Continued from Blog #53
Now, understand, I, too, have for decades, exercised a compassionate interest in many social issues that include rescuing lives. I’ve organized and led food distribution to needy families, I’ve helped hurting women, children in danger, and homes for single mothers in thirty-seven states. I was the point man for an intervention to rescue twin brothers from the manipulations and abuse of a cult leader, the details of which were reported in a major city newspaper. And presently I serve as a keynote speaker for fundraising efforts by non-profit organizations. I know something about the most vulnerable among us. And I did all of this while espousing an entrepreneurial lifestyle.
So, now you understand, what my friend is saying about Social Business already appeals to me. However, in so many words he explained that he was unable to get that done in the business environment in which he found himself. Financial issues, insider political matters, keeping stockholders happy, I don’t know what all. He did not make that clear. He wasn’t bitter, but whatever the reason, it boiled down to one thing, he could not get the social business implemented, though he tried, and so he resigns.
So, what’s next, is, he had some social business strategies he wanted to investigate; it would just take some time, but all I was able to do was just follow his efforts, stay in touch and see what would develop. I paid attention to these developments for over two years more. The reason I did, is I really liked what he told me that day about this new concept of social business and that entrepreneurs, like myself, really anyone, could earn money in the process of saving lives. Honestly, It sounded genius to me; I could see it working.
I began my own investigation and climbed my own learning curve about social business. It really wasn’t that hard to understand. It was as simple as Girl Scout cookies. Have you ever heard of Girl Scout cookies? Everybody has. In 1917, the Girl Scouts created this fund-raising endeavor and it has been incredibly successful. What the Girl Scouts did was take a non-profit, social cause; namely, the work of the Girl Scouts, they entered the economy and tapped its power, to market cookies. This was a simple Social Business idea implemented well enough over the years to presently generate $750M of cookie sales annually. Yeah, you heard me right. Pretty decent fundraiser. So, let Girl Scout Cookies be your introduction to Social Business 101.
So, I’m in a wait mode that is over two years long. But I did not wait passively. I not only educated myself, but I implemented a website, wrote several pertinent blogs, recorded audios, and published podcasts on the subject. And above all created a management support system in anticipation of the day I got started. The system I designed would support the team of people that would decide to help save lives with me through this social business idea to which I had only been introduced. Though I have had many back-to-the-drawing-board-moments this is exactly what happened until such a time as the Hope Movement was ready to roll.
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