Andrea Adler, the founder of HolisticPR.com, is an international speaker, author, workshop presenter and consultant. Author of two authoritative books on spiritual marketing, she demonstrates how to integrate spiritual practice and psychological self-inquiry into a fundamental transformation of people’s lives and their marketing approaches. Recently relocated to Fairfield County, she will hold her first area workshop, The Tao of Marketing, on April 17 at Redding Center for Meditation. She recently spoke with Natural Awakenings about her work and how it differs from other marketing techniques.

Q: You speak in your books, The Science of Spiritual Marketing and Creating an Abundant Practice, about the need to restore the integrity of marketing and
public relations.

A: For years, the words “public relations” and “marketing” have had negative connotations. Owners of businesses of all sizes have been apprehensive to embark on promotional campaigns that could bring them the abundance and recognition they are yearning for. Why? I have come to the conclusion that there are two reasons for this confirmed reputation.

One: Because many marketing companies charge enormous fees for their services and make many promises they cannot keep.

Two: Because from the moment we are born and alert enough to perceive information on any level, we are inundated with advertisements that promote some product or service. Our senses are flooded by blaring hype, propaganda, political spin and advertising that scream at us from the radio, TV, newspapers, billboards, telemarketers –– and now from the Internet.

After trying to tune out the noise, our brains have become so saturated that the thought of using any of these venues to promote ourselves has become, to say the least, unattractive. It’s a shame to think we must turn away from the channels of communication that bring us pleasure in our leisure and benefit to our work in order to escape this overkill.

These issues have been the catalyst for me to initiate my search for a holistic/spiritual approach. It seems to take the sting and confusion out of marketing and gets to the core of their blocks, providing them with a road map and ongoing support to make sure they stay on track.

Q: How does spiritual marketing differ from the conventional marketing practiced regularly by millions? What are some distinguishing characteristics and how do these manifest into different results?

A: When I use the word spiritual, I don’t mean “religious” or religion in any way. Spiritual, in the context of my work, has to do with an internal awareness and a sacred connection to oneself and one’s work. It is a bond with the soul and the spirit that includes our relationship to ourselves and to the world. In the truest sense, spirituality is not “for” anything –– not for marketing success, prosperity, good health or fulfilling relationships. It is its own reward as a consequence of connecting with source – wherever that source, or that place of truth, exists within us. It also includes a conscious awareness; our moral compass regarding the products and services we offer.

By holistic marketing, I mean taking an integrated, multidimensional approach that doesn’t focus solely on the bottom line, but rather operates by synthesizing the whole picture. It includes the wholeness of our intention, our message, our story, how we share our story, how other people share our story and their feelings behind it. These concepts are very different from traditional marketing, particularly for the culturally creative who may need to experience information viscerally.

In experiencing this holistic approach, people connect with their true destiny in this lifetime – they feel it, see it and begin to manifest it. As long as they follow the mind map – the yellow brick road laid out for them – success is assured.

Q: You discuss the relationship between and relative importance of the macro and the micro factors when it comes to integrated marketing and PR. What is a habit (or pattern) you commonly observe in businesses that are out of balance?

A: There is the need to quantum think these days. A tremendous amount of information is coming at us so quickly we can hardly digest it. To survive and thrive, we must be cognizant of the micro and macro aspects of our lives. We need to be clear about the big picture, as well as the everyday details without spinning or getting side-tracked into minutia. When we swing from one intention to another, we make poor choices and feel depressed by the consequences. In order to prevent this scenario, our minds must be clear and uncluttered; this is why meditation is part of the program.

Another pattern I have observed is that even though people know intellectually what they want to achieve, they only have a portion of the truth. I have found that by diving deep into the unconscious, I am able to bring more of their truth to the surface. Once we know the scope of their desire, I lay out the strategy for the next five years. Most of the time, clients learn they have to step into playing a bigger game. That’s when the real work begins.

Q: What do you most want Natural Awakenings’ readers to know about you and your work?

A: There has never been a time in our history when an innovative, inspired approach to marketing has been more important. Understanding that intention and energy are behind every word and image we use in our materials and in our outreach makes a huge impact as to how we are perceived and whom we attract.

We step into the vision of our future with clarity and allow our intention to pour into every action of our livelihood.

• We begin to walk with a different rhythm

• Vibrate at a new frequency

• Speak from a place of conviction

• Move from fear to fearlessness

• From apprehension to one-pointedness

• From rigidity to fluidity

• From ignorance to higher wisdom

And, along the way, we are reminded of the poet saint Rumi’s words: “There’s a push and another push, the necessary dyings, the ground crumbling that lets wildflowers come up.”

To connect with Andrea Adler to register for the upcoming workshop on April 17, visit HolisticPR.com or email [email protected]. See ad, page 23.