Use Your Business to Make a Difference
I previously wrote about living with purpose, and I thought I would take it a step further if you are currently running a business. How do you use your business to make a difference and live with purpose?
I am a big Seth Godin fan and really connected with some of the ideas and values he shared in this interview with Kelsey Humphreys.
Have the Right Goals
Seth is a huge believer in using your business to make a difference. I love how straight to the point he was with this business advice: “If your goal is to simply to make money or ‘hack’ this hustle thing, then get a new goal.” Seth said that he has never seen people with these goals on the other side. To him, it’s all about connection and resonating with your audience. I think the biggest way to make a difference to help and connect with people, not just sell a product or service.
Connecting
Seth is extremely passionate about using social media to connect with people. He said if you are not connecting with them, then you are simply adding to the ‘noise’ that’s already out there. Telling people what you had for breakfast is noise. Say something that matters. It’s not about your ‘cloud score’ and followers, it’s about how well you can connect people and ideas to make a difference. Seth said that chasing money and a cloud score is a ‘race to the bottom’.
Make Your Own Map
So, how do you use your business to make a difference? According to Seth there isn’t a formula for this. It’s an art and a process; a journey and a way of thinking. “If there is no map then make your own.”
“You’re not looking for a path…If there’s a path then everyone is already on it.” I love this. You can make a difference by connecting with people, helping them and saying something that really resonates with them. How you do this will vary between yourself and somebody else, but the important thing is that you keep trying, and create your own path as you go.
Don’t Seek Reassurance
It sounds scary, but Seth says not to seek out reassurance from anyone because no amount will ever be enough. “Reassurance is futile”, he said, “you’ll never get enough of it”. So it’s ok, you can relax and know that we’re all on a similar journey. This feeling – the unknown, the uncertainty – this is business. So it’s ok. Become comfortable with the uncomfortableness.
