🎙️74. Introducing Woo Woo at Work (Like, in Your Workplace)
the spiritual 9-5 podcast transcript
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Episode Published on April 30, 2024
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Intro to the Intro
This episode is the first episode of a “Woo Woo at Work” series here on the Spiritual 9 to 5 podcast. I'm so excited to bring this series to you today and we are going to talk about what Woo Woo means and what Woo Woo doesn't mean and why we care about bringing it to work. If it resonates, please share it with everyone you work with including your manager or their manager, and including all of your friends who have jobs too, because it's pretty neat.
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I believe that working can be one of the most spiritual paths that we walk.
Whether that work is turning your passion into a business, or sitting behind a desk for eight hours a day, or anywhere beyond and in between. And yet, we often take the way in which we show up to work for granted, even though it's where we spend the majority of our time.
Here on The Spiritual 9–5 Podcast, we talk about that. We talk about entrepreneurship, we talk about the 9 to 5, we talk about what it's like to be multi-passionate, and talented, and inspired, and also utterly demotivated.
We are here to support you in your work, whether your work is sacred to you, or just something that you do to get by. We are here to help you see and know yourself a little bit deeper, and to inspire you to show up no matter what it is that you find.
I'm your host, Marie Groover, and like you I am as multi-passionate as they come. I'm the founder of two businesses that are here to bring the soul back into the office. I, too, work a 9 to 5 in corporate tech.
I'm a surfer, a writer, a philosopher-artist, if you will, and I'm so excited to bring you this episode today. If you haven't, please leave the show a 5-star rating, and if this episode resonates, consider saving it and sharing it with someone you think it would resonate with, too.
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Okay so what is woo woo? What do I mean when I say woo woo? Disclaimer: this is my definition which represents myself, Marie Groover, and it represents my businesses–The Corporate Psychic and Essential Teams–and these two businesses dabble with the woo woo. And these businesses bring that to work, bring the woo woo to work, or to business, to corporate, to tech, and beyond. So what is it? Woo woo. Woo woo is another word for unconventional, holistic, integrative.
Woo woo is, or at least the kind of woo woo that we're talking about here, it's totally supported by science and logic and reason. Some people consider woo woo a synonym for spirituality, and it can be that, but what I would say actually is that woo woo embraces tools, methodologies, and modalities like breath work, yoga, mindset coaching, somatic coaching, astrology, human design, Feng Shui, gene keys, and more.
Woo woo embraces tools that are slightly progressive, or a little bit more progressive than we feel comfortable with, right? So yoga is in this list, I think yoga is in this list, but what I would say is yoga is pretty low on the woo woo scale because it's pretty accepted now and today. But 10 years ago, yoga would have been considered super woo woo, right? And so all of these tools and these modalities right now may feel a little uncomfortable particularly for the corporate space, maybe not for the mainstream. And so when I'm talking about woo woo, this is what I'm talking about.
I also like to say “woo squared,” so woo squared or woo woo at work, is bringing those tools to the workplace in a way that is safe, fun, oftentimes light, insightful, and productive. Woo woo could also be considered a blend or mix of these integrative tools alongside more traditional tools which is how Essential Teams operates, by the way.
Essential Teams is one of my businesses. This business brings deep integrative transformational trainings and workshops to the corporate world by blending or mixing multiple modalities that are both traditional and a little more progressive or a little more off the beaten path.
The Corporate Psychic, on the other hand, is full woo woo! Like there's no masking, there's no coverage, the languaging isn't uh geared toward corporate, although it does serve corporate. And I mean there is of course woo woo in all of this because where I am, all of me follows. So no matter what business you find me in you will get both the corporate and the weird, but TCP is here to be a little more weird.
And actually, I would make the argument that professional personality testing tools, like Discover Insights or Enneagram, these are just as woo woo as tools that are labeled quote-unquote weird or unconventional like Astrology or Human Design or Gene Keys.
In fact a lot of my friends call things like Discover Insights, or DISC, they call it “astrology for bros” or “astrology for the office.” So, why not embrace it? And by that I mean: Why not use everything that we can to see ourselves, to know ourselves, to see each other, to know each other, to know how we work together, to maximize our outputs and our ability to show up at work and in life and with other people? Like, why would we not do that? Because that's what woo woo gets us. At least woo woo in this context.
So, woo woo is integrative, unconventional, and fun. Also how many times can I use the words woo woo? In this episode, it's going to be a lot, so sorry but also not sorry.
So let's talk about what woo squared or woo woo is not. So contrary to popular belief woo woo is not religious or prescriptive. I have had teams opt out of certain experiences because one person will say that, say Astrology, is against their religion. So, I studied philosophy and religion in college and in depth, and I can say that actually this work is not. The woo woo that we're talking about is neutral. Most especially the woo woo that I bring into the office. There are no religious origins. It will not tell you what to believe. It is not going against or opposing to any religion that I can think of. Of course, I'm sure there are exceptions. But if we take even Christianity there is truly no conflict here. What I will say is we are often afraid of what we don't know. We are afraid of what we haven't experienced, and we like to sometimes err on the side of caution. By sometimes, I mean a lot, and especially in the corporate space, and I respect that.
And of course I'm not pushing this or this work on anyone, and the roots of any work being brought forth in this series is non-religious and not conflicting or not going against any religion. It's very neutral–it's like Switzerland! And as I always say to my clients: Take what serves, leave what doesn't. But you're not going against god for tuning in or for attending a workshop “Bringing Woo Woo to the Workplace.”
So, woo woo is also not fortune telling. At least not in this context or in any workshop that I offer. It is simply a tool for self-awareness and reflection, and ultimately sovereignty. To practice trusting the self and listening to the self over whatever something external is telling you about you.
And there's actually a lot of science behind much of the work that we're introducing like mindfulness or somatic practices and then especially when we get into things like Astrology, and Human Design, and Gene Keys, these modalities are very systematic and very academic and quite scientific.
You'll hear from a couple of astrologers throughout the series and between now and the rest of the year, and from one in particular you'll maybe be surprised at how calculated and mathematical something like Astrology really is.
Which actually does lead me to this disclaimer: That I'm speaking from a place where science and religion are not necessarily conflicting each other. Personally, I believe we can have both. I don't believe that we have to be so rigid all of the time or that one negates the other. And I do need to add this disclaimer. Again the work that I'm going to bring forward and talk about, and the work that I bring to the corporate space through my businesses, through the people who work for me, people that you may meet, it's all neutral. So it will never tell you what to believe or who to follow. And I, too, am very skilled and practiced in neutrality and holding neutral space. And I will never tell you what to believe or who to follow. I will never judge you for whatever you believe and I think this is important to say
And again take what serves, leave what doesn't.
And finally last thing woo woo is really not all that weird. To be honest, when I first started describing my work as “bringing woo woo to work,” my work is bringing woo woo to the workplace, some of my friends and my peers thought that it was kind of flippant and that it doesn't give my work or this body of work the credit it deserves. And by it I mean the words woo woo. And I agree with this.
And what I love about using the words woo woo is that it immediately disarms. Woo woo is light, it's easy, it's not really threatening and it kind of gets the work across. It kind of gets the meaning across. Like there's a general understanding or consensus of the feeling of woo woo and you know, yeah some people don't take it as seriously, but that's okay. Because we don't have to be serious all the time. It really isn't that deep.
Still, I'm going to use the words woo woo and integrative interchangeably throughout this series. And actually when I first started my coaching business, I described myself as an “integrative success coach.” And I still think of myself that way!
If you sign up for executive coaching with me, our work is holistic and it is deep. It's not just about navigating scenarios in the office; it's not just about mindset, but it's really about seeing yourself and learning to trust yourself. But like the deep parts of you. So that, when our container is over, you don't need me to navigate politics or etiquette or motivating and inspiring your teams and peers. Because you have the tools and the modalities to lead yourself through sometimes rocky and unknown situations.
Not to say that we 100% don't talk about work scenarios, because we absolutely do, but the work as a whole is much more intuitive. It's bringing your intuition back online; it's reintegrating with your human, and your whole human; your whole body as opposed to living and working from the neck up.
Because when you live and work from the neck up, all the stuff that you shove down beneath the surface builds, and at some point you burnt out. You become incapacitated. You can no longer work in the way that you used to.
Alas, I digress. We'll come back to this. Woo Woo at Work.
Woo Woo at Work is tapping back into our intuition. But it is so much more than that. So this series is going to introduce some unconventional tools and methodologies to bring to your workplace and your team, or just to yourself, and we are going to talk about why these tools are productive and beneficial and how they can support and expand you in your work. Whether your work is a 9-to-5, whether your work is your purpose and your life's work, whether your work is a business, a mixture of both, something else entirely, these tools can really support and expand you.
Most especially if you're a team, because we are going to be talking a lot about bringing this work to teams. Not exclusively though.
So, what's coming is an introduction into many different modalities, alongside some solo episodes, as well as some episodes with some professional subject matter experts diving into things like astrology, human design, gene keys, yoga, Feng Shui, breath work, somatic coaching, mindfulness, and so much more!
And why are we doing this? Why are we exploring these unconventional, innovative, and integrative approaches? Well, because I've started offering many of them through both of my businesses based on…actually invitation and demand. And I think it's time to spread the word. I think we need to talk about it. I think there's a benefit to making this work a little bit more mainstream and sought after.
So last year, I officially launched Essential Teams as a business. Essential Teams began as an effort to bring deep and transformational tools–the tools that I learned from personal individual and group coaching–to the corporate space.
Because when I started coaching, I was like, “Whoa. This is great for those who are willing and ready to be coached, but where this work is really needed is corporate.”
Because I had participated wholeheartedly in every team building or development tool under the sun that served up, that was served up, to the corporate space, and I was really fortunate to be on teams where managers really prioritized our development and invested in us in that way. And yet, I had never experienced anything like what I experienced being coached, or coaching others–both in individual and group settings.
In short time spans of intensive coaching, I saw such massive transformation in my clients across their entire lives, that I was like, “Wow! If we did like one percent of this for the workforce, the entire world would be a much better place.”
And that's the kind of world that I want to live in. The kind of world that is more conscious, intentional, effective, fun, and highly productive in service of each other and of the planet.
So I started Essential Teams. I created bite-sized offerings like 1-3 hour workshops for corporate teams and organizations and events, and it has been pretty successful and well received. Fortunately, I've had the pleasure, and the wonderful opportunity to work with some really big customers like top five tech companies, like big designer brands, and some smaller mid-level shops as well, across multiple industries. Which has been super cool for me and super insightful!
And as I started Essential Teams, I started picking up more and more executive clients where–I think we all thought that I would be coaching them through situations and experiences so that they could grow in their career; grow in their leadership; like reaching the next level of management, breaking into VP, etc. etc.–but what happened was surprising! What happened is that we ended up focusing much of our time on the deepening of self, because many of my executive coaching clients came to me saying: “I don't know who I am anymore.”
And they said that, but that was like an afterthought to their initial intake form with their goals and their reason for hiring me. But I was like, “Wait, knowing yourself shouldn't be an afterthought. Who you are is your, it's literally your secret sauce for getting everything that you want, including that promotion or expansion of responsibilities, or that raise, or becoming more aligned in your role, or finding a more aligned role itself with better work-life balance or whatever your goals are.”
You actually can't be an effective leader of others if you're not leading yourself first. And leading yourself starts with alignment and integrity and knowing yourself. So in response, I would say, “Great! Let's find out who you are together.”
And then I put my clients through my OG, my original coaching structure from my very first business The Corporate Psychic. And this was a container that used to be called “Your Soul's Purpose.” This container consisted of ‘find your purpose’ sessions, astrology sessions, human design sessions, gene key sessions, tarot readings, kinesiology, lots of mindset coaching, lots of functional and somatic coaching, but also lots of intuitive exploration together.
And then what happened was that these people–my clients, my executive coaching clients that went through this OG program–they started learning who they were. They started practicing being themselves at work; practicing leading authentically; showing up regulated and whole and inspired again.
And you know where that leads? It leads to career expansion, it leads to promotion, it leads to work-life balance, it leads to feeling good again at work, and at home and all over the place! It leads to feeling good in your body. It leads to inspired action and fulfillment, and growth that is sustainable. That doesn't result in burnout. That isn't performative. It leads to recovery from burnout because you're not being performative.
Because it's all connected. And actually, as you will hear in a future podcast episode, this type of alignment and deep connection with inner self leads to your career shifting from being just a job, to a calling.
So then I started hearing my clients say, “Marie, this is so cool! Do you ever do this kind of work with teams? (Referring to astrology and human design and some of these funky modalities that we were working together).” And I was like, “Oh no..not really, because I don't know if there's really an appetite for that?”
But my clients all said, “Yeah there is an appetite. Do you want to come do this with my team?” And so, of course I said yes. I was all in!
So for the last six months, I've been doing like the weirdest but most fun and engaging and insightful and integrative workshops with teams. Again at, like, big companies and brands. And I want to talk about it more with you. And I want to grow the awareness around this work. And I want to do more of it.
Because it's such a different perspective and experience to bring to the working world that is also just fun and light and not so heavy and not serious, but incredibly insightful and incredibly expansive and positive and incredibly impactful and productive.
And personally, I'm like, “Whoa!” I fell into some offerings that are truly the best of the both worlds. You know, sometimes I walk into a corporate environment and while the person who hired me is all about, say, limiting belief work or practicing empathy, the group of people I sometimes walk into are not bought in. And it's not always a psychologically safe environment. The feeling that I need to prove the value of this work before people will do it is palpable, and it can be heavy and serious and combative and intense.
And then, if people are not bought in, it can fall flat. Which, actually, I should record an episode on this or, in the very least, create some materials on how to ensure that this doesn’t happen for my less woo woo offerings.
But when I walk into a workspace, and I'm like, “Today we're going to talk about your sun, moon, and rising signs! Take what serves, leave what doesn't.”
When I say, “This is for fun! You don't have to be bought in.”
People are so light about it. People have fun with it. People's guards go down; they are receptive and they are engaged. And suddenly, as a team, we aren't performing anymore.
But we are laughing as a group at how mother freaking uncanny it is that Stacy, who talks at every single meeting, is a Leo rising. And how Jacob, who has kind of a dark sense of humor, is a Scorpio. Or how Jessica, who is a Cancer, is always baking cookies for everyone and saying things like “thank you so much,” unnecessarily. And how Taylor is a triple Capricorn and you've literally never met anyone who is so Type A and so on-point in every aspect of their life.
And if none of that makes sense to you, that's okay. Bring me into your team. We can make a virtual party or a happy hour experience. Because my point is that this work gets to be really fun. And it is really fun and it's also really productive.
At least when you're doing it with me. I can't vouch for other people who do this work in this space, but I've met some really incredible people who do this work in this space as well.
So, I one time hosted an astrology happy hour when I worked at Microsoft. And when I connect back with those people–the people that were on my team, because this was for my team–they still talk about it. So our VP came to that happy hour, was one of the only folks who didn't give his exact date and time of birth beforehand, and y'all he freaking called his mom in the middle of this event to try to get his exact birth details, because the event was so good and he wanted to be able to fully participate.
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Not everything has to be so serious to be effective.
I am now 100% bought in that team building and development is one of those things. Why not make it fun?
If there's one thing that's missing from most corporate or work environments, it's lightness. It's jokes, it's breeze, it's genuine fun. How often do you laugh when you're at work?
Let me tell you, I laugh every single day in my job, with my co-workers, because I realize how important it is. So I make sure we have time to be relaxed together and it makes a difference. And we're remote by the way! I do this remotely, when I get on calls with people, I make sure that we keep it light, even when things are heavy.
And this isn't to say, by the way, that Woo Woo at Work is all fun and games, because that would be flippant. But these integrative approaches will definitely bring some light.
So this series is about bringing in some experts; learning a little bit more about the woo woo, about the integrative, about unconventional modalities that we should be capitalizing on more in the workplace.
If this excites you or if you're intrigued, subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts and join my newsletter so that you don't miss an episode. It's about to get juicy.
Cannot wait to see you next week! Cannot wait to see you on the other side.
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Thank you so much for listening to The Spiritual 9–5 Podcast. I'm your host Marie Groover and I am beyond honored that you are here. Please follow, save, and rate the show and if you can, share your favorite episode with a friend. It makes the world of a difference.
Connect with me on LinkedIn. I would love to hear from you what you think about the show or my work, so don't be shy.
And I'm always here to connect and support you or your business through coaching, team building, and leadership development. You can find my work in the show notes.
Until next time, Big Love.
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Shownotes:
An introduction to a mini series, woo woo at work, this episode defines what woo woo at work really means, and where it comes from (when it comes to Marie's businesses).
Listen to hear the story behind Marie's work in bringing modalities like feng shui (office energetics), astrology, human design and somatics into the corporate workspace.
Stay tuned for upcoming episodes with special guests and experts on topics like astrology, human design, gene keys, feng shui, somatics, breath work, yoga, and more.
Themes: Corporate Coaching | Integrative Team Building | Professional Development | Personal Development | Mindset Coaching | Somatic Coaching | Astrology | Human Design | Woo Woo at Work
Links:
Marie Groover https://www.mariegroover.com/
The Corporate Psychic https://www.thecorppsychic.com/
Essential Teams https://www.youressentialteam.com/
Connect on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/cmariegroover/
Join the Mailing List https://thecorppsychic.myflodesk.com/e7bmhjidj4
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The production of this episode was in collaboration with Lyndsee Nielson. See her work here: www.lyndseeloves.com