One of The Books That Changed How I See Marketing (And Life)

Core Article: One of The Books That Changed How I See Marketing (And Life)

Paragraph I’m Pondering: “The art that matters to us…”

Powerful Affirmations to Inspire: “My financial success empowers me…”

Book Review: The Practice by Seth Godin

Cool Stuff: Too many options can paralyze your decision…

AI Info & Resources: How medicine is using venom and AI – Huh?

One of The Books That Changed How I See Marketing (And Life)

Have you ever read something that stayed with you for years? The kind of book, poem, or story that quietly works on you, shifting little pieces inside you long after you’ve put it down?

That’s what happened to me with The Gift by Lewis Hyde.

In this week’s writing group, the prompt was, “The Gift.” When I saw it, my mind started spinning. Was it a person? A thing? An idea? A lesson? I could feel my brain whirl like a spinning top. It sounded so loud, I was sure my spouse could hear it in the next room.

Sitting at my desk, staring at my big screen, I went down the Google rabbit hole. I knew “The Gift” was a book that had shifted something in me years ago. Age be damned, I was determined to find it.

And then, like magic, there it was. The Gift by Lewis Hyde.

Have you ever found a book or idea that stayed with you for years, shaping how you see the world, even when you weren’t thinking about it?

I first read it 18 years ago, and yet its impact is still alive in me. Even now, I feel it working, like a million subtle shifts happening quietly in the background every night while I sleep.

Hyde’s concept is simple but profound: what we create and share isn’t meant to be owned or hoarded. It’s meant to move through us, to connect, to change lives. True giving, whether it’s time, wisdom, or creative work, isn’t transactional. It’s an exchange of energy, intention, and meaning.

At its core, The Gift asks us to shift from “What do I get?” to “What can I contribute?” Or my favorite: “What can I give?”

When I made that subtle shift, my world changed.

The book was first published in 2007. It was my executive coach who recommended that I read it, not knowing how it would transform my perspective on relationships, work, and even my role as a coach, consultant, and teacher, by creating a better, more aligned way to market my business.

Before that, I was stuck in the old transactional model of success. Work harder. Prove your worth. Hustle constantly to be seen and valued. That belief system shaped everything, including how I approached marketing.

In my traditional marketing world, it was all about selling, pushing, convincing. Using fear and manipulative tactics to get people to hand over their money.

Ugh, it’s really hard to admit that. And even harder to admit how successful I was at helping other marketers make millions that way.

Maybe you’ve felt that too, doing something that worked on paper but felt wrong in your gut?

For me, it took several life-altering shifts, a long-term relationship ending, getting into recovery, daily meditation, writing, and gratitude work before I finally stopped and asked, What if there’s a better way?

That’s when everything cracked open.

Marketing, I realized, wasn’t about manipulating or selling for the sake of profit. It could be something else entirely, something that served others, that connected people to a business owner’s true message, voice, and essence.

What would it feel like if your marketing could feel like that, more like giving a gift than selling a product?

That was one of the huge sparks that created Soulful Marketing.

It’s all about trust over tactics, connection over conversion, and presence over performance. Every interaction became a chance to give, to serve, to build relationships that last.

What I once thought was just a way to “sell” became a way to make a difference. Hyde’s wisdom gave me a deeper connection to my purpose. It became the foundation for Soulful Marketing. If marketing could be a gift, then that was how I wanted to build my business as a gift, rooted in authenticity, integrity, and a real desire to make a positive impact.

Now, when I help entrepreneurs market soulfully, it’s all grounded in that same belief: you’re here to share your gifts, your lessons, and your stories because the world needs them.

And I bet you there’s someone out there waiting for your gift the way I was waiting for Hyde’s. 🙂

Happy gift giving!

Paragraph I’m Pondering

“The art that matters to us– which moves the heart, or revives the soul, or delights the senses, or offers courage for living, however we choose to describe the experience– that work is received by us as a gift is received. Even if we have paid a fee at the door of the museum or concert hall, when we are touched by a work of art, something comes to us which has nothing to do with the price. I went to see a landscape painter’s works, and that evening, walking among pine trees near my home, I could see the shapes and colors I had not seen the day before. The spirit of an artist’s gifts can wake our own. Our sense of harmony can hear the harmonies that Mozart heard. We may not have the power to profess our gifts as the artist does, and yet we come to recognize, and in a sense to receive the endowments of our being through the agency of his/her creation. We feel fortunate, even redeemed: the gift revives the soul. When we are moved by art, we are grateful that the artist lived, thankful that she labored in the service of her gifts.”

~ Lewis Hyde, The Gift: Creativity and the Artist in the Modern World.

Powerful Affirmations to Inspire

“Each day, my professional influence expands, positively impacting thousands of lives.”
“My financial success empowers me to create meaningful change in the world.“
“Balance and harmony fill my life; I prioritize my well-being, knowing it amplifies my success.”

Book Review

The Practice: Shipping Creative Work by Seth Godin

Cool Stuff

This can help you when you see a big sale: Too many options can paralyze decision-making. Psychological research shows that when faced with extensive choices, people often feel overwhelmed, less satisfied, and more regretful, especially if they don’t know what they want.
Movie buffs? Remember the movie The Elephant Man, played by John Hurt? This was a really interesting read about all the issues that tried to derail this film from being made…
When the US was founded, it adopted many aspects from the British, especially on the East Coast. Many towns in Boston have the same names as in the U.K. This article is all about the 15 bizarrely named dishes they use, which I don’t think we’ve adopted many. Check them out here.

AI Info and Resources

Maybe AI will be able to help the “weather guessers” be a bit more accurate about our weather. Hmmm.
Fascinating yet a little on the creepy, geeky scale – scientists are now using AI to help extract venom to create antibiotics that may cure diseases.
India is taking the lead by digitizing traditional medicine by using an AI-based library.

Weekly Photos

Emma is in her happy place, riding in the car. This is a rare shot, not having her hanging out the window with her tongue hanging out.
This is a bit blurry, yet I just really liked that view. I love it when I glance in my rearview mirror and see the mountains in the distance. I do love living in a town surrounded by mountains.
Hearts really do follow me wherever I go, especially when I happen to look down. 🙂
This dog can’t get any cuter. Love my furry companion.
So many birds here in the morning. Here’s a crow who just wanted to hang out with me for a few minutes.
There’s this outdoor garden store that always has these fun metal sculptures—frogs, birds, flowers, and more.
This was a little apocalyptic. Being fire season, we never know when the winds will change and give us this cloudy, hazy sunrise behind Mt. Lassen.

NEW: P.S. This is me being bold and giving you an invitation. 🙂 I’m going to run the Soulful Marketing Accelerator Cohort again. If you’re longing for like-minded community and ready to move through your fears to grow a purpose-driven business rooted in authenticity and aligned with your dream clients… Welllll. Go here to be first in line when I reopen the doors again. Would love to have you.

P.S.S. Whenever You’re Ready: Here are 3 Ways I can make an impact on creating greater success in your business using marketing that’s aligned with your mission and values without feeling like you’re selling your soul.

1. Make Money Now Sheet – It’s one of the bonuses in my 7-Step Soulful Marketing System. I wanted to give it to you for free to help you create more success.

2. Love Books Like I Do? – I’m always reviewing the best nonfiction books – Where Buddha Meets Business.

3. Get my proven 7-Step Soulful Marketing System. It gives you the framework you need to implement authentic and connected marketing using online customer experiences and launching your products, services, or courses. It will help you create greater success.

It’s a simple system, especially if you love to read like me. There’s no video or audio. Plus, you get my proven templates, tools, and worksheets, all with tremendous value. And I’m pricing it incredibly low so it can be more accessible to more people. 🙂

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I appreciate your sharing. Thank you!

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