for Soulpreneurs
About George Kao
I’ve run a full-time business since 2009, and along the way, published what worked and what didn’t. What I teach soulpreneurs is how to build a business they love, one that feels deeply authentic, yet also quite light to build and run.
For coaches, healers, consultants and course creators whose work is rooted in their values. My free newsletter brings you new articles on authentic marketing, joyful productivity and healthy money: weekly for everything new, or monthly for just the best.
“Who is George Kao?”
I’m a business coach for soulpreneurs, and I’ve done this work full-time since April 2009.
After a spiritual awakening at the end of 2012, I stopped using pressure-based marketing, lowered my prices and began giving much of my teaching away for free. To my surprise, my income didn’t collapse, and I’ve taught that gentler way ever since.
I teach three things, in a spirit of love and service: marketing built on real relationships, productivity that feels joyful, and a healthy relationship with money.
These days I’m semi-retired. I spend my time on what I love most: writing, my free monthly Q&A call, my self-paced courses, and the occasional one-on-one session.
What is Authentic Business?
Authentic Business is a way of creating and growing a business that brings together sustainable success, joyful productivity, and genuine connection. It has four pillars.
Meaningful work
Your products or services resonate with you and your values. Whether you create them or represent other people’s offerings, the work is meaningful to you.
Genuine connection
Marketing that feels like nurturing relationships with your audience and collaborators. You judge your marketing by the quality of those relationships.
Sustainable growth
Reaching your reasonable financial goals, free from hype and unrealistic expectations. You set your own definition of enough.
Joyful productivity
Working from joyful flow, at a rhythm you can keep for years without burning out.
The two frameworks behind my work
Most of my courses and writing are organized around two maps. Both are free to read.
The 5 Levels of Soulpreneur Business Growth
- 1Foundation
- 2Experimentation
- 3Validation
- 4Integration
- 5Kaizen Forever
Five stages, from laying your foundation and testing ideas to refining what already works, so you always know where you are and what to focus on next.
The 7 Practices of Authentic Business
- 1Joyful Productivity
- 2Authentic Content Creation
- 3Netcaring and Collabs
- 4Market Discovery and Aligned Offers
- 5Gentle Launches
- 6Mastery of Craft
- 7Healthy Money
The seven skills I teach most, from planning a week you enjoy and writing helpful content, to launching gently and pricing your work.
What makes my approach different?
I bring practical marketing and business strategy, the how-to of building a sustainable livelihood. What people don’t expect is how it feels to work with me.
Over the years, through my courses and group coaching calls, soulpreneurs have told me they come away calmer and steadier. You get the strategy you came for, without the hype, pressure, or hustle that so often comes with business advice.
What clients reflect back to me, beyond the information:
- ✓Permission to succeed without betraying yourself
- ✓Being spoken to as a capable adult, never as someone broken or behind
- ✓Relief from the pressure of mainstream marketing culture
- ✓Step-by-step structure that makes business feel doable
- ✓Truthful timelines and grounded encouragement, with no fantasy promises
What people say about my work
“Thanks for being YOU, George. You help my nervous system regulate — which is a gift in and of itself! But particularly in the marketing world, where there’s so much fear-based messaging, you are an oasis of kindness and peace!”
“George is fantastic at giving gentle reminders and helpful tips to clear your way through the chaos of noisy marketing and find your way back home. I love his work!”
“Many coaches only talk about being authentic — George Kao is truly an example of that! His approach is so different.
I’ve been following his work for some time now, and I’m deeply convinced of the quality he offers and delivers through his courses and content. I don’t know any other marketer with such high values, living them authentically himself.”
“I’m seeing a Venn diagram which includes pragmatic business savvy on a spectrum to high integrity and desire to be of service, kindness, generosity and love. That’s the business part of you.
And the other element is true spiritual dedication and humility, putting soul growth as the highest human goal. You have managed to fuse them — and as the spiritual dimension continues to grow, it becomes a larger part of your Energy Signature.”
“George is one of the most heartfelt business coaches I’ve had the chance to work with — and I’ve worked with many in the ‘heart-centered business’ space. The others often felt like they were putting a ‘heart-centered costume’ on top of mainstream techniques. George’s approach starts from being of real service to people, and the way he is being in his work inspires me every day to be more generous and service-focused.”
Who I help
The people I serve are sensitive and heart-led, often former teachers, Ph.D.s, healers, and consultants. They carry deep wisdom, yet wrestle with the “how” of building a livelihood without losing themselves.
I often hear some version of “I mostly hate marketing… I just want to help people.” They don’t want to become loud, fast, or hyped in order to succeed.
They usually come to me for three things:
- •Audience growth: attracting the right people, the ones who resonate with their message
- •Stable income: consistent, reliable revenue
- •Work-life harmony: work shaped for more joy and freedom
How I found my authentic business path
▶ Watch me tell this story: Greg Faxon interviews George Kao
It took years to discover my authentic business path.
In 2008, friends and colleagues started asking me to coach them on social media marketing. Some of them said I should sell a training on the topic.
So in 2009, I began by selling high-ticket trainings, the typical online marketing model. Within a year my business was growing fast, and by year three my mailing list had grown to 10,000 subscribers.
It looked like success. But it ran on the hype and pressure of traditional marketing, and deep down it wasn’t sustainable or true to me.
I did all the work myself: marketing, sales, partnerships, coaching, speaking, admin, finances, tech and customer service. I worked from home, kept it under 40 hours a week, and took a month of vacation each year.
Despite all this, something felt deeply off about how I was doing business.
A spiritual awakening
Toward the end of 2012, I went through a kind of spiritual awakening. Questions kept knocking on the door of my consciousness:
- •Assuming I had six months to live… how would I share my work differently?
- •What is my highest work in this life?
- •What legacy am I really creating?
- •Am I truly living my values, or just using buzzwords like “authenticity”?
I realized I’d been using lizard-brain marketing. That kind of marketing was effective for quick sales, sure… but on reflection, there was only one conclusion: it was manipulative.
I also saw a gap between the promises I made and the results my students achieved. That gap is common in the coaching industry, especially around “six-figure” promises. I couldn’t look away from mine anymore.
A more authentic path
That awakening led to a radical change in my business. I moved to authentic marketing, putting genuine connection and service first, whether or not people bought.
I lowered my course prices, created more in-depth group programs, and started giving away much of my content for free through my blog and videos.
To my surprise, as I leaned into joyful productivity and authentic marketing, my income didn’t collapse. The business became financially sustainable, and the work far more fulfilling and balanced.
Along the way, I’ve written five books, including Principles of Authentic Business, Authentic Content Marketing, Joyful Productivity, and Authentic Selling.
Where I am now
Starting around 2013, I intentionally reduced my workload and income to an “enough” level: enough for a healthy, modest lifestyle and more free time.
In 2023, my wife and I, with our dog and cat, moved to Mexico for a warmer climate, a family-oriented culture, and a lower cost of living. We work remotely, with more room for reflection, creation, and serving my audience.
As of October 2026, I’m semi-retired. My wife and I live modestly, and our investments cover our costs.
I shared our numbers and approach in A Simple Plan for Financial Freedom.
The “influencer” dream of a lavish lifestyle doesn’t resonate with me. My vision is a world where everyone can do work they love, be financially sustained, and have abundant time for their loved ones and passions.
Who I am, as a person
Clients describe me as calm, gentle, kind and trustworthy, and a good number also say no-nonsense and incisive. I embrace vulnerability and self-deprecating humor. ;)
I’m an AI optimist, and I love bridging divides and finding common ground, even in difficult conversations. I deeply believe in the afterlife, and see this life as a training ground for our souls.
I try to live by generosity, warm-heartedness, diligence, humility, light-heartedness, gentleness, balance and authenticity.
The threads that made me
Who I am today, in my approach to business, my values and my way of being, is a blend of these threads.
- •Taiwanese heritage: growing up immersed in Taiwanese culture instilled a deep sense of heartfulness, a warmth and care for others. That culture also fostered resilience, perseverance, and a touch of rebellion — a willingness to question the status quo.
- •Early childhood: as the youngest of three boys, often told to hush, I had to become comfortable with not knowing, and with not having all the answers. Being the youngest also got me used to being “different,” which has served me well in forging my own path.
- •Immigrant experience: moving to the United States as a child gave me the perspective of an underdog, someone who had to work harder to be understood and accepted. That experience made me adaptable in new cultures and situations.
- •Christian faith: my early conversion to Christianity gave me a strong foundation in discipline, a commitment to spiritual growth, and the values of fellowship and community.
- •Spiritual exploration: my faith grew to include other traditions (Buddhism, Universalism, Spiritism, and afterlife studies), leading to a deep belief in inner work and a profound sense of interconnectedness. I’ve written about these yearnings and practices in my book Soul Gym.
- •Musician and speaker: years of practicing music taught me that mastery comes through consistent effort. Training in public speaking with Lee Glickstein’s “Speaking Circles” encouraged me to use my voice authentically, from a place of truth and vulnerability.
- •Business coaching: my training and experience as a business coach emphasized prioritization (focusing on the most important work) and metrics (tracking progress and making decisions from data), essential tools for building a sustainable business.
- •Masculinity: I embrace the positive sides of traditional masculinity: bravery in the face of challenges, a willingness to take calculated risks, and a commitment to fighting for the well-being of others, particularly my clients.
- •MBA: my MBA program, with its blend of professionalism and a relaxed “hippie” ethos, showed me that one can be excellent while remaining casual and approachable. Success doesn’t require sacrificing authenticity or personal values.
Questions people ask about me
“What is a soulpreneur?”
A soulpreneur is someone whose business grows out of their values and spiritual life. Many are coaches, healers, consultants, teachers and course creators who want to succeed without hype or pressure.
“Is George Kao still coaching?”
Yes, occasionally. I’m semi-retired, so private sessions are by inquiry, and if I have room for what you’re looking for, I’ll reach out personally.
You can read how it works on my private coaching page.
“Can I still take George’s courses?”
Yes. My self-paced courses are open for enrollment.
Browse them at www.georgekao.com/courses, or take the short course quiz to find a good place to begin.
“Where can I get my questions answered for free?”
Come to my free monthly Q&A call, held at two times for different time zones. Or chat any time with my AI, which is trained on my work.
“Where does George Kao live?”
In Mexico. My wife and I moved there in 2023.
“Does George use AI in his work?”
Yes, thoughtfully, and I keep a page on exactly how: How I Use AI.
Where would you like to start?
My life’s work has been bringing business and spirituality, practicality and purpose, into one whole. If you’d like to explore it, here are the best places to begin.
See where I diverge
The places my teaching runs opposite to standard business advice, each one dated and sourced.
Financial freedom
How my wife and I live on $2,500 a month in Mexico, and how you might reach your own financial freedom.
Self-paced courses
Step-by-step courses for each of the 5 Levels, to go through at your own pace.
Stay in touch
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