Start Something That Matters

Seth Godin’s blog, www.sethgodin.typepad.com.

In the early days, you might not be able to pay people well—if at all—but if you feed them well, you’ll have a happy staff.

99designs (www.99designs.com),

When you are living your story, it means your actions and your mission are the same, which eliminates any room for shame or disappointment, the two emotions that underlie our greatest fears. That’s when you have nothing to lose.

when people feel they are all working together to help others, office morale is high, and negative office politics don’t tend to develop.

Make sure your story is crafted to appeal to the people you really want to become your supporters and that it draws from your core strength.

When you give only money, you often don’t know where it goes, and you seldom see its results.

Give based on the needs of the organization and people you wish to serve.

If hiring excellent people becomes one of your top priorities, and the whole company pitches in together to make it a great process, you will wind up with excellent employees and a more trusting environment.

In every niche there are the people Malcolm Gladwell famously labeled “connectors” in his book The Tipping Point, the bigmouths who are at the hub of their networks. Make sure to get your story in front of people who are in a position to tell it to others.