Equity in Pricing

 

At Radical Beings, equity is important to us. We’re in an ongoing conversation about how traditional pricing models – especially within the personal growth and transformational industries – perpetuate systems of oppression by blocking access to people who are both ready to contribute and who will benefit powerfully from access to transformational tools and ongoing support.

We use tiered pricing, scholarships, and payment plans for some of our offerings as one way to invest in a world where a person’s success hinges less on their access to wealth and more on their vision and commitment.

 

PRICING TIERS

 

The descriptions for each tier are meant to be guideposts in navigating the complexity of class and privilege that may come up when choosing a tier. They are not rules and they are not comprehensive. If you find yourself unsure of which tier aligns best, we invite you to read through each section for further context and clarity.

 

Tier 1

This tier is ideal for people who are able to meet their basic needs comfortably; have access to steady income and/or other financial support; have access to general and emergency savings; pay for “wants” frequently. Investing at this level may mean cutting back on other purchases in the short-term but will not negatively impact your financial wellbeing in the long-term.

Tier 2

This tier is ideal for people who are able to meet their basic needs consistently; have access to steady income and/or other financial support; have access to some savings; pay for “wants” occasionally. Investing at this level may mean cutting back on other purchases in the short-term but will not negatively impact your financial wellbeing in the long-term.

Tier 3

This tier is ideal for people who are able to meet their basic needs, though not always easily; have access to mostly steady income and/or other financial support; have limited to no savings; pay for “wants” rarely. Investing at this level may mean cutting back on other purchases in the short-term but will not negatively impact your financial wellbeing in the long-term.

 

BASIC NEEDS: food, housing, health care, transportation, childcare
EMERGENCY SAVINGS: varies according to your living expenses, but generally consists of three to six months of living expenses in reserves
WANTS: vacations, new items like clothes and books, new experiences like concerts

 

EQUITY SCHOLARSHIP

Radical Beings offers a select number of spots for people for whom our lowest tier is truly unworkable, and whose experience and approach still makes them a great fit for this work at this time. Investing at this level involves an application process.

 

CHOOSING RESPONSIBLY

 

When selecting your level of investment for a particular offering, as you consider the pricing tiers, we invite you to weigh the impact of your choice.

  • If you choose a tier below what you can responsibly afford, you are limiting the sustainability of this work and of this community. We invite you to consider the value of making sacred sacrifices (or making requests for financial support from others) in service of your vision.

  • If you choose a tier above what you can responsibly afford (and create significant hardship in your life), you are limiting your ability to create sustainability in your life and to be a powerful presence in this community. We invite you to consider the value of choosing a lower tier in service of your vision.

 
 

HOW TO MAKE THIS WORK

For a tiered approach to work, we rely on the principles of truthfulness, respect for complexity, and accountability. 

We do not ask for income verification. We trust clients to be honest. Community thrives when accountability is a central value because that is where trust grows and deep work can be done. 

We believe both that service providers deserve to get paid and that clients deserve pricing models which recognize the multiple realities of economic access and privilege that exist.

 
 

SACRED SACRIFICE VS. HARDSHIP

When examining access, we find the concept of sacred sacrifice versus hardship to be very useful because it:

  • recognizes and respects that investing in something might still be a challenge (even if it is only a short-term one), and

  • creates space for those who are navigating financial hardship.

If investing in this program will be difficult, but not detrimental, it qualifies as a sacred sacrifice. You might have to cut back on or rethink your spending in the short-term, but it will not negatively impact your long-term financial wellbeing. You are intentionally making a sacred sacrifice in order to pursue something you are called to do.

If, however, investing in this program will negatively impact your financial wellbeing – leaving you unable to put food on the table, pay rent, or pay for transportation to get to work – then it qualifies as a hardship. People experiencing or coming from a space of hardship are eligible for our lower pricing tiers or our Equity Scholarship.

 

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

 

Our pricing model is inspired by many practitioners who have come before us. The ideas and structures we apply here are adapted from two incredible sources: the Green Bottle Model from Worts + Cunning and Simone Seol’s Joyful Marketing. We are grateful for their leadership and their generosity.

 
 

OFFERINGS WITH EQUITABLE PRICING

 

Group Coaching

Integrate transformational tools to repair, revitalize, and revolutionize your life.