I saw a post on Facebook the other day from a 'Spiritual Abundance Coach' that went as follows:
$500 Client - “Can I have a payment plan?”
$50000 Client - “Payment sent!”
I personally feel that marketing like this is incredibly problematic.
I don’t know the intentions of the person who wrote this so I can’t speak directly to that or them, and I want to make it clear that I am not projecting onto this person THEIR intentions. Rather I'm taking this as an example of what some people CAN mean by statements like the ones above, and how harmful that rhetoric can be.
This is not a personal call out, this is just an observation of a TREND I've seen.
Our Culture Has A Stressed Relationship With Money
I DO know that in our society we have a LOT of false fundamental beliefs about money as well as about wealthy people and poor people that get perpetuated by posts like this.
There’s an entire ‘abundance coaching’ industry that exists online right now, that is geared towards ‘coaching coaches’ on how to ‘up-level’ their businesses. Many of these ‘coaches coaches’ don’t have previous experience with leveling up a real business, don’t have experience with managing a real business, and are only successful or *SEEMINGLY* successful because they are selling that they can teach people how to get rich.
It’s an easy sell and no one is vetting them because they are playing right into the vulnerabilities we ALL have in our capitalist society - little to no safety nets or social support, low possibility of moving up in the world due to how our systems are ACTUALLY set up, and the fact that in order for the wealthy in our society to BE wealthy, there HAS to be masses of people below them who are being exploited. The system we have is inherently unsafe for a lot of people, and it’s filled with manufactured insecurity to keep those who ARE doing well from LOOKING at the system and how they are ok, and don’t need to be taking any more - because this would cut into the bottom line of those at the top AND it would lead to us questioning the systems that demand exploitation of those at the bottom - all things people who run our system don’t want.
Those who are most exploited by the system are truly unsafe and thus are generally having to play along with the system just to keep their heads above water.
Those who actually ARE ok in the system constantly FEEL like they aren't safe, and thus continue to take more for themselves and in so doing directly contribute to the exploitation of those below them without realizing that this is what they're doing.
Those at the top are celebrated as morally superior or deserving of being there - even when the reality is more likely that they were born there or were very much supported in getting there - supported in ways MOST people aren't.
We have a cultural narrative that everyone can simply 'work hard' and eventually become wealthy. We have a cultural narrative that those with money are simply more driven, more intelligent, more committed - and in some cases we even believe that those who are rich are literally BETTER PEOPLE - and therefore we also believe that those who are struggling are struggling due to some character flaw/defect, because they are lazy or because they DESERVE to be in that position of not enough on some level.
Just look at the way our criminal justice system treats rich criminals vs. the way it treats poor ones.
Just look at the way our society celebrates the ultra wealthy despite being able to see the harm they cause, and the way we look down on those who need help as though they are drains on society.
This idea that anyone and everyone can be rich, that anyone who isn't rich just isn't trying hard enough/deserves poverty and the idea that wealth is a reflection of morality are ALL incredibly toxic ideas that continue to perpetuate our classist structure that exploits the poor to support the lavish lifestyles of the rich - while manipulating those in the middle to always being afraid for themselves so that they won't take action to help balance the system we have.
Spiritual Abundance Coaches Are Wolves In Sheeps Clothing
The 'Spiritual Abundance Coaches' take these ideas, and use them to try to prop up their offerings as energetic medicine, when really it's just the same toxic capitalism that is ruining so many people's lives.
Spiritual Abundance Coaches tend to sell this false idea that wealth is simply a reflection of a person ‘doing what it takes’ to get rich - and in the spirituality world that's marketed as 'living your purpose' and 'doing your service' - that anyone can do it if you just set your mind to it AND anyone can do it INDEPENDENTLY is pushed to keep us from looking at the underbelly of what we’re working with AND it convinces us that WE are the problem if things aren’t going well for us, so that we don’t question the system.
There’s a whole idea that if you’re working a ‘job’ you’re less than, and if you’re not rich, you’re simply not trying hard enough.
They are up there to convince people that if they just find their right offer, and if they just arrange their chakras and balance their energy systems in the right way - that in THIS they will step into a life of lavish luxury, freedom from the '9-5 grind' AND they will be stepping into a life of passion and purpose.
Selling that money is the key to happiness, and purpose is the key to abundance.
Which again if you actually look at our system, what we value, what does and doesn't make money, all the people who DO have to continue working jobs so that others can have their independence, all the ways that those of lower means are directly exploited by people having so much more than they actually need, you will be able to see that this entire narrative is completely disconnected from real reality.
Selling that they can teach you how to make millions of dollars so you can exit the grind/the scarcity that is an INHERENT part of our system is the easiest sell in the world - and thus a lot of these coaches really ARE successful - but not because they have inherent skill or something of value to offer - it’s simply because they’re selling a dream to people who are scared and vulnerable.
There’s a specific aesthetic and lingo that pretty well anyone can mimic using the magic of social media that then creates an almost instantly successful business - because you’re selling a dream that everyone wants to believe is real, and you’re playing the part so no one is actually looking into anything.
Statements like the one above are incredibly problematic for a few reasons, and they are PART of the manipulative tactic that these ‘coaches coaches’ often use to bait people into paying for their services even when they shouldn’t.
The False Idea That The Wealthy Are Wealthy Because They're Morally Superior
This post is implying that those willing to pay the higher price point are better caliber people because they are willing to invest in what is clearly ‘high level coaching’.
They are implying that the people willing to pay for this super high level coaching price with no questions asked are more committed to their success and are more willing to make the sacrifices that are necessary for success (a dubious idea but we’re going with it for this example).
It’s implying that those who are willing to pay the higher prices are less doubtful and filled with objection and therefore are CLEARLY morally superior.
The reality?
The person who has ACCESS to the kind of money being asked for in the second scenario is CLEARLY going to have much less reservation about spending large amounts of money, because they HAVE large amounts of money to spend - or they’re in a position to have ACCESS to that money - which means they are already in a position in society that makes them safer than most people.
It actually costs them LESS in terms of proximity to poverty/not having enough/being unsafe to invest in that high level coaching program than it does for the lower level coaching program client - because the more wealth you have to spend, the less spending is a threat to your future security. This is especially the case when we’re looking at something like coaching that is being promoted as something that’s going to INCREASE overall income. This is how the wealthy get wealthier - they take what they have and they invest it. Most wealth isn’t accumulated through WORK but through INVESTING wealth to create MORE wealth. But remember in order to win big in investments you have to PLAY big, you have to START with big and you have to be in a space where if you LOSE that big you’re still ok. Investing in coaching is no different than the stock market - the more you have to invest the higher the likelihood that you’re going to be able to stay in investing long enough to weather losses and come out with more in the end. The less you have, the more you have to lose and the more LIKELY you are to lose.
That lower price point client asking for the payment plan likely has LESS access to wealth, and thus is actually making MORE of a sacrifice/taking a bigger risk relative to their actual financial capacity than the higher level client, because they have less wealth overall, and thus spending it means less for food, rent, clothing, shelter, the future of this coaching doesn’t work out and so on. The risk is greater because if this coaching doesn’t work out, they don’t have a safety-net to fall back on.
People who have more money to spend, have an easier time spending because it means less to them. That’s basic math; it has nothing to do with morality, commitment or superiority.
People who are concerned about spending LARGE sums of money on coaching are WISE. Because in REAL reality, businesses don’t succeed just because you have the right mindset, marketing strategy, energetics or whatever else these coaches are selling. YES these things matter and YES a GOOD coach CAN help you improve sales and your offers overall.
BUT.
They can't guarantee success because that’s not how our economy works.
If you have a product or service that isn’t in demand, there’s no amount of marketing strategy that’s going to make you a millionaire.
If you don’t have the right look or vibe, there’s no amount of energetic shifting that’s going to change that. If you’re not into exploiting or using exploitative marketing you’re likely not going to be as successful as other people.
Not everyone is cut out to be an entrepreneur.
Not everyone SHOULD be trying to become independently wealthy.
Not everyone has the base cushion to make this investment in a way where they aren’t possibly setting themselves up to totally ruin their lives.
‘Success’ in our system is something we CAN build but it’s not a guarantee AND LOTS of people do NOT have the safety-net in terms of wealth to be able to weather a loss, to be able to try a business that’s going to fail, to wait out the period of time it may take for their business to succeed and still be ok. There are a PLETHORA of GOOD reasons why someone should be concerned about investing in coaching. Especially when the coach’s one credential is ‘I did it’ or ‘I am telling you I can help you do it.’
There are PLENTY of very committed, wise, authentic people who will NEVER succeed in our economy, and PLENTY of people who are really horrible in terms of what we as ‘conscious’ people would value who are EXTREMELY good at making money in our system.
It’s true that SOMETIMES we’re holding ourselves back for fear of failure. Sometimes the risk and investment really does pay off. Sometimes we’re limiting ourselves with our beliefs and investing in something like coaching actually IS really good for us. Sometimes we would do well to sacrifice spending money in some areas of our lives so we can reinvest that money in something like coaching to help us ‘get ahead’ overall. Again, I’m not saying that there’s NEVER benefit in these programs or that one should NEVER invest.
It’s just to say that our system is incredibly classist.
Money is FAR more complex than just ‘good people have it and bad people don’t.’ It’s FAR more complex than ‘if you’re aligned and selling something of value people will buy it and you will have success’ This last statement is ESPECIALLY false - and if we look at the wealthiest people on our planet I think MOST of us will agree they are pretty shitty. Can anyone make the argument that Jeff B is incredibly energetically aligned and that’s why he’s so wealthy? I don’t think so. Is his service actually making the world a better place? In some ways sure - but HOW he’s doing it, not at all. This is just one example of MANY. Even those who ARE doing amazing things had resources, had safety nets, had others supporting them, were invested in by our system in terms of education or inheritance or access - no one is self made, and no one who is doing anything amazing did it all through pure grit. Again, there are MANY people out there with world changing ideas who will never see the light of day because of the position they occupy in society.
To assume that people who are poor are just choosing to be poor with their limiting beliefs is such a drastic oversimplification of the many, many problems in our system, and it’s ignorant. Point blank. It perpetuates a false narrative that is harmful on so many levels, that actually SUPPORTS Jeff B and people like him and their exploitative practices.
Wealth isn't a reflection of someones spirituality, energetic alignment, connection with their purpose or their level of service to others.
It's a result of finding something that the market values, is willing to invest in, and a result of having the safety-nets and support to actually BUILD something.
It’s a huge problem to have this judgment and posts like this, in my opinion, perpetuate this false narrative that poor people are just not committed or aligned enough. And it taps right into people's fear, and sells them a LIE for the profit of the COACH.
This is a sneaky, manipulative and frankly very iky marketing strategy - feeding into the idea that people should always be going for more, that rich people are better people, that if you’re not willing to invest big you’re not worthy of people’s time or help - it’s all just bullshit.
There are SO many other problematic messages in this coaches coaching coaches to be successful coaches industry. This is just the tip of the iceberg.
But seriously.
No.
The person investing in that high level coaching either has a LOT of excess wealth to spend, has a safety-net, or has some serious delusions about what they’re stepping into.
They aren’t morally superior.
They aren’t more committed to their success.
They aren’t a better person.
Having objections to super high cost programs is an INTELLIGENT thing.
Don’t let anyone gaslight you into thinking otherwise.
<3
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