Founded On Purpose

What does it take to be driven by purpose while tackling some of society’s most complex challenges? In this episode, Devin Thorpe, impact investor, author, and host of Superpowers for Good, shares how persistence, optimism, and a strong belief in collective action have shaped his career and mindset. Devin’s reflections will inspire you to embrace hard challenges and see your own potential to create meaningful change.

Episode Summary:
In this engaging conversation, host Kt McBratney sits down with Devin Thorpe, a champion of social impact, crowdfunding expert and creator of Superpowers for Good. They explore the powerful role persistence and optimism play in making an impact, even when the road seems tough. Devin reflects on key moments in his life, from his early career lessons to his personal experiences raising a son who embodies the belief that we can do hard things. He also discusses the barriers to making social change, lessons learned from mistakes, and the critical importance of play and balance in a purpose-driven life.

Whether you’re an entrepreneur, an advocate, or someone looking to make a difference in the world, Devin’s insights will leave you inspired to face challenges with confidence, knowing that together we can accomplish the impossible.

Key Takeaways:

1. The Power of Persistence: Devin emphasizes that persistence is his superpower, a trait that's crucial when tackling long-term goals like addressing climate change. Success, he explains, requires ongoing effort, even in the face of mistakes and challenges.
2. We Can Do Hard Things: Drawing from personal stories, including his son’s decision to pursue a PhD in physics and Rotary International’s efforts to eradicate polio, Devin passionately argues that both individuals and society can achieve incredibly difficult goals if they commit to the challenge.
3. Optimism in the Face of Global Problems: While acknowledging the complexity of issues like poverty and climate change, Devin remains optimistic. He believes that with enough collective effort and innovative thinking, society can rise to the challenge and make a difference in even the most daunting areas.
4. Crowdfunding with Purpose: Devin shares his insights on crowdfunding, including the mindset shift needed when asking for money — it's not about weakness, but rather offering people an opportunity to be part of something bigger.
5. The Importance of Play and Rest: Despite focusing much of his energy on solving major global issues, Devin admits the need for balance. He reflects on how appreciating nature and moments of joy — like watching wildlife near his home — help him maintain perspective and stay grounded.
6. Lessons from Failure: In his honest and humorous way, Devin talks about making mistakes, especially when it comes to his weekly investment picks in his newsletter. He openly shares how embracing failure has helped him grow and learn over the years.

Themes:

• Persistence and overcoming barriers
• The intersection of social impact and entrepreneurship
• Collective action and optimism in solving global issues
• Balancing hard work with play and rest
• The evolving role of crowdfunding in the impact space

Links & Resources:

• Superpowers for Good Newsletter
• Superpowers for Good podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts
• Learn more about impact crowdfunding, including regular events from The Super Crowd
• Books by Devin Thorpe
• Learn more about Renew VC
• Sign the Purpose Pledge
• Subscribe to Founded on Purpose

Want more?
If you enjoyed this episode, don’t forget to subscribe to Founded on Purpose for more inspiring conversations with change-makers like Devin. Leave us a review and share the episode with someone who could use a dose of optimism and practical advice for tackling big challenges.

There are 950,000 hair salons in the U.S., bringing in $68B annually, yet the average salon owner is leaving $150,000 a year on the table. Enter Chrystal L. Graves, the founder and CEO of Liquid, the decision engine helping salon owners increase profits and thrive. 

In this episode, Chrystal talks with host Kt McBratney about the driving forces behind her entrepreneurial journey. She shares her insights on maintaining alignment with her "why," balancing visualization with action, and the importance of self-determination. We dive into how Chrystal blends personal practices with professional strategies, including her approach to manifesting success as a parent and founder, and the unique ways she finds joy and play in her life.

Key Takeaways:

• Alignment with Purpose: Chrystal emphasizes the importance of understanding the purpose behind every decision in business and aligning actions with core values. Her approach centers on a strong sense of purpose and the belief in self-determination as a key to success.
• Visualization and Action: Chrystal reveals her practice of combining visualization with action to manifest her goals. She highlights how this practice has shaped her approach to leadership and goal-setting, while maintaining a realistic outlook on challenges and failures.
• Navigating Advice: Chrystal shares her strategy for filtering advice in the tech startup world, emphasizing the importance of understanding the source and waiting 72 hours before making impactful decisions.
• Finding Joy: Discover how Chrystal reconnects with her inner child through activities like art and dance, and how these practices fuel her creativity and passion.
• The Best Parts of the Job: From the relatable tasks of managing emails and calendars to her favorite aspect of engaging with salon owners and providing impactful solutions, Chrystal offers a candid look into her day-to-day experiences.

Links & Resources Mentioned:

• Learn more about Liquid at getliquid.ai
• Connect with Chrystal on Instagram and LinkedIn
• Listen to Chrystal's playlist 
• Learn more about Renew VC
• Sign the Purpose Pledge
• Subscribe to Founded on Purpose

Quotes:

• “Understanding what we’re doing, why we’re doing it, and who we’re doing it for will always keep that alignment.”
• “I visualize, I write it down, I manifest it, I talk about it every day, and I talk about it as if it’s done.”

Sometimes pushing the limits means climbing Mount Kilimanjaro, and sometimes it means making the fertility journey more proactive and inclusive. Today's guest can attest to both. Kt sits down with Jessica Bell van der Wal, co-founder and CEO of Frame Fertility, to talk about her purpose-driven path to help people navigate family planning with confidence and care. She shares her insights on as proactive care, embracing mistakes as a founder, and how taking care of others is one successful path to raise millions, represent women in leadership to the next generation, and live a life full of purpose and adventure.

Key Takeaways:

• Purpose at the Core: Jessica shares how her purpose of taking care of others is deeply tied to her work in healthcare, where she finds meaning by supporting others through complex systems. She reflects on her background in public health and how her early experiences shaped her career focus on mission-driven organizations.
• Proactive Care in Fertility: Jessica highlights Frame Fertility’s unique approach of focusing on early identification of fertility risks. She emphasizes the need for fertility screening at routine health checkups, not just when individuals are actively trying to conceive, and discusses how Frame is building a new standard for proactive fertility care for both men and women.
• Personal Wins: Jessica reflects on a special moment when her daughter watched her speak on stage, a moment that brought together her roles as both a mother and a business leader. She shares how important it is to her that her daughter grows up seeing women in leadership roles, especially in spaces where they can make meaningful change.
• Entrepreneurial Lessons: As a founder, Jessica talks about the inevitability of making mistakes and how embracing those mistakes creates a culture of transparency and learning. She believes that the ability to pivot and adjust quickly is key to success in entrepreneurship.

Links & Resources:

• Learn more about Frame Fertility and its personalized approach to fertility care.
• Follow Jessica Bell van der Wal on LinkedIn.
• Discover the VC Backed Moms community.
• Learn more about Renew Venture Capital. 
• Sign the Purpose Pledge.

Quotes from the Episode:

• “At my core, my purpose is to take care of others. I feel most at home when I’m aligned with that mission.”
• “We should be screening for fertility-related risk factors much earlier, so people aren’t reacting to challenges after the fact.”
• “The best thing you can do as a founder is to encourage openness about mistakes — because they will happen. It’s all about how you learn and move forward.”

Ever feel like your career doesn’t fit neatly into a traditional box? Same. In this episode, we chat with Milly Tamati, founder of Generalist World, who’s made it her mission to support people like us—those who zigzag through careers, passions, and projects. Milly gets real about the ups and downs of building a path that doesn’t follow the rulebook and shares how she’s helping fellow generalists find their place in a world that doesn’t always get us. If you’ve ever felt like you’re not “just one thing,” you’ll want to tune in.

Milly shares how leaning into her diverse passions—whether it's cooking, playing guitar, or building a community-driven business—has been the key to her success. From navigating big decisions as a first-time founder to embracing creativity in everyday life, she offers insights for anyone who’s ever wondered, “Do I have to choose just one path?” Spoiler: You don’t!

Key Takeaways:

• Embracing the Creative Play of Life
  Milly and Kt discuss how creativity and play weave through their daily lives, whether through cooking, music, or some time time off screens. They highlight how exploring various creative outlets helps them disconnect from the demands of work while staying connected to personal joy.
• Navigating Advice as a Founder
  Milly breaks down her approach to seeking advice as a first-time founder: listening to those with direct experience, seeking out diverse perspectives, and ultimately trusting her own intuition. She emphasizes that the answer is often already within us, waiting to be uncovered.
• The Power of a Values-Aligned Team
  One of the best parts of Milly’s work is the deeply values-driven community she’s built within Generalist World. Milly shares the joy of working with a team that feels like family, underscoring the importance of shared values in long-term collaboration.
• Overcoming Challenges as a Visionary
  While Milly loves bringing energy and strategy to her work, she admits that operational details and processes aren’t her biggest strength. Thankfully, her first hire, Ece, excels in these areas, balancing Milly’s visionary mindset with grounded execution.
• Celebrating International Generalist Day on September 18
  Milly shares how the Generalist World team and community took a half-joking comment and turned it into an international celebration with meetups planned for generalists in 30 cities across the globe.

Resources & Links Mentioned:

• Take the Generalist Quiz (www.generalistquiz.com) and share your results with Kt and Milly on LinkedIn!
• Learn more about Generalist World, including International Generalist Day events at generalist.world
• Connect with Milly Tamati on LinkedIn
• Learn more about Renew Venture Capital 
• Sign the Purpose Pledge

How do you sift through the noise of advice, embrace the messiness of life, and find success on your terms? Startup and venture capital veteran Anastasia Simon shares her framework for evaluating advice, how she’s redefining success in her life and, perhaps most importantly, her stance on Drake vs. Kendrick. 

Episode Summary:
In this episode, we dive deep with Anastasia Simon, a force in the venture capital space, about her refreshing perspective on mental health, play, and what success really means. Anastasia candidly shares how she navigates the complexities of taking advice, embracing challenges, and learning to play again in a world that often prioritizes productivity over well-being. She reveals her strategies for maintaining mental health in a demanding industry, the importance of intergenerational relationships, and why it's crucial to discern which advice to take and which to leave behind. Whether you’re a founder, creative, or just someone trying to make sense of the noise, this episode is packed with wisdom on how to rethink success and find joy in the process.

Key Themes:

• Navigating Advice: How to determine what advice to take and what to leave.
• Mental Health & Self-Care: Strategies for maintaining well-being in a high-pressure environment.
• Rethinking Success: Challenging conventional ideas of success and finding your own path.
• Relearning Play: The importance of play and imagination in adult life.
• Intergenerational Wisdom: The value of learning from both younger and older generations.
• Being Right & Wrong: The importance of introspection and humility in decision-making.

Episode Summary:
In this episode, co-founder Stacy Bernstein of the innovative first aid and skin care company All Better Co. discusses her unique approach to building a brand that goes beyond just logos and packaging. Stacy shares insights into the importance of consumer experience, product design, and brand storytelling in creating a successful business. She delves into the complexities of running a startup, the challenges of staying true to a brand’s mission, and the hard choices founders face. Stacy also emphasizes the significance of collaboration, both within a company and among fellow entrepreneurs, especially for women in business.

Key Takeaways:

1. Beyond the Basics of Branding: Stacy explains that branding is more than just logos and colors; it’s about creating a holistic experience for the consumer. She uses the example of their innovative product design, which considers practicality and user experience, as a crucial aspect of their brand story.
2. The Challenge of Being Wrong: Stacy candidly discusses a pivotal moment early in her company’s journey when she had to end a partnership with a creative agency, despite significant investment. This experience taught her the importance of making tough decisions to stay true to the brand's vision.
3. Teamwork and Collaboration: Stacy highlights the importance of collaboration in her life, both personally and professionally. She attributes much of her success to the teamwork and support from her co-founder and other colleagues, illustrating that entrepreneurship doesn’t have to be a solo journey.
4. Advocacy for Women’s Rights: Stacy is passionate about women's rights, particularly reproductive rights, and how these issues intersect with business. She discusses the importance of women growing their wealth to influence policy and create meaningful change.
5. Finding Joy in Play: Despite her busy schedule, Stacy makes time for play, particularly through her love of soccer. She shares how this activity brings her joy and balance, which are crucial for sustaining the energy needed to run a business.

Memorable Quotes:

• "Branding isn’t just about a logo; it’s about how a product makes people feel and how every aspect of that product has been thoughtfully designed for actual use."
• "We are only as strong as the team around us, and that’s why I always use 'we' instead of 'I.' Collaboration is key to success."
• "Policy change comes down to money, and when women can grow their wealth, real change can happen."
• "I find more joy in playing soccer now than I did during my college career. It’s my way of choosing joy and staying balanced."

Connect with Us:

• Learn more about All Better Co.
• Connect with Stacy on LinkedIn and All Better Co. on Instagram
• Follow Renew VC on LinkedIn
• Sign the Purpose Pledge
• Subscribe to our newsletter for more 

Episode Title: Awareness & Optimism with Navroze Mehta of Mela Artisans

Episode Description: In this episode, Kt connects with Navroze Mehta, a seasoned entrepreneur and founder of Mela Artisans. With over 14 years at the helm of Mela and a rich history of building successful businesses, Navroze shares his insights on leadership, integrity, and the importance of empathy in the workplace.

Navroze discusses the lessons he's learned from his journey, including the importance of acknowledging mistakes, maintaining integrity, and leading with empathy. He also reflects on the challenges of entrepreneurship, the role of optimism, and how play and cultural exploration fuel creativity and resilience.

Listeners will gain valuable perspectives on:

• The critical role of empathy in leadership and decision-making.
• How maintaining high integrity impacts business success and personal well-being.
• The importance of optimism and adaptability, even in the face of challenges like the global pandemic.
• Strategies for balancing work and play to sustain long-term creativity and productivity.

Whether you’re an aspiring entrepreneur or a seasoned leader, this episode offers actionable insights into building a purpose-driven business while staying true to your core values.

Key Takeaways:

1. Embrace Mistakes: Learning from missteps is crucial; the key is to acknowledge them, learn, and move forward.
2. Pathological Optimism: Optimism is vital for entrepreneurship, helping to navigate challenges and energize your team.
3. Empathy in Leadership: Empathy should be at the core of all leadership decisions, fostering a positive, supportive work environment.
4. Integrity as a Non-Negotiable: Maintaining integrity is essential for both business success and personal peace of mind.
5. Work-Life Balance: Engage in activities outside work, such as sports and travel, to recharge and stay creative.

Mentioned in This Episode:

• Mela Artisans: Website
• Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS): A framework that Navroze recommends for managing and scaling businesses.
• Renew Venture Capital: Website

Connect with Us:

• Follow us on LinkedIn
• Sign the Purpose Pledge
• Subscribe to our newsletter for more 

About Our Guest: Navroze Mehta is the founder of Mela Artisans, a company dedicated to bringing artisanal and affordable home goods to a global market while supporting the livelihoods of artisans in India. With decades of experience in building successful businesses, Navroze is passionate about integrating purpose with profit and leading with integrity.