At this holiday season, in the midst of an economic recession
and uncertainty about war in the Middle East, I'm willing to
bet that more than a few business owners are looking to get in
touch with their angels.
We're not talking about wealthy individuals who invest in
your company. We're talking about the other kind of
angel—think harps, haloes, Mr. Jordan, Clarence in
It's a Wonderful Life.
Oh, so you don't believe they exist? Someone who might
persuade you otherwise is Arlene
Untenberg, the proprietor of Angels...A Celestial Gathering
Place in Milford, Connecticut, a combination angel gift shop
(boasting "the largest selection of angels in the
Northeast"), holistic healing center and cafe. For Untenberg,
running a demanding business is perfectly consistent with a deep
spiritual belief.
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"While deeply religious people have always believed in
angels, you do not have to be a 'spiritual type' to believe
in them," says Untenberg. "Every traditional culture in
the world accepts the existence of guiding spirits."
Untenberg believes that entrepreneurs need to get in touch with
their angels more than most folks do. "When you start a
business, you are really in it yourself. Each day there's a new
problem, a new headache, and you have to find that grit within
yourself to tough [out] the day. Believing you have a personal
angel means reaching inside yourself, going really deep, and
finding that inspiration to keep going. Angels are a reflection of
our own higher self that we call upon."
Although Untenberg believes that her store has a guiding spirit,
which she says occasionally manifests itself in the form of a
shapeless periwinkle blue shadow or aura (photos available on her
Web site, www.angelsblessings.com), she says an angel is more
likely to be an intangible presence you cannot experience with your
five senses.
"Angels talk through other people," says Untenberg.
"You'll be sitting there thinking 'How do they know
I'm thinking that right now?' or 'How do they know
I'm going through that?'"
As an example of how angels work, Untenberg says that several
years ago she was in desperate need of money for her business. She
visited several banks and attended an all-day program sponsored by
a local organization to help women business owners find financing,
but everyone turned her down. "I was desperate," says
Untenberg, "because the business was flat, my husband lost his
job, and I was being broken every which way. Since I do have faith,
I just threw my hands up and surrendered. I asked my angel to send
me a sign—should I just shut down the business and get a
job?"
The next day, Untenberg received a telephone call from someone
at a local bank offering SBA loans. The person told her: "I
heard about your business from a friend of mine, who runs a coffee
shop down the street from you. I understand you need money. We have
something here called a business installment loan. I can take your
information over the telephone with no income verification, and
you'll have the money in 24 hours." At first, Untenberg
was skeptical, but she answered the banker's questions, and the
next day—Friday the 13th—she received a wire transfer
of more than $50,000.
Untenberg says the key to getting in touch with your personal
angel is to "quiet yourself down, stop the chatter inside your
head, and really listen." Each day, Untenberg spends at least
half an hour in quiet meditation. Sometimes, she says, it helps her
to "journal"—write down spontaneously what comes
into your head during a meditative state.
Whatever the approach, Untenberg cautions that angels are not to
be used as scapegoats for bad business decisions or faulty
judgments: You can't say "my angel made me do it,"
and you certainly can't sue them for malpractice if things
don't work out. "Angels are not there to rule your
life," she says, "and you still have to make the final
choices, but they can give you incredible guidance, if you are
willing to listen and accept what you hear."
Cliff Ennico is host of the PBS television series
MoneyHunt and a leading expert on managing growing companies.
His advice for small businesses regularly appears on the
"Protecting Your Business" channel on the Small Business
Television Network at www.sbtv.com. E-mail him at cennico@legalcareer.com.