Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Ari Hunniford. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Ari , appreciate you joining us today. Can you tell us about an important lesson you learned while working at a prior job?

Often during coaching sessions or psychic readings, I have people voicing their displeasure at the idea that they have “wasted their time” on a career path or relationship that didn’t work out and every time the message is a variation of this: learning a skill or lesson is never a waste of time. When I think back to my careers and jobs there are lessons learned at each one that I use daily within my current career.

As a Waitress and Busser, I learned the value of hard work and a good attitude. I learned how to navigate unhappy people even when it wasn’t my fault and when it was. I learned how to keep track of many different things at once and how to prioritize. And, eventually, I learned that I didn’t want to be a waitress. So I moved on…

As an Actress and Director, I learned that I can get through anything even if I have to fake it sometimes. I learned humility by not being cast and that there is no shortage of people who can do what I do. I learned how to communicate with people and ask for what I need. I learned how to think creatively and openly. I learned how to love all sorts of people with all sorts of personalities. I learned the importance of putting the right people with the right script in the right place at the right time. And, quickly… I learned that I didn’t want to be an actress or director. So I moved on…

As an Ice Cream & Deli Store Owner, I learned how to pivot and be quick on my feet in moments of crisis. I learned about scheduling and training. I learned about staffing, stocking, purchasing, budgeting, marketing, merchandising, and more about chocolate than I ever wanted to know. I learned about government in business and health codes. I learned about failing, picking myself up, and failing again. I learned that not everyone’s opinion matters. I learned about sales tax. And, finally, I learned that I didn’t want to own an Ice Cream Store. So I moved on…

As a Non-Profit Fundraiser, I learned about how to ask for money. I learned about the importance of information and education. I learned that people will stand up for things they believe in. I learned how to work with volunteers. I learned about healthcare, farming, businesses, and the politics of small towns. I learned that there are more successful ways to get things done and there are less successful ways. I learned that people lie. I learned that people will surprise you. I learned that income is not a sign of the quality of a human. I learned that I was capable of so much more than I thought I was. And, I am still, learning that I don’t want to be a fundraiser.

And now, as a Psychic, Coach, and Spiritual Community Leader, I am learning to utilize all the things I have learned in past careers within a world that fits me. I’m learning how to feel at ease within my body and spirit within a career. I’m learning that abundance comes in so many ways. I’m learning that taking the leap of faith is not easy but it is worth it. I’m learning how to love myself within my career. I’m learning that I will forever be learning and it is never a waste of time.

Perhaps someday the time will come for me to walk away from this career. I can’t imagine it but there have been many times along the path that I thought I had found “it”. If so, I will go knowing that everything I’m learning will move me forward to the next thing with the knowledge and awareness I need to find my way. I truly believe that we are never wasting our time as every moment is an opportunity to grow and learn. Just keep moving forward the lessons will join you on the way.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I am the founder of the spiritual group, Awkwardly Zen. We created AZ as a safe place for people to explore their spiritual paths. I was blessed to have a group of friends with whom I could discuss all of the “weird” things that happened when I started dipping my toe into spirituality and very quickly I realized. that not everyone has support in that way so Awkwardly Zen was born. We hold over 30 free online events every month with people attending from all over the world and we also host in-person events in some of our areas.

Through my own spiritual journey, I discovered an ability to channel and have been providing a variety of psychic readings and coaching sessions for years now. I love teaching my tarot classes and psychic development classes. I also speak publically on a variety of metaphysical and spiritual topics. Just recently, I’ve started to create fun and silly content on my social media along with card readings and channeling sessions to help bring the fun of spirituality to the general public.

What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?

Integrity is everything to me. From day one of Awkwardly Zen we set the idea that we are responsible for doing our absolute best to create a safe space for our members. That means making tough decisions sometimes. We created a list of guidelines to be clear of our expectations. I quickly realized that we needed checks and balances in place so it wasn’t me making every decision on my own. So, we created a lead team that works together to create the plans for the community and we implemented an ethics committee to step in if something requires more thought and insight to ensure we provide our services with integrity.

In my personal business integrity means checking in with myself to ensure that I am giving the messages as they are given from a person’s guides, angels or loved ones and not giving them my opinion. It also means be okay with saying “I can’t” if for some reason I can’t get the messages. Which is rare, but has happened.

Do you have any insights you can share related to maintaining high team morale?

Awkwardly Zen is run completely by volunteers and that is the most amazing blessing. It has allowed us to provide most of our events for free. I’ll be transparent that we are working on figuring out how to best support our volunteers but I believe that in itself is part of it. Let them know that you are consistently trying to improve their experience. Gratitude goes a long way so thanking them as often as possible is key but it has to be authentic. We also try to remember that every person is different and allowing their personalities to shine, within reason, helps people feel more at home in their position. More than anything for us it’s been key to provide a service they can be proud to promote and be a part of. They are not doing this job for me. They are doing it for their community however it is part of my job to make sure that our volunteers feel valued, supported, and understood and I will never become complacent in that. I will always strive to do better for them.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.awkwardlyzen.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/arihunniford/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/beawkwardlyyou
• Other: Snipfeed: https://snipfeed.co/arihunniford https://www.meetup.com/pro/awkwardly-zen/