blog by Katherine Lily Mae Harris
I did most of it right. Building my #future business. I made some mistakes, but none bigger than ending up with an abusive man.
That’s the reason my business strategy and plan failed.
I want to share some of what I went through and my thought process behind my #business goals, #achievements and #strategies that were a culmination of trying, doing and learning.
When I was 24 years old and I went to jail for driving a car without a license multiple times (for survival in a rural area where I was unpopular and unliked), I made a goal for Triple Goddess Healing Arts and Movement and also a list of the certifications and trainings I would need to accomplish that goal.
I knew I wanted to be a wife someday and a mother. That I wanted my own land and self sustainable home, and that I wanted my business to be a place for community and those that were meant to be a part of it. I liked my jobs waitressing and bartending. I loved it. I knew I could plan a life around them and build my business on the side. I loved where I lived. I could hike daily, see the sea and the river in one morning. Walk into town.
The goal was always to help people connect to other spaces and places or people. If you didn’t want to receive help from me, but were interested in what I studied and where, I shared links on my website to show how accessible all of this is, to make your reality and build what you wanted for you.
I started by making the list of certifications needed. Then I planned for them and saved money working a lot. I then traveled to #India and #Thailand and studied.
What I could have done, was made my business an LLC (which is in the USA to make sure that web traps don’t steal your life away) and then I could have ‘written off’ my traveling when filing taxes and having a ‘loss’ on my personal business, even though personally, saving money and traveling to study in 2014 and 2015, I was so grateful and happy for. I was proud of myself!!
When I crossed off all of the studying and certifications one year ahead of schedule, I began teaching ‘floating’ workshops.
I made a Facebook business page for TGA (Triple Goddess Healing Arts and Movement) in 2015. I continued my education and certificates as well.
When I taught a ‘floating’ workshop, it meant a space was rented and I taught for a few hours. When I tried a weekly class, I didn’t have the following built up yet, or my people, so I went to workshops only. Rare though they were, my plan was to have people have seen the business name, and be familiar with it over time.
I planned on keeping my waitress and bartending jobs, teaching on the side and continue to piece together my life, little by little. I had a full #life plan, but have never feared #death, ever.
Next step was land. Then I met my abuser. All dreams lost. I was encouraged to quit the cover band. Encouraged to stop dancing and teaching. Shamed about it. Called a slut for my belly dance #costumes and treated horribly, unless I conformed to his desires and demands. Including not singing. Not dancing. Basically everything that made me who I am. Not to do it. Not even at home and around him. So I did it when he wasn’t there. I was told by my exes daughter’s, biological mother, not to belly dance or do Magick in front of her child, further compounding these issues. I tried to manage my life in this way, telling her to close the door when it was open a crack and her eyeball was peeking out, then I gave up. I was no longer going to take away from the time I had to devote to myself. I was going to focus on me. I was a great and involved, step parent to her. If I was her mom, I would have been seen as a ‘super mom’ but being a step, was exactly that, a punching stone for others.
This is all through the three shoulder surgeries (two extra I needed because of his abuse) then the crippling, because when I broke up with him, he couldn’t let me leave whole. It had to be on his terms and worse off, than when we began. Whatever he said about me, must have been convincing, because I got canceled from life here. He hit me for a multi layered reason, that I believe I spelled out enough on here, for anyone who has life experience, knows what goes on here and has half a brain.
That being said. I refused to stop dancing and refused to give up.
I tried to post my #ambulatory exercises on YouTube and social media. I invested 100s of thousands in costs for my certifications and trainings from 2015-2022.
I believed in my future goals.
I just needed to do them in reverse order all of a sudden.
Instead of gradually growing.
Working still in #community as a waitress and bartender, but teaching on the side, little by little. Doing my tarot and astrology for money, instead of free. Continuing to build and have a future.
Then after May 10, 2020, without an able body, land or winning a popularity contest enough to give me a place in society, I had to try and make this all happen, while speaking up about what I #survived here all my life, while being harassed, bullied and silenced. How do you think I know so much? I survived! It was awful. I did my best though. That letter I wrote to the President in February 2023, on rainbow construction paper, with a #painting I did of a turtle, it was a good letter. The letters I wrote to the local governments, were true and real, though not always tempered well. How Could they be, when what I was saying seemed to be so confused for ‘attention seeking,’ or ‘victim playing,’ because I’m a #woman. Or me being labeled as ‘crazy,’ to cover for the abusers actions, the harrasers and the issues.
Why can’t I speak up about my business?
Write only about #tarot, #astrology, #bellydance, #reiki, #Magic, #shamanism, #yoga, #Ayurveda, #healing, and my #artwork ?
Because how many people were aware of the human trafficking issues we have in our state, communities or country? How many of you know what it looks like? How many of you have experienced it? Then been labeled the trouble.
How many of you are posting bellydance videos online and being placed in danger of being sold? If it’s not happening to you, I guess you are lucky, and you have somehow won a prize I was never deemed worthy of. Basic human decency & Safety.
I speak up to bring #awareness to ALL peoples for all peoples. Because the most privelaged among you (that have never been abused or raped before) are mostly trouble and silence us the most when we speak up. So why is that? Why can’t you amplify our voices?
Some of you can’t, because YOU are the ones who put us through this, whether through gossip or actually knowingly and willingly doing so, you are the issues.
So change.
We aren’t the problem. We aren’t the trouble. You are.
Building a business in a small area where you survived hell, is so challenging. Talk about obstacles. Then add to it, a man crippling me, who was more ‘popular’ and deemed more ‘important’ than me, in this time period, and what was I to do?
Now I will do what I’ve been doing. Focus on healing. I have only this ONE body. I don’t get a back up.
I am eternally grateful to the judge for fully reversing her decision, once she had ALL the medical evidence and could make an informed decision, it is clear that he crippled me. It is clear I need to keep focusing on healing. Even with people gossiping and being less than supportive. What a great example of human indecency and community bullying on display.
Moving forward I will keep speaking up, I will keep trying to #heal.
How many of you know about those that are targeted for their Social Security income? Both young and old.
How many of you know that women like me are sold in human trafficking, with our identities stolen and noone blinks about it, because your gossip has made it so easy?
I am speaking up for them.
For everyone erased.
For everyone silenced.
For your children and communities future.
Land of the free. Home of the brave.
Where all your dreams come true……?
Make sure you warn about the realities here.
Which group of women are most trafficked here and most likely to be in danger?
Mixed race and indigenous. That’s why I experienced a life so different from the one some of you experienced.
I will keep building my business. Keep Speaking up.
Healing.
And definitely bringing #awareness to the real issues of our community, home and country that span the World. For the benefit of everyone. For the #protection of all. And for those who want to make societies safer, with practical and logical solutions.
I use my #gifts to guide myself and heal. What a great tool for advertising. Healing a spine injury caused by blunt force trauma almost 6 years ago. Healing from all that’s taken place in my life.
Continuing to do my art.
My dance.
My Magick.
Continuing to believe in myself and a better World. None of us are free, until we all are.
#endhumantrafficking
Now.
We the people, do not care about who you are, your importance, your money, your societal status, or your ‘power.’
If you harm innocent people, you will be held accountable.
This world, and its peoples, deserve better.
How dare any of you allow this to continue.
What about all the daughters (peoples) of our world suffering and sold.
Shame on you all, who are a part of it, Even if just through believing the gossip intentionally spread about me and others, to successfully disappear, harm or deflect from the realities. Educate yourselves.
Put it together.
My word.
Building your business.
I had plans to invest.
To make a life.
Now it all changes and alters, as is the nature of this earth hell world.
I had it all. I could have made Magick with what little but amazing resources I had.
I had EVERYTHING I needed for my future.
Now, I’ll make the most of what it is.
Ramadan Mubarak.
(Day 7 for me, because I started fasting a day earlier than the World, not intentionally.)
