CLIENTS BEFORE FAMILY-AND I MEAN IT

Disclaimer: This is not an astrology related article. Just an emotional rant of gratitude.

“Why do you do this?” Asked my client. I had just talked to her for 45 minutes, with my car parked on the side of the road at 9.30 p.m. I normally don’t do this, but she was in tears about her marital issues, so I made an exception. I counseled her, told her to wait till a particular date, advised her to read some scriptures, gave some tips on husband management (I happen to be a husband) and advised her to see a doctor for a possible depression.

Then in order make her laugh, I told her a few jokes. (An astrologer should not be a mere fortune teller but a spiritual friend philosopher guide-and an occasional joker). By the end, she was in splits with my husband-wife jokes (I am a good joker). Happy to have elevated her mood, I was about to end the call, with my usual “Don’t worry acchey din aaney waley hain” rant, when she asked,

“Why do you do this?”

“You are my client. You paid me.” I quipped.

“I paid you for one consultation and you gave it to me three days ago. You don’t owe me anything now. You need not have talked to me at all after that. Why do you do this?”

In reply, I said something which surprised her, and myself, “BECAUSE MY CLIENTS COME BEFORE MY FAMILY.”

She was kind of overwhelmed with emotion, and so was I. For the first time I realized how important my clients had become.

Honest confession: I am an accidental astrologer, and despite my father’s legacy, I had no plans to take up astrology as a career. I had an MBA and a reasonably good corporate career I was in a well-paid senior management position. However, during Ketu period, my corporate career ended with a disaster (Ketu does that). Due to over work and over stress, I was taken to a hospital from my office. (Who said hard work can’t kill anyone, it damn near killed me).

Fast forward a few weeks, I was back in my hometown, struggling to manage my start ups and my health. Business was slippery, earnings unpredictable and finances shaky. I was still doing astrology for charity and enjoying it, and had no plans to go pro. But as my popularity as an astrologer grew, so did my business losses.

I was overwhelmed with astrological volumes and business losses and finally checked with my spirit guide, who spared no words. “You are a fool. This is not sustainable. Either you start charging or stop doing astrology altogether.” She said bluntly.

“I don’t want to be one of those mercenary greedy astrologers.” I protested.

“You can’t be greedy it is against your nature. Astrology is your destiny. Do it with all honesty. You would earn both money and blessings.” She said with an air of certainty. And thanks to her, I reluctantly went pro.

I was expecting that going pro would reduce the volumes. I could not have been more wrong, the volumes increased, so did the love. My clients rocked my life and became dearer than my own family. Whatever I have I owe it to my clients. I don’t think I deserve the kind of love that I get from my clients.

I do get an occasional client who is rude, mean, psychotic, arrogant or hateful. However, such people are a tiny minority say 10%. I thankfully have a money back guarantee in place (my favorite business policy). If a client misbehaves, I just send them a refund and get rid of them, and then block them permanently. (If I was okay taking crap, I would have still been in my job-it paid well.)

However, 80% of my clients are real sweethearts and many have become great friends. I often feel that my guardian angels came to support me in form of my clients.

Unbeknown to me, some of them launched a campaign to promote me. They wrote rave reviews here and there (I still don’t know who all did that, and on which platforms, but those who did, thank you). Many clients referred so many people that my schedule was booked several days in advance.

A small whatsapp group of highly intelligent clients organically evolved and they became my board of directors, my management consultants, my friends, philosophers, guides, and my extended family. Their amazing inputs changed my business and me for the better. Within months, I reached a level where I had to hire an assistant. (He does a much better job of managing my schedule, I was horrible.) This all was powered by the love and support of my clients.

When I say my clients mean more than my family, I mean it.

In all honesty, family is a liability. While they are dear to you, they keep you tied to Sansaar. You need to provide for them every day. Pay their bills, buy cars, houses, and what not. This cycle goes on till the time you are too old to notice where your life went. Your spirit dies decades before your body, so much for the benefits of family, despite all the love, family is, for the lack of better words, a liability.

My clients are my real assets, my guardian angels, my providers, my liberators, my caretakers, and my real family.

I remind myself regularly how thankful I am for my clients.

Here are a few things I need to thank my clients for:

  • Thanks to my clients, I can feed my family (See why clients are more important than family)
  • Thanks to my clients, I got a second lease of life during my worst period. (I was in hell before my clients pulled me back)
  • Thanks to my clients I have a new career, which I enjoy so much (Rahu is so much more fun than say annual attrition numbers)
  • Thanks to my clients, I remain liberated from corporate slavery (I would rather take a bullet than an appointment letter. Death before a job is my new motto.)
  • Thanks to my clients, I can do small acts of charity and many of them even donate and contribute to my charity initiatives. (Without my clients I might have been at the receiving end of charity :D)
  • Thanks to my clients, I have regained my peace of mind and health to a great degree (Depression, what’s that?)
  • Thanks to my clients, I spend my day reading and writing instead of filling stupid data in useless spreadsheets (MS Excel can go straight to hell…and take all the “data driven” bosses along with it…!)
  • Thanks to my clients, I can retire without having to depend on anyone in my old age. (Old astrologers never die, they just transit to the next house :D).

Thanks to my clients, I have so much love and so many blessings that I can cry with gratitude. Whatever I can do in order to help them is my privilege.

On my part, I always keep my client’s interest supreme in my mind. I am under oath of honesty, I do my work with all sincerity . I do my research and reading rigorously. I keep my rates reasonable in order to remain affordable. I suggest only those remedies which are absolutely necessary. And I provide authentic gems/yantras etc. at a very reasonable rate. For me, my clients’ well being is my first and only aim, as taught by my Guru.

All the same, I honestly think that the love, popularity, blessings, and volumes I get are much-much more than I deserve. I think I am the luckiest man alive in terms of clientele.

Whatever I am today, it is because grace of God and love of my clients.

Thank you God, and thank you clients-you come before family-and I mean it….!

God Bless,

G. Vijay Kumar

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