We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Shiv Shakti a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Shiv , looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Was there a defining moment in your professional career? A moment that changed the trajectory of your career?
Mediation has been the founding pillar of my life. After working almost for a decade in the field of merchant shipping as an navigating officer, witnessing and experiencing storms and hardships, I gravitated to find inner calm and peace. The very idea of going within and sitting with myself with no goals to achieve was absolutely fascinating given how in the outer world it is all about achieving and being something. I spent almost a year in India traveling and discovering this new issness and oneness within. During that phase I met my now Ex-wife and we came to the US where my book “The Seed of Nothingness” got published. I was so happy with this new found realization and path of meditation that all I wanted to do was share about meditation. I gave lectures and meditation classes through the west coast for a consistent period of time. During teaching I realized mediation can be fun too, hence Dance meditation transformation a new modality of dancing in tears, in Joy, in silence, in celebration was born which I still teach presently. I also had a blessed opportunity to make two meditation and music albums called “East Meets West with Shiv and Ahme” and “The essence of Zen with Shiv and Third Seven” with very talented musicians.
I am blessed with two daughters and they have been a great inspiration in my life. Having children added a new meaning and a new understanding towards life. I was deeply inspired during the pandemic to become self sufficient and to create a community around growing food and sustainability. I spent many hours waking up 4 in the morning studying and learning about permaculture and sustainable food growing and then later day helping with the kids. It was an absolute new arena in both food growing and raising children since being raised in India and how community is vital part of the culture there it was a new concept to understand and practice to raise kids all on your own. I have always gravitated and I still believe community is the essence that the western world is missing, We need elders, we need all age people living in sustainable dwellings together, being there for each other emotionally and physically for our inner and outer growth. Even today when I woke up this morning I am working towards the goal of creating a sustainable community where we can be ourselves, where we can experience being one, experience being love and accepted for who we are and as we are.
This passion has lead me today to create my own sustainable year round food growing greenhouse company called “Shakti Farm Design” where we do from A to Z as to create a successful food growing experience for our clients. Those early waking hours helped me to streamline the process. The way we do our permaculture based greenhouses using mushrooms, mycelium, microbes and companion planting with automated watering systems and ventilation systems is recognized by many. I was given a grant opportunity to build a greenhouse for a school which has been a great success both for the children and the teachers. The very seed of self sustaining and growing your own food successfully has been sown in these young children so that tomorrow when they stand at the age that I am today they will not only have mastered but by far add so much new experience and value to the vision and the new world that they will be living.
Meditation lead a sailor wondering looking at the stars on a clear night from the deck of the ship to today creating a new sustainable way of living.
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
To say how I got where I am today is quite tricky for me. I would say if I have to say that I believe in myself and I believe that my heart is always guiding me where I need to be. Life is always coming in like waves, the highs and the lows for all of us but being present here with myself every moment having trust and faith have always helped as deep inside we all have this knowing we are loved and we are part of the loving source.
Given how climate is changing food security is becoming essential everyday along with transporting food from other states and countries adds to leaving carbon foot print we provide local sustainable food growing solutions. As someone who is looking to have a sustainable and healthy lifestyle through eating fresh and from the garden food. we create the whole set up from making the greenhouse to educating on how to grow year round food. Our commitment is that all you need to do is sow, occasional weeding and then Harvest your food. All that is needed to bridge the gap is our humble service to our clients. Shakti Farm Design make all size greenhouses from small size for 1 or 2 people to commercial size for large communities and families. Being meditation the building block for everything our greenhouses are designed as such that you can sit there meditate with the plants and we provide a 24 hrs. mediational music for the plants as in our philosophy of growing they love high vibrational music too.
What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?
My passion and my belief in what I am doing has been a driving force to build my reputation with my work. It does require certain discipline and dedication to keep moving forward despite set backs and at times not hearing back from people. I always believe that if you are doing things with your heart and with good intentions evidence of success will show up. Recently, our efforts to make greenhouses and creating sustainable living and food growing has been recognized by local credit unions and they have opened their doors for loans for clients who want the greenhouses.
Any advice for growing your clientele? What’s been most effective for you?
The most effective strategy that has helped me grow my clientele was the word of mouth. I trust that when you are sticking to your practice and are putting efforts to improve your product everyday, the dedication shows up when you speak with a new client. The best strategy is to be the customer and not the salesperson, you may have the solution but it is more of understanding the need of your client. This is something i have learned over period of years and still this is a learning for me everyday.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://shaktifarmdesign.com/
- Instagram: seedofnothingness
- Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/SeedofNothingness
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shiv-shakti-849713233
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@shivtheseedofnothingness5635
Image Credits
Julie Branson Jayde Silbernagel