💖 External chaos calls us to awaken the fire and light within us 📿 

Seeing darkness is a signal for us to awaken our stagnant energy. Assess by not what we are doing but by how much we are growing or falling.

We can, in stillness, find the oneness with the light within ourselves, have an inner knowing we are protected even in the mist of external chaos. Or, we can react and close ourselves off in thinking we are all knowing and miss an opportunity for growth we were not even aware we needed. We have free will to choose our intention on how we direct our energy.

Call in the Divine to give us the strength to find certainty, trust beyond logic, knowing we were given our vision, mission, and ability to build what we are building for a reason.

My friend, Guillaume Bonn, wrote the most groundbreaking book that challenges and illuminates the business of conservation in Africa. New York Times Managing Editor and Overseas Press Club governor, Marc Lacey interviewed him about his book, Paradise Inc., and the conversation was both awakening and profoundly moving. Watch the video here .

In light of what is happening in the Middle East, I am reminded of one of the most beautiful books, my friend Kamin Mohammadi wrote: The Cypress Tree . It brought me to tears and completely changed my perspective on Iran. I learned so much about the culture, people, architecture, and history of a country that has been shattered. Learn about her and read her book here. 

"How do spiritually-led founders de-risk investments?"

I've been asked this question countless times recently. Each time, I pause and gently redirect the conversation away from where it naturally wants to go. This frequency excites me—it signals that more investors are awakening to a different kind of business model, one that offers genuine mutual success.

But here's the reframe: the entire approach is backwards. We can't start at the seed level or even the pre-seed stage. We must begin at the spark itself—understanding where it originated and what ignited it.

The real question isn't about de-risking. It's about discernment.

In a world where both "spiritual" and "purpose-driven" have become sophisticated branding strategies—many brilliantly executed—the absence of true discernment can lead to disaster. We're already seeing the cracks appear and call outs and those who see the cracks are calling out and waving red flags of caution. When surface-level purpose meets deep capital without the wisdom to distinguish authentic mission from polished messaging, the foundation, built on house of cards, inevitably crumbles.

The investors who will thrive in this new paradigm aren't those who've mastered risk mitigation. They're those who've developed the discernment to recognize genuine transformation from its clever imitation.

The Commodification Challenge: Signal Versus Noise in Conscious Commerce

Spirituality, wellness, purpose led businesses are now part of modern culture codes that nod to one’s identity -creating what we might call a "wellness clout economy"—where spiritual aesthetics, mindfulness vernacular, and curated consciousness have become marketing strategies rather than operational philosophies. We're seeing crystal-infused skincare lines launched by founders who've never done inner work. Social impact brands built by teams who don't actually care about the causes they claim to support. "Conscious" companies that treat their employees terribly behind closed doors.

Both spirituality and purpose-driven businesses are now the shiny new carrot that many desire as a tent pole of superficial ‘do good for business’. Founders and content creators are building spiritually led and purpose driven businesses either to make a quick buck or led from a soul led calling. Investors alike, are seeing opportunity to diversify their portfolios.

In this newly identified industry that quickly moved from the margins to mainstream market positioning, investors now face a critical challenge: traditional risk assessment frameworks are inadequate for evaluating enterprises where authenticity, energetic coherence, and founder alignment serve as core value propositions.

The aesthetics of conscious business are easy to copy. The energetic and harmonic coherence and alignment is not.

The ability to distinguish authentic conscious leadership from performative marketing and leadership needs to become a core investment skill—and a strategic imperative for accessing some of the most compelling opportunities in today's marketplace.

The opportunity lies in authentic operators who are building genuine spiritual and purpose led businesses where the founder's inner work and alignment directly influences operational decisions, brand coherence, and long-term sustainability. These businesses demonstrate what we call "energetic infrastructure": systems and processes that align with natural growth cycles, honor stakeholder relationships, and prioritize regenerative practices over extractive scaling.

The risk is in the performative layer—businesses that have adopted spiritual branding without embodying spiritual principles. These enterprises lack the foundational coherence necessary for sustainable growth and are particularly vulnerable as more consumers are becoming more sensitive and attuned to performance and misalignment, market contractions or leadership transitions. In a market where resonance translates to revenue, energetic coherence cannot be manufactured, and misalignment becomes a measurable business liability. The truth always comes out. And now, quicker than ever before.

The Essentials. The Breakdown. The Framework. and The Path Forward.