029 - Making a Social Impact on the World through Business with Adam Force of Change Creator - The Product Startup: Product development for small business

Adam force is the founder of Change Creator, a digital magazine and premium resource for social entrepreneurship. I invite Adam on the show today because I’ve always wanted to make a larger impact on the world and wanted to explore this tug of war relationship between pure capitalism and social responsibility. Through his magazine and podcast, Adam teaches how to build a business that positively impacts the world and doing meaningful work. 

In this episode, we learn about

* Most social entrepreneurs are inspired by their travels - and use their experiences to focus their thoughts and re-evaluate their path in life, their connection to people and to nature

* The businesses he tried that failed over four years - rainforest protection, hemp water bottles

* How Adam uses his skills around business development, user interface design, and branding

* How giving to a cause is different than solving a lasting problem and changing lives

* "How do I change the system so the root cause of the problem is eliminated?"

* Having a focused impact on smaller problems - you don't need to find a cure for cancer or end world hunger

* Gavin Armstrong - Lucky Fish, curing iron deficiency in Cambodia (and the world) using a fish made from sustainably-sourced iron

* Changing a cultural behavior to address to root of a problem

* Common characteristics of social entrepreneurs - courage, persistence, love for travel and experiencing new things

* Kenton Lee - Shoes that Grow

* Jacquie Berglund  - Finnegans Beer Company

* Adam's failed attempts: Using existing research and overcoming challenges with his initial product - hemp water bottles 

* Why the environmentally friendly bottles weren't wasn't a fit for Adam, and why he moved on into a conscious news blog 

* Figuring out the direction to go, based on his own skillset

* When to quit versus push through?

* Going through life and work with tunnel vision, and breaking out of that

* Defining success for yourself

* Finding mentors and peers to learn from

* Creating content to drive traffic- what is your audiences greatest fear or greatest wish (the end result)?

* Don't be afraid to continually assess yourself, and take a self-inventory of your values and things that frustrate you about the world

* Align the problem you want to solve with who you are as a person and what you believe in

* Invest in yourself and show up every day

Links and resources mentioned in this episode

* Website

* changecreatormag.com

* Social Media

* Twitter: @Change_Creator

* Facebook: facebook.com/changecreator

* Google Plus: plus.google.com/115393230880446045338

* Books

* Making Good by Billy Parish

* Secrets ...