YINpreneurs do things differently!
KAREN MCMILLAN
What is a YINpreneur™you ask? Allow me to introduce you… First, meet my younger self in late 2008. After a decade in corporate management and two years attaining International Coach Federation certification, I followed the crowd to search for my coaching “niche.” I searched for tools and coaches aligned with heart-centered, conscious, right-brain, and divine feminine business-building practices. I believed I was ready to build a life of creative freedom as a solopreneur. Fast forward two years to a Winter Saturday in 2010, the afternoon of my annual “Awaken Your Success Goddess” virtual retreat. Back then we met by phone, meditating, journaling, and visioning together for 2-3 hours. During this retreat, the word “YINpreneur” came to me. I was not yet clear on the full meaning, yet the term spoke to me and aligned with my love of yoga, Buddhism, the Tao, feminine energy, ancient wisdom, and modern practice. This comfort allowed me to overlook feelings of doubt. I knew that not everyone would relate, yet believed those who did would be my community. At a minimum, the term was unique, showed up well in SEO searches, and may be easy to trademark. I figured the rest would reveal itself over time and for sure it did. The more I lived with this new concept, the more I realized it was less about “WHAT is a YINpreneur?” and more about “WHO is a YINpreneur?” More about the being than the doing. I continued my sacred practices listening deeply to intuitive messages to align traditional, corporate marketing with this new YINpreneur feeling and perspective. Yet, each day I became more uncomfortable and less aligned with the patriarchal language, tools, tone, and intentions of the so-called “six-figure coaches.” Instead of propelling me forward, I was spending energy but making small or sporadic steps. The dream of an aligned entrepreneurial life was waning. The rules and tools of the patriarchy did not feel right. The language was corporate vs creative, and the tools had hard edges. Really hard edges. I like soft edges, spirals, and a non-linear way of working - which I’ve come to know as the “way of the YINpreneur.”
Karen McMillan, ACC | YINpreneur™ With passion for bringing together BIPOC artists, solopreneurs, light workers, and change-makers, Karen intuitively guides others to find and own their voice. Revealing their gifts so that they may share them forward in support of the world they wish to create. As the founder and creator of YINpreneur Village™ and Virtual RetreatU™, Karen invites women to practice the way of the YINpreneur™ via wisdom journeys and experiences in safe, collaborative spaces.
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