Manifesto Item 5

As an add on to the previous manifesto item, I created this item specifically to remind myself to be intentional about how I operate my business, to recognize the ways in which small practices can actually end up undermining everything.

We all know what it's like to have someone (even ourselves!) say one thing and do another. We all know how infuriating it can be to see that kind of word/action dissonance. And we all know that even the small things can contribute to that kind of dissonance and eventual creep and rot of ethics or values. It doesn't matter if you SAY these are your values if you're not committing to them in even the small ways, too.

It's not a lie to say that not everyone has the same opportunities. Some people have to climb a lot further to even reach the starting point of others. And while I may be a tiny little microbusiness making $12 in one month and maybe $1000 the next if I complete a big project and have a relatively small reach, I can and must still operate my business with the guiding ethical practices that are core to my person.

I've developed this self-check idea over a number of years: Who you are when no one is looking is who you really are, and what you do with a little is what you will do with a lot.

It's not perfect, of course. We are our most comfortable selves when no one is looking, but the kinds of decisions we're prone to make when there is no external accountability is the base of ourselves. Those will be the gut reaction decisions when things get bigger. And if I run my business unethically to gain a large following quickly, then it's going be much harder to return to ethical practices later.
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I think the biggest thing I've learned and am learning is that the true measure of success of my business lies in its sustainability over its profitability. Do I WANT to be profitable? Of course! If I didn't, I would have kept these as hobbies and not tried to monetize these skills. But there is a way to do that which is inclusive and honest and does its best to elevate others, too, instead of a way that steps on whoever is closest to my next goal.