Grow Your Regenerative Right Livelihood

A year-long group program that provides you the skills, mentorship & community to earn your living doing your good work in the world.

If more of us were doing regenerative work and thriving, we'd have more impact.

But we know that extractive capitalism and "business as usual" are big parts of the problem, so we avoid learning about them and instead...

think that starting a nonprofit is the answer, but find out it's a huge amount of work and has startup costs (and also actually requires a solid "business model"!)
copy the paths and biz models others are using (like becoming a permaculture designer or teacher), but it isn't really the work we want to be doing, and it doesn't allow us to reach the folks we really want to serve
take a "polyculture" approach to work and it's burning us out because we are juggling too many things
are "head down" doing the work we love, hoping that the biz parts will just work out, and that's stressful too
invest a business course, only to find that the content is "from the neck up" so we can't get help with the stuff that gets us stuck, and nobody in the room understands our love for Gaia and Her people, and our concerns about extractive capitalism.

So we end up struggling along, or we may be forced to get a "good enough" job in the mainstream economy; and that hurts, because we want to be part of the Great Turning.

But we can use the skills of entrepreneurship in service to co-creating our regenerative future.

And we can do it in ways that balance deep inner work with kickass "get stuff done" approaches that include taking a sober look at your numbers.

In this program, we claim the tools of regenerative entrepreneurship to

Blaze new livelihood paths based on Earth Care, People Care, Fair Share, and Future Care

Discern which paths take us to our "sweet spot" where we can thrive and be of service

Shift extractive business models to "Abundance Models"

This program is for you if you are

passionate about being part of the solution, but unsure how to find your purpose, or unclear how you can earn your living with it
tired of feeling like you never know enough and ready to advocate for the value of your regenerative work and communicate it with swagger
NOT thriving– either you are working too hard or you aren’t earning enough income, recognition, or rewards for your efforts
feeling burned out and craving more support and inspiration from compassionate heart-grounded and "awedacious" folks who inspire each other to stretch towards our highest contribution
wanting a road map and mentor that can save you time, money, and struggle
wishing you could find business know-how that is synthesized into systems that work but won't require you to sell out your ethics
"woke," or are working to be; you know that social justice and ecological design go hand-in-hand, and wish to innovate new solutions that unite these approaches
more inspired by your regenerative right livelihood than you are afraid of the transformation necessary to manifest it!

Regenepreneurs' programs center the experiences of womxn and historically marginalized identities. *This spelling of "women" is intentional: this space welcomes all gender-queer and trans folk.

That said, heart-centered men who understand the systemic barriers faced by womxn, and are dedicated to gender equity, and are working to understand intersectionality are welcome to apply.

In the year-long program, you apply everything you learn to DESIGN and BUILD your regenerative right livelihood.

The Pathfinders course is already underway. The "Sweet Spot" course starts early April. Early birds who sign up before March 10 SAVE on tuition. Contact Karryn below to see if you are a fit for this fast-paced course, or for the Abundance Models intensive which starts in July 2019.

Here's how we journey towards your regenerative right livelihood over a year:

"Pathfinders" is a three-month exploration in which

The deep, reflective, individual work of answering questions such as:

Where are you now?
What forms of Abundance do you need in your life?
What do you love?
What are you good at?
Where do your wounds point to a powerful path of service?
What does the world need?
Whom can you best serve?
What is your audacious vision for yourself, your family, your community, and your future?
What is your unique, highest contribution at this time of the Great Turning?

Is held within the container of community and mentors:

Because finding our path is challenging when done in isolation... we need the nourishing support of people who really see us and our gifts, and who can envision regenerative pathways forward for humanity. We practice telling regenerative stories so we can speak them into life.

And we regularly tap into Source and Earth Wisdom for grounding and guidance.

And maps directly to your livelihood:

This program is open to all Pathfinders, whether you want to become a regenerative entrepreneur or not. Anyone can benefit from doing the math to get really clear about where you are currently spending your time and energy, how to value your expertise, and what forms of abundance you need to thrive in a simple but high-quality lifestyle. Your "needed skills action plan" will help you laser-in on the right trainings for your next steps, and figure their return on investment.

This newfound clarity builds your confidence, helps you negotiate on your own behalf, makes it easier to set healthy boundaries and price your services, and clarifies your next steps on your right livelihood path.

You'll also gain a clear understanding of what it does take to be an entrepreneur, and if regenerative entrepreneurship is right for you. And if it is, all of your work so far translates directly into finding your "Sweet Spot" and designing your "Abundance Model."

This program is the foundation of the year-long "Grow" program, but you can also enroll in the Pathfinders course on its own if that best serves you.

Next, over 3 months you discern the "Sweet Spot" where you can fill a niche and earn your living.

hummingbird-bryan-hanson-542362-unsplash

There are two huge mistakes folks make in trying to create regenerative livelihoods:

One is falling in love with and building out our idea before finding out if there are folks that want or need it, and will "pay" for it.
Another is thinking we just need to find our "thing," when we actually need to design a whole livelihood and business model that enables us to reach our clients and harvest the rewards from our work.

These mistakes can waste precious time, money and energy, or even set us up for failure.

Just think: if this hummingbird put out all of their energy performing pollination services for the plant but never got anything back? The relationships wouldn't be mutually beneficial and they would collapse.

Instead, during this phase of the program, you will use the entrepreneurial framework called Lean Startup to talk to potential clients* before you build anything.

Many folks make the mistake of skipping this crucial phase... either because they don't realize how vital it is to reducing the risk of starting something new, or because it can be vulnerable work... as in "What if they don't like my idea?"

Actually, we'll use a kind of scientific method in which finding out your idea is wrong is surprisingly good news, because you can tweak, evolve, or jettison it—freeing you up to do something else that better enables you to serve and thrive.

Your community of peers and mentors will support you to do this crucial work in high-energy "sprints" that enable you develop your "chops" and grit to embrace the "fail forward" solutionary mindset.

This includes looking at the current offers in your market; and getting out to talk to real people about their challenges and goals, and what will delight them so that they will want the exchange to nourish you, too.

You'll be able to make an educated decision about which of your paths to develop further.

*Our approach sees "potential clients" as Beloveds whom we serve and with whom we co-create. We don't condone exploitive biz and marketing practices, we practice regenerative approaches.

Then we build out your offering and your regenerative business model over 6 months

You'll get super clear about what a business model is, how your business model can be regenerative, and be able to communicate why this matters.

We'll be working with cutting edge approaches like the Business Model Generator Canvas and Lean Canvas to identify your how your Unique Value Proposition serves your customers, brings in revenue and minimizes your costs. You'll get all my spreadsheets for figuring this out.

Equally important, you will embed reciprocity, social justice, deep ecology, regenerative economics, redistributing the surplus, and radical self-care into your business model so that is regenerative. This not only helps you feel great about your work, but you can also push other businesses towards regenerative practices and use what you have learned to help design regenerative business ecosystems. Yes We Can!

Even now, businesses that embed sustainability and social justice into their DNA are just plain better businesses; but to be "fit" for the future, businesses will have to adopt deeply regenerative approaches and be financially sustainable. Your livelihood will be ahead of the curve.

You will get support to do a rough design of your offering, and then sell it, do a pilot run, and keep going.

Yes, you read it right. We won't be polishing your offering to perfection, because that is another common mistake that folks make in their livelihoods: investing lots of time, money and energy into something only to find out that nobody wants it.

Instead, based information you gleaned in the Pathfinder and Sweet Spot phases, you learn how to create a draft offering, play with various biz models, choose a price, enroll your first clients, deliver great value, learn from feedback and testimonials from participants, and iterate from there. You are supported to get as far as you can during the program, and you can use the skills you've developed over and over in the future. Yes, REALLY. Let's do this!

All the work you've done up to now makes outreach easy.

In your "Pathfinding" work, you identified your "special sauce" and your niche. The conversations you had with folks to discern your "Sweet Spot" now help you find just the right folks who want your services, and the wording that conveys how well you can serve them. I'll show you how to harvest all of this into easy and low-cost ways to create simple but stunning graphics, flyers, and presentations.

We don't use sleazy, manipulative, or oppressive marketing tactics. Instead, we reach out to potential clients as beloved members of our human family whom we wish to serve, and we engage them with respect, and inspire them around what's possible. You'll also learn how to do honest and mutually beneficial enrollment conversations.

Folks who attended my programs say:

Karryn has helped me find a real formula of how I want my time and worked valued. She has helped me feel more confident asking and negotiating that. I am doing work I believe in, and when I put a monetary value on it, I notice others recognizing and respecting that. Karryn is so honest in the most loving way. She has an incredible ability to speak the truth, call out the untruths, and still make people feel supported. Her way of asking the right questions at the right moment—allowing me to come to my own conclusions—are genius and something I am trying to bring into my own practice. I really enjoy talking to her, and being heard.
—Jasmine Saavedra, Performance Artist and Social Entrepreneur www.jasminefuego.com

Prior to this program I was disillusioned with the Permaculture movement, frustrated with the mainstream, “bottom-line” business model, and confused as to where I could apply permaculture principles and ethics in a potential business. I felt competitive on the outside, but was yearning for cooperation and relationship on the inside. As the program is coming to a close, I have been inspired by a growing movement of women coming into leadership with social and environmental equity as pillars of their business model.
—Jessica Jackowski, “Eating the Sun: Mastering the Art of Year Round Nourishment Close to Home”

Before this Program, I lacked the focus and confidence to successfully pursue a career path in permaculture. I was not necessarily interested in landscape design, and I wasn’t sure how to frame what I wanted to do in a permaculture context. I’d been putting off permaculture in my life for a long time because I didn’t see a viable livelihood, only volunteer opportunities.

It’s been so empowering to have this sacred space to explore my strengths, confess my fears, and share my hopes and dreams with a group of caring, empathetic women. We really are free to learn, dream, confess, stumble, recover, experiment and just be our truest selves. The biggest benefits are not having to go through this process alone, discovering that many of your experiences and trepidations are shared by others, and having a cheering squad to push you when you’re starting to doubt yourself.

–Roxanne Finn, Regenerative Parenting

This cohort has been such a lovely and very much needed shaping and jumping off point for me, and I am SO glad that I shook off the nervousness of starting something new and jumped in. Three big benefits to the program are: going on your journey with the other cohort members—so it’s like you both are going to an exciting road trip together; step by step guidance, which I needed very much; and the interviews series was priceless to me—I loved being able to listen to their journeys and ask them questions. I’m still on my path and am crafting my program that deeply serves my community, but I feel assurance about what I need to do to bring my livelihood to life. That is all I ever wanted, and it’s also something that I can take to the next livelihood and the next, and the next. It’s invaluable, regenerative knowledge.
–Tamara Pickens, “Gaia’s B-Girl"

I have a template to follow to build my business. I’m grateful I can have access to the training after the program ends so I can continue to process at my own pace. Karryn is super supportive, wise, and intuitive. The facilitation and programming of this course were beyond my expectations and followed the pace of the women’s process–not our “business as usual” patriarchal system we have been taught to follow.
—Tara Sheen, “The Ecological Gardener”

In the summer of 2015, I was struggling to find a model to structure my personal business, Hudson Valley Vertical Farms, and my work with my non-profit, solarcities.solutions, so they would fit with my family and life goals. Like many women who own their own businesses and work with a non-profit, I was having trouble finding balance and discovering my niche to help my work thrive. That’s when I met Karryn and learned about her “Regenepreneurs” services.

Karryn gave her class via scheduled webinars at a time that fit with my schedule and I participated at homestead. One of my favorite experiences of the class was being paired with a classmate to keep me accountable for keeping up with the course work, which included goal setting. Trying to parse out what my goals was a very daunting task, and hearing from my classmate about her work and challenges helped me to make sense of what I needed to accomplish over the next 6 months to a year.

Upon finishing the class, it was apparent that I needed more intensive 1:1 mentoring to find a way to start writing curriculum for my non-profit’s work in Haiti. In the past, we’ve noticed that some of our biodigesters failed because the user didn’t understand that biodigesters were living things that needed special care. Our curriculum needed to empower local people with sustainable resources for small-scale biogas while encouraging independent problem solving skills for the little “hiccups” associated with caring for a biodigester.

Karryn introduced me to a teaching method called “The Weave” and “Participatory Design,” which guided me with appropriate teaching practices to facilitate student and community-centered learning. Starting from the assumption that our students have all of the knowledge that they need to be successful with small scale biogas changed the dynamic of teaching from teacher-directed to student-directed, which helped to build student confidence needed for competence as well as independent problem-solving skills. Karryn consulted with me over the phone and on a shared on-line document to create understanding goals and program objectives to improve the success of our students. While on-site at the University of Notre Dame in Hinche, Haiti, I was able to ask questions and adjust what I was teaching based on student knowledge. At the end of the class we asked questions about their understanding and how it changed by the end of the class. The feedback we received from our students continues to shape the curriculum and how to create more accessible and inclusive learning environments.

I’m proud to report I discovered a regenerative business model that puts my family and the students I work with at the center, so I now have balance and am able to meet my commitments. The “Caring for your Baby Bio-Pig” curriculum, first used with the 69 students who graduated from our teacher program at the University of Notre Dame in Hinche, Haiti, is growing, thanks to our partnerships for their program. I’m very grateful for the hard work Karryn did to help me bring our biogas educational program to the next level.
—Kathy Puffer, Biogas Expert & Trainer https://www.biogaseducation.com/

The founder of Regenepreneurs knows the struggle

I'm Karryn Olson-Ramanujan, and like you, I'm great at what I do, and I give a lot, and my meandering livelihood path means I've given in lots of ways. People can rely on me, and I'm passionate because of my deep love for our Earth and Her people.

I found out the importance of regenerative entrepreneurship around the time I burned out and learned about the 4 Rs: I deliver great Results, but often didn't harvest Rewards or get adequate Recognition for my good work, and this all added up to also not getting Relief (meaning time off from my responsibilities).

This reckoning helped me realize that my pattern of giving was unsustainable because I wasn't setting up clear structures that adequately valued my work and set boundaries on my time. I dove into learning all I could about how to create those structures. And I want to share that with you—through an approach that honors our love for our Earth and Her people, regenerates ecosystems and communities, and also allows us to care for ourselves and our Beloveds.

I share all this because I know that when it comes to our livelihoods, finding one's unique highest contribution is one challenge, and putting that into a framework that makes our contribution regenerative for ourselves, too, is another. I'm dedicated to providing a program that nurtures solutionairies along the path towards our regenerative right livelihoods.

Here's how you will be supported on your transformative journey:

On Tuesday mornings during the course, a weekly training will be posted in audio, video, or written format. Since they are asynchronous, you can access them any time of day that works best for you.

Weekly small group coaching calls will take place Thursday evenings. We get to see that we aren't alone in our struggles, learn from each other's resilience, and celebrate successes.

Four private coaching sessions are included. If you need additional personal support, I reserve five slots for 1:1 coaching for Regenepreneurs with reduced prices on packages.

We give thoughtful attention to weaving a community of mutual, on-going support for each person's unfoldment, and cultivate an inclusive, woke learning community.

You will also have a workbook full of high-impact exercises and resources to track yourself and share your progress with me and others in the course
(if you wish).

The number of participants is intentionally kept small so that we can get to know each other deeply, and support each other's transformation and be raw, real, and audacious.

You and another participant in the course will "companion" each other using a template and process to effectively and compassionately get and give support.

You have 24/7 access to "hive mind" via a social media platform that is a Network, not Facebook, so you won't get distracted from your vital work on your livelihood. I'm also in there daily to support you.

You remain a lifetime member of the Regenepreneurs Network. Because regenerative entrepreneurship is a journey, and we want you to thrive instead of feeling stuck or isolated.

Ready to Grow Your Regenerative Right Livelihood?

I understand that this is a big decision for you, and to feel good enrolling, you need to know that you can trust me to provide a course that is a good fit for you. Here's more about both:

Connect with me! We'll spend 50 minutes jamming on your regenerative right livelihood, and then we can both decide if the Sweet Spot or Abundance Models courses are a fit for you.

In this call, you'll get a good idea of how I work, and I will answer all of your questions. Also, since I am curating a community of people dedicated to mutual support, I need to make sure that you will benefit from my approach, and that you are a fit for the group. AND we get to know each other! Awesome!

After you talk with Karryn, enroll in the "Sweet Spot" 3-month course by March 10 and save:

Early Bird: Paid in full (save $150)

$840

Join Now - One Payment

Early Bird, installments (save $99)

3 payments of $297

Join Now - First $297 Installment

Enroll by March 1, 2019 and also receive via snail mail a package of the Regenepreneurs Manifesto quartercards.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much time weekly do I need for this program to get results?

Why a whole year?

Good question!

Over the next year, I help you develop a ton of proven leadership and entrepreneurial skills that I've gathered over many years of investing time and money into learning and application.

If I just wanted to churn folks through the trainings, I could deliver just the information and frameworks in a much shorter time. But in my experience, when folks are discerning their right livelihoods, content alone does not reliably translate into results.

I myself repeatedly invested in content-focused trainings, and what I've learned is it was never a lack of information that got in my way. It was most often some inner questions or fears, or the lack of regular practices that moved me reliably forward.

Gaia needs you to do your good work, so the goal of this program is to support folks through the transformations needed to show up as the audacious leaders needed in the world today.

So in addition to kick-ass content, during this year together, we develop ongoing and regular practices that support our livelihoods (like listening to inner and Source wisdom and dealing with those gremlins, but also taking a sober look the numbers that are relevant for our lives and livelihoods, and planning and revisiting our livelihood strategies regularly). You do your own work, and together we cultivate an intimate community for mutual support and encouragement.

All of these are a great investment of your energy, and for most folks, this year will actually save you time on your livelihood path.

At the end, you will have a toolkit and network that will nourish you for years to come.

Do I need to sign up for the whole year?

No. You can sign up for each of the 3 phases of the program as you are ready.

If you are new to the work of discerning your calling, then I advise you sign up only for the Pathfinders program (and you can do that here), because that work can't be hurried, it just takes the time it takes.

If you have a few ideas of possible livelihood paths, the year-long program will help you discern a "niche for now" so that you can get out of your head and into application, which is a potent way to learn.

To join in at the "Sweet Spot" phase of the program we would need to have a conversation so I can be sure that you are super clear regarding your niche, your unique highest contribution, and whom you want to serve. If you aren't already laser-clear on all that, doing the Pathfinders program will save you money and time.

If you want to enter in at the "Abundance Models" phase, we'd want to first discuss how much research you've done to discern if your path is viable.

Briefly put, all the pieces of this program stack on each other, so it's in your best interest in terms of process and your financial investment to join for the whole group program.

I'm interested in curating a cohort of 10-15 folks who are super ready to commit to themselves and each other to design and build livelihoods over the next year, so there is a substantial discount for who are ready to commit to the whole shebang right off the bat.

And if you already have an offer out in the world, and want targeted coaching, check out my 1:1 packages here.

This costs more than I'm used to seeing...

I understand where you're coming from. Five years ago, I would have said the same thing! Let me clarify why this is a great value that will save you a lot of efforts and money.

First of all, 5 years ago is roughly when I started learning about entrepreneurship. Since then, I've invested at least $15,000 over the years in trainings, with fits and starts, because I was trying to find ones that worked for me, and many didn't. I took high-priced highly visible courses, one at an entrepreneurial accelerator at a big name college, and many smaller online ones, and the best coach I've found for me is a heart-centered Sufi!

I want to save you the time and money one can waste searching for a regenerative approach that really supports you, so I synthesized it all into an affordable program that would get you "on your legs" with your regenerative livelihood in about a year, because Gaia needs your regenerative solutions sooner rather than later.

If you compare the comprehensive support you get in this program with other comparable courses (and please do!), you'll see this is a huge bargain.

Secondly, I work a lot in permaculture circles, so let me use an analogy from there.

When I organized and co-taught Permaculture Design Courses (PDCs), folks usually paid around $1100 for an in-person 72 hour training that ran over 10 days. These were intense and transformative experiences that folks loved because the offered full immersion, examples of what's possible, and tons of information, and community of like-minded folks.

But then what? Some folks described what we came to call "The Post PDC Pit" where they felt at a loss and isolated in trying apply and communicate the overwhelming amount of learning they had in that short time. Yikes.

I designed this program to make sure you wouldn't fall into a livelihood pit, and based on what I learned about what really supports transformation:

high-quality information in digestible amounts that you can apply immediately and thus internalize
skills for personal transformation and mutual support
regular ongoing structures for making sustainable progress in your livelihood
ongoing support for thinking well about your livelihood from your community for as long as you are needing it

Best of all, you emerge with a replicable proven model that will continually nurture your livelihood, and enable you to play a role in regenerative business ecosystems. That's a great return on your investment.

Do you offer scholarships?

Yes.

I build into my "Abundance Model" ways to fulfill my ethic of "redistributing the surplus," Therefore, I commit to large scholarships for First Nations folks, people who live in global majority countries with very little income, and folks who are members of the Black Permaculture Network.

For every 10 folks who pay full tuition for the course, I can offer 2 scholarships. You can help make the scholarships a reality by helping me fill the programs, or by contributing towards the scholarships.

In the future, I hope to be able to accept time bank credits in exchange for part of course fees, if we can get the technology ironed out–I'd love to hear from you if you are in the know about this.

I'm not ready now. When can I sign up next?

A final note:

The pricing of this program tries to balance three factors: transformation, accessibility, and sustainability.

First of all, the type of folks I serve desire transformation, so I'm not providing an information download through an e-course format. Instead, we cultivate a "container" that provides a robust amount of support so you can develop new skills and strengths to be able to move audaciously towards your role in our regenerative future–whether expeditiously in three months, or over the longer period of a year. That means you get a LOT from me. You also continue in the Regenepreneurs Network for an extended period, so we build a long-term relationship.

At the same time, because our world urgently needs more regenerative solutions, I priced this high-value course to make it financially accessible.

And finally, since self-care is one of the roots of a regenerative business model, I have to balance my investment of energy.

All of that as background in the interest of transparency: my wish to offer lower, more equitable pricing means it's important for me to minimize administrative costs. Here's what you should know and how you can help:

Please be proactive about payments. I would rather not charge folks who pay in installments an extra fee. But the reality is that I have had to follow up on payments and that takes up my time when I could be working on other things. But I will do away with the extra fee if I don't need to reach out about monthly installments between now and May 2019... so you can help me to offer more equitable payment plans by paying your installments a timely fashion.

I can't offer special payment plans because they also take a lot of time and effort to track. I do offer scholarships as outlined above in the FAQs.

I've tried to accept time bank credits in exchange for part of course fees, and right now the logistics are prohibitive. If we can get the technology ironed out I'd love to offer this in the future–I'd love to hear from you if you are in the know about this.

Cancellations and Refunds: Please commit to the whole program. Here's why: 1. This will be joyous, rewarding, and at times, hard work. You will be invited to do things that will be in the interest of your growth, but outside of your comfort zone. You will be busy with life and need to recommit over and over to your livelihood by making time for the 4 hours per week to work on this program. Committing to working through those things builds the muscles we need to bring our best work into the world. 2. I offer limited slots for this program so that you can get a lot of support from me and your peers, and I price this program for accessibility. That means that even a few people withdrawing from the program can render it unsustainable for me. Before enrolling, I am happy to connect in an hour-long Strategy Session where you get clearer on your next best steps regarding your livelihood and we ascertain if the program is a good fit for you—it's in both of our interest to feel the fit is right from the beginning! If you want tow work with me for a longer period before making this commitment, enroll in the Pathfinder program and you can have three months to get to know me, my approach, and our community.

For these same reasons, I don't issue refunds on payments already charged.

Thanks for you understanding. As you can see, I've put a lot of time and care into thinking into how I can balance my commitments to financial accessibility with my need "catch and store energy" in the form of dollars to sustain myself and my Beloveds. It's always a work in progress, and I share about it here transparently to support you as you figure out your own Abundance Model.

Love, Karryn