Mission 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...
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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...
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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...
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Brian chats with serial entrepreneur, social innovator, and author Miki Agrawal. As the founder of disruptive ventures Tushy, Thinx, and Wild, Miki is known for challenging the status quo and driving cultural change. She is also the author of best-selling books Do Cool Sh*t and Disrupt-Her. On the episode, Miki dives deep into her experience building multiple 100-million-dollar businesses. She also shares the questions she asks before starting a new business and opens up about how some of her hardest times have led to growth. Episode Highlights Mission-driven businesses do well and good. Miki...
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Brian Thompson Financial just celebrated its seventh birthday. In this inspirational special episode, Brian reflects on the lessons he’s learned as a mission-driven business owner over the past seven years. He also shares the moments that led him to starting his own company, critical turning points, and factors he attributes to his success. Episode Highlights: 7 Lessons 1. Celebrate your success. Starting a business is scary and involves a lot of risk. To stay grateful and humble, it’s important to celebrate what you’ve built. “I’ve found taking moments to appreciate and celebrate...
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Brian chats with professional basketball player-turned-entrepreneur Jori Davis. Jori started her professional career in the WNBA with the Indiana Fever. Her decade-long global basketball career spanned six countries and sparked her desire to help other elite athletes own their legacy. Jori’s new venture, Wevolv, builds on her passion for empowering global athletes by creating a decentralized platform for global athletes to manage their careers and lifestyles. On the episode, Jori chats about what keeps her motivated as an athlete and business owner. She also opens up about some of the...
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Brian chats with three-time tech founder and CEO Neha Sampat. Her latest venture, Contentstack, is a category-leading Composable Digital Experience Platform used by Mitsubishi Electric, Burberry, Icelandair, Leesa, and more. Neha has raised $169 million in capital for Contentstack over the past three years, including a recent $80 million Series C round. On the episode, Neha provides a wealth of strategies and tactics for building multiple successful businesses, including the importance of aligning a mission with company values. She also shares why she is a relentless advocate for achieving...
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Brian chats with RHEA Services founder and “accidental business owner” Sarah Kendrick. Sarah started her career as a music therapist for children and adults with developmental disabilities but later realized the need for care and support in the bereavement process while helping her family after the death of her grandma. Bringing together the skills she developed during her years as a therapist, she founded RHEA Services to simplify the life transitions pre-planning and estate closure processes. On the episode, Sarah walks listeners through her journey of becoming an entrepreneur, including...
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Brian chats with long-time friend and fellow lawyer-turned-entrepreneur Jesmond Riggins. Jesmond founded Legislative Logistics, a legislative consulting company for small and medium-sized businesses. On the episode, Jesmond tells his inspiring story from graduating high school near the bottom of his class to graduating from law school and now starting his own business. He also provides insight into the motivational mindset that helps him to continue to achieve success. Episode Highlights Who you were does not determine who you will be. By the time Jesmond reached high school, he was entirely...
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Brian chats with Krish Himmatramka, the founder of Do Amore, which sells ethically sourced engagement rings to further its mission of providing clean water to people in developing countries. On the episode, Krish shares his journey from mechanical engineer to mission-driven entrepreneur, including his experience on the hit TV show Shark Tank. He also provides insights into building a for-profit brand that makes an impact and details how he scaled his business from an $18,000 investment to netting $40 million in sales. Episode Highlights Mission-driven businesses change lives. Krish defines a...
info_outlineIt’s almost the New Year, which means it’s the perfect time to reflect on the first year of the Mission Driven Business podcast. In this special Year in Reflection episode, Brian re-lives some of the best moments from the first 21 episodes of the podcast.
You'll hear some of the insights, strengths, and hope shared by the diverse podcast guests on their respective episodes. Brian also shares some of his favorite nuggets of wisdom, and he recounts how each guests’ story ties into the larger podcast theme -- that you can make money and serve a purpose.
Episode Highlights
There is no one definition of mission-driven business.
If you’ve listened to the podcast, you know that the first thing Brian asks his guests is to describe what a mission-driven business means to them. That’s because mission-driven businesses are distinct, and everyone has a different answer.
One of Brian’s favorite answers came from Phuong Luong, who shared a quote she heard in grad school.
“Don’t ask yourself what the world needs,” she said. “Instead, ask yourself what makes you come alive and go do that. Because what the world needs is for more people to come alive.”
Regardless of their definition, Brian makes sure listeners know that your business can make money and serve a purpose. It’s a point echoed by many of the guests on the podcast.
In the very first episode, Dawn Hancock summarized the principle by saying, “Profit does matter. It just doesn’t have to be the only thing.” But Brian Floriani may have said it most succinctly in episode 18: “No margin. No mission.”
Everyone has a different journey.
Every entrepreneur on the show has had a different path to their career. Brian highlighted how in episode two, Bill Bynum credited his childhood experiences as fundamental to him later running one of the largest community development financial institutions (CDFIs) in the U.S.
Other entrepreneurs had numerous twists on their paths running companies with purpose and profit. In episode 13, attorney Nici Kersey shared how running her own businesses wasn’t something she planned, but came after her company let her go because of a military move.
Nothing is perfect.
Unforeseen circumstances are a given with entrepreneurial life. In episode 11, Lauren Klafke opened up about how her work and home life adjusted when her business started booming at the same time she was caring for a newborn and overseeing a house remodel.
One way to navigate unforeseen circumstances is to know your values. Perhaps the best example yet of letting your values guide you is financial planner River Nice.
In episode 20, River shared how their values first guided them to leave the corporate world and try their hand at entrepreneurship, then again when defining their niche. The result is that River's day-to-day work is aligned with their strengths and values.
“I’m just so happy on a day-to-day basis,” River said. “Who knew life could be this good? It feels like bragging, but that’s the point, right? The point of this podcast is that life can be this good, and you can do it, too.”
Learn from the experts’ experiences.
While it’s nice to hear about purpose and values, podcast listeners have most enjoyed learning the strategies and tactics guests rely upon to run their home and work lives.
In episode 16, the owners of Columbus Running Company played up the importance of community, while in episode 3, Jacob Padrón praised the merits of asking for help. But Brian particularly appreciated the insights of Nici Kersey on how to let go of perfectionism: watch baseball.
“Watching baseball made me really focus more on the fact that you don’t have to be perfect,” Nici said. “These players are the best in the world at being a baseball player, and they mess up all the time, right?”
Self-care isn’t selfish.
Brian always ends the episode by asking each guest to share anything surprising they’ve learned on their journey. One of the most commented lines ever on the podcast came from Pamela Capalad’s answer to this very question.
“Running a business mostly sucks,” she said in episode 5.
While running a mission-driven can suck at times, all entrepreneurs on the podcast say the freedom and fulfillment are well worth pushing the uncertainty and overcoming the inevitable obstacles. But the grit needed to do that can be hard to learn, said Mark Suh in episode 21.
“That belief in yourself has to be strong enough that you don’t quit,” he said.
While the year has been filled with wisdom, Brian’s favorite piece of advice also came from the answer to this last question when Emlen praised the importance of self-care. In episode 10, Emlen explained how incorporating self-care into his regimented schedule has helped him ultimately have a more productive day.
“It was the aspect of tracking over time that made me realize, when I do this, I was a better husband, I was a better dad, I was more patient with the kids,” he said.
Resources + Links
- Brian’s Social Media: Twitter, Instagram, Facebook
- Episode 1: Socially Conscious Design with Dawn Hancock
- Episode 2: Advancing Opportunity in the Deep South with Bill Bynum
- Episode 3: Values-Based Leadership with Jacob Padrón
- Episode 4: Taking the Entrepreneurship Leap with Phuong Luong
- Episode 5: Building Brunch & Budget with Pamela Capalad
- Episode 6: Eradicating Entrepreneurial Poverty with Ron Saharyan
- Episode 7: Being Profit First with Mike Michalowicz
- Episode 9: Launching a Family-Run Business with Chantel Valentene and Brian Mackin
- Episode 10: Systems and Self-Care with Emlen Miles-Mattingly
- Episode 11: Setting Boundaries with Lauren Klafke
- Episode 13: When the Entrepreneur Life Chooses You with Nici Kersey
- Episode 14: Living Your Passion with George Kinder
- Episode 15: Equitably Investing in Cannabis with Seke Ballard
- Episode 16: Running a Successful Retail Business with Columbus Running Company
- Episode 17: Success on the Second Try with Anna Murphy
- Episode 18: Social Enterprise for Literacy with Brian Floriani
- Episode 19: Humane Marketing with Sarah Santacroce
- Episode 20: Defining Your Niche with River Nice
- Episode 21: Developing an Entrepreneurial Mindset with Mark Suh
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.