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UNITE FOR LITERACY 
is a great organization that makes books available to children in the United States and around the globe. They provide no-cost reading material to emergent readers – both young kids and those learning a second or third language.
A great concept for a charitable non-profit, right? Sure. But these folks have a unique for-profit business model that’s part of an emerging trend in companies which do good while making money.
I had a chance to talk this week with Unite for Literacy’s CEO, Michael McGuffee. He, Mark Condon and Kurt Hoeven started this company a couple of years ago, based on 20 years of powerful experience working with families who live on Native American reservations. They saw firsthand what happens when kids lack a connection to written language, whether English or their mother tongue.
BILL TRACK 50 
is a great little company focused on helping people to be better integrated with what’s going on in our government.
It’s a straightforward idea: There’s loads of public information about what’s going on in legislative action, and people need to have a simple way to track it, pull information together, and use it for their own decision making.
Wait a sec: All this information is publicly available, right? Why would anybody pay to get it?
That’s a darned good question.
J OSH MILLER 
is a pastor who is starting up a new church in Fort Collins, St Thomas Church. He brings a wealth of experience and amazing energy, so I have confidence that he’ll see success with this venture.
I first met him at a local Chamber of Commerce event. How unusual is that, right? It’s almost as if business relationships can’t at all be associated with spirituality.
So of course I just had to find out more.
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.
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?
LIZ RYAN, Founder of Human Workplace, 
recently wrote a great article entitled “What is a mission-driven culture?”
I’d highly recommend it.
She’s talking about many of the same concepts that I cover on this blog – but this article focuses on the jobseeker’s point of view, rather than the company’s. There’s some great things to learn from this.
TODAY I HAVE questions but no answers.
I’ve been doing some work recently with another coach, and have found it to be highly valuable. It’s been probably ten years since I’ve worked on my own statement of purpose. I’d like to think that I’ve developed and grown since then.
Here’s the current version of my purpose statement: Read the rest of this entry »
The Values-Based Business 