About George Kao – Authentic Business Coach

Since 2009, I've been coaching, mentoring, and teaching people how to build businesses that feel good and work well.

I specialize in helping people who help others (coaches, healers, consultants, and course creators) to build an engaging online presence (Instagram, YouTube, LinkedIn, Substack, etc.) and a reputation built on authenticity.

I practice and teach Authentic Business – a way of creating and growing a business that aligns sustainable success, joyful productivity, and genuine connection.

It's a holistic approach that integrates the following–

• Meaningful work: Your products or services deeply resonate with you and your values. It doesn't matter if you create them or represent others' offerings, the key is that doing so is truly meaningful to you.
  
  
• Genuine connection: Marketing that feels like nurturing, honest connections while serving your audience and collaborators. It's about the quality of relationships, not just the quantity of transactions.
  
  
• Sustainable growth: Achieving your reasonable financial goals, free from hype and unrealistic expectations. It's about your definition and sense of enoughness.
  
  
• Joyful productivity: Working from a place of joyful flow, not stressful hustle. It's about finding your rhythm, not burning out.

My clients come to me seeking:

• Audience growth: Attracting the right people, those who resonate with their message.
  
  
• Stable income: Creating consistent, reliable revenue streams.
  
  
• Work-life harmony: Structuring their work for greater joy and freedom.

My mission is simple:

To provide exceptional coaching and content that empowers you to market authentically and operate your business with joyful productivity.

The values that guide me:

• Generosity
• Warm-heartedness
• Diligence
• Humility
• Light-heartedness
• Gentleness
• Balance
• Authenticity

Origin story of my authentic business…

It took years to discover my authentic business path. 

In 2008, friends & colleagues started asking me to coach them about social media marketing. Some of them said I should sell a training about it. So in 2009, I began by selling high-ticket trainings, the typical online marketing model. 

Within a year, I was making over $10,000 per month, and by year three, my mailing list was 10,000 subscribers and my annual revenue was $350,000. 

I did all the work myself – marketing, sales, partnerships, coaching, speaking, administration, finances, tech, customer service – all working from home, keeping it under 40 hours a week, and taking a month of vacation per year.

I learned the ins and outs of running a coaching business while maintaining a life.

Despite all this, I felt something was deeply off about how I was doing business.

Starting towards the end of 2012, I experienced a kind of spiritual awakening.

There were questions persistently knocking on the door of my consciousness, asking for me to reflect on them:

• 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 honestly living my values, or just using buzzwords like “authenticity”?

I realized I'd been using lizard brain marketing – effective for quick sales, sure.... but upon reflection there was only one answer: it was manipulative. I also saw a gap between the promises I made and the results my students achieved. This is common in the coaching industry, especially with those "six-figure" promises. I just couldn't ignore it anymore.

Finding a more authentic path

That spiritual awakening led to a radical change in my business. I transitioned to authentic marketing, prioritizing genuine connection and service to my audience – regardless of whether or not they bought.

I lowered my course prices (see: George Kao’s Courses), created more in-depth group programs, and started giving away much of my content for free through my blog and videos (see: George Kao’s Best Videos)

I've also written five books that reflect this journey:

• Principles of Authentic Business: Create a Sustainable Livelihood from the Heart

• Authentic Content Marketing: Build an Engaged Audience for Your Personal Brand through Integrity & Generosity

• Joyful Productivity: A Solopreneur's Guide to Creativity & Well-Being

• Authentic Selling: How to Gain New Clients through Connection, Caring, and Service

• Soul Gym: Simple Principles for Spiritual Fitness

Starting around 2013, I intentionally reduced my workload and income to an "enough" level – enough for a healthy, modest lifestyle and more free time.

Then in 2023, my wife and I moved to Mexico, seeking a warmer climate, a family-oriented culture, and a lower cost of living. We still work remotely, but with a focus on spaciousness, allowing more time for reflection, creation, and serving my audience.

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..

My Energy Signature

Some quotes from clients that give you a sense of what I bring to them:

"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, your are an oasis of kindness and peace!" –Melissa Sandfort

"I'm seeing a venn diagram or maybe quadrants which include 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." –Tomar Levine

Who I am today – my approach to business, my values, my way of being – is a blend of these threads:

• Taiwanese heritage: Growing up immersed in Taiwanese culture instilled in me a deep sense of heartfulness – a genuine warmth and care for others. It also fostered resilience, a spirit of perseverance drawn from Taiwan's unique geopolitical position, and a touch of rebellion, a willingness to question the status quo.
• Early childhood: As the youngest of three boys, often told to be quiet (“you don’t know what you’re talking about!”), I was forced to be comfortable with not knowing, a recognition that I don't have all the answers. This also fostered a comfort with being "different" and with not always fitting in... 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. This experience cultivated adaptability – the ability to navigate new cultures and situations.
• Christian faith: My early conversion to Christianity provided a strong foundation in discipline, both in terms of personal conduct and spiritual practice. It nurtured a commitment to spiritual growth, a continuous journey of self-improvement. And it instilled the values of fellowship and community, the importance of connection and support.
• Additional spiritual exploration: My faith journey also includes the exploration of other spiritual traditions – Buddhism, Universalism, Spiritism, and afterlife studies – leading to a deep belief in the importance of inner work and the profound sense of interconnectedness; the understanding that we are all part of something larger than ourselves.
• Musician and speaker: Years of practicing music instilled in me a practicing mindset, the understanding that mastery comes through consistent effort and dedication. Training in public speaking, specifically with Lee Glickstein's "Speaking Circles," encouraged me to use my voice authentically, to connect with others from a place of truth and vulnerability.
• Business coaching: My training and experience as a business coach have emphasized the importance of prioritization (focusing on what truly matters) and metrics (tracking progress and making data-driven decisions). These are essential tools for building a sustainable and successful business.
• Masculinity: I embrace the positive aspects of traditional masculinity, such as 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 and community.
• MBA: The MBA program I studied in, with its blend of professionalism and a more relaxed "hippie" ethos, showed me that one can be excellent while remaining casual and approachable. It demonstrated that success doesn't require sacrificing authenticity or personal values.

Clients describe me as calm, mindful, authentic, gentle, kind, wise, competent, and trustworthy. I also embrace vulnerability and self-deprecating humor ;)

I'm an AI optimist, believing in technology's potential for good. I'm passionate about bridging divides and finding common ground, even in difficult conversations.

I love bringing lightness and humor to situations. I'm good at reframing challenges to see the opportunity or lesson. I deeply believe in the afterlife and see this life as a training ground for our souls.

How my strengths serve you

My natural tendencies directly translate into benefits for my clients:

• Clarity amidst complexity: I excel at clarifying project steps, breaking down overwhelming goals into manageable, actionable tasks. This helps you gain momentum and avoid feeling stuck.
  
  
• Sustainable productivity: My comfort with taking breaks and using a timer (which energizes me!) allows me to model and teach sustainable work habits. I help you find your rhythm, preventing burnout and fostering joyful productivity.
  
  
• Collaborative growth: I'm a natural at gathering kindred spirits for collaboration. I can help you build a supportive network, connect with potential partners, and leverage the power of collective effort.
  
  
• Financial clarity: My aptitude for financial tracking and analysis provides you with a clear understanding of your business's financial health. I help you make informed decisions, manage your resources wisely, and build a financially sustainable business.
  
  
• Deep perspective: My keenness for seeing the values dimension in business helps you connect work to a deeper purpose – your values – thereby, creating a more fulfilling and meaningful experience.
  
  
• Continuous growth: My passion for studying personal growth means I'm constantly learning and evolving. I bring the latest insights and best practices to my coaching, ensuring you receive the most effective guidance.