Zen and Business was formed to provide a new and distinctive approach to business thinking. Simply put, the goal and mission of Zen and Business is to integrate a meditative practice with business thinking. There are many people out there providing business training and there are numerous centers available for those interested in a contemplative tradition. There are less than a handful of people who are working to integrate these two components together. Zen and Business was started to fill that gap and provide those forward thinking companies and the employees in those companies a way in which to access this integration.

From standard business consulting arrangements to solutions tailored for your individual business, we can focus on management training, systems analysis, reliability engineering, and re-engineering the corporation coupled with our ability to conduct seminars at your location covering leadership and the specific servant leadership model, integration of a meditative tradition into the work approach, business strategy and business thinking. We also can work closely with you to address specific problems or work with you to devise your future strategies and business model to capture the results you need.

We also work with start-up companies to help you devise your business plans, set up your operating procedures, develop your standard policies and create a solid, functioning business unit that is set-up for a successful launch. We believe in making sure that not only the general structure of your business is solid, but, we spend time working with you on areas such as recruitment, hiring and retention, organizational structure, compensation analysis, sales methodologies, and a myriad of business tools that can help you at any stage of your business.

Zen and Business also has strategic alliances to assist you in your funding needs. From angel investors to various round funding with venture capitalists, we can assist you in preparing to apply for finding the required funding to keep you cash flow positive through your development and maturation.

Drew Dunn
Director - Zen and Business
CEO - Deep River Associates, Inc. (A Management Consulting Firm)
25+ Years Management Experience in Fortune 500 Companies
Meditation Practice since 1977
Contact: info@zenandbusiness.com

Sign up for the Zen and Business Newsletter. $20.00 for a one-year subscription and $35.00 for a two-year subscription. Send check or money order to:
Zen and Business
P.O. Box 88
Goldston, NC 27252
After mailing your payment, please send an email to: info@zenandbusiness.com to let us know you are ready to receive the newsletter.

Across the many spiritual traditions that are so evident in today’s society, there have been many attempts to find some common ground. One of the most obvious that is seemingly forgotten, for many reasons that tend to have more to do with our common social perceptions, is the fact that most everyone, regardless of religious affiliation, has to go to work. Each day, the commuter traffic is filled with Catholics, Buddhists, Hindus, Sufis, and a hundred other spiritual groups with one thing in common: everyone is headed into work for the day and most will be there for 8, 10 or 12 hours each day.

Yet, for most of us, we do not see the workplace as a spiritual refuge, in fact, quite the opposite. How many of us have found ourselves waiting for the workday to end so we can rush back home to sit on our meditation cushion to get back to some sense of calm and forget about work? Why do we not see the workplace as a perfect example of a spiritual place of practice? Even the Buddha spoke of right livelihood as essential to the middle path. Yet, again, in today’s society, we have come to see work as a necessary evil and rationalize our daily work as less the right livelihood then the next essential paycheck.

Even in the "10 Bulls Series" it shows the enlightened soul coming back into the marketplace. But, this enlightened soul didn’t have to deal with the pressures of today’s global marketplace and the various corporate strategies to continually drive up workers productivity. In today’s work world, we are bombarded with the latest and greatest management philosophy – that changes every six months – and expected to grasp each new management directive with the same enthusiasm and passion as the one handed down last month. What this column will attempt to do is to shed some light on the workplace as a spiritual place of practice and to begin to look at the workplace as viable a center for spiritual awakening as any zendo or church.

Of course, this is not to say that there are not several excellent books that do discuss workplace spirituality and delve into the deeper meanings of work. "Zen at Work" by Les Kaye and more recently, "The Diamond Cutter" by Geshe Michael Roach come to mind. But, if you happen to be on any of the many business Internet websites and run a search for "workplace spirituality" you will find that there is very little as regards this topic and what does come up is usually well off the mark or a condemnation of any religious tendency at the workplace.

This point is confirmed in many a policy and procedure manual and there has been a overwhelming tendency by corporate management to shy away from any involvement in anything remotely connected with a contemplative tradition; the closest most come is an article about work and life and the "balance" that must be struck.

We put ourselves at a distance from this connection by seeing work as different from meditation. We see the qualities that arise in our meditation as inapplicable to our daily staff meeting. We come to think of the compassion we develop in our meditation as a wonderful quality to have, albeit outside of work, for we would get eaten alive in the corporate politics if we let our guard down. We ask ourselves: Just where does the connection lie?

Some time ago, I was talking with Sandy Gentei Stewart, who heads up the North Carolina Zen Center, and I asked him to give me his thoughts on how one could go about integrating a contemplative tradition into business thinking. He responded by saying that he wouldn't spend any time trying to do this. He said time would be better spent integrating the breadth of vision, increase of energy, clarity of thinking and feeling and improved relationship skills that you nurture in meditation into the business tradition. Point taken.

And it is the simple first steps toward this connection that show up in our workplace relationships, our focus on the task at hand, our approach to how we deal with success and failure and our commitment to continue our practice, both inside and outside of work, that reveals this common thread.

When we give up the distinction that there is a difference between our spiritual approach and our workplace practices, we are taking the first steps toward manifesting our true self in the common ground of work and spirit.

Sign up for the Zen and Business Newsletter. $20.00 for a one-year subscription and $35.00 for a two-year subscription. Send check or money order to:
Zen and Business
P.O. Box 88
Goldston, NC 27252
After mailing your payment, please send an email to: info@zenandbusiness.com to let us know you are ready to receive the newsletter.

For Zen and Business Seminars, Retreats and Trainings, please go to the web site and contact Zen and Business at info@zenandbusiness.com for relevant pricing. We offer group discounts, corporate discounts and have a mutiple training discount.

For the Zen and Business Newsletter, the pricing is $20.00 for a one year subscription. We also offer group discounts and corporate discounts for
multiple subscriptions. Contact info@zenandbusiness.com for more information.

Sign up for the Zen and Business Newsletter. $20.00 for a one-year subscription and $35.00 for a two-year subscription. Send check or money order to:
Zen and Business
P.O. Box 88
Goldston, NC 27252
After mailing your payment, please send an email to: info@zenandbusiness.com to let us know you are ready to receive the newsletter.

Zen and Business publishes a web-based newsletter with a full share of columns, articles, interviews, links, overviews and such regarding management, management practices, the integration of a meditative practice and work, and some brief looks at the seminars Zen and Business has to offer. We also continue with our reading list and book suggestions combined with some practical approaches for you in your business thinking. We publish the newsletter 8 times a year coupled with 4 special newsletters with special topics and items. See the Fee Schedule for pricing to receive the newsletter.

Sign up for the Zen and Business Newsletter. $20.00 for a one-year subscription and $35.00 for a two-year subscription. Send check or money order to:
Zen and Business
P.O. Box 88
Goldston, NC 27252
After mailing your payment, please send an email to: info@zenandbusiness.com to let us know you are ready to receive the newsletter.

Zen and Business is available to speak at your company function, training seminar, meeting, retreat or strategy session. We can deliver a speech or tailor a specific presentation to your needs. Contact Drew Dunn at info@zenandbusiness.com