Overcome discouragement and failures on the way to your dreams

I decided to record this as a video blog too. You can either read or watch, whichever suits you best!



Just this morning I was reading a book called Crush it. The author was talking about being open and honest with your visitors. That encouraged me to write this.

The truth about business and pursuing your passion

1) It is not easy
2) It takes a lot of time
3) It takes a LOT of hard work and perseverance


Some business guru's and books make it sound so basic. Just do this and that and you'll be successful. Follow steps one, two, three, and boom you will have miraculously arrived.

I know from myself and several close friends of mine, all of which are also going hard after life trying to live tremendous lives and make a difference, that it does not always go the way we think. And it sure isn't easy. There will be obstructions as you go.

Most people talk only of their successes. Yet, it's in the failures that we learn and grow the most.


It's in the journey of struggles that we grow and become the people we need to be to manage the vision that is in our heart.


I have failed...many times. I have been refused from investors, lost business competitions, failed ideas, to name a few. I would love to say that I never let any of that stop me. But that's not true.



There was a occasion I distinctly remember when I let the discouragement of failure beat me.


I was spending so much time trying to build this social business company. Through a connection / mentor I was able to set up a meeting with two top executives of a large company. My meeting was to pitch them for our company as a consultant, coming in to work on helping them integrate strategic social impact into their company.

Long story short, they did not share the same value of making a difference with the poor as I do.

I was exceedingly discouraged. I let the failure dictate me. It was at a time when we desperately needed some breakthrough. I walked in the door and my wife said she could see defeat on me, which is not normal for me.

To be honest, it took me months to shake off that defeat.


The failures have grown me

The interesting truth that I've learned as I have contemplated some of the defeats and failures is that they aren't really failures if you learn and grow from them. They are part of the journey. They have grown me in ways I never could have dreamed.

There is a great quote that is incredibly inspiring, "He works all things together for good for those who love him and are called according to his purpose."

I would not be where I am today without having gone through the learning experiences of my failures. I know that they are shaping me to handle the huge dream in my heart.

6 Ways to overcome discouragement and failures:

1. Get around a like minded community
2. Find some mentors who are successful
3. Read about other successful people to get inspired by their stories
4. Determine to NEVER give up
5. Stay Focused don't let discouragement get you off track
6. Spend some time thinking and writing out the purpose behind your vision

These are some things that have helped me after periods of discouragement and failures.
I hope it helps you.


Action:

I would love to hear some of your stories so others can benefit from what you've learned.. Have you had failures that took you off course?

How did you handle it?

What advice would you give to others?

6 benefits to adding strategic social impact to your business

1) Increase customer buy-in / loyalty because they are a part of something more than profit.

“86% of global consumers believe that business needs to place at least equal weight on society’s interests as on business’ interests.” - Edelman 2010 goodpurpose®



2) Strengthen employee attraction, retention, and satisfaction

A survey of 759 graduating MBAs revealed they rank social responsibility very high on their list of values. 97.3% said they’d take up to a 14.4% sacrifice in income to work for a company that exhibited a strong social mission (Stanford Survey).



3)Increase your competitive advantage through adding a unique selling point

42% of consumers put social purpose as a top deciding factor after quality and price (good purpose survey).



4) Your social impact goes further

Toms Shoes founder, Blake, says that if he were to invest $500,000 into buying shoes to give away it would have given shoes once. However, by investing $500,000 into his business that gives shoes with a sustainable model, as of Sept. 2010, they have been able to donate one million pairs of shoes.



5) Attract strategic partnerships

Danone partnered with social enterprise Grameen bank to provide fortified yogurt in Bangladesh. Likewise, Ralph Lauren created a strategic partnership with Toms Shoes.



6) More fulfilment in business and life

We all know that money is not an end in itself, and leaves us unfulfilled and unsatisfied on its own. Whereas, giving and helping others brings true fulfilment.



We are offering a special 30 minute free consultation to talk through how you can add a strategic social impacting element into your business. Our desire it to see the world changed, and that starts with you. Send us an email to set up your free appointment, live, phone, or Skype.

Social Business Investment - ROI Squared

ROI2 (ROI Squared) - Return on Investment x Return on Impact

Usually, there are two types of investments available: financial and social. The first is investment into high producing corporations for optimum return on financial investment. The second, and less common, is investment into the charity sector for a high social return on that investment; which would be viewed as a donation not to be recouped. Having said that, there is a new trend growing; being powered by a fairly new theory coined social business.

The Trend

A social enterprise is a firm that is self-sustaining, not relying solely on donations, with a definitive goal of creating a social impact on society. A idea brought into popularity by nobel peace prize winner Muhammed Yunnus, Grammean Bank founder, a micro-finance lending institution in Bangladesh. Through his model, the bank lends modest amounts to impoverished entrepreneurs that normal banks would never consider. Thereby, giving them the chance to create income and lift their families out of poverty. Those funds are then recovered and can be used again and again. An income earning company whose main concentrate is social good.

What's most desirable about the idea of social business is the fact that it bridges the gap between traditional businesses and charities, at least in some situations. It opens up a whole new set of business opportunities, as well as investors. Yunus calls it a new capitalism. Social business will appeal not only to individuals and businesses that donate, but also to ones that desire to make a social impact, yet don't want to simply give once and lose their money in a donation.

In a social business the impact of the invested funds will be multiplied.

Consider this, if a person decides to donate $10,000 into a charity the charity will take the funds, put it to great use making a difference, then it is gone. On the other hand, a self-sustaining social business will receive the funds put it to great work in their business, which is making a difference, and recoup the investment back. The investor can then re-invest that $10,000 into the company or choose to use it elsewhere. That is why in social business it is about considering ROI2, return on investment x return on impact.

I want to pose a visionary question; what if investors began partnering with social businesses? Instead of leaving funds in savings yielding 2-3%, investing them into a social business receiving the same near the same rate of return, or better, and were making an incredible social impact. Then those funds could be reused for social impact over, and over and over again.

For more information on this topic please see our iSi Capital page and contact us.

Check out our new branding and download your free eBook on social business HERE!