What It Really Looks Like to Build a Soulful Side Gig After 40

I’m writing this from my back porch on a Tuesday afternoon, watching leaves scatter across the yard while my tea grows cold – again. The crystals that once dominated my workspace are now thoughtfully scattered around my home, serving as quiet reminders of my journey rather than products waiting to be sold. This seems fitting somehow, as I reflect on what it actually means to build a soulful side gig that matters in midlife, far from the breathless hustle culture that dominates most business advice.

Let me start by saying: this isn’t going to be one of those “manifest your dreams with these three crystals!” posts. In fact, this is a story about what happens when you realize you’ve been unconsciously contributing to the very things you wanted to heal in others.

The Unraveling

Eight years ago, I launched my spiritual healing business offering energy work, crystal healing, and aromatherapy sessions. I had the certifications, the beautiful website, the perfectly curated Instagram grid of crystal layouts and essential oil blends. I was doing everything “right” according to my training and the spiritual business coaches I followed.

But something felt off.

After awhile I found myself stumbling over words during client sessions, reciting benefits I wasn’t entirely sure I believed in. My social media posts started feeling like copies of copies, echoing the same promises of transformation and abundance that flooded my feed. I was selling products and services the way I’d been taught, but with each sale, a small voice inside grew louder: “Is this really true? Is this really helping?”

The Breaking Point

One morning, after writing yet another email about “unlocking your highest potential” with a particular crystal combination, I stopped mid-sentence. I couldn’t send it. The disconnect between what I was saying and what I actually believed had become too wide to ignore.

So I did something that felt both terrifying and liberating: I took down my website. I cancelled my upcoming sessions. I stopped posting on social media. My family thought I was having a midlife crisis. Maybe I was.

The Quiet Period

What followed was a period of deep reflection. I needed to understand what had brought me to this work in the first place, and where things had gone sideways. I started journaling about my own experiences with energy work and crystals – not the marketing copy I’d been taught, but the real, nuanced experiences I’d had.

I realized I’d been trying to fit my practice into someone else’s business model, adopting language and promises that didn’t align with my actual beliefs and experiences. I’d been taught to sell certainty, but my true value lay in holding space for questions and exploration.

The Real Truth

Here’s what I now know to be true for me:

• Energy work can be profound, but it’s not a miracle cure
• Crystals can be beautiful tools for reflection and meditation, but they’re not magical solutions
• Essential oils can support wellbeing, but they’re not substitutes for medical care
• The most powerful healing often comes from being truly seen and heard, not from any particular modality

The Reconstruction

After six months of silence, I began rebuilding – not my business initially, but my relationship with this work. I started practicing energy healing again, but this time with close friends who were open to exploring it with curiosity rather than expectation. I used my crystals in my own meditation practice, observing their effects without the pressure to prove anything.

When I finally felt ready to work with clients again, my approach had fundamentally changed. Instead of promising transformation, I offered companionship on the journey. Instead of selling certainty, I created space for exploration and doubt.

The New Model

My practice now looks very different:

• I’m honest about what I don’t know
• I encourage questions and skepticism
• I share my own doubts and learning experiences
• I only sell products I enjoy making that will bring joy or can be a useful tool
• I focus on creating genuine connection rather than promising specific outcomes

The Financial Reality

My income dropped significantly during this transition. I went from making 2000-3000 monthly to making almost nothing for several months. Now, I make less than I did before – usually 800-1200 monthly – but every dollar feels aligned with my values.

I’ve learned that it’s better to earn less doing work that feels genuine than to make more money while compromising my integrity.

The Marketing Shift

My marketing, when I do it, has completely transformed:

• I write about the mysteries rather than the certainties
• I share real experiences, including the sessions that didn’t go as planned
• I’m open about the limitations of these modalities
• I encourage discernment rather than blind faith

The Unexpected Benefits

This more authentic approach has actually brought deeper connections with clients. They appreciate the honesty, the lack of pressure, the permission to be uncertain. Many have told me they feel relieved to work with someone who doesn’t claim to have all the answers.

The Community Response

Not everyone understood or supported this shift. I lost followers and some professional connections. But the relationships that remained, both personal and professional, deepened. I found other practitioners who were asking similar questions, who were tired of the toxic positivity and oversimplified promises.

The Present Reality

Today, my practice feels sustainable and true. I still offer energy work and use crystals in my practice, but with more nuance and humility. I’ve learned that real spiritual work isn’t about having all the answers – it’s about being willing to sit with the questions.

The Path Forward

This journey has taught me that building a truly soulful business sometimes means dismantling what we’ve built and starting over. It means being willing to earn less to maintain integrity. It means trusting that the right clients will appreciate honesty over hype.

Journaling Reflection

If you’re feeling disconnected from your spiritual business, consider these prompts:

1. What parts of your work make you feel uncomfortable when you talk about them? Why?
2. Which elements of your practice feel deeply true, and which ones have you adopted because you were taught they were necessary?
3. If you could completely rebuild your practice based solely on your authentic experiences, what would it look like?
4. What would you say about your work if you weren’t trying to sell anything?
   

Remember, it’s okay to question, to change, to start over. Sometimes the most spiritual thing we can do is admit we’re not sure. Sometimes the most powerful offering we can make is our honest truth.

Here’s to building something real, even if it’s smaller, slower, or different than what we originally imagined. Here’s to trading certainty for authenticity, and finding our way back to what matters most.

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