Do you believe businesses need a reason to exist?
I have a friend who is a blender at a world renowned distillery. He believes there needs to be a reason for a new whisky to exist. It’s not enough to just fill a bottle and slap a label on it. There needs to be a “why”. It’s easy to make things because you can, but it’s more powerful when there’s a driving motivation behind bringing something new into existence.
Thoughtless creation just adds noise to the room. It results in products with no defining purpose and companies with no real vision..
Or in the words of Jeff Goldblum – “Your scientists were so preoccupied with whether or not they ‘could’, that they didn’t stop to think if they ‘should’”
Some people start businesses because they know they can, and there is money to be made. They give their work the bare minimum of effort and time. Real Life starts when the workday ends.
Roy Williams often says, “Passion follows commitment. Not the other way around.”
Sometimes you do something because you’re good at it, and people need it. You may not be in HVAC because you were born to repair AC units. Maybe you have a knack for fixing things and a talent for people skills and they were hiring. It’s an honorable and valuable thing to choose to offer a service to the world.
It could be the reason to exist comes from the impact of your business instead of the technical aspects of your business. Helping people in need, solving problems, feeding your family, and providing for your employees are all noble acts.
I think it comes down to intention and thoughtfulness.
Add your voice to the world, and leave a positive mark on people in your path.
I don’t care if it’s an already crowded market.
There’s still room for you.
Daniel Whittington – Chancellor
