Mission Driven Business
Brian chats with Amanda Wilson, the co-founder of #open, a dating app for ethically non-monogamous relationships. On the episode, Amanda opens up about the fear she faced pivoting from running political campaigns to launching a sex-positive tech business with her business and life partner. She also shares essential strategies and tactics for navigating the challenges of entrepreneurship and how she utilizes AI to fuel growth and innovation at #open. Episode Highlights Mission-driven businesses balance making money with benefiting society. Amanda defines a mission-driven business as one that...
info_outline The Mission Driven Business Podcast Episode 72: Crafting A Legacy Of Leadership with Amanda Bauer-FrischMission Driven Business
Brian chats with serial entrepreneur and visionary leader Amanda Bauer-Frisch. As the CEO of Small Legacies, Amanda creates a way to give thoughtful, high-quality learning tools that enhance a child’s development. She also oversees several other small, legacy-driven businesses under the Enduring Legacy brand. On the episode, Amanda opens up about how becoming a young widow and being open to the right, new opportunities shaped her entrepreneurial journey. She also provides a behind-the-scenes look at how she’s purchased several existing brands and shares tips for finding and acquiring...
info_outline The Mission Driven Business Podcast Episode 71: Driving A Heart-Led Business with Brian MoakMission Driven Business
Brian chats with Brian Moak, an entrepreneur, consultant, coach, and motivational speaker focused on service-based businesses and team engagement. As the owner and CEO of HEART Certified Auto Care, Brian used empathy to transform his family’s business into an industry-leading auto shop. He also owns one of the largest Shack Shine franchises in North America and is a partner in a digital marketing firm. On the episode, Brian Moak details his rollercoaster entrepreneurial journey, riding the lows of losing $1.5 million in one year to growing his business to earn nearly $15 million in revenue....
info_outline The Mission Driven Business Podcast Episode 70: How To Create Powerful Mission, Vision, and Values StatementsMission Driven Business
On this special episode, Brian dives deep into the art of crafting your business’s mission, vision, and value statements. These principles are the roadmap to success, and Brian gives a blueprint for creating powerful mission, vision, and values statements that shape the foundation of a successful company. This process is a fundamental topic for any budding entrepreneur or business owner. Episode Highlights How to write an effective mission statement The mission statement is the heart of any business, encapsulating the “why” behind your company’s existence. To be effective, a...
info_outline The Mission Driven Business Podcast Episode 69: Building A Business For Financial Independence with LaSean SmithMission Driven Business
Brian chats with LaSean Smith, a software developer and business creator on a mission to help businesses and business owners succeed. LaSean spent more than a decade as a software executive at Amazon and Microsoft, where he uncovered patterns to use process as a tool to win in business more often. He now uses those insights to help entrepreneurs launch and sustain bootstrapped businesses. On the episode, LaSean digs deep into what it means to have a values-based business and why owning a business is the most predictable way to achieve financial independence. He also outlines the...
info_outline The Mission Driven Business Podcast Episode 68: Start 2024 With A Clean Slate With This Year-End ChecklistMission Driven Business
It’s hard to believe that 2023 is almost over. Before the New Year, it’s time to reflect on the past year and get ready for the next one. On this special episode, Brian lists off 10 business and 10 personal tasks that you should check off your list to end 2023 on the right note and start 2024 with a clean slate. Episode Highlights 10 End-Of-Year Business Action Items 1. Review your goals How did you do this year? What were you proud to accomplish? Anything you wish you could have done better? The end of the year is a great time to review the goals you made at the beginning of the year and...
info_outline The Mission Driven Business Podcast Episode 67: Empowering Inclusive Entrepreneurship with Ebony JanelleMission Driven Business
Brian chats with inclusive entrepreneurship expert Ebony Janelle. As an Empower by GoDaddy manager, Ebony drives GoDaddy’s corporate program that helps underserved entrepreneurs thrive. She manages the day-to-day operations that provide education, networking, and mentorship to small business owners from underfunded communities. On the episode, Ebony discusses the challenges facing LGBTQ+ entrepreneurs, including a disparity in funding and resources. She also shares the three pillars that entrepreneurs of all kinds can use to uplevel their businesses and how the use of generative AI can...
info_outline The Mission Driven Business Podcast Episode 66: Creating Your Personal Brand with Isaac SaldanaMission Driven Business
Brian chats with serial entrepreneur and SendGrid founder Isaac Saldana about his new venture Memo, which helps people build authentic and trustworthy personal brands. On the episode, Isaac opens up about how his introversion initially made it difficult for him to sell his expertise online, and how he's now using his experiences to help other entrepreneurs and creatives effectively showcase their talents. He also gives tips for being a leader with your natural personality and for using your values to navigate difficult business decisions. Episode Highlights Mission-driven businesses move...
info_outline The Mission Driven Business Podcast Episode 65: Cultivating Courage with Elliot GreenbergerMission Driven Business
Brian chats with Elliot Greenberger, a new entrepreneur who recently pivoted from corporate leadership to business coaching. On the episode, Elliot opens up about how he felt stuck and drained before he started his business, even though he had a successful career and a fulfilling family life. He also shares the practical steps he took to launch his coaching firm and tips for creating an effective sales process that aligns with your business's mission. Episode Highlights Mission-driven businesses are born out of a sense of purpose. Every business has a purpose, whether the leaders of a company...
info_outline The Mission Driven Business Podcast Episode 64: Creating An Inclusive Clothing Company with Spider PerryMission Driven Business
Brian chats with Spider Perry, founder of the inclusive clothing company NerdyKeppie. Spider initially created the company as a side business to provide LGBTQ Judaica for their daughter and now runs NerdyKeppie full-time with the help of several part-time employees. On the episode, Spider shares how the business has evolved throughout its growth. They also list their top tips for keeping a business afloat and emphasize the importance of delegation. Episode Highlights Mission-driven businesses create the world you want to live in. Spider defines a mission-driven business as a company that...
info_outlineBrian chats with George Kinder, the father of the modern financial life planning movement. George is the founder of the Kinder Institute of Life Planning. He has more than 30 years of experience as a practicing financial planner and tax advisor and has trained more than 3,000 professionals in 30 countries.
In the episode, George talks about the importance of passion, and how his passion for creating a strong training model fueled him to draft his famous three questions. He also discusses how his purpose continues to evolve as his life grows and changes.
Episode Highlights
Mission-driven businesses are driven to a higher purpose.
George defines a mission-driven business as one that is driven toward a larger purpose.
“It’s a business that is dedicated to a higher purpose, one way or another,” he said.
But it’s not just the business itself that can be oriented toward a bigger cause, George said. The people who run the business, the community, the staff, and the consumers can all be part of that larger purpose.
“If they are going to be mission-driven, businesses also have to be really personal and really connected with who we are,” George said.
Passion comes before precision.
George Kinder is perhaps best known for his three Kinder questions:
- Imagine you are financially secure, that you have enough money to take care of your needs, now and in the future. How would you live your life? Would you change anything? Let yourself go. Don't hold back on your dreams. Describe a life that is complete and richly yours.
- Now imagine that you visit your doctor, who tells you that you have only 5-10 years to live. You won't ever feel sick, but you will have no notice of the moment of your death. What will you do in the time you have remaining? Will you change your life and how will you do it? (Note that this question does not assume unlimited funds.)
- Finally, imagine that your doctor shocks you with the news that you only have 24 hours to live. Notice what feelings arise as you confront your very real mortality. Ask yourself: What did you miss? Who did you not get to be? What did you not get to do?
In the interview, George stressed that he didn’t arrive at those questions overnight. He established his passion for training and life planning well before the three questions were set in stone.
“The precision of that model took a while,” he said. “You got the passion for it, and little things get tweaked.”
Passion can fuel you to do great things.
When developing the questions, George noticed what brought his clients alive during their meetings. It led to a central question: “What brings them into a passionate relationship with their life that they’re feeling like they can make a difference? That they can be who they want to be? And that they can make a real difference to the world around them?”
For George, that passion was training life planners. Although he started his work as a financial planner and tax advisor as a way to earn money, his passion for helping clients craft a vision of their life -- and then ultimately step into that life -- fueled him to develop the three questions.
“I became passionate about creating the strongest model for training that I could possibly imagine that would deliver advisors into being mission-driven advisors, having their own mission-driven businesses, and then delivering all of their clients into living mission-driven lives,” he said.
One thing that still amazes both Brian and George is watching clients find their spark and come alive. Once clients find their passions -- and know someone believes in them -- they turn into problem solvers.
“What astonished me was that when you lit somebody’s fire, when you got them passionable about their lives, they went at it,” George said. “Suddenly, they solved a lot of the obstacles that stood in their way.”
Resources + Links
- Kinder Institute of Life Planning
- George’s books: The Seven Stages of Money Maturity: Understanding the Spirit and Value of Money in Your Life, Life Planning for You: How to Design & Deliver the Life of Your Dreams, Transforming Suffering into Wisdom:: Mindfulness and The Art of Inner Listening, A Golden Civilization and The Map of Mindfulness, Lighting the Torch: The Kinder Method(TM) of Life Planning, A Song for Hana & the Spirit of Leho'ula
- Brian’s Social Media: Twitter, Instagram, Facebook
About Brian and the Mission Driven Business Podcast
Brian Thompson, JD/CFP, is a tax attorney and certified financial planner who specializes in providing comprehensive financial planning to LGBTQ+ entrepreneurs who run mission-driven businesses. The Mission Driven Business podcast was born out of his passion for helping social entrepreneurs create businesses with purpose and profit.
On the podcast, Brian talks with diverse entrepreneurs and the people who support them. Listeners hear stories of experiences, strength, and hope and get practical advice to help them build businesses that might just change the world, too.