Are you infectious? As a startup you can’t outspend established competitors, but you can out-evangelize them. You can infect people with your sense of mission and inspire them to join your crusade to change the world.

I invited Roy M. Spence, Jr on Mixergy to help you learn how and why you can find your purpose and inspiring people.

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About Roy M Spence, Jr.

Roy M Spence Jr

Roy Spence is chairman and CEO of GSD&M Idea City, a leading national marketing communications and advertising company. Under Roy’s leadership and their Purpose-based Brandingâ„¢ philosophy, the agency has helped grow some of the world’s most successful brands. Roy is also the author of It’s Not What You Sell, It’s What You Stand For.

Text excerpt

We entrepreneurs have to make a difference. We have to improve lives. We have to have services of value and values–and more so today than ever before. Money is a byproduct of that.

I’m a capitalist, but I’m a conscious capitalist. I believe that in the process of doing good you will do great.  A classic example of that is our client Southwest Airlines.  Herb Kelleher, the founder, in 1971 looked at the airline industry, and said, “Wow, only 15 percent of the people have ever flown.”  It was for the rich.

He said, not in an altruistic way, “I think I’ll make a fortune serving the under-served.”

One of the best things to do if you’re an entrepreneur and if you’ve lost your way a bit–and we all do, my goodness–don’t be grasping for straws.  Don’t be gasping for air.  Stop digging.  Go back and re-figure out what was the reason that you built that business to start with, that’s number one.

Number two, Jim Collins is a mentor of mine, and we’re friends. In his book, Good To Great, he has those three circles that you have to fill out.

One circle: what are you most passionate about?  You gotta write it down.  Especially entrepreneurs who are trying to do everything.

Second circle: what can you be the best in the world at?  That’s hard.  Write it down.

And then third: what’s your economic engine?

I would say in order to discover or rediscover, go back to where you started, or your founders, or whomever, look at that passion, and then second, fill out the three circles.

The full interview includes

  • Great stories about the founders of Southwest Airlines and Wal-Mart.
  • How to connect purpose with profit.
  • How to express your company’s purpose.

[Thank you Mark Fortier for introducing me to Roy Spence!]

Suggested comments

  • Do you agree that a company needs a purpose?
  • What’s your company’s purpose?
  • What’s your personal purpose?
  • What did we miss in this program?
  • Was the excerpt and/or full program helpful enough?

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