Entrepreneurship in Permaculture

This week on the Seeds of Tao Podcast Episode 016, we have the amazing Adam Jastrzebski on the show. We’ve known Adam for a little while now in our Slack community, and he is an amazing source of knowledge and experience in a number of different fields. One of the big ways we connected is through our love of marketing and entrepreneurship, which is exactly what we both agree that the permaculture needs a little more of.

Permaculture and Business

The permaculture scene is an amazing source of grassroots efforts to create positive, regenerative change in the world. Everywhere we see people healing the land, fighting for food freedom, and coming together over community garden initiatives. Permies are amazing at banding together to create change, and that’s exactly how we’re going to see real change start to happen. 

However, we also see a lot of permies almost pushing themselves away from the business world, away from anything remotely capitalist and towards a life that is almost anti-currency, and separated from society. While there’s value in a disconnected, quiet life, it acts as a barrier to growing our impact in the world. With resources (not just talking about money here), we expand our sphere of influence, and our capacity to create change.

Some permies toy with the idea of starting a business to support themselves or struggle and fail then retreat to their old income-providing ways. There is a HUGE need for business-savvy permies in the world. It’s one of the biggest needs we have encountered when talking to people. If we can get more business-engaged permies moving forward with their message, we can increase permaculture’s impact exponentially.

The Permie-preneur

The permie-preneur is a permaculture-minded entrepreneur, in case that combination seemed a little alien. These are powerful people. They have a message to get out into the world, and a business plan to make it happen. Like all entrepreneurs, they are willing to take risks and suffer failures and still persistently press on through the struggles to reap the rewards - to obtain the yield. Being an entrepreneur isn’t for the faint of heart, but then again, neither is permaculture. Permies are constantly in the boat of being counter-culture, going against the grain, and bringing communities together when the world emphasizes isolation and specialization. When permies embrace their inner entrepreneur, that’s when sustainability becomes regenerative, and when the status quo begins to change.

Obtaining a Yield

Oftentimes permies will be averse to starting a business, taking their “hobby” into an income-generating sphere. And yet, one of the permaculture principles is to obtain a yield. How better to do that than take what you are most passionate about, and transform it into not only a physical yield but a monetary one? 

By taking your permaculture passion into the business world you open yourself up to the ability to market what you believe in. And let’s be honest, there would be way more permies in the world if more people knew about it. Much of the status quo is remaining the status quo because of a lack of knowledge. Marketing is powerful, and when wielded by a grounded, powerful permie, it can create massive change in the world.

The Money Relationship

One big hang-up we see with permies is their desire to separate themselves from the consumerist lifestyle of the day, and go completely the other direction… like living in an ecovillage that survives on bartering and staying disconnected from the world. While there’s value in that, sometimes that’s people’s decision because they actually just have a negative relationship with money.

Money is an interesting, controversial topic. Is it good? Is it evil? Does my higher power want me to have money? Etc. etc. etc. 

But at the end of the day money is just an energy, a tool. In the hands of bad people, it will do bad things, in the hands of good people it will do good things.

It’s like a hammer, it can build a house or destroy things. It’s all up to how you use it.

If you never reconcile your relationship with money, it will always be a negative force in your life and trust us, you can change that relationship.

By overcoming a negative stigma about money, you can choose to put yourself in the flow of it and use it as a resource to create the change you wish to see. You get to choose the tools you will use in this world.

Onward Together

One of the BEST things about permies is their passion for coming together and creating communities. As Adam said in the episode, permies are amazing at sharing knowledge. Honestly, having been in the world of entrepreneurship for many years, we’ve seen the sharing of knowledge as one of the biggest catalysts for positive change in business. 

If we can help permies to take their passion and turn it into an income-generating business, and then create a permie-preneur community to support positive, regenerative business, that is a juggernaut of positive change. That would be absolutely fantastic.

Do you know a permie-preneur who runs business or do you have one yourself? We’d love to hear from you in the comments below or on our awesome Community. 

And Josh mentioned a REALLY COOL Ted talk about the coffeehouse effect, you can watch here.

Keep growing permie-preneurs!