Why i do tHings differentLy
A little over six years ago I left my job at the local health department due to chronic illness. I fully expected to take six months or so off and then get back to it. But here I am, more than a few years later, and my body still does not allow me to work as I used to.
During these same five years, the United States endured the Trump Administration. I started volunteering with local policial campaigns. I learned about internalized homophobia, internalized misogyny, and internalized racism. I learned about diet culture and anti-fat bias. And while I don’t refer to myself as disabled, I learned about what it means to be ableist. I did a lot of work within myself to reckon with all of it. I deepend my understanding of intersectionality and my role as a cis, white women of considerable privilege in tearing down these systems of oppression.
Which brings me to what I believe to be one of the biggest oppressors that most of us living in the US must contend with - capitalism. An economic system that benefits a very few at the expense of the very many. With chronic illness forcing me out of the traditional workforce and into starting my own business, I have a unique opportunity to do things differently - to let my work reflect my values.
aNti-caPitaLism and JuNipERus
Informed by my upbringing and my political engagement over the years, I am working to make Juniperus an anti-capitalist business. I believe that capitalism as it is currently practiced in the United States only serves to further amplify the gap between the have and the have-nots, and it actively harms people.
I believe that everyone deserves access to the support and benefits offered through coaching. I don’t think it should be only for those who are fortunate to have an abundance of disposable income. Offering my services on a sliding scale is one way for me to both make coaching more accessible and to practice anti-capitalism.
a sLiding scalE
I offer all of my coaching services on a sliding scale. How much each client pays within the sliding scale is completely up to them. I don’t offer my coaching services for free because I believe that it is important for each client to have a financial investment in their own growth and development, and I feel it is important to be paid for my work. But that said, I am committed to not furthering the capitalist ideal of more, more, more in my own business.
Many of us were brought up with a lot of shame around money, or grew up in families where it wasn’t discussed at all. I want to practice breaking down some of these barriers in my business, by talking openly and honestly with clients about where they best fit within the sliding scale. I will never ask anyone to justify why they are paying the amount they are. I fully trust my clients.
Lastly, this is a learning process. As I deepen my understanding of what it means to be an anti-capitalist, I will adjust my business practices accordingly. Thank you for joining me as I work towards a more ethical, less extractive and less harmful way of doing business.
