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Mark Silver shows us how heart-centered business can be a real spiritual practice, where marketing becomes a form of witnessing instead of manipulation. We talk about the needs underneath visibility, pricing, and burnout, and how to build a business that supports us without leaving ourselves out of the circle of care. 

• Mark’s path from activist and paramedic punk to spiritual business mentor 
• Business healing as an integration of small business, spirituality, nourishment, and liberation work 
• Problem-based marketing done with healing empathy rather than activation 
• The “hidden treasure” teaching and why being witnessed matters 
• Relating to the business as something with its own heart and structure 
• Distortion in capitalism and why sincere people adopt harmful tactics 
• Overgiving reframed as excluding ourselves from care 
• The heart feeding itself first as a boundary and sustainability metaphor 
• Sufi remembrance and receiving divine qualities like protection 
• Bringing spirituality into public work without dilution or conversion 
• Betty’s Buddhist view on innate goodness and authenticity
• How Heart of Business works, including the learning community and practices 

If something in this episode moved you, I’d love to hear from you. 
Please share this episode with someone else who you think might enjoy it.

You can find Mark at Heart of Business.com

And you can buy his book here.

Also mentioned: 

Tad Hargrave of www.marketingforhippies.com

From Betty: 

✨ Join the True Wealth Membership✨
 A warm gathering of good people - with a big vision - doing deep inner work together; committed to being the change they wish to see. Each month: a live session with me, a private community, my full recordings library, and a direct line into this very podcast. £33/month, cancel anytime.
👉 [Join here: https://buy.stripe.com/7sYbJ13Ux9cU4w239IaVa0b]
First call: Friday 3rd July, 1pm UK / 8am ET.

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Following the Aliveness is my Business Plan — with Sarah Weiler

What if following what lights you up wasn't just a nice idea — but your actual business plan?

In this joyful, wide-ranging conversation I sit down with the extraordinary Sarah Weiler — coach, pianist, songwriter, pricing expert, comedian, DJ, and the woman who brought 3,500 people together to sing 90s songs at Glastonbury.

Sarah's career has been anything but linear — and that, it turns out, is entirely the point. From burning out as a teacher, to starting a ukulele business in Vienna on a whim, to comping the Greenpeace stage at Glastonbury, to launching a psytrance exercise class in Brighton — Sarah has spent over a decade following what's alive in her, and building a life she loves as a result.

Her framework, the Carousel Model, makes a compelling case for trusting the non-linear path — and for seeing your "scattered" career not as a weakness but as a superpower.

We talk about:

• Following aliveness as a business strategy
• Why burnout can be a redirect
• The power of community and music
• Trusting the non-linear path
• What happens when you bring more of what lights you up into your life

Find Sarah here:

• Website: https://sarahweiler.com/
• Psy Fit Instagram: @psy_fit_
• Substack: https://sarahweiler.substack.com/

Links mentioned:

• Sarah's Happy Startup Summer Camp talk: https://happystartupsummer.camp/talks/sarah-weiler

-------------------

🌟 Before you go...

If this conversation stirred something in you — if you know what lights you up but can't quite seem to bring yourself to actually, well.... do it — I have something for you.

Join me on Thursday 7th May at 1pm UK for a free 90-minute live workshop: Heal Your Past, Grow Your Business, Change the World.

Let's find out what's standing between you and your YOU-ness — and start shifting it.

👉 Save your spot: https://truewealthwithbetty.myflodesk.com/heal2grow

From Betty: 

✨ Join the True Wealth Membership✨
 A warm gathering of good people - with a big vision - doing deep inner work together; committed to being the change they wish to see. Each month: a live session with me, a private community, my full recordings library, and a direct line into this very podcast. £33/month, cancel anytime.
👉 [Join here: https://buy.stripe.com/7sYbJ13Ux9cU4w239IaVa0b]
First call: Friday 3rd July, 1pm UK / 8am ET.

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Recorded fresh off the back off their shared time together in New Mexico at the Arc & Craft event that Tad co-hosted with his mentor Stephen Jenkinson, join Betty and today's guest, and friend of the podcast, Tad Hargrave, as we explore culture-work as a living practice rooted in land, limits and shared responsibility. Tad maps out the often unglamorous work of village-making—potlucks, dances, welcomes, proper goodbyes—and the extent to which therapy might do well to prepare us for engaging with community in a healthy way; without replacing the culture-work itself.

• culture as living instructions held by human, non-human and unseen
• human scale and seven-generation thinking 
• syncretism and empire; why multiculturalism differs from culture
• protoculture practices: potlucks, street festivals, meal trains, tool shares
• ceremonies for hellos and goodbyes as village-making moments
• therapy as prebiotic capacity, not a substitute for culture-work
• dangers of grievance, shaming, coercion and AI-enabled narcissism
• the role of business; avoiding manipulation and sponsoring culture-work
• merriment as antidote to the machine

You can find Tad's marketing work at:

https://marketingforhippies.com/

And his writings on Culture-Work at:

https://substack.com/@tadhargrave

Also mentioned in the podcast were:

Stephen Jenkinson: https://orphanwisdom.com/

Kâkîsimow Iskwêw: https://meetingmyancestors.com/

Dr Martin Shaw: https://drmartinshaw.com/

From Betty: 

✨ Join the True Wealth Membership✨
 A warm gathering of good people - with a big vision - doing deep inner work together; committed to being the change they wish to see. Each month: a live session with me, a private community, my full recordings library, and a direct line into this very podcast. £33/month, cancel anytime.
👉 [Join here: https://buy.stripe.com/7sYbJ13Ux9cU4w239IaVa0b]
First call: Friday 3rd July, 1pm UK / 8am ET.

FB: Betty Cottam Bertels
IG: Betty_Cottam
www.truewealthwithbetty.com

Music by Ahmad Mousavipour from Pixabay

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In this episode, join Betty in conversation with designer and wildlife artist Ed Harrison to explore how barn swallows, grief, and simple craft can rebuild connection. Ed tells how his personal story inspired his latest work; a community project that blends papercraft, folklore, and conservation to spark grounded hope in local communities. 

• defining true wealth as joy, connection, and presence
• Ed’s lockdown return to nature and time with his dad
• the swallows’ arrival the day of the memorial
• translating flight into layered papercraft swallows
• workshops for children, dementia-friendly groups, and carers
• storytelling, folklore, drumming, and migration journeys
• museum launch with partner conservation charities
• hope as practiced resilience, not prescription
• messages of hope and messages of loss
• swifts, red admirals, and adapting species
• building village through hands-on making
• crowdfunder for Wild Wings of Hope kits and workshops

Please remember to like and share and subscribe to the podcast and get in touch if you're enjoying it. If you've got any ideas for future guests who you think might be a good fit, please do let me know. ([email protected])

Donate to the Wild Wings of Hope Crowdfunder Appeal

Find Ed here: https://edharrison.co.uk/

From Betty: 

✨ Join the True Wealth Membership✨
 A warm gathering of good people - with a big vision - doing deep inner work together; committed to being the change they wish to see. Each month: a live session with me, a private community, my full recordings library, and a direct line into this very podcast. £33/month, cancel anytime.
👉 [Join here: https://buy.stripe.com/7sYbJ13Ux9cU4w239IaVa0b]
First call: Friday 3rd July, 1pm UK / 8am ET.

FB: Betty Cottam Bertels
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Your voice can do more than inform—it can restore connection, shift culture, and move systems when it’s rooted in the body. Today I sit down with voice coach and spoken word artist Thea May to explore how “speaking as energy” replaces performance with presence and turns every conversation into an act of care. If you’ve ever felt yourself listing credentials, freezing at “what do you do,” or leaving a meeting strangely depleted, this one offers a new path: align your gut, heart, and head and let aliveness lead.

We dig into the difference between inert and alive exchanges, how to spark curiosity by answering “what” with “why,” and why ethics must shape who and what we amplify. Thea shares her journey from theatre training and corporate coaching to soul-led speaking, and she draws a firm line against “looking like you care” when you don’t. Expect practical tools alongside real talk on worthiness, boundaries between coaching and therapy, and how sensitivity becomes a superpower when you stay congruent. 

PLUS! Thea guides us in a gut‑heart‑head alignment practice you can try on the spot, designed to help your body gift words to your mouth.

From campfire conversations to boardrooms and community halls, we explore how to hold charged topics—climate, war, justice—without shutting down. 

We introduce Rising Tide, Thea’s four‑week program for change makers ready to speak with integrity, and the Speaking Salons, a donation-based conversation club for people who give a damn. If you’ve been waiting to feel “ready,” here’s your invitation: your body already knows. Subscribe, share with a friend who needs this, and leave a review to help more voices speak truer.

Find Thea at: https://www.workingwithvoice.com/

Find All Thea's Upcoming Events here: https://lu.ma/workingwithvoice

From Betty: 

✨ Join the True Wealth Membership✨
 A warm gathering of good people - with a big vision - doing deep inner work together; committed to being the change they wish to see. Each month: a live session with me, a private community, my full recordings library, and a direct line into this very podcast. £33/month, cancel anytime.
👉 [Join here: https://buy.stripe.com/7sYbJ13Ux9cU4w239IaVa0b]
First call: Friday 3rd July, 1pm UK / 8am ET.

FB: Betty Cottam Bertels
IG: Betty_Cottam
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What if your big dream isn’t a plan, but a message from your body—asking you to walk toward the life that will shape you into who you’re meant to be? That question sits at the heart of this conversation with Alex Baisley, creator of The Big Dream Program, who went from a decade of cold, soul-numbing commercial diving to designing a lifestyle-first business that blends family, travel, and deeply meaningful work.

We dig into the practical magic of authenticity and why it’s the strongest filter you’ll ever use. No more costumes, no more “chamber of commerce” personas. Alex shares how mentors like Tad Hargrave helped him build an ecosystem where work and life enrich each other instead of competing for hours. Think road-trip workshops with kids crafting in the back, swims between sessions, and a community that hosts, feeds, and becomes lifelong friends. Along the way, we tackle the staggering reality that 86% of workers are disengaged, what that costs us, and how to chart a way out with small, structural steps—even if you’re exhausted from a full-time job.

If you’ve collected degrees and modalities and still can’t pick a lane, Alex’s “specialist vs experience designer” lens is a release valve. You don’t have to choose. Name your place, define your people, and design experiences that weave your many passions into one cohesive, profitable offer. Time starts working for you when you stack functions: one trip, three outcomes—income, family, adventure. Terror becomes a compass, not a stop sign. And the real payoff isn’t just revenue; it’s becoming someone you actually like being.

If this resonates, tap play, then subscribe, share with a friend who needs it, and leave a quick review to help others find the show. Ready to design a life you love?

From Betty: 

✨ Join the True Wealth Membership✨
 A warm gathering of good people - with a big vision - doing deep inner work together; committed to being the change they wish to see. Each month: a live session with me, a private community, my full recordings library, and a direct line into this very podcast. £33/month, cancel anytime.
👉 [Join here: https://buy.stripe.com/7sYbJ13Ux9cU4w239IaVa0b]
First call: Friday 3rd July, 1pm UK / 8am ET.

FB: Betty Cottam Bertels
IG: Betty_Cottam
www.truewealthwithbetty.com

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Marketing expert Laura Eastburn shares her revolutionary approach to authentic business communication with her powerful philosophy: "Speak Human, Win the Internet." Drawing from her grandfather's wisdom to "tell the truth and ask for help," Laura helps businesses break through generic marketing language to find their unique voice.

• Started her entrepreneurial journey at age 12 selling handmade hair bows
• Created an innovative approach called "finding your weird" to help businesses identify their unique selling points
• Analyzes business jargon through her "One Word" newsletter, categorizing terms as originating from military, industrial, or religious language
• Advocates for non-transactional list building instead of freebie-based opt-ins
• Developed "Pace and Prosper" to help smaller businesses with limited budgets access effective ad campaigns
• Values authentic connection over conventional marketing tactics like "pain point marketing"
• Believes speaking human online is revolutionary in a world of cookie-cutter business approaches
• Shows how authenticity isn't just more ethical – it's more effective at driving business results
• Encourages businesses to lead with their unique story rather than hiding behind professional facades

Lara's website: 

https://laraeastburn.com/

Sign up for Lara's One Word mailing list:

https://laraeastburn.com/oneword/

Pace & Prosper - MINIMALIST LIST-BUILDING ADS

FOR SMALLER BUDGETS IN 90 DAYS:

https://laraeastburn.com/pace-and-prosper/

From Betty: 

✨ Join the True Wealth Membership✨
 A warm gathering of good people - with a big vision - doing deep inner work together; committed to being the change they wish to see. Each month: a live session with me, a private community, my full recordings library, and a direct line into this very podcast. £33/month, cancel anytime.
👉 [Join here: https://buy.stripe.com/7sYbJ13Ux9cU4w239IaVa0b]
First call: Friday 3rd July, 1pm UK / 8am ET.

FB: Betty Cottam Bertels
IG: Betty_Cottam
www.truewealthwithbetty.com

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Satish Kumar makes a compelling case for idealism in a world dominated by realists who have failed to solve our most pressing problems, sharing wisdom from his remarkable life journey from monk to peace activist.

• Traveling 8,000 miles on foot without money as a peace pilgrimage across 15 countries
• True peace requires work at three levels: personal peace, social peace, and ecological peace
• Living as a pilgrim means accepting the world as it is and participating to create transformation
• Diversity is nature's way - we must celebrate differences rather than seek uniformity
• Education should balance head (intellect), heart (courage), hands (creativity), and home (rootedness)
• Modern society has become too individualistic, forgetting that we exist in relationship
• Moving from "ego" to "eco" - from self-centeredness to recognizing our interconnectedness
• Acting from love rather than fear or anger sustains activism without burnout
• Offering service without expectation of results prevents disappointment
• The power of sharing tea as a way to listen and resolve conflicts through conversation

Join the Happy Startup School's summer camp in Sussex this September to meet Satish Kumar in person and experience his inspiring workshops. 

Check out Satish's magazine Resurgence & Ecologist for more of his writings on ecology, peace, and sustainable living.

From Betty: 

✨ Join the True Wealth Membership✨
 A warm gathering of good people - with a big vision - doing deep inner work together; committed to being the change they wish to see. Each month: a live session with me, a private community, my full recordings library, and a direct line into this very podcast. £33/month, cancel anytime.
👉 [Join here: https://buy.stripe.com/7sYbJ13Ux9cU4w239IaVa0b]
First call: Friday 3rd July, 1pm UK / 8am ET.

FB: Betty Cottam Bertels
IG: Betty_Cottam
www.truewealthwithbetty.com

Music by Ahmad Mousavipour from Pixabay

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Dr. Jo Watkins shares her transformative journey from traditional NHS doctor to digital entrepreneur who takes three months off annually to travel with her family while running a thriving online business. 

Jo also talks about working with Betty to uncover the root cause of her people pleasing, lack of self care, and her tendency towards workaholism, which, once she understood and had healed, enabled her to be more present with her family, take time out for herself, and achieve a greater work- life balance.

 Topics covered include:

• Traditional upbringing by medical parents led Jo into medicine despite initial desire to become a sports physio
• Creating a granola business taught valuable entrepreneurial lessons before transitioning to digital work
• Taking a year off to travel the world with four children under 10 changed their perspective on education and lifestyle
• Discovered the benefits of homeschooling when her quiet son thrived outside traditional education
• Menopause and possible ADHD diagnosis helped Jo understand patterns of overworking and fierce independence
• Childhood trauma from surviving an air disaster at age 11 shaped her independence and drive
• Now mentors other healthcare professionals looking to create more flexible careers alongside clinical work
• Cautions against jumping from medicine to entrepreneurship without addressing burnout first

Find Jo at JoWatkins.com with her free download "From Stethoscope to Startup" for healthcare professionals considering entrepreneurship.

From Betty: 

✨ Join the True Wealth Membership✨
 A warm gathering of good people - with a big vision - doing deep inner work together; committed to being the change they wish to see. Each month: a live session with me, a private community, my full recordings library, and a direct line into this very podcast. £33/month, cancel anytime.
👉 [Join here: https://buy.stripe.com/7sYbJ13Ux9cU4w239IaVa0b]
First call: Friday 3rd July, 1pm UK / 8am ET.

FB: Betty Cottam Bertels
IG: Betty_Cottam
www.truewealthwithbetty.com

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Carlos Saba, co-founder of the Happy Startup School, shares his fascinating journey from quantum physicist to soulful business coach, exploring how scientific understanding and spiritual awareness can complement each other in entrepreneurship.

• From PhD in atomic physics to helping entrepreneurs find clarity and purpose
• Distinguishing between trauma-based reactions and authentic inner knowing in decision making
• How quantum physics provides metaphors for interconnectedness while maintaining scientific integrity
• Research showing "lucky" people succeed through awareness and openness rather than inherent fortune
• The balance between focused intention and awareness of serendipitous opportunities
• Self-referencing: making choices based on your authentic needs rather than external expectations
• How disconnecting from routine at events like Summer Camp creates space for synchronicities
• The importance of ritual and marking transitions in modern life
• Competing commitments: balancing vision with day-to-day responsibilities

If you'd like to learn more about Carlos Saba and the Happy Startup School, visit thehappystartupschool.com or find "The Happy Entrepreneur" podcast on your favourite platform. 

Summer Camp takes place in September in Sussex 🏕  ...and this year (2025) Betty will be giving her signature "Heal your Past. Grow you Business. Change the World." workshop 

-- See you there?! 

From Betty: 

✨ Join the True Wealth Membership✨
 A warm gathering of good people - with a big vision - doing deep inner work together; committed to being the change they wish to see. Each month: a live session with me, a private community, my full recordings library, and a direct line into this very podcast. £33/month, cancel anytime.
👉 [Join here: https://buy.stripe.com/7sYbJ13Ux9cU4w239IaVa0b]
First call: Friday 3rd July, 1pm UK / 8am ET.

FB: Betty Cottam Bertels
IG: Betty_Cottam
www.truewealthwithbetty.com

Music by Ahmad Mousavipour from Pixabay