WebFit has been received really well, and still, there were elements about it I knew I wanted to shift. I wanted to make room for different people’s learning speeds, and not have to make people wait months for the next round of classes to begin.
I did a LOT of brainstorming, a LOT of strategic planning, and a LOT of looking at all of this from multiple angles (yes, three planets in Virgo and a double Grand Trine in Air come in handy from time to time), and came up with what I think is going to be a slam dunk. I ran the idea past a few folks, and they all loved it, too.
In a nutshell, I’ve made WebFit into a video-tutorial-based course, along with personal support and exclusive resources, and I even did something unheard of in business these days: I made it less expensive, and gave you more. True!
So, when you check out Bright Coconut, be sure to check out The Solution as well, and you’ll see how WebFit has evolved.
Where does that leave the Monk?
The Monk, and all of his posts and comments and such, have been moved here.
I still use my tools, and I still believe in the value of living “monkishly”, especially when it comes to one’s work life… and yet it’s much like when people get really interested in a new hobby: they devour every book, turn over every rock they can, looking for more juicy stuff… because that’s what they’re into. It’s their thing.
And yet, if they truly grow, there comes a point where their passion mellows. It’s not as all-consuming anymore, because the new hobby isn’t new anymore; it has integrated itself into their lives.
True, some passions never fade, and they become (a)vocations. PD was mine for a good 15 years or more. But, it’s not anymore, and I want to be fully up-front about that. I’ll still leave these posts here, though, since I still get notes from time-to-time from people who stumble upon them and get value from them. Just don’t expect much new stuff unless I get inspired, ‘kay?
Where does that leave you?
Feel free to take advantage of the posts I have here; there’s some good stuff you can benefit from, if I say so myself.
And if you need a website, or want to get “WebFit” and learn all about how to master your own WordPress-based site, then come join me at Bright Coconut! (And if you’re a Twitter nut, I’ve got both my personal twitter account and a Bright-Coconut-specific twitter account as well.)
Image by Vanlal.
Wow. Here at a time (and maybe this is just me) when I’m seeing more and more of us trying to integrate our PD stuff into what we do for a living, you are separating them out, and moving away from PD. How odd in a refreshing kind of way.
I’m all for clarity and focus too (being a Virgo with a multitude of planets in Virgo as well) and I wish you the best of success in your new direction. (Yay for new directions! And evolution!!)
Thanks, Gina…
I know it’s a bit odd, and I’ve shied away from talking about it for a while, because I needed to get clear in myself as to how I’m walking with it. Because it’s not like I’m turning off the “living consciously” switch, and burying my head in the sand. After a decade of merging my personal development with my livelihood, I’m realizing that it’s best for me to have them not be so integrated.
Of course, “wherever you go, there you are”, so I’m still me, and I’m still evolving, as we all are. That’s got to play a part in how I go about my work, of course. And my understandings of the way the universe works are having some time to settle in, rather than being under the microscope every minute of the day.
You know, I kinda feel like Yoda – for years, he was a Jedi Master who trained Jedi. That’s who he was, and what he did. But then, he moved to Degobah, and lived in that swamp for years on his own. Now, he was still Yoda, and still a Jedi… but his livelihood because separated from his Jedi training, and it probably gave him all kinds of time to reflect and grow in other ways.
That’s how I’m seeing it, at least. Thanks for the well-wishes!
I get it, Adam… and I think the Yoda analogy helped. The idea of integrating (if I understand you correctly) to such an extent that it doesn’t have to be at all out there. It’s just who you are, it’s a given and it just naturally comes across in everything you do.
I aspire to that.
Peace.