Don't Do it For the Money
Almost every truly successful person in the world shares one thing in common: they did what made them special for a purpose or cause, not for money.
And yet, 3/4 of the globe does what they do on a daily basis in order to earn enough money to support their families. That's not a bad thing; it just means that most of our global population's effort is focused on scraping by, rather than solving the important problems of the time.
I Admit: I Was Doing it For the Money
It's pretty difficult to embark on any entrepreneurial mission without having to focus on money. After all, things like cash flow, cash burn rate, and cash on hand can truly make or break your business.
But money shouldn't be the reason for a company's existence. I truly believe that to my core. And yet, for a long time, I struggled to find a deeper purpose behind the business I was running.
When I launched (and shortly after, closed down) my first company, I knew deep down that I was operating with no true "why."
Only two days after closing my first company, I fell into the "reselling" industry, where I use e-commerce platforms to sell pre-owned, brand-name textiles.
This time, I had a different feeling start to emerge deep down. I knew it was the industry for me, but I didn't know why. I had never really been very into fashion, and I had never really had enough money to afford a large enough wardrobe to be considered "stylish."
And yet, I felt called to be in this industry.
Finding My Purpose
Last night, I sat watching Leonardo DiCaprio's and National Geographic's new movie, "Before the Flood."
If you haven't watched it yet, you should. It's an incredible documentary highlighting the current state of the planet, and how critical it is for action to happen now.
My eyes were glued to the television as I watched Leo travel from one part of the world to another, only to discover immense environmental devastation.
And then, I remembered a statistic I had read only recently:
The fashion industry is the SECOND
largest environmental contaminator in the world.
Although the statistic only flashed through my mind for a moment, I was stunned. It couldn't be more obvious to me -
my calling in life - the reason I was put on this planet - is to stop the fashion industry's enormous environmental impact, and create a shift to already crafted textiles.
It's an enormous goal. Impossible, most would say.
But they also say that if your goals don't scare you, then they aren't big enough. ;)