Bartering for Queen Mindset Leadership
Bartering services isn’t always a good idea.
Like, back in 2021, I was part of this entrepreneur group and agreed to barter with a woman who wanted to update the “About” copy on her website. She had (has?) a textile business, so she offered me products from her shop that equaled the value of the copywriting work.
The problem? I’m not a copywriter! (I mean, I’m really great at it now, but I wasn’t then.) I also didn’t actually need or even really want anything from her shop. We both ended up unsatisfied.
But this year, I dabbled in bartering again, and it’s been really fucking dope.
The Barter:
→ I get Queen Mindset Leadership coaching from Dra. CarolLaine M. García
→ She gets book coaching for the book she’s been thinking about for years but struggling to write
You might be wondering, What the f*ck is Queen Mindset Leadership?
Well, dear reader, I shall tell you. It is “a decolonized approach to leading, integrating all parts of self and providing a safe space for mujeres [of color] to understand the systems in which they operate, so they can be the change they wish to see.” (QML)
In my own words, it’s a way of becoming aware of yourself, your conditioning, and your purpose and goals. And it’s about using that awareness to figure out how to bridge the gap between who and how you are, and who and how you want to be. All while honoring your ancestors, connecting with your spirituality, and expanding your consciousness.
When I said yes to CarolLaine’s offer to barter, it was because I really wanted to coach her on her book (which is about QML), and because something in my spirit was responding to something in hers.
I had no idea what to expect when I joined our first coaching call, but what I got was a lot of tears. No, she didn’t make me cry by doing anything in particular. I was just finally in a safe space with someone who looked like me and could relate to my experiences, and I let it all out. We went through a few different exercises, but the most impactful was the Wheel of Life.
I had done this exercise before, but it had been years since assessing the different areas in my life. The way it works is you give yourself a number rating between one and ten, with one being poor satisfaction in that area and ten being super satisfied. This is where I was:
Wheel of Life (June 2024)
Money = 2
Fun & Recreation = 2
Spirituality = 3
Health = 5
Personal Growth = 6
Career = 8
Relationships = 6
Physical Environment = 8
Look at those 2s and 3s! One of my biggest goals going into this work with CarolLaine was to reconnect with my spirituality. I wanted to feel in tune with my intuition and inner voice again. I had been feeling so… offline.
And, as you can see from my scores, I also wasn’t having much fun.
I’m going to have a few more posts to really dive into my QML transformation, but for now, a preview:
Wheel of Life (August 2024)
Money = 4
Fun & Recreation = 8
Spirituality = 7
Health = 6
Personal Growth = 8
Career = 7
Relationships = 7
Physical Environment = 6
See ya soon for Part 2: How I made so much progress in less than 2 months.
