The vast majority of my published materials discuss how Feng Shui works, the mechanics involved, as well as the metaphysical principles behind it. I also have promotional materials which highlight how I work as a consultant, but I have never before written an article about what makes me different or unique from other practitioners. The point here is not to brag, rather to expose what I do differently, so that you may know what is generally considered acceptable or comparatively standard in my profession.
To describe what makes me unique has both objective and subjective components to it. For example, one objective aspect to my consulting style is that I write report for clients. Not all practitioners do. I don’t sit in judgement of them as we all have our own style and priorities. For me, it is vital that the client understand what recommendations I have made and to put that in writing helps avoid forgetfulness or miscommunication.
I have always allowed clients to record the consultation and I definitely encouraged the client to take notes. I used to have a very modest “checklist” of my own that I would provide the client with, but it was not long before I began writing narrative style reports with elaborate explanations. I would want that for myself, so I assume my clients do too. Although, I have to say that a small handful of clients over the decades actually do NOT want the narrative style report; rather, they prefer a quick bullet-point check list of what to do and what not to do and I am happy to do that as well.
A more subjective impression I have of myself is that I think I am a calm, even-keeled consultant in my presentation style. I try to deliver bad news in the most positive light, usually with a remedy or recommendation immediately following the not-so-great news. I try to avoid any dramatics, unlike some Feng Shui practitioners, whose big personalities tend to make their clients feel like every negative thing in their life is caused by bad Feng Shui. And with equal drama: everything good that happens is a direct result of the Feng Shui master’s intuitive guidance. Feng Shui is only one part of our lives so it does not cause everything that happens to us.
Just by being a classically trained Flying Star practitioner, this sets me apart from all the other New Age versions of Feng Shui still in use. I don’t have statistics on how many practitioners are traditional in their training versus how many do the New Age BTB and spin-off versions, but they do still exist. I feel strongly that classical Feng Shui and the Flying Star School offer the most sophisticated type of analysis, which everyone is entitled to. Why would you want a more generic, watered-down version of Feng Shui? There are other classical schools which are NOT the Flying Star School, but my introduction to them gave me the impression that they are not all that practical for most people to apply.
Most modern-day Feng Shui consultants are practicing hybrid versions of Feng Shui in that they may be utilizing techniques from more than one tradition, including Schools of Feng Shui which contradict each other. One of the most popular blends is the Flying Star School with the Ba Zhai School (Eight Mansion School). This, in and of itself, requires some guidance in how to prioritize these conflicting techniques, such as gauging someone’s best personal directions with spaces that could be good or bad for anyone, regardless of their birth data.
I am also one of very few Western practitioners who learned about the strange beginnings of the Ba Zhai School, which includes giving a female a different “gua” or trigram than a male born in the same year.
I have reverted back to the original system, which does not distinguish between male or female. This requires constantly educating my clients about a partially corrupted Feng Shui School that was altered many centuries ago. Often, a client thinks I have made a mistake with their personal trigram, when the truth is that misinformation on this topic has been widely accepted without questioning.
I provide Annual Update Reviews: Instead of seeing a client just once and bye-bye, I intend to have a long term relationship with every client. I know how important Annual Update reviews are and this is why I charge such a modest fee to do them. Others in my field who do Annual Updates may charge triple or more, but I would rather keep the update affordable so that virtually everyone can have this continuing service. Of course, those receiving the New Age version of Feng Shui don’t even know that time is a big factor in the analysis, such as when the structure was built or the changing annual energies. There are even monthly and daily cycles one can take advantage of.
I help people in the House Hunting phase: This is a very boutique service I offer, especially for those in different time zones, where a speedy response can be critical, especially in a Seller’s market. I do mini-reviews and sometimes we quickly rule out a property based on some important “deal breakers” that are not obvious, such as with many otherwise lovely homes or seemingly ideal business locations.
I help people in the Design Phase: I have been able to give clients a framework and floor plan sketches for an ideal house type, to share with their architect or designer. This is more of an advanced skill-set, which might be too daunting for a newer consultant to offer. Clients get to know right from the start where the best Feng Shui energies in the house will be and how to maximize them in the design phase.
I advise people in the remodeling phase: With an existing residential or commercial property, I make recommendations for the best timing to embark on a remodel or landscape project so that it goes smoothly. As well, I give the client a heads up on what kind of influence the remodel will have on occupants long term.
I provide Yin House Analysis: This is a very specialized branch of Feng Shui, which deals with the “divination” and selection of grave sites. It’s a big part of Feng Shui in Asia, but not so well known in the Western World. Yep: where your parents and grandparents have been laid to rest can actually affect you!
My fees are on the low end for someone with my experience: Knowing how much Feng Shui can benefit an individual or for a business, I would pay more than double my own fees to get this kind of information and assistance. I don’t knock anyone who charges more than I do, but I decided early on to get more experience and stay busy by being more affordable.
I consult and teach from experience: People who have read my books often comment that they really enjoy the actual case studies and they can tell that I write (and consult) from experience and that I am not just regurgitating things I have learned in an academic setting. This is quite true and I also teach, write about, and advise clients in areas which I have discovered for myself and through no other teacher.
I welcome feedback and don’t charge for follow-up questions: As a natural extension of my desire to work with people long term, I don’t charge for additional, reasonable amounts of time spent on the phone or through email when a client needs support or clarifications after the initial consultation. I’ve had the opposite experience myself, such as with a few doctors, who insisted I set up a formal appointment, just to say yes or no to a question. Like a therapist who stops mid-sentence when the hour is up, I don’t think this Eye-On-the-Clock approach is very endearing, so I have decided to be more generous with my time.
One of the reasons I can make the claim that my fees are on the low end is because I work at lightning speed. You consistently get more bang for your buck with me. Some of my clients are aware of this, especially those who use my House Hunting services. The turn around time is sometimes within hours, or even minutes, and it is because I am so experienced that I don’t need much time to do a comparison of a property’s glowing versus concerning attributes.
My ability to make an accurate floor plan sketch has gotten quite good over the years, where I can measure and draw about 1,000 square feet every 15 minutes. To do that for a 4,000 square foot house it would take me an hour, but I have colleagues who might spend all day measuring and drawing out a house that size or not even want to take on the task, insisting that the client hire a designer to make a floor plan for them.
Part of my ability to work so quickly in this regard has to do with my familiarity with standard sizes. This just happens when you do thousands of floor plans. Standard bathtub and doorways for example, or the predictable sizes of appliances and furnishings. This skill set has come in very handy when I’ve been told I only have a brief amount of time to be inside a house for sale. When a client can only send me a video of their home, I can eyeball the measurements of each room almost exactly for what they really are.
I have also gone the extra mile in helping clients find out when their property was built, when that information was not easily obtainable on-line.
Another skill I taught myself was to find out whether or not the compass reading of an older property has changed since it was built. I can’t even keep track of how many times this information has made the difference in doing an accurate versus inaccurate reading on a space. This is something that many other practitioners do not even consider or know how to reconcile. This is so vital that I teach it to all my students.
To conclude, I’m certainly not the most famous Feng Shui practitioner around, nor do I want to be. There are some global personalities who command astronomical fees and have become Feng Shui celebrities and social media Influencers. More power to them! I am very happy with my level of success and sustainability and the contributions I have made to modern-day Feng Shui practices.
Author: Kartar Diamond
Company: Feng Shui Solutions ©
From the Feng Shui Metaphysical and Philosophical Musings Blog Series
