Industrial Intersectionality (AKA The Gifts You Bring to Your Business)
Intersectionality was first used in 1989 to describe how the intersection of race and gender creates barriers for Black women. As the investigation into oppression continued, we added to the definition to describe the broad implications that all aspects of social identity have on living, life, and equality (or really, lack of equality).
When we add in the term ‘industrial’, we’re looking at how business development is affected by intersectionality — particularly coaching for female entrepreneurs. But this is just our starting point. When we step back and look at the unique and intricate value that different people bring to any project, we begin to see a grand opportunity to create something really amazing.
Here’s how it can work: Let’s say you’re a nutritionist, and you want to open your own business. You might feel that you don’t ‘belong’ in this space because you don’t have business training or skills. And yes, traditional advice/coaching would echo this sentiment.
But whether I’m working as a small business coach for women or in community development training, I can say wholeheartedly that this is not the case. Look at what you’re teaching—what principles lay in your work—and translate that into your business. As a nutritionist, you’re teaching people how to eat healthy, balanced, and enjoy the experience of eating. That relates to running your business! What does your business need to be healthy, balanced, and enjoyable? The answer comes from your experience as a nutritionist, not a businessperson.
Apply your knowledge and it will work. That’s really the essence of my holistic business coaching. You may come from a challenging background and have received many messages that tell you your background will impair your future dreams. From my extensive experience in business coaching Canada, I see the opposite.
You have valuable information, experiences, and background that your business (and the entire business community) needs from you!
The world works on the same principles whether you’re an astronaut or a gardener. It’s only our short-sightedness (and our acceptance of old school rules and expectations about what we should and should not do) that limits us.
We tend to artificially break the knowledge of the world into small compartments to try to make sense of it. But the world itself is one and runs simultaneously. I love bringing this principal into the conversation when I’m doing coaching for female entrepreneurs!
Applying your knowledge and power to a project creates diversity, competitiveness, and resilience. Open yourself up to receive information from a variety of unexpected resources!
In my holistic business coaching, I get inspiration from lectures on electricity, biodiversity, and music! If you think that music has nothing to do with business strategy, think again. Music has a simple structure, an indefinite number of combinations of notes, and layers of melody, rhythm, texture, and expression—just like a business can have an indefinite number of opportunities that are drawn out through policies, approaches, and connections!
Let’s apply similar knowledge to running our businesses. It’s far more fun to work on business development that’s got a song title than something called the ‘Quarterly Budget Meeting’. I see this cross over beautifully with healers and artists—there’s a business world ready for growth that needs your knowledge and skills!
Compartmentalized, linear knowledge in any industry (*cough* aka doing what the old white guy says) will only allow growth to a certain extent and then it will exhaust itself. Only through constant renewal and reinvention through acceptance of diversity can businesses grow holistically.
