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YOU 
HAVE A POWERFUL VISION: You’re going to save the natural river with your ice cream business. You’re putting together your plan, things are pulling together, but then you have a nagging feeling.
You’re losing sight of your vision.
Sure, the passion’s still there, but you’ve realized that you’re spending the bulk of your time just doing all the logistical stuff. Health department requirements, suppliers, inventory, opening a new location, advertising … it’s pretty overwhelming.
How are you ever going to have time to save the river?
SilverEdge 
WAS A TRADITIONAL payments services company in Colorado. From that history as Payment Solutions, they’ve reinvented themselves under a new name as a payment technology provider for small- and medium-sized businesses.
I saw that they were growing swiftly – they made the Inc. 500 in 2012, the Mercury 100 in 2011 and were awarded the Mercury Fastest Growing Company in 2012. But I hadn’t paid much attention.
This is an impressive business. Fast growing, focused, and solid in their convictions.
A few weeks ago I met Ken Salazar, president and CEO, and was impressed with the values foundation they have for the company. So I was glad I had a chance to meet with him and dig into the topic.
SOMETIMES 
IT’S ONLY FAITH that gets you through.
This has been a tumultuous few weeks, both for my business and personally. I won’t go into details here, but it’s been … a testing time.
Life is not meant to be comfortable or convenient.
WE’RE ALL FALLEN, INSECURE, DOUBTFUL. It’s a fact of life and part of the human condition.
Your business, whatever it is, can supply hope. For you, for employees, for partners, even customers.
I mean this in a deep way, not just as an element of your marketing messages.
KELLER WILLIAMS 
REALTY is the largest real estate franchise company in North America, with over 100,000 associates in 700 offices and twelve countries. They have grown rapidly since being started in 1983.
But that’s not the real story.
This company is really, seriously, passionately, designed around the agents who provide such great service for their clients.
ANNETTE 
AND PATRICK ARCHAMBEAU have a neat little window-washing business here in northern Colorado. They’re focused, professional, and dedicated to building their loyal client base.
But they’re also quite clear that this company isn’t the purpose of their lives. That honor falls to the dear horses they serve.
Back in the mid 1990s they formed a non-profit, now Archway Foal and Rescue Training. This is their deep passion, helping foals needing medical and social assistance. They typically work with an animal for 3 to 4 years, sometimes saving them from slaughter.
ROBERT REICH
is one smart guy, and I deeply respect the fact that he appears to actually understand how the economy works.
So I noticed his recent article titled “The Rebirth of Stakeholder Capitalism“.
He makes a powerful distinction between Shareholder Capitalism and Stakeholder Capitalism. The former structures a business to benefit only the shareholders, while the latter incorporates other beneficiaries: customers, employees, and communities.
COMPASSION 
is an interesting topic, so I was fascinated by a challenging article by Jeff Mowatt entitled Is compassion the fourth bottom line?
He makes a powerful argument that improving peoples’ lives can be just as important as any other business objective. In fact, one could even state that it’s more important than any other objective, because it’s what makes a business sustainable.
Unfortunately, I think the evidence would show us that successful companies could rarely be described as compassionate – to customers, employees, or society.
At least the way we currently define success.
LAST WEEK 
I talked about how a sense of purpose is so much more than just what makes you happy.
But if you think about it, purpose can be an extremely self-centered thing. If you follow the direction of a higher power, then it’s going to be different.
Do you believe you’ve been given a mission from God? Do you believe that His direction is more important than your own wishes?
And what does this have to do with your business?
THIS 
IS PERHAPS the wrong question.
But we’ve been telling our kids for generations now to do what makes them happy. “Follow your bliss,” we say.
The problem is that happiness is an emotion, and it’s fleeting. Read the rest of this entry »
