Passion Driven Impact: You’re Doing Great!
Mission-focused work is hard. Social entrepreneurs are passionate people who work passionately, often at personal financial cost and exhausting emotional energy. So why do they/we do it? It’s a question worth pondering.
Over the last two decades, I have met with countless entrepreneurs, social enterprise leaders, small business owners, nonprofit leaders, and founders. What they all had in common was a desire to give back, do good, and make an impact. The stories are compelling, moving, and inspiring. Here are some of the reasons they do what they do:
✔️ Do unto others. Many social entrepreneurs give to others what they needed themselves or struggled to have: food, clothing, shelter, youth programming, educational opportunities, mental health services, addiction counseling...the list goes on and on. When you hear the testimony of founders, you hear their passion for wanting others to get a head start or get needs met in ways that they themselves needed.
✔️ Solve a problem. Many social entrepreneurs are driven by the need to see needs and the lack of solutions. For example, kids struggling in school need tutoring, people without homes need housing, people suffering from grief need support, and abandoned animals need care. Social entrepreneurs have a unique ability to see a problem and create a solution.
✔️ Give back. Many social entrepreneurs were born out of thankfulness. The founders’ story often includes a desire to support the community that supported them. Many social entrepreneurs are grateful for opportunities extended, blessings given, and success achieved. The desire to give back, share, and help is a strong driver for starting an organization.
Some of the best innovators, strategists, and organizers are in the social entrepreneurial space. They are the unsung heroes making an impact and making a difference just because. Look for the helpers. Lend them a hand. Show them support with your time, talent, treasure, ties, and testimony. Are you a social entrepreneur who needs help? Feeling overwhelmed? You are not alone. Reach out. We see you. We support you, and we applaud you. You’re doing great.