     What inspired you to create Orykl, and how did the idea come to life?
On 1st September 2020, I was sitting on my bed at night meditating when the idea simply appeared in my head! It was a divine download if you want to call it that, but it was all right there and then in an instant. Even the name Orykl (Oracle at the tine) came to me, and I saw the circle that you now see on the home page as a big circle getting closer towards me. I had already been dabbling into channeling so with my eyes closed still, I wrote it all down. And so the idea was birthed.
As inspiration, I had had a wonderful channeling session two years prior and when the channeler told me at the end of the session that she was also a waitress, I immediately wanted to help her because I could see what she needed to change on her website to attract more clients. I guess that’s what I’m doing now. Helping channelers and other practitioenrs attract more clients and help more people by giving them a better platform to do that on.
    And, what services does it offer?
Currently we offer 12 services in the spiritual industry: Channeling, Animal Communication, Distance Reiki, Hypnotherapy, Energy Healing, Quantum Healing, Pranic Healing, Shamanic Healing, Emotional Freedom Technique, Spiritual Counselling, Akashic Records and Mediumship.
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    How does Orykl differentiate itself from other platforms in the spiritual and healing industry?
We are currently a directory, which is not something new. There are many directories out there. However, we vet all our practitioners, and it’s not a matter of someone having a website, but rather we test their knowledge, personality and intentions, and if all three fit the bill, only then do we invite them in. I think we have the highest standards for spiritual practitioners anywhere. Most directories invite anyone as long as they pay the monthly fee. We value quality above quantity.
However, our platform will soon be used to host actual sessions in. Much like Airbnb, we will provide solutions for both the practitioner and the client, hosting sessions on our platform, sending automatic reminders, keeping recordings of sessions and much more. Essentially, we’re looking to give talented spiritual practitioners a wholistic business solution so that they can focus on what they do best: healing and helping clients. And we want to give clients assurance of quality, and a seamless system that they can trust and use comfortably.
     Can you tell us about the process of vetting practitioners on Orykl?
It’s a 3-step process. First, we check their online contact (website and social media), paying special attention to videos of themselves. If we like what we see, we invite them to an interview with myself, so that we can get to know each other better. Here, I want to hear about their journey in the field, as well as get a sense of their intentions and ensure that their hearts are in the right place. Likewise, I share more about me and Orykl, so that there are no secrets about anything that we are doing and why we are doing it. The third step is a session with someone from our vetting team, where their skills as a practitioner are tested. If they pass all this, they get accepted onto our platform.
     Why is this so important to you?
Our mission is to HELP people, above finances. We are not helping if we promote someone that cannot actually do what they promise to do. We can only help if we promote the real deal.
How do spiritual services that are fee based compete and/or compare with traditional psychotherapy services that are covered by insurance?
They cost more? Haha! Well… it’ll be interesting to see if these services will one day be covered by insurance or not. I see over and over people that are healed by these modalities much more successfully than traditional ones. I guess it’ll take a long time for insurance companies to make a change like that, but it would be interesting to see statistics on the success rate of both compared. I bet that if spiritual services were covered by insurance, people would try those even before traditional methods. But as it stands, we’re obviously at a disadvantage. However, as more and more people are healed through these methods (and always prescription-free!), I think they are all modalities that’ll start growing and being used in the mainstream more and more.
What do you think is the biggest challenge spiritual practitioners face in today’s world?
I think that because spiritual practitioners are so heart-centered, they can miss the analytical side often needed to run a business. That’s where we come in. I also think that they struggle to price their services right. They don’t want to undervalue themselves, but they also want to be of service to everyone, even if they can’t afford it. I think this is a struggle many of them face today.
How can spiritual entrepreneurs balance authenticity with business growth in such a niche market?
Authenticity is key. The more authentic, the better. People just see through it, especially the kind of clients that go to spiritual practitioners. Their authenticity-gage is high, and so it always serves the practitioner best to be as authentic as possible. There is no contradiction between authenticity and business growth – both can, and should, work hand in hand together.
How do you address scepticism and criticism in the industry, particularly from those who might not understand or believe in these practices?
This is not for everyone. Simple. We don’t pretend to be, or want to be. We are here for those that are ready ONLY. We do not push anything onto anyone – we are merely a buffet for those who want to come and eat, if and when they are ever hungry for it. To be honest, I hardly ever see criticism. If I do, I truly don’t pay attention to it because it has nothing to do with me, and all to do with the person giving the criticism. As for scepticism, I see that a little more, but I truly just always speak from the heart and NEVER with any judgement or forcefulness about what should or should not be. So there is always respect from both ends, and it never turns to anything negative for me.
What advice would you give to someone who is just starting their journey as a spiritual practitioner and may not have any or many clients yet?
This is a word of mouth business, for the most part. Start giving sessions to your family and friends (for free or for cheap) and if they love it and it was helpful to them, they will tell their friends about it. I can also give 100 more tips on running your own business, but that’s a good place to start!
What advice would you have for spiritual practitioners to market and/or advertise their services?
Clean up your website. Make it more trustworthy, clearer, less confusing, offer less services and explain what each service entails clearly. Have a video of yourself on your website – people will work with you one-on-one and they need to get a sense of your personality on a video, not just photos. Work with word of mouth referrals and give kickbacks to those who bring you new clients. And if you hate social media, don’t do it. It’s not ALL about social media
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For more information please visit https://orykl.com/
