I met Saskia a little under 10 years ago at a conference focused on social entrepreneurship and social business in London. She is one of those people you don’t forget in a hurry, and I’ve been following and admiring her work ever since. She is the co-founder of Yunus Social Business, a philanthropic venture fund that turns donations into investments in sustainable social businesses that provide employment, education, healthcare, clean water, and clean energy to over 9 million people around the world. 

Saskia describes her purpose as “changing the powerful animal that is capitalism for the better.” The problems she is solving are big, messy and complicated, but her infectious passion for these issues is what carries her through. 

In this episode, we talk about how Saskia came to work with Professor Yunus; and the thoughtful, type-A process she created to get there. We talk about the importance of combining profit and purpose in business, as well as advice she has for those who are interested in pursuing a similar path.

• Revisit your Purpose Statement annually. Once a year, remind yourself of your purpose and evaluate how you are or are not living up to it, and how you can recommit to this statement in the year ahead. 

• Don’t underestimate passion. If you choose to dedicate your career to a social cause, choose something you are very passionate about because it’s the passion that will help you stay focused and committed when the going gets tough (because it will). 

• Surround yourself with people who share your purpose. Whether it’s colleagues, employees, a mastermind, or a group of likeminded changemakers, these individuals can help re-energize and re-inspire you in moments you are struggling. 

• Make conscious choices. Once every few months, do the research to determine if there is a more sustainable alternative to the products you are using or buying. You don’t have to do this for every purchase, but focus on the items you buy a lot of. 

Yunus Social Business

For intrapreneurs: Business As Unusual

COVID Response Alliance for Social Entrepreneurs

The Good Guide by Marieke Eyskoot

Banker to the Poor by Muhammad Yunus

Natalie Taylor is a Financial Planner and Public Speaker. Her personal purpose is to help people cultivate a plan for their finances based on their values and goals. In other words, Natalie helps individuals, couples, and families invest their available funds in what provides the greatest amount of fulfillment, not just financial return. 

She has been a financial planner for over 15 years and a lot of her work is dedicated to making professional financial advice more accessible and relevant to a broader audience. She spent 7 years working for FinTech startup, LearnVest, and recently opened her own financial planning practice to work with individual clients. 

In this episode, we talk about Natalie’s earliest money memories, how she fell into financial planning, the values she and her husband optimize for, and the advice she has for people who are navigating the tricky but fulfilling balancing act of parenthood, entrepreneurship, relationships, and life in general. What I love about Natalie is that she walks the talk, which makes her such an incredible and relatable example of the power of purposeful financial planning. 

#PurposePlays from this episode: 

• Align your money management strategy with your values. Identify your values: 1) what is most important to you, and 2) how you live your life. Use your values as a filter when determining how to prioritize your spending and saving, what to invest in, how to make trade-offs in your budget, etc. I recommend using Natalie’s Values Guide for this process (available on her site). 
• Create margin in your life. Build in time and space so you are not scheduled back to back to back. Sometimes you have to grow at a slower pace than you want to, so you can continue to make intentional decisions and show up as your full self. It may require you to detach self worth to productivity, but it will ultimately help you live in greater alignment with your purpose. 
• Create margin in your budget. This gives you the flexibility to make spontaneous decisions and enjoy life in the moment instead of living for “some day”. 

Links:

Natalie’s website (be sure to wait for the pop-up to receive the Values Worksheet) 

Article on Teaching Kids About Money

Shownotes

Hands down, the #1 question we get is “How can I find more purpose at work?” Many people spend the majority of their waking hours working, so it’s no surprise that feeling miserable or disengaged at work can have a tremendous impact on your broader wellbeing. This is exactly why I am so thrilled to introduce you to Claire Lew. She is the CEO of Know Your Team, a software tool that helps business owners and managers build happier, more productive companies. Claire’s personal mission is to help people become happier at work and she has partnered with organizations in over 24 countries, including household names like Airbnb, Kickstarter, and Medium. 

In this episode, we talk about Claire’s personal story--of how an introvert became a leadership expert. We talk about big broad topics like overcoming fear around career decisions, as well as tactical tips like how to approach a tough conversation with your manager. Claire draws on personal experience as well as all the incredible data she has collected through Know Your Team, and I personally walked away with so many insightful takeaways from our conversation. 

#PurposePlays from this episode:

• If you’re looking to experience more happiness and purpose at work, start by asking yourself the question: What conditions in a work environment do I need to do my best work? Once you have a clear answer to this question, it will be a lot easier for you to ask for what you need. 
• When going into the conversation with your manager, always be mindful about sharing context. The number one reason managers may get defensive is because they are misreading your intention, so be as CLEAR as possible about why you’re asking for something or why you’re sharing certain feedback. 
• Find an outlet for processing emotions that is embodied vs. cerebral. Make time for this activity, even (rather, especially) when you don’t feel like it. If you have trouble with this consider doing it for others instead of yourself: if you give yourself time to indulge in this activity, you will become a better person/mother/colleague/employee/etc. 

Links

Personal Website

Instagram

Twitter

Know Your Team Website

The Heartbeat Podcast

Favorite book: The Fifth Discipline by Peter Senge

Cameron Rogers is a certified health coach and content creator on a mission to make healthy living approachable through her Freckled Foodie brand. She’s been named one of Forbes’ top 5 entrepreneurs changing the New York wellness scene and this is no surprise given the passion and enthusiasm she brings to her work. 

Cameron started her career on the Sales & Trading desk at JP Morgan, but after an accident (she *literally* got hit by a bus) forced her to slow down, she made the brave decision to pursue what truly lights her up. (Something that she had previously never considered as a dream career, mind you.) 

In this episode, we talk about what it was like to quit her job in banking and the steps she took to prepare for this moment, we talk about the early days of launching a personal brand and how she crafted her elevator pitch, and how the Freckled Foodie has given her a platform to make an impact. 

• Test the waters with a side hustle before leaving your full time job. This will not only allow you to make sure the passion isn’t a “phase”, but it will also help you establish a track record (case studies, testimonials, client relationships, content, etc.) so the transition is less scary. 

  • TIP: Cameron actually kept her colleagues in the loop about Freckled Foodie when she first started it as a side hustle, which gave her a built-in support system at work. 

• Crowdsource your elevator pitch. If you’re struggling to articulate what you do and why you do it, ask your friends/family/followers to describe what you do and how they see you creating value. It not only gives you good material for your pitch, but it will be a confidence booster as well! 

• Identify the opinions that matter. If you are letting other peoples’ opinions prevent you from following your dream, take the time to write down exactly who “they” are. Now write down the names of the people whose opinions you actually value most (this should be a short list) and ask yourself: What will these individuals think/feel/say if I do this? You may find that you’re wasting a lot of time considering opinions that ultimately don’t matter to you.

Freckled Foodie Instagram

Freckled Foodie Blog

The Freckled Foodies & Friends Podcast

Sophie Kahn is a trailblazer. She’s brilliant, beautiful (inside and out), and one of the kindest, most thoughtful lady bosses I have met. We both went to the same High School in The Netherlands, but only became friends years later when our paths crossed again at Princeton University when Sophie was studying for her masters degree in finance.  

After finishing up her degree, Sophie took a job at the Boston Consulting Group BCG in New York City. She has always had an affinity for the fashion world, however, and it was only a matter of time before she ended up there. It was during her tenure at Marc Jacobs that she and college friend Bouchra had the idea for Aurate, a direct-to-consumer fine jewelry brand that is taking the world by storm. 

In this episode, we talk about Sophie’s personal journey and her thoughtful approach to building the Aurate brand and team. While I could have easily spent the entire episode learning from her business prowess, I had asked her on the podcast to speak about relationships. In the book, I discuss the importance of having a “Purpose Pack” and Sophie is someone who has intentionally invested in her inner circle of women (and men!). Research shows that quality relationships are the most important predictor of long-term happiness and health, and Sophie eloquently shares her wisdom on this important topic. 

Write down a list of the people who are in your “purpose pack”. Then make a commitment to show up for these people, for the highs (birthdays, weddings, baby showers) and the lows (breakups, bad days at work, financial trouble). Go above and beyond to invest in these relationships and give yourself permission to say “no” to other commitments or requests that don’t involve the individuals on your list.

Personal Instagram

Aurate Instagram

Aurate website

Earlier this year, I was on a trip with some friends and mentioned that I was going to interview an ultramarathon runner for the podcast. One of the men on the trip immediately piped in to ask who, as he’s an avid runner himself. When I mentioned this week’s guest, Kris Brown, I observed a major fanboy moment and I have to admit that I felt pretty cool to have snagged an interview with this guy.

Fortunately, Kris Brown turned out to live up to the hype. Beyond an impressive track record, Kris boasts a great sense of humor and humility (which I imagine is rare in the world of professional athletes). Not only is he a professional ultramarathon runner but he is also the co-owner of a popular Cuban restaurant in Santa Barbara, CA. I still don’t know how he juggles these two all-consuming careers, but he seems to take it all in his stride. 

In this episode, we talk about how Kris “fell into” long-distance running and why he still works in hospitality, even though he’s threatened to quit the industry countless times. We talk about what he’s learned from managing kitchen crises (both big and small), the difference between structure and discipline, and how Kris builds momentum when he’s been out of the game for a little while. Kris describes purpose as “the balancing act between things that bring you enjoyment while also fulfilling the desire to serve”, and it was such a pleasure to chat about how he’s navigating this balancing act personally. 

#PurposePlay from this episode

Build momentum one step at a time. Instead of setting your sights on a big, farfetched goal, create a slow build. Start with a smaller goal and keep increasing your output or your goal by a little every day. This will allow you to build confidence and improve at a rate that is more sustainable until you eventually uplevel to where you want to be. 

Links

@KrisBobBrown

Cubaneo Restaurant

A few months after graduating college, Christine Amorose Merrill left her corporate job to travel the world and blog about it. While she has no regrets about exploring and eating her way across the globe, she ultimately decided that she is happiest in an environment that offers more structure and financial security. From the outside, the nomadic life can sound incredibly exciting, making it very hard to admit that you would actually prefer to keep your day job. But Christine has learned to own this decision wholeheartedly. 

In this episode, we talk about Christine’s journey and the tradeoffs she’s made along the way; we talk about how to pursue your passion without compromising your financial security; we talk about her love of travel and the decision to de-prioritize blogging after almost a decade, and why it’s so important to lean into what brings you joy. 

If you’re at a fork in the road or find yourself holding onto a job or a side hustle that no longer serves you, Christina’s advice may be exactly the nudge you need. 

• Check in with yourself every few months and ask: Am I still making time for the activities I loved to do as a child?

• Remind yourself that there will always be good jobs for good people.

• If something excites you or makes you curious, DO IT. Even if you try it and fail, or don’t enjoy it, you can always say you did it. No one can take that away from you.

Blog: https://www.cestchristine.com/

Instagram

At the age of 5, Tim Sae Koo proudly declared to his mom that he wanted to be the first Asian American President of the United States. He was on track to achieve this until he realized that politics wasn’t efficient enough for him. That’s when he discovered the world of entrepreneurship. 

After bootstrapping and successfully exiting his first tech startup (TINT) in Silicon Valley at age 27, Tim went on a journey to heal, reset, and let go of the limiting beliefs he had picked up along the way including the need to create to prove himself (rather than creating from love). 

Today, he is putting his many super powers to work as the Chief Manifestation Officer and a Partner of 1heart, an organization focused on supporting and empowering heart-driven leaders. He’s also an ecstatic dance DJ, avid meditator, and plant medicine enthusiast.

In this episode, we talk about Tim’s journey and some of the tools that are supporting his transformation. We talk about overcoming expectations of the people who love us most, how Tim defines his purpose and how he continues to course correct in order stay true to himself. 

• Mediate or journal in response to the question: What do I want to create? (Imagine you had all the time, money, and energy in the world.)

• If you are taking time off to travel or in between work, set clear intentions for what you want to get out of this time and find a way to remind yourself of these intentions frequently. (Tim wore a piece of jewelry that served this purpose).  

• If you are making some big changes in your life and are worried that those close to you may not understand, approach the conversation without any expectations. Share your decision or your passion openly, but don’t put pressure on the other person to jump on board right away. Give them time and show (rather than tell) them how this new direction is benefiting you.  

@timsaekoo (Instagram)

www.youtube.com/user/tsaekoo

https://www.1heart.com/

My guest this week is someone I went to college with. I have been watching Nell Diamond from afar the past 9 years, as she launched a successful direct-to-consumer business, built a personal brand, and started an adorable family. 

Nell is the Founder and CEO of Hill House Home, a modern home and lifestyle brand. In this episode, we talk about her journey to entrepreneurship, how becoming a mom changed her approach to life and business, the guilt she experiences from time to time (spoiler alert: it’s not mom guilt) as well as how she elevates her mood when she has the blues. 

I was struck by how self-aware and thoughtful Nell is about the decisions she has made, including her openness about weekly therapy sessions and choosing to ignore the stigma around pursuing a so-called “frivolous” industry. Nell is someone I admire greatly, both personally and professionally, and I have a feeling you will too.

• Create a list of “mood elevators”. What are small things that bring you joy and shift your mood instantly? Whether it’s a walk, a croissant and a side of cappuccino, a yoga class, or some quality time with loved ones- write down at least 5 things you can do whenever you’re feeling blue and keep that list on hand. 

• #TherapyThursdays. Let’s all get over the stigma around therapy already and embrace this amazing opportunity to “treat” ourselves to an hour of someone else’s undivided attention and listening ear. Self awareness is essential to living on purpose and therapy is one of the most powerful tools for training this muscle. 

www.hillhousehome.com 

@nelliediamond (Instagram)

@hillhouse (Instagram)

Book recommendation: Unicorn: The Memoir of a Muslim Dragqueen by Amrou Al-Kadhi

Tara is one of those people who has the type of energy you can’t get enough of. She’s real, raw, and undeniably relatable. She also happens to be a self made success story. 

Tara is a women’s empowerment advocate, and she uses dance as her main medium to get women to channel their fearless “alter ego” and learn to love every part of their perfectly imperfect selves. She also has a wildly successful YouTube channel and network marketing business.

We talk about the power of movement, how to overcome the tendency to self-sabotage, what it takes to craft a brand that’s both real and empowering, how all of our fears are universal, her personal practice of intention, and what happens when your favorite form of “play” becomes your profession. 

• Tap into your “alter ego”. Imagine your best self: What are you wearing? How are you standing? Where are you going? How are you feeling? Now give that person a name and try to embody him or her more frequently. Start by practicing this in everyday situations (like doing groceries or walking to work) and before you know it, you will start to tap into your alter ego with more and more ease. 

• Choose a word for the year. Select one word you want to embody for the next 12 months (you can also do this for shorter periods of time if you prefer). It should reflect how you want to approach everything in your life: your career, you relationships, your finances, your health, etc. Journal about how you are going to live out this word and remind yourself of it frequently, especially when opportunities arise or decisions need to be made. 

@tara_romano 

@toneandtease 

Tara’s upcoming event

Tara’s YouTube channel

Tara’s book recommendation: Untethered Soul by Michael A. Singer