In 2007, the 800th anniversary of his birth, Rumi was described as “the most popular poet in America”.  Though he was born in 1207, his wisdom deeply resonates with many in our complex and rapidly changing times.

Rumi’s understanding of spirituality is not divorced from the world.  His poetry urges us to find right relationship with food, sex, money and politics.  For instance:

Don’t run around this world looking for a hole to hide in. ~ Rumi

So if Rumi were around today, I think he would be a big proponent of spiritual entrepreneurs and wisdom teachers having a clear and compelling website.  And one of the most important pages on your wisdom based site is your About page.

Letting Go of Dogma

One of the things that resonates deeply about Rumi’s poetry is that he strips away dogmatic and linear approaches to spirituality.  For instance:

There are hundreds of ways to kneel and kiss the ground. ~ Rumi

A good About page allows us to feel into how a conscious business owner walks her/his spiritual journey.  A rigid or formulaic approach is a turn off for many of the people you want as clients.  The first suggestion I have for you in creating an effective website about page is to relax the need to search outside yourself for the “right” way.

The most compelling version of your About page is going to be something personal and unique to you.

The Attractive Power of Compassion

When compassion fills my heart,
free from all desire,
I sit quietly like the earth.
My silent cry echoes like thunder
throughout the universe. ~ Rumi

On an energetic level, one of the main things going on for most spiritual entrepreneurs around their website is their own sense of neediness and doubt.  “Will it work to bring in the clients I’m desiring?”

A common way to protect oneself from this vulnerability is to emphasize techniques and professional trainings.  I trained at XYZ Institute.  I’ve been using Technique ABC for 12 years.  While most potential clients do want a sense of your professional background, this kind of website about page isn’t compelling.   They feel like a resume crafted to get a corporate job instead of an intimate conversation with a wise guide your prospective client is considering hiring.

There is a saying in the conscious business world: “People want to know how much you care before they care about how much you know.”  Your About page is the perfect place to allow your compassion to shine.  And when your compassion is deeply woven into your About page, it will resonate like “thunder throughout the universe.”

Click here to see how I incorporate compassion on my About page.

Speak to the Two Worlds

People are going back and forth
across the doorsill where the two worlds touch,
The door is round and open
Don’t go back to sleep! ~ Rumi

Your ideal client is BOTH someone with a vibrant inner life AND someone who’s facing a challenge or opportunity in the outer world.  She is feeling stuck and afraid about changes happening in her career.  He is concerned about his son failing at school.  She has an ongoing pain in her lower back that’s sapping her vitality.

Your website About page will be most effective if it honestly and wholeheartedly tells your story as it relates to the realities your ideal client is now faced with.  Some questions to consider:

  1. What wisdom practices have helped you with challenges you have faced in your life?
  2. What kinds of challenges have you personally faced that might be similar to the ones your ideal client is facing now?
  3. How far along are you in working through these challenges?
  4. What professional training or mentoring have you had to prepare you to do this work?
  5. What inner qualities and strengths do you have that allow you to be particularly effective in this area?
  6. How have humor and synchronicity showed up in your journey? (Rumi shows a special affinity for humor and synchronicity in his poems)

 What’s Your Experience?

Given the importance of a good About page, I’d love to hear your experience.  What have you found effective?  What questions do you have?  Please share in the form of a comment below.

Paul Zelizer
Paul Zelizer
Paul Zelizer is one of the first business and marketing coaches to focus on the needs of conscious and social impact entrepreneurs. In addition to marketing, social impact, mindful leadership and values based business, Paul is passionate about just about anything you can do in the mountain high country, yoga & fitness, dark chocolate, and poetry. He lives near Santa Fe, New Mexico.