Tough times cause some laid off employees to get creative about finding work, even creating jobs for themselves in unfamiliar fields.

Shaker Heights, OH -- (SBWIRE) -- 05/28/2010 -- A popular urban legend claims the Mandarin Chinese word for "crisis" is a combination of the words for "danger" and "opportunity." Although not entirely true, it shows Americans' widely differing responses to being laid off from work during tough economic times, like the recent recession.

When the number of jobs lost goes up, so does the number of new sole proprietorships, according to a study by the Small Business Administration. Although many people who lose a job look for work in their established field, many others take a layoff as an opportunity to make a change. That change can often be to start a small business instead of looking for work with an established company.

Soul Buffet is a new online business, started by a laid-off radio program director, which offers sessions with psychics, mediums and other "intuitive readers." Chris Miller, Soul Buffet's owner, admits that it's a big course change for him: "I do a lot of the same stuff that I did in radio, like marketing and publicity and web content. But I'm doing it in a completely different field."
Coming out of a recession, small businesses tend to lead the way in job growth over larger corporations. Some of those new jobs come as a result of well-funded start-ups, but most small businesses start as someone's dream in a home office, or in a storefront, or online at a new website. So the first job a small business owner creates is his or her own, and it can also be the most unsure one.

Chris Miller of Soul Buffet says, "We're not out of the woods; I don't know yet if we'll be successful in the long run." He says he's done his research and believes he can create enough interest, but "it's a leap of faith. Ultimately, you have to put yourself out there without knowing if it's going to work out."

Miller is counting on the unsteady feelings of many to help build his business. "I'm targeting people who don't tend to run off to a psychic every time they have a problem, but, rather, those who are open to it … and may not have a clue how to find a good intuitive reader."

Even skeptics agree that over a billion dollars are spent around the world every year on help from "the other side." "Although the economy is still struggling, now looks like a good time for me to start Soul Buffet," explains Miller. "When people are put through hard times, they start questioning their assumptions, and become open to working with someone like a good psychic to help get answers they couldn't get any other way."

Miller, who lives in Shaker Heights, Ohio, says he knows others who see a layoff as a scary time, but also one to help break old boundaries.

"When I worked in radio," he says, "I could only really talk to people who could get my stations … in this case, Cleveland. But with Soul Buffet, I can do business with anyone with an internet connection who speaks English."

Soul Buffet is the new place to book life-changing sessions with psychics, mediums, and other intuitive readers and spiritual healers, online at SoulBuffet.com.

If you'd like more information or would like to schedule an interview with Chris Miller or any of the alternative spiritual energy practitioners, call Chris at (503) 489-7685, or email him at chris@soulbuffet.com.

For more information on this press release visit: http://www.releasewire.com/press-releases/release-3.htm

Alternative spiritual energy practitioners are eager to help new clients who are looking for new solutions while facing money issues and other problems as well. They bring unique talents to bear on real-world issues.

Shaker Heights, OH -- (SBWIRE) -- 05/18/2010 -- Psychics and mediums say that they're hearing from more new clients than ever before during these tough economic times. That's fine with many alternative spiritual energy practitioners (psychics, mediums, astrologers, tarot readers and others), who admit the reason they got into their field first and foremost was to help people.

Often, it takes some big life hurdle – or a combination of problems -- to drive a person to contact a psychic for help. Those problems can range from health issues to bumpy relationships to financial crises. During economic hard times, alternative spiritual energy practitioners encounter more and more people digging into their pockets for a personal session. These people are often facing individual or family financial issues which are intensified in severity by the current economic crisis.. That ends up being a frightening combination that propels them to seek forms of help they hadn't previously considered.

Even skeptics admit that billions of dollars are spent on alternative spiritual energy practitioners every year. The skeptics aside, many people feel – on a deep, personal level – that there are forces that affect our lives that can't be perceived by the five senses. Thus, they're drawn to psychics, mediums, or tarot readers.

Chris Miller owns SoulBuffet.com, an informational portal about alternative practices which helps pair individuals with spiritual practitioners. According to Miller, for years people have been trending away from traditional physical and spiritual healing and are seeking out alternatives such as acupuncture, massage therapy, herbal remedies, and spiritual healers. "There are perfectly ordinary people out there who feel their lives have been changed by a session with a psychic. It's very common for someone to run into a stressful life situation, and to seek out a type of help they've never looked for before."

Though practitioners in this field use a wide variety of tools and techniques, many work with personal energies that often can't be perceived with the five senses. Sometimes, they'll communicate with angels and spirit guides and loved ones from the "other side." When it comes to personal energy, Angel communicator Alison Kelly of Alpharetta, Georgia, says, "Within this energy are the answers to questions regarding your physical health, soul's purpose, and any subconscious beliefs that may be blocking you from experiencing a whole and balanced life."

Kelly notes that this is always positive communication even in difficult situations. "For example, if you were in a relationship that was about to end or not serving your highest good, then the Angels would present you with some positive alternatives or other possibilities. They don't give any messages that leave you feeling hopeless. The Angels will always shine light on any situation."

People are often hesitant to consult a psychic because they're skeptical about the ability to foretell the future. Actually, what most practitioners do is pick up on or sense vibrations and influences and possibilities. "I do not have a crystal ball, I do not know lottery numbers and I do not know when Mr. or Ms. Right will walk in the door," says intuitive psychic medium Lisa J. Smith of Bingham Falls, Michigan. "I do know about YOU and how we can work together to bring you joy, happiness, love and a new perspective into your life. I give you a different way of looking at things using my mediumship and intuitive abilities."

Alternative spiritual energy practitioners often end up being the "last resort" for people in various tough situations. Karen Deutsch, a psychic and intuitive reader in Columbus, Ohio, is called to consult by the police, medical personnel and mental health professionals. This phenomenon has been dramatized in the TV series, "Medium," based on a Phoenix, Arizona, practitioner, but Deutsch explains it in a very matter-of-fact way. Deutsch tells the story of a recent session with a woman and her grown niece; "I told the aunt that she would find work without looking. It would literally find her! I told her niece, who had not been feeling well, that I saw a tumor, and was concerned it might be serious. The aunt called me last week and said; she walked into a clothing store where the manager approached her and said she had "the look" to sell, and would she like a job? She accepted on the spot! Sadly, her niece did have a tumor, but was grateful that I disclosed the information, because after going to her OB/GYN and having scans and a biopsy, surgery was performed last Friday, and she is doing well."

Karen Deutsch says that her father had the same talents she does: he was both a surgeon and a medical intuitive, who used both his medical knowledge and his insight to help diagnose, treat and cure patients.

Many alternative spiritual energy practitioners say that even though financial issues might drive people to seek them out in the first place, often their clients end up dealing with a range of problems. "If they're worried about paying the bills," says Miller, "they're often secondarily stressed out about a health condition that's exacerbated by worrying about money. Or, they're working two part-time jobs instead of one full-time job, and the kids are into trouble because they're unsupervised more hours of the day."

Miller adds that some people seek spiritual guidance as a way to "grab the reigns and take personality responsibility. People get overwhelmed, they know they need help and don't know who to talk to. Many feel that visiting a psychic or medium can be comforting as well as a constructive step toward problem resolution."

SoulBuffet.com provides guests with information about intuitive readings and alternative spiritual healing, and includes a directory of practitioners and their areas of specialty.

For more information on this press release visit: http://www.releasewire.com/press-releases/release-3.htm