Do you have a feeling that you were put on earth to accomplish something…more? I did. Here’s what I found.
In 2014, I was a successful Fortune 500 executive. I have a wonderful wife and children. I live in a comfortable home, and have everything that I need. But something was missing.
Somedays, it felt like I consumed food, to create energy, to go to work, to make money so that I could consume more. Do you know that feeling? The purpose of my life has to be more than consumption.
At work, I was particularly bothered by an overemphasis on shareholders over all other stakeholders. Two fundamental questions grabbed me, and would not let go:
- To meet the needs of shareholders, do we have to sacrifice other stakeholders such as employees, customers, the communities in which we work, and the planet upon which we depend?
- If we focus on shareholders alone, is that a sustainable business model?
I could not shake these questions. So, I decided to try to answer them. In the process, I discovered companies that found a way to marry profit and purpose. These companies are called social enterprises. The people who run social enterprises are called social entrepreneurs.