Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Petra Weldes. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Petra, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. It’s always helpful to hear about times when someone’s had to take a risk – how did they think through the decision, why did they take the risk, and what ended up happening. We’d love to hear about a risk you’ve taken.
I came to Dallas as a single mom, with my 18-month-old son, and moved in with my mom and stepfather for help. I had left my career as a teacher and spiritual leader and decided to go back to school. 4 years later with a degree under my belt I was asked to serve at our local Center for Spiritual Living, Dallas as the spiritual leader (I’d already served a year as the interim). At that point, a 35-year-old organization had shrunk from 800 people to about 30 and years before had sold a multi-million dollar building, slowly devolving to renting 500 square feet.
A challenge, yes, A risk, yes! But I believed in what we were doing and knew we would grow. And grow we did. in 6 years we grew and had expanded into 6500 square feet for Celebrations, events, adult and youth classrooms, offices, and a bookstore. Each additional space we leased required remodeling and upgrading, most of which we did ourselves. By 2003 there wasn’t any more room in our building, plus our spaces were scattered down the hall and not all in one place, and we kept on growing. All our spaces were crowded and we wanted to expand again.
The problem: we didn’t have any money in savings and I had never tried to fundraise for capital. All our previous expansions had been done on a shoestring.
It took us a year, but we finally found our new space – 15000 sq ft in a weird corner of a building, split into two sides, one on each side of an outdoor hallway, that hadn’t been rented in 5 years. But it was perfect for us! I could see the vision despite that it was dirty, had become a storage space for all kinds of old and broken furniture, and building supplies, and had wires and dead roaches all over the place. My team wondered if I’d gone mad. All I could see were the possibilities and the space we could grow and expand into, plus it was the only rentable commercial space we could find that had a tree outside of the entrance. I fell in love with that tree, and it became my touchstone. If it could grow in such an inhospitable place, so could we.
The risk: I knew that the landlord would really want to rent the space but I also knew we didn’t have any money in savings, just an excellent financial history, and no debt. We settled into negotiations. I promised a long-term lease and asked for stair-stepped rent, starting way under the market and making it up on the back end. Knowing that everything would need to be gutted, to the studs, the space redesigned, and completely rebuilt, I promised that we would do ALL the renovations on our own dime if they would finance and contract to do all the “inspectable work.” After more months of space planning and getting bids from contractors, we had an agreement. they would build the walls and do the plumbing, electricity, elevator, and HVAC. We would do the rest….flooring, sheetrock, tape and bedding, painting, doors, windows, tiling of bathrooms and floors, and of course, purchase all the additional furnishings, new chairs, and other furniture and equipment we would need to actually make the space work for us. If we couldn’t do our part, we would end up paying rent on an unuseable building with no place for our community to meet and for us to offer our life-transforming programs.
Of course, many of the folks in the community were apprehensive but determined to make it work. My job was to be a leader, cheerleader, decider of many things, organizer of volunteers, and chief worker on the job. My son and I spent almost 5 nights a week and most weekends learning construction during the 6 months we built out our new home..
While the landlord’s contractor was doing their work, we weren’t supposed to do anything, which would have stretched out time unbearably.. And, so many of the things we needed to do, most of us didn’t have a clue. how to do them. So we hired one full-time person to project manage our side, and we got to work. Our project manager was able to work closely with the contractor, and we did our work right on the heels of the paid construction crew. We recycled and reused everything we could, so they taught us how to take out windows and doors and rehang them. The crew began leaving us special tools we didn’t have and were willing to show us anything we needed to do. Our project manager and their contractor worked hand-in-glove with timelines, projects, and overcoming the inevitable obstacles along the way. Those community members who couldn’t work brought food, regularly cleaned up construction trash, and got us set up once all the construction was complete.
We raised about $150,000 for supplies and furnishings and got the rest of the materials donated. 300 volunteers put in 3000 hours of volunteer labor over 6 months. And when we opened our doors for the very first time, our community already felt like they were at home. People walked around and pointed out the door they hung or the tile they laid or the wall they painted.
A huge risk, and a tremendous anmount of work, but the reward was so completely worth it!
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
I spent my teenage years drinking, doing drugs, and being a wild child, due, of course, to childhood trauma. When I found the Science of Mind and Centers for Spiritual Living, it saved my life. I discovered that I belonged to the Universe and in my own life. I wasn’t inherently bad or broken. I learned that I could heal, rewrite the stories of my past and change what I believed about myself. I became empowered to grow into my greater-yet-to-be, in an atmosphere of unconditional love, spiritual grounding, and personal growth. As I got sober and started to heal I discovered that I wanted to teach and empower others.
Science of Mind empowered me spiritually and the community helped me grow up emotionally. The classes and programs were my lifeline, so I was there 4 nights a week plus weekends. In 2 years I was ready to apply to the training to become a spiritual leader. I was told, “No, you are too young, come back when you’ve had a life, so you can really help others.” I was told NO 3 times from the only training we had at the time, in Los Angeles, CA. So I organized with 2 mentors, a duplicate 4-year training in Seattle WA. 7 students took the chance and joined me. More enrolled every year. It took 2 1/5 years for the national organization to recognize the validity of our training, and all 8 of us graduated in the 1st class 4 years later, We were allowed to sit for the same exams and panels as those graduating from the Los Angeles Campus and we all passed!
I’ve spent 40 years paying it forward, the past 30 through CSLDallas, a Center for Spiritual Living in North Dallas/Addison Texas. At CSLDallas our purpose is to be “Radically Inclusive, Spiritually Progressive, Transforming Lives”. We teach a positive, practical spirituality called the Science of Consciousness (Mind) which is drawn from both eastern and western religion, the wisdom of philosophy, science, and psychological, applying the perennial truths to individual and humanities needs and aspirations.
CSLDallas is perfect for spiritual seekers, the spiritual but not religious, folks not interested in orgranized religion but still looking for spiritual community, families who want thier children to have healthy self awareness and a positive outlook, and everyone who wants to grow spiritually and personally.
We beleive in the power of consciousness and intention. We teach people how to shift consciosuness and re-write the synaptic pathways and old subconscious patterns in their brain. We empower people to find their true self and provide space for discovering ineer peace, wisdom, amd stillness. Whether someone is a get-up-and-go, let’s make it happen type of manifestor or a let’s see what wants to unfold, listening to the nudge of intuition kind of person – at CSLDallas we weave it all together into an uolifting and powerful wholeness.
CSLDallas is committed to diversity, equity and inclusion, is an open and affirming comunity, and allows everyone to find their own path to wholeness and spirituality, while providing a coherent framework and many opportunities, in community, to heal , grow, and expand.
We are an (almost) 24/7 Center, offering community Celerbations, uplifting and empowering workshops and events, rituals, singing bowls, gong and qi gong type expeeriences, meditation, mindfulness, and metaphysics in immersive expereinces, workshops and on-going courses. We have meet ups, online offerings, Sunday inspirational livestreams on FB asnd YouTube, and vibrant and growing Youth and Young Adult programs. We have an incredibly diverse community spanning all generations with programs for everyone.
CSLDallas is a hub for spiritual, metaphysical, and conscious people who are working to make a difference in the world and build better lives for themselves. We support artsits, entrepreneuers, non-profits, LGBTQIA, familes, BIPOC, and everyone who is envisionung and co-creating a happy, sane, healthy, sustainable, and enlivened humanity.
I am most proud of the spiritual laboratory CSLDallas has become, consistently particing walking our talk and supporting others to do the same. Beyond popular spirituality, we dive deeply into ancient wisdom and new thought, seeking always to apply wisdom, knowledge, guidance and insight into new and powerful ways in our lives.
Are there any books, videos, essays or other resources that have significantly impacted your management and entrepreneurial thinking and philosophy?
I have studied, practiced, and taught a new style of organizational development and leadership to organizations all over the world. CSLDallas is built on a circular, self-organizing, consensus-driven model that empowers everyone to be a leader. in their area of expertise. This work is based on the books by Margaret Wheatly, Peter Senge, Peter Block, Guy Hendricks, and Marshal Rosenberg, to name a few.
Impactful books include The Corporate Mystic, the 15 Competencies of a Conscious Leader, Good to Great, the Tao of Leadership, the Five Dysfunctions of a Team, the TKI Conflict Resolution Index, HBDI and Emergenetics. My management and leadership has also been impacted by reading When God was a Woman, Women who Run with the Wolves, The Unbearable Lightness of Being, The Tao fo Physics and that Dancing WuLi Maters.
IN addition, the spiritual work of Ernest Holmes, Rumi and Hafez, Women Medieval Mystics, Thomas Merton, Maya Angelo, Matthew Fox, Thomas Moore, Emma Curtis Hopkins, Marcus Borg, Howard Thurman, Sri Aurobinda, and Ralph Waldo Emerson and made a huge impact in the way I show up in every area of my.
If you could go back, would you choose the same profession, specialty, etc.?
I would absolutely do this all again. I had originally thought, as a teenager, that I would have 2 or 3 different degrees and careers. What drew me into becoming a spiritual leader and teacher was sensing that every aspect of my being, every skill I had or wanted to acquire, and all the things I really loved would be called on in this type of profession. While some days it’s incredibly hard, and often very lonely, it’s also rewarding beyond measure and I know that all that I have to give has been utilized to make a difference in people’s lives and to work toward awakening humanity and healing the world.
Contact Info:
- Website: csldallas.org
- Facebook: facebook.com/csldallas
- Youtube: youtube.com/csldallas
- Other: petraweldes.com
Image Credits
csldallas