Inspiration

Stories that inspire and challenge us. Stories that lift our gaze and lift our spirits; that make us think of higher purposes and goals. They make us want to be better and do better.

12 Most Popular Podcast Guests of 2016

These are the most popular podcast guests of 2016, measured by the number of downloads. If you have been listening to the podcast Social Entrepreneur, you’ve had a chance to meet some amazing changemaker. If you want to find someone like you who is making a difference in the world, you should be able to see yourself among these 140+ guests. Their diversity is breathtaking. They have come from every continent, except for Antarctica. Some have achieved breakthrough results, while others are just beginning their journey. Some started young and some started in mid-life. Half were women. They are working across all 17 of the Sustainable Development Goals. Popular Podcast Guests…

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12 Social Entrepreneurs Who Can Make Your Day Better

The Social Entrepreneur podcast just closed out an amazing March, thanks to these twelve social entrepreneurs and thought leaders. I’m a lucky guy. I spend my time with changemakers who are making an impact in the world. March was an amazing month. I’m still feeling an emotional lift from being able to talk to these twelve changemakers…OK, thirteen if you insist, but I talked to two of them together, so let’s go with an even dozen. They are working on a variety of issues from healthcare to electronic waste. They work in Eastern Africa, South Asia, Western Europe and North America, and yet all have a global point of view….

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What Will You do With This One Short Amazing Life?

Impact: There is Precious Little Time I don’t think about it often, but there is one universal truth all humans share. We have precious little time to make an impact. Do you ever think about that? If you’re anything like me, every once in a while the universe comes along, taps you on the shoulder and whispers in your ear, “Remember why you are here.” Whether we are going to plant a tree, write a book, be a good parent or change the world, we’d better hurry. Of course we want our lives to matter. Who doesn’t, right? But once we understand our place in time, we sense that, if we are going to make an…

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You Are a Changemaker

Do you have the feeling that you were put on the earth to do more than fill and empty your Netflix queue? When you think of the tens of thousands of hours in your lifetime that you’re going to spend at work, do you ache for your career to be more closely aligned to your calling? Is there a social cause that inspires you or a social injustice that stirs your emotions? If so, you are a changemaker, and you’re not alone. In a recent survey, more than 50% of millennials say they would take a pay cut to find work in alignment with their values, and 90% want to…

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Our Top 12 Downloads of 2015

What a rush! The podcast, Social Entrepreneur launched on November 8, 2015. In the last two months of 2015, we featured 25 interviews with a wide array of social entrepreneurs and thought leaders. I spoke with founders from Peru, Nigeria, Sri Lanka, Uganda, India, Rwanda, Malaysia, South Africa, Australia, Kenya, Indonesia, Canada, and the United States. They ran for-profit, nonprofit, hybrid organizations and university programs. Some ran incubators and many came through an accelerator program. They made me laugh, surprised me (I’m looking at you, Carrie Rich!) and always inspired me. Social Entrepreneur Organizations In this article, I’ll tell you a little about twelve of them and invite you to hear…

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My Journey

This is my journey. Care to join me? There is a lot in my story that would not predict success. I was born in Arkansas in fairly simple circumstances. In high school I graduated 250th of 259. I drove a truck and worked as a janitor. I did not obtain my college degree until my mid-thirties. There were some significant turns in my river of life. At the age of 15 I had a near drowning accident. It helped me to realize how short life is, and how important it is to make an impact while we may. I had an amazing corporate career as an executive with Fortune 500 companies…

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I Have Never Been More Hopeful

The world can be a tough place. This is why I am so optimistic. Some days, it’s hard to hear the news. I find myself avoiding the television, radio and even Facebook, simply because there is too much bad news. With the advent of global communication, news travels at the blink of an eye. It pervades our days whether we want it to or not. I just feel like my body was not built to absorb this much grief. Does that sound familiar to you? While all of that is true, we have choices. I am not saying that we should pretend that bad news never happens. What I am suggesting is…

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