Start Something That Matters

They teach that having a story may be the most important part of your new venture; that fear can be useful; that having vast resources is not as critical as you might think; that simplicity is a core goal in successful enterprises; that trust is the most important quality you bring to your company; and, finally, that giving may be the best investme

People are hungry for success—that’s nothing new. What’s changed is the definition of that success. Increasingly, the quest for success is not the same as the quest for status and money. The definition has broadened to include contributing something to the world and living and working on one’s own terms.

“Facts are neutral until human beings add their own meaning to those facts. People make their decisions based on what the facts mean to them, not on the facts themselves. The meaning they add to facts depends on their current story … facts are not terribly useful to influencing others. People don’t need new facts—they need a new story.”

Thrive on interns,

For me, the ultimate success of this book will be measured not by how many copies it sells but by the number of people it inspires and the number of letters we receive. So please keep me posted by posting your story at www.startsomethingthatmatters.com. I look forward to hearing from you. Carpe diem, Blake

Conscious capitalism is about more than simply making money—although it’s about that too. It’s about creating a successful business that also connects supporters to something that matters to them and that has great impact in the world.

There’s a Japanese concept known as kaizen, which says that small improvements made every day will lead to massive improvement overall.

website like Kiva.org allows you to help banks make loans to individuals for a specific project, such as to someone in Uganda who needs a goat for a small business. You can help that enterprise to sustain itself—and someday you’ll also get your money back.

If you organize your life around your passion, you can turn your passion into your story and then turn your story into something bigger—something that matters.