Follow your gut! In other words, follow your intuition if you want to grow your business!
What is the influence of intuition on entrepreneurship? Before we can answer that question, we need to define intuition. Mirriam-Webster defines it as the power of knowing immediately and without conscious reasoning. And now I ask, is that it? Or is there more to intuition?
I personally believe that intuition is a gift from God and it is not something we have on our own.
Is intuition a gift from God?
Do you believe Jesus has called you to a purpose, to create a business to serve others? What about being successful and making money? Do you believe He wants that for you?
I mean really believe with all your heart.
You may think your business and your beliefs are separate, but your faith and beliefs do influence your business and the decisions you make.
Another question, do you believe that Jesus sent a helper? Someone to live inside you and teach you, guide you, and remind you of all Jesus taught while on earth?
He did!
And that intuition you feel – is that helper – that counselor – the Holy Spirit – the supernatural authority that helps you discern and make decisions when you ask Him to.
If you believe in Christ as your savior, you have the Holy Spirit living inside of you. Maybe you are new to faith or you haven’t been taught much about the power of the Holy Spirit, then this may sound crazy. But this concept is biblically sound.
The influence of intuition on entrepreneurship
In a March 2022 Forbes article, Jazz Gill wrote about the influence of intuition on entrepreneurship. He shared this thought in the article: The true spirit of entrepreneurship is about intuition. It’s about creating and seizing opportunities, making the impossible possible. It’s about building strong relationships and networks to expand and execute on those opportunities.
I agree with Jazz Gill on this thought. But we may vary on the source of intuition and the true power it has on our entrepreneurial journies. The opportunities we create and seize are going to be much more impactful and profitable if we think of intuition as guidance from the Holy Spirit. How? Why? Because when we depend on the guidance of the Holy Spirit, we will be able to discern what is right for us, and we will stay aligned with our values, callings, and the purpose God has called us to. In addition, we’ll be more likely to set pride aside and humbly follow God’s will for us. The more aligned with God’s purpose, the more successful we will be.
Following intuition to serve others
In Galatians 6:10 Paul reminds us to help all people, but especially believers.
I know I don’t need to explain my choices but I want to share why I have chosen to work specifically with Christian business owners.
But first, I must say, if you are not a Christian, but a faith-based business owner and want to work with me, you are welcome in my program. There is no judgment on my part. I want to help you. But it’s important to note that my business is founded on faith and I do depend on the Holy Spirit to guide me when coaching my clients. If you’re okay with me being a Christian and coaching you from Spirit-led intuition, you are welcome.
As Christians, we are called to witness the love of Christ, His grace and mercy, and to grow his kingdom of believers. I am not an evangelist and never thought I’d have a platform to talk about my faith. In fact, I was afraid to. Afraid of being judged or turned away. But the closer I get to the Holy Spirit, the more I want to share the love of Jesus and help others tap into the gifts the Holy Spirit pours into us. They are many.
The counselor within
When you believe in Christ as your savior, the Holy Spirit is in you and will be your guide and your counselor.
Intuition, that little voice you hear, the feeling in your gut, that is the Holy Spirit. You may have an intuitive personality, but that is attributed to the Holy Spirit inside you. It’s a blessing to always have Him to guide you.
What happens though, is that Satan tells us lies. He distracts us with his lies and causes us to doubt. Then we question our intuition, the voice of the Holy Spirit. We doubt what He’s saying is meant for us. In fact, we can’t believe that He’s got a calling for us and will provide all we need to do what He’s asking of us.
The influence of intuition on entrepreneurship stems from faith
Here’s the thing. We are given free will and a conscious. Using both for God’s glory is key – not for our own glory, but for God’s. Doing the next right thing, and making the next right decision, will positively influence and impact others.
Ultimately, it’s business as ministry when you are living your faith throughout your entrepreneurial journey.
As Christian entrepreneurs we are called to live and work according to our faith, to create a ripple effect of good for God’s glory. Does your faith have to be front-facing in your business? No. You can live your values and through actions and words, people will see you are a lover of Jesus.
But here’s where your faith comes in.
Mindset.
The influence of intuition on entrepreneurship when navigating your mindset
James 1:6-7 is a great reminder. James tells us, “but when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord.”
How can you stop doubting so that you can ask the Lord with confidence? Ask the Holy Spirit to guide you in your prayers. To give you trust. Get silent and listen to Him. We like to refer to intuition as that feeling in the gut. But I believe it’s also that voice inside you that says seek me, come to me, trust me, ask for this, do that. When you focus and pay attention to the Holy Spirit when you need to make a decision or when you want something, if you trust in Him, you may actually feel a pull in your gut to do one thing or another.
Don’t conform
In Romans 12:2 Paul writes “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing, and perfect will.” How do you think we transform our minds to stop doubting and trust God? We lean into the Holy Spirit and his guidance, and yes, that is our intuition. In the same way, He guides us toward positive decisions, He also helps us discern what’s right and what’s wrong so that we aren’t distracted by what the world is saying. We can then, therefore, stay aligned with our faith and the teachings of Christ. This applies both in our personal lives and our businesses.
Jesus can do anything for you in your business. But Satan will be there to distract you. He will feed you lies, he will confuse you. Social media is a great example of this. If, when scrolling, you feel imposter syndrome arise, you start comparing yourself, start to doubt, or feel unworthy of success, or not good enough, that is Satan getting to you. And every one of those thoughts is a lie.
We can use the influence of intuition on entrepreneurship to discern
Those voices in your head, which may be many if you’re anything like me. For example, I have an idea and then those thoughts of no, that won’t work – Satan be quiet it will work – I’m being called by God and you have no power over me, on and on.
Likewise, what you consume online may result in you thinking you have to learn more, be more, and do more. You spend countless hours reading and consuming trying to be better. But Jesus, through the Holy Spirit, otherwise referred to as intuition, is saying, “My child, you have all you need. I called you and I will equip you.”
When you listen to the Holy Spirit and trust that He will provide all you need, your intuition may even tell you to get off social media. This is the reason I went off of it in 2022.
The benefits of SEO instead of social media when trying to grow your business
A benefit of using SEO and other tools to grow your business is the minimization of distractions, which is what social media is when you are trying to grow your business. There’s a place for social media to build relationships and drive traffic to your website and email list, but more times than not, it’s a distraction and doubt stimulator.
Here’s an example. When my client, Naomi, and I were growing her business, she was doing a lot of searching online. Looking at what other nutritionists and health coaches were doing. She began to think that she should give up because so many other people were already doing what she wanted to do – and doing it well so she wouldn’t be able to get clients. That was a big fat lie. She had a background that was unique compared to most nutritionists and health coaches. Because she was a medical professional with a medical degree and a specialty in endocrinology and immunology, she had the ability to really niche down and have very specific messaging.
Thankfully, with some coaching and mindset work, she became convinced that her business would be successful. And when she started to believe that she talked about her business and people wanted to work with her. Before her website was even finished, she had people lined up for calls with her.
The Ah-ha moments my intuition showed me
Let me share another story. I have in the past doubted I knew enough and thought I needed to learn more, get credentials, and spend vast amounts of time reading and learning. That I wouldn’t be able to help my clients if I didn’t know more. Well, that was a huge lie Satan was trying to convince me of but I was getting my clients big, huge results. They loved working with me and accomplished their goals. And as I worked with coaches (I still do) and took classes I had so many ah-ha moments – The Holy Spirit opened my eyes to see that and I found myself saying I know that I do that, I say that! God has given me a unique journey and set of experiences to have the knowledge and expertise I need to fulfill my calling – to coach other business owners.
You have this too. If you are doubting this, I encourage you to tell Satan to hush and let him know he has no authority over you. And ask the Holy Spirit for strength and wisdom. Then sit down and make a list of all your experiences, personal and career, that have brought you to where you are today. This exercise will help you see all of the incredible gifts you already have in your toolbox.
When doubt creeps in, refer back to that list and ask God to activate the gifts of the Holy Spirit – knowledge, wisdom, service, leadership, etc. And ask Him to calm your heart and quiet your mind so that you can hear Him and let yourself fall into what He says to you.
You’ll feel the influence of intuition through ideas
When you sit down to create content you may feel a strong pull to write about one topic or another. Chances are that is the Holy Spirit leading. If you are in a content creation slump or feel you lack creativity, ask the Holy Spirit to guide you and share ideas with you.
He will always answer you. But you have to be still and listen. And, you still have to discern your thoughts. Ask yourself if what you hear is aligned with scripture. If the answer is no, pray and ask the Holy Spirit to strengthen His gifts of knowledge and wisdom within you so that you can make the right decisions.
When you implement this prayer strategy, you will see big changes in your life and business.
Think of the Holy Spirit as your dear friend
The influence of intuition on entrepreneurship can be more powerful when you have faith in what the Holy Spirit can and wants to do for you.
Think of the Holy Spirit as a dear friend. Share your needs, thoughts, wants and desires with Him. Get silent and listen for His responses.
And if you don’t know what to ask God for, the Holy Spirit will pray for you. He intercedes for us. In 1 Peter 4: 12-14, Peter writes “Dear friends, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal that has come on you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. 13 But rejoice inasmuch as you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed. 14 If you are insulted because of the name of Christ, you are blessed, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you.”
So friend, let me ask you, how will you let the influence of intuition be part of your entrepreneurial journey?
Interested in more scripture verses to guide you on your entrepreneurial journey? Download the free eBook – 37 Bible Verses Every Entrepreneur Needs to Reflect on and Live By.
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Another article on intuition can be found here: What can dogs teach us about entrepreneurship? To be intuitive.
