I want you to step back in time with me for a moment.
It’s 1952 and you flip through the magazine or the newspaper and you see all of the advertisements that promise to make your life better.
The right beer. The right cigarette. The right car. The right way to live. Women clearly have their place in all of these ads.
Case in point: (ugh)
Now, here’s what’s important about this time-traveling experiment:
Think about how these marketing campaigns were created…
They were created by a bunch of white dudes scheming up ways to sell products to people and making up whatever they need to in order to get the job done.
The Mad Men series is a fascinating take on advertising in the 60s and while it was fictitious, it was based on true stories from ad agencies from the 60s and 70s.
In researching this series, I found this particularly fascinating:
While Sterling Cooper is a fictional company, it was inspired by many real-world agencies that operated throughout the 1960s and ’70s. Speaking to The Telegraph in 2015, showrunner Matthew Weiner said, “I spoke to a number of ad executives from that era about the show and seventy percent of them said I’d got it dead right, [but] one hundred percent of the women said it reflected their experiences exactly.”
Source: https://screenrant.com/mad-men-true-story-agency-y…
How much of the way we’ve been sold to for centuries is based on someone’s agenda (in this case, white dudes) and not to actually serve humanity? (Um, all of it.)
My parents were hippies in the 60s and 70s. Even though they rebelled against the status quo in their time, their view of success and what good women should do and powerful men should do is derived from these messages they received and then passed along to their kids (me and my three siblings).
My sister and I are feminists so we’re healing these patterns and challenging what we’ve been taught for generations about the right way to live life so thank goodness for that.
photo credit: Sure Shot SLC
My whole point in sharing all of this is:
It’s okay to hate traditional marketing. It’s gross. Manipulative. Harmful. And not to mention sexist and racist.
Hating something yet not being willing to do something different just means we become part of the problem because we don’t actively change how things are done.
“Bad marketing” is marketing that is designed to make you feel bad about yourself.
In the heat of political tension in the US, you can’t help but see the bad marketing. Often in politics, people take bad marketing and add one really important component: “us vs them.”
We are inundated with bad marketing. It’s toxic.
That’s why we must do it differently.
I’ve been talking about authentic and ethical marketing for years. More people are talking about it and I’m so happy to know that people are finally saying, “enough!”
But here’s the REALLY cool part – when we say, “No more,” to toxic marketing and we not only run our own businesses differently, but we also demand people we buy from to step up, we collectively break down oppressive systems that have become the norm. #YES
We take back our power. We distribute power equally and create a bigger table for everyone to join us. This is not just for the elite few. This is for everybody, particularly marginalized bodies.
We create systemic change. We show people that other possibilities exist. Possibilities where everyone can thrive.
Don’t let traditional toxic marketing stop you from sharing your business authentically. Just do it differently.
What I sense is happening is a global detox from the ideas, status quo, and oppressive systems all around us and within us. This includes how we do business and our marketing and sales practices.
Lastly, regardless of where you live, there is a lot of energy in the world right now.
Take a breath. Take care of yourself. Be extra kind. We can do hard things, especially when we do it together.
Angella
What’s new?
Expansive Question Screensavers for your phone
Asking expansive questions is a fantastic way to shift your energy. I currently have this question on my phone and it’s been super helpful as I navigate the intense energy with the upcoming US election.
You can find the latest screensavers here.
Go Beyond-Networking and Step Into Collaboration
In January 2021, The Collective for Creators is officially starting. I created this global gathering of soulful entrepreneurs because in traditional networking, I never feel like people get my “woo” and spiritual side. And in the spiritual entrepreneur groups, money is often deemed as bad so where do you go to connect with other people like us?
A high-end mastermind? That’s one possibility. But not necessary in my opinion.
What if a group of entrepreneurs was curated for you and you could just show up and create global connections to grow your business?
The Collective for Creators is for established business owners (you’ve been in business for at least three years and you love all of these five things:
- Equity and Social Justice
- Strategy and Making Money
- Personal Development
- Spirituality and Using Universal principles to create with the universe
- Giving back
To see what this monthly gathering is all about, you can register for our December kick-off call where you will meet new people, mastermind on one pressing thing for your business, and connect with other incredible entrepreneurs around the world.
https://businessalchemy.thrivecart.com/the-collective-kick-off-gathering/
