STOP SCALING. START SUSTAINING.
FORMULAIC BUSINESS SUCCESS IS A LIE.
In the internet age, anyone can call themselves an entrepreneur –– without the knowledge or experience of what it takes to actually build a business.
But there is no simple process that can take you from couch surfing at your grandma’s house to being a self-made millionaire in one year, unless that “formula” relies on fake followers, bogus credibility, exaggerated claims, psychological manipulation, and deceptive business practices.
This isn’t a formula at all, it’s financial and emotional abuse masked as normal online business best practices. In many cases it’s a crime, and it’s rampant in the online coaching industry.
Not surprisingly, the “fake it till you make it” model of entrepreneurship is unsustainable, unhealthy, and unattainable for those with less financial privilege and an actual conscience.
Entrepreneurs are burned out by the toxicity of hustle culture. Consumers are fed up with over-hyped services and exorbitant prices. Even the boss babes and crypto bros are trying to pivot their messaging to be more “ethical.”
What exactly is an ethical business? And how do we even begin to build one?
ETHICAL BUSINESS IS NOT A TREND, IT’S A NEW PARADIGM.
You cannot ‘pivot’ into an ethical business practice with surface-level changes to your marketing copy.
It’s not possible to be ethical if you are using the same age-old systems that perpetrate and perpetuate cyclical trauma.
Ethical business is more than just another buzzword or marketing gimmick: It’s a revolution. You must disrupt traditional business models and flip this pyramid-shaped industry on its head.
Whether you are new to business or a seasoned entrepreneur, this course will set the foundation for you to truly build an ethical business from the inside-out.
IMPACT OVER INCOME
Ethical business is born out of the readiness to understand and educate ourselves about the wider issues we face as a society – like wealth inequality, economic collapse, and environmental degradation, and a burning desire to do business from a more honest and authentic place.
It’s a purpose-driven model where we no longer measure our business in dollar signs and social media metrics, but by how much we are able to make the world a better place – or, at the very least, a less shitty one.
It calls for a trauma-informed, transparent way of approaching our business that redefines success as we know it.
ENROLLMENT IS OPEN
If you’re ready to ditch the new age buzzwords and focus on meaningful change like integrity, decolonization of business models, anti-racism in marketing, trauma-informed messaging, and spiritual values, this course is for you!
ETHICAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP ONLINE COURSE OVERVIEW
The Ethical Entrepreneurship online course offers a foundational understanding of ethical business and everything you need to know to reduce harm in your own coaching practice, from how to identify ethical issues in business to new strategies and metrics for doing business in ways that don’t skew your moral compass or harm your clients. Learn what each module entails below.
PART 1: Intro to Ethics in Coaching
In the first module of Ethical Entrepreneurship, we’ll cover the bases about what ethics are and how they apply specifically to the coaching industry. In addition, you’ll get an overview of ethical leadership skills for coaching and other important pieces of running an ethical coaching business.
Module 1 Overview:
- What are ethics and why do entrepreneurs need them?
- An ethics model for the coaching industry
- Ethical leadership skills overview
- The need for diversity, inclusion, and anti-racism in the coaching industry
- Decolonizing the wellness and coaching industry as a requirement for ethical business
- Identifying ethical business red flags, including: abuse, lack of qualifications, illegal practices, and predatory marketing
Module Length: 2 hours, 30 minutes
PART 2: Mitigating the Potential for Harm
Ethical Entrepreneurship’s second module discusses the necessity for trauma informed approaches to business. You’ll learn why you need to become trauma informed if you are working with people in any capacity and what that means for your coaching business. You’ll also learn more about what trauma is and its impact on society, along with tips to help you reduce harm for a more ethical coaching practice.
Module 2 Overview:
- Why you need to be a trauma-informed coach
- Myths and misunderstandings about what it means to be trauma informed in the coaching industry
- What it really means to have a trauma-informed coaching business
- The levels of trauma competency and how they apply to your coaching business
- What trauma is and how it affects a coach’s relationship with their client
- Effects of trauma and its impact on society
- Harm reduction practices for your coaching business
Module Length: 2 hours, 18 minutes
NOTE: While this module will help you better understand trauma and its prevalence and give you a foundation for reducing harm, completing it will not make you a trauma-informed coach. It will, however, help you understand why you should seek out a trauma-informed training professional. Upon completion of this module, you can at the very least consider yourself a trauma-aware coaching professional.
PART 3: Building an Ethical Business
The third module of Ethical Entrepreneurship breaks down the systems within the current business paradigm and how they perpetrate harm at a large scale. You’ll learn exactly what it is abut these systems that generate harm, how they show up in the coaching industry and in your coaching business, and we’ll give you new models to implement within your business to alleviate some of the effects.
Module 3 Overview:
- How systemic oppression contributes to unethical business
- Cultural and spiritual narcissism and its effects on coaching culture
- Wealth inequality and it’s relevance to marketing messaging
- Your business’s social responsibility
- Ethical business models for the coaching industry
- Ethical marketing practices in online business
- Accessible pricing for coaching businesses
Module Length: 2 hours, 20 minutes
PART 4: Building an Ethical Brand
Ethical Entrepreneurship’s final course module is all about building an ethical brand for your coaching business. We’ll teach you what a brand actually is – not the surface level understanding that most people in the industry have. Then we’ll talk about how to do branding ethically.
Module 4 Overview:
- What is branding?
- What makes branding ethical?
- How to niche your coaching business ethically
- What “alignment” really means for your coaching business
- Conscious branding for spiritual brands
- How to avoid starting a spiritual business cult
- Conscious leadership skills every coach needs
- Understanding your coaching scope of practice
Module Length: 3 hours, 6 minutes
HOW IT WORKS
COURSE LENGTH:
10 HOURS
INSTRUCTOR ACCESS:
ONLINE VIA FACEBOOK
FORMAT:
ONLINE, PRE-RECORDED
PRICE TAG:
$150 US
MODEL:
LEARN AT YOUR OWN PACE
PEER NETWORKING:
FACEBOOK GROUP
MEET YOUR INSTRUCTORS
ASH RILEY
B.A. in Journalism with an emphasis in strategic communications + sociology
Marketing Director in higher education
Former entrepreneur and business consultant
15+ years in advertising, marketing and tech, including agency experience
Trauma-informed marketing/advertising advocate
MARGARIT DAVTIAN
M.A. in Social Sciences with an emphasis in Psychology
M.S. in Applied Psychology with an emphasis in Consumer Behavior
Applied Social/Behavioral Scientist with experience working across corporate, nonprofit, academic, and entrepreneurial settings
Passionate about social change innovation, psychoeducation, and consumer rights
MEET YOUR INSTRUCTORS
ASH RILEY
B.A. in Journalism with an emphasis in strategic communications + sociology
Marketing Director in higher education
Former entrepreneur and business consultant
15+ years in advertising, marketing and tech, including agency experience
Trauma-informed marketing/advertising advocate
MARGARIT DAVTIAN
M.A. in Social Sciences with an emphasis in Psychology
M.S. in Applied Psychology with an emphasis in Consumer Behavior
Applied Social/Behavioral Scientist with experience working across corporate, nonprofit, academic, and entrepreneurial settings
Passionate about social change innovation, psychoeducation, and consumer rights
ETHICAL BUSINESS TAKEAWAYS FROM THIS COURSE
A foundational understanding of:
- The ethical responsibilities of coaches and business owners as they apply to diversity, inclusion, decolonization, anti-racism, trauma, and economic inequality
- Skills required for ethical leadership
- What trauma informed care is, why it’s important, and what it means for you and your business
- Why traditional business is harmful and how ethical business is different than business as usual
- Predatory marketing and business tactics and why they are harmful
- Your legal responsibilities as a business owner
- How to build a brand without building a cult
You’ll be able to:
- Create a safer, more welcoming and inclusive environment to better support your clients
- Begin to minimize harmful impacts in your business model and business approaches to the benefit of yourself and your business relationships
- Develop ethical leadership skills and apply them to the way you do business
- Identify, evaluate, and remove common harmful, unethical, or illegal business practices
- Shift your business from a sales driven model to a purpose-driven model by changing your goals and mindset in impactful ways that minimize harm
- Implement different, ethical tools and measurements for business success
WATCH THE INTRO
Watch the course intro to get a feel for what we’ll be talking about.
THIS COURSE IS FOR YOU IF…
You’re considering starting an online business or a coaching business but want to build it ethically
You already have an established business and want to feel better about how you’re doing business
You’re a coach of any kind who wants to build and sustain an ethical practice
You’re a marketer or freelance professional who wants to make your services more ethical
You’re a consumer or potential client who wants to learn how to identify ethical red flags in businesses and coaches you are considering buying from
HERE'S EVERYTHING THAT'S INCLUDED WITH ETHICAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP
Here's everything you'll receive in Ethical Entrepreneurship online course:
A complete series of pre-recorded course modules that you can watch at your own pace.
Each module includes downloadable resources and links to help you continue your professional development between modules and after the course is over, including an ethics handbook.
Simple, open-ended questions that you can use as homework assignments to help you start to shift the way you think about business and your ideas of success.
Access to a moderated Facebook group with other coaches, entrepreneurs, and online business professionals who are taking the course and/or actively deconstructing their businesses.
You'll be able to ask questions and engage with other group members about what you're learning in the course and interact with Ash and Margarit as you learn.
WHAT STUDENTS ARE SAYING
I found this course to be incredibly insightful and interesting and I learned so much. It’s down to earth and cuts through the yucky hyperbole that is rife in the online course and ‘woo’ sphere. If you’re in the online business or coaching space this course is a must to ensure that you are operating ethically. Margarit and Ash are intelligent critical thinkers and the course is delivered without any icky love bombing which I greatly appreciated. I would take any of their courses again in a heartbeat because I know I will never feel pressured to uplevel. It felt like a very safe space to me. It’s helped me to think very differently about how I market myself and sell my packages especially has a hypnotherapist.–– Sally Garozzo, Hypnotherapist
WHAT WAS YOUR OVERALL IMPRESSION FROM THE COURSE?
Very thorough and balanced in your point of views.–– Sally Garozzo, Hypnotherapist
DID YOU HAVE ANY BREAKTHROUGHS, SHIFTS, OR AH-HA MOMENTS?
Regenerative economics vs extractive economics was a big “mind blown” moment for me, especially as a feminist. No wonder women are exhausted upholding all this! I cannot unsee capitalism now…everywhere.–– Sally Garozzo, Hypnotherapist
This needs to be a long haul journey for my business. No quick fixes. So refreshing to be able to take my foot off the gas a bit now and grow slower.–– Sally Garozzo, Hypnotherapist
WHAT STUDENTS ARE SAYING
“I found this course to be incredibly insightful and interesting and I learned so much. It’s down to earth and cuts through the yucky hyperbole that is rife in the online course and ‘woo’ sphere. If you’re in the online business or coaching space this course is a must to ensure that you are operating ethically. Margarit and Ash are intelligent critical thinkers and the course is delivered without any icky love bombing which I greatly appreciated. I would take any of their courses again in a heartbeat because I know I will never feel pressured to uplevel. It felt like a very safe space to me. It’s helped me to think very differently about how I market myself and sell my packages especially has a hypnotherapist.”
–– Sally Garozzo, Hypnotherapist
WHAT WAS YOUR OVERALL IMPRESSION FROM THE COURSE?
“Very thorough and balanced in your point of views.”
–– Sally Garozzo, Hypnotherapist
DID YOU HAVE ANY BREAKTHROUGHS, SHIFTS, OR AH-HA MOMENTS?
“Regenerative economics vs extractive economics was a big “mind blown” moment for me, especially as a feminist. No wonder women are exhausted upholding all this! I cannot unsee capitalism now…everywhere.”
–– Sally Garozzo, Hypnotherapist
WHAT WERE YOUR KEY TAKEAWAYS?
“This needs to be a long haul journey for my business. No quick fixes. So refreshing to be able to take my foot off the gas a bit now and grow slower.”
–– Sally Garozzo, Hypnotherapist
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT ETHICAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP ONLINE COURSE
How long is this course?
This course is made up of four modules which are approximately 2-3 hours each, plus a short intro and outro. The total running time for the four main modules is 10 hours.
Will I be able to ask questions?
You’ll be able to ask course-related questions and engage with other students in the Facebook group. Feel free to join, introduce yourself, and engage!
How much does this cost?
The course is $150 US dollars. That’s the equivalent of paying each of us $7.50 an hour (minimum wage) to teach you ethical business. No, we’re not kidding. It was important to us to make it accessible to both business owners and consumers because we feel the information is so valuable. All the proceeds from this course will fund the editing of a limited-series podcast on business cults and other educational resources.
Is this course worth it if I'm not a coach?
This course is absolutely worthwhile for anyone and everyone who is interested in learning more about ethical business. Many of the examples we give are specific to the coaching industry but are easily applied to other types of businesses. It’s also packed full of red flag education for consumers who want to be more discerning about who they work with.
How deep is the knowledge in this course?
While the full course is 10 hours and it is packed with tons of information, it is still only a foundational course. It serves as a starting point for further learning, inquiry, and in terms of decolonization, anti-racism, DEI, and trauma-informed care, a precursor to in-depth skills training with a professional. Nothing in this course is meant to be a DIY guide, per se, other than some initial steps and guidance toward implementing harm reduction.
Will I receive a certificate?
This course does not provide any kind of certification.
How long will the course be accessible?
This course is hosted on Thinkific where you’ll have lifetime access.
