Blog

What is Authenticity in Business?


​What do I mean by “authenticity” in the context of business and marketing, especially for us self-employed professionals?

Authenticity is to practice having no agenda, other than these purposes:
  1. Genuine expression of your best self
  2. Enjoyment of the process
  3. Heart-based service
  4. Friendship… and thus playful collaboration!

Let’s explore each idea… 
Genuine expression of your best self:​

Imagine that I were to give you an opportunity tomorrow (at a specific time) to play with …

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Conversion Rates? Authentic solopreneurs don’t have to worry about it.


There’s so much talk in marketing about increasing "conversion rates” -- which may mean how many webpage visitors buy your product, or how many opt into your email list.

The marketer is making the visitor take action, often through persuasion psychology. Increasing your persuasion and hypnotic marketing is supposed to increase your conversion rates. 

Yet, none of us heart-based entrepreneurs like to focus on these manipulative actions. Thankfully, we don’t need to worry about it, to get…

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Meaningful self-employment: How to get started?


​How to get started building your own business, and making it successful?


Over the past 12 years I’ve coached many self-employed people and I’ve found these to be the overall steps to success:

1. Decide the initial type of business. (It can change over time.)
2. Carve out the time for work. (You can’t expect to just “find the time”.)
3. Get a step by step strategy from mentors and advisors who know your field.
4. Self-regulation, mindful work, resilience… or what I call “joyful producti…

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The 8 Practices of Authentic Business


​To sustain well-being in any area of life requires discipline (or persistent practice). Specific actions, done consistently, allow you to thrive. 


In physical health, good practices include eating nutritiously, exercising adequately, sleeping enough, and caring relationships.

When it comes to authentic business, there are 8 important practices that I recommend.

​I'll describe each of these.
1. Joyful Productivity

Here is the foundation for any thriving business: the ability to con…

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The Tao of Authentic Business


​I’m about to launch a podcast. My audience suggested the playful name of “Business Tao with George Kao”.


Some were concerned that the podcast name might be cultural/religious appropriation. (Nevermind that I’m Chinese, and can pronounce Tao te Ching more accurately than most Western Taoist scholars, and that Taoism is characteristically unattached from definitions and who gets credit for what…)

Still, the question inspired me to dive back into studying Taoist philosophical principles. …

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