Follow the money (it leads to purpose)

I am excited about the idea of money and meaning working together. Profit and purpose feed each other. I’ve used the Big Audacious Meaning to help non-profit organizations discover, capture, define, and crystallize the profound difference they are making in lives, communities, and even the world.

There are plenty of great non-profit organizations out there. And they do really good work. The world needs these folks. I don’t want to do anything to disparage their good work. Most of these organizations have a very moving charity-driven mission. It has been incredibly gratifying to help these organizations amplify the amazing work they do by embracing a Big Audacious Meaning.

But there is something bigger out there.

Follow the money - a quest for purpose

As an entrepreneur and business owner, I’ve come to appreciate the old adage ‘follow the money’. You want to know why something happened? Follow the money. You want to know why a seemingly peculiar decision was made? Follow the money.

When a debacle occurs, we scratch our heads and wonder why it happened. When the motivation is finally exposed, we nod along and think, "Of course it went down like that. Someone got greedy."

Money causes things to happen that aren’t necessarily good for all of us. Greed can leave a trail of scorched earth. But that makes me think. If money can cause this havoc, couldn’t it be turned to create an equal amount of good? Could it be a smart business decision? Could money and meaning coexist? Better yet, could profit and purpose fuel each other? Could it create a virtuous circle?

Imagine what could happen when companies start to discover that the path to purpose is also the path to success. Imagine a business seeing customers reward them for the good they are spreading in the world.

Imagine this becoming a pillar of corporate strategic planning. Imagine it being taught in business schools across the country.

This is the Big Audacious Meaning behind the concept of the Big Audacious Meaning.

By the way, these aren't just a bunch of "what ifs". This is happening. We can ignore it. Or we can do what the savvy ones are doing, and follow the money.