Balancing the Feminine and Masculine in Business There's a flow to everything, and business is no exception. Human design expert Elisa Canali shows how to lean into both sides of the scale to succeed, especially during a launch.
By Gabrielle Garrett Edited by Amanda Breen
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"We are all geniuses, and we each came into this world with a specific genius," says Elisa Canali. "When we look at your 'gene keys' and 'human design,' and we decode your chart, we can clearly identify your genius and see what you are here to bring to the collective. What is your vocation? What is your purpose? What is your life's work? What is your soul fractal — that is, Who are the people you are actually meant to touch with your unique transmission?"
Months ago, this would have sounded like a different language to me. I hired Canali as my coach and learned all about my human design profile, gene keys and increasing my income during one of her woman-focused mastermind groups.
Related: 4 Things to Consider Before Joining a Mastermind Group
One thing Canali taught us in the mastermind group, and a theme she speaks about in her forthcoming book Bloom, which my team supported her on, is feminine and masculine actions in business. After working as a high-level professional in fashion public relations, Canali dove into coaching and now runs a nearly-seven-figure empire, all while "napping like a cat" in the afternoon, she says.
Whether or not you know your human design profile ("HD," if you're cool), this simple teaching will help you create more equilibrium and income in your business, especially when launching something.
A simple example:
Posting about your offer on social media is a masculine action.
If you stay on social media to stalk the reply and keep refreshing to check your Stripe account, you stay in the masculine.
However, if you walk away from your computer with faith that those meant to work with you will take action, you will be in the feminine space.
Get into the feminine
The feminine space is where we can receive. In our example, if we want new humans to take action on our offer, we need to lean back and allow them to come toward us. The masculine side would rather stare at the post like a hawk, thinking, I need to check the comments, I need to check my e-mail. Oh my God! No one is buying! The feminine side would feel so good about the post, she would simply walk away. We want the client to step into their masculine — to take the action to sign up or buy the offer. Then we have to lean back in the feminine and receive to create polarity.
Related: Feminine Energy Holds the Key to the Future of Entrepreneur Leadership
"Being magnetic is about learning how to balance the masculine and feminine within you," she says. "Magnetism happens when we have created a sacred union between the divine masculine and the divine feminine."
Avoid bro-ing out in your business
Too much masculine energy can backfire. Canali says, "The masculine may show up in your business when you are a control freak with your team. You don't let them do their jobs because you don't think anyone can do it better than you, but that attitude doesn't serve you. So, if the control freak part of you represents the masculine, then the ability to trust is feminine."
We also see this with time management. "The way men see time is linear. They go from A to B because that's how also they are biologically designed. The way that women live is different. We are cyclical creatures. And we have to honor our rhythms. As women, we naturally have waves. We'll be on fire, but then we need some Netflix in the middle of the day. Men see time in 24-hour periods. But women see time over a much longer cycle. Imagine we are run by the womb. Think about how long it takes to birth a child. We don't get pregnant and immediately push out a baby. From an idea perspective, you have to incubate it until it has landed in the body," Canali says.
Strike a balance
"Once your feminine and masculine are balanced and you're sharing content in your own voice, you become magnetic," Canali says. "Understanding your masculine and feminine tendencies, and then diving deeper into the new schedule to balance the two is vital work. You become magnetic to the online world because you're sharing things in your own voice. You are balanced, and you are giving and receiving.
"I like to say: Your aura is your billboard. Your aura can get clogged up. And, it all comes down to magnetism. The more you are embodied and in your body, the more powerful you are."
To embody the feminine energy and our receptive mode, Canali suggests including breath work, moving your body, massage, quiet movement meditation, or a simple, lovely bath and a tasteful, slow dinner. Breaks throughout the day can remind us we are female creatures, not hustle machines.
Related: Getting Ahead, One Breath at a Time: Walid Aboulnaga, Founder, NAFAS Journeys
"A very big piece for women is allowing ourselves to own our desires, and even own our need to rest," Canali says. "We want to be Wonder Woman, but we always put ourselves last, especially women with a family and kids. We don't value ourselves enough."
Allowing ourselves rest will make our bodies feel safer and allow for more success. So, next time you sell something, walk away, take a bath and imagine all of the people meant to work with you flocking to your work. Remember, chilling out is a business strategy.
Related: Feminine Energy Holds the Key to the Future of Entrepreneur Leadership
