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After the term ‘global warming’ changed to ‘global boiling,’ as a purpose-driven business, everyone at Anima felt incredibly frustrated. Shaken to our core, being in the services space felt exceedingly challenging. It seemed like everything we had been working on as a team amounted to nothing. Though it was just a glimpse, we are now more aggressively determined than ever.
In this moment, we truly understood the definition of a purpose-driven business – those with business models focused on accelerating progress on societal, environmental, and economic challenges while making a profit.
These businesses are the only options in the world that can create positive change today.
As a collective of purpose entrepreneurs, our mission grants us the unique opportunity to align our business with a higher calling.
Saving the world is a profound calling that gives us a sense of meaning and fulfillment that goes beyond the bottom line — something as genetically motivating as money.
Each step we take towards sustainability and social good contributes on a scale that’s larger than our comprehension of the world.
Just as in the movie “Interstellar”, our impact transcends time and space. Our work ripples across communities, leaving a lasting positive impact on people today and in the future, while also impressing the geniuses of the past.
Our caliber of conversation sparks creativity and innovation every single time.
Imagine discussing excel sheets at the water cooler all day (our apologies to the finance folks)
It surpasses anything we’ve ever experienced, turning us into magnets for game-changing ideas that disrupt the status quo.
We’ve realized that saving the world isn’t a simple task.
We face resource constraints, limited budgets, and sometimes the uphill battle of convincing people to believe in what we’re building – every single day.
When we examine the magnitude of each issue at hand, the mountain is so massive that comprehending the impact required to instill change becomes daunting.
The words ‘global challenges’ are inherently grand, even looking at them is overwhelming. We find ourselves wondering if our efforts are sufficient to make a significant difference.
We’ve sacrificed everything in the short term. We’ve given up profits, resources, time, energy, growth, to name a few, all in the hope of immeasurable long-term goals.
Still,
we approach this challenge with determination.
Quantifying the impact of our noble endeavors can be puzzling.
Finding accurate metrics to gauge our influence remains an ongoing challenge, and it will persist as we continue on our purpose-driven journey.
Remember, we are humans, not warriors ready to dismantle everything we have in order to conform to the complex world we live in.
Even at the brink,
we strike a perfect balance between purpose and profit, ensuring our business models align with our mission and financial sustainability – even though it often feels like walking a tightrope.
Not everyone may embrace our purpose-driven approach. Overcoming resistance from skeptics and traditionalists can be an uphill battle.
However, we’ve come to understand that by coming together, collaborating, and joining forces with like-minded individuals and organizations, we amplify our impact and create a network of change-makers working towards a common goal.
Embracing transparency in all aspects of our work, and being open about our progress and challenges, helps us build trust and credibility with our stakeholders.
We’ve also realized that flexibility and adaptability are our secret weapons. Continuously learning, improving, and being open to adjusting our approach when necessary.
As purpose-driven entrepreneurs, we are a breed of empowered individuals with a shared goal – a force to be reckoned with. Together, armed with the knowledge of how to address the Earth’s issues, which comes from us and only us, we identify our journeys as marathons and confront them with stoicism and determination.
→ Action Step: Identify a source of frustration in your life, then discuss it with trusted people to gain insights and strategies for turning that frustration into motivation. Take actionable steps and set goals to embrace the shift and achieve growth.