People, not Profits
Where your focus should be.
I know, my headline is cliché. But it sits with me all the time, and I wonder if we dwell on it enough. Is it central to how you approach life?
On my personal blog (http://kylematthews.me/), and elsewhere, I refer to myself as a “relationship-focused doer of good.” I am 32, have been a founder in 7 companies, and embrace my entrepreneurial bent. It’s energizing for me to take an idea from nascent thought to execution. But the most rewarding and interesting part? People. I am constantly drawn to reflect on who and how we are, from everyday interactions to cultural levels. I am fiercely proud of my friends. I am always curious about others.
Helping people is central to how we should live. That is acted on in many ways. Gary Vaynerchuk does regular tweet blasts asking how he can help people, and then… helps someone with their request. I love these types of random acts of kindness for two reasons — 1) they inspire you personally to be more mindful of people’s needs, and 2) they inspire the people you help to believe in the goodness of us all and help more people themselves.
As powerful and important as this “moment-based” helping is, much of the real, lasting differences you will make will be through relationship, and those things you put your passion into to truly help and heal people. Robyn and I founded Because of Ezra because we knew we had to change Ezra’s story for the next family. We’ve laughed, cried, and affected change with so many incredible families and kids since then. We are, in a collaborative effort, affecting change as we work to cure childhood cancer.
To be clear — profit is important. Of course it is. But why? I’ve read multiple studies stating after a certain level of income (where a person no longer feels unstable or stressed about being unable to meet commitments), extra money has very little overall effect on a person’s happiness. What it CAN change is how you are able to influence the world around you. It’s about the focus — are you using your money to better those around you, or using those around you to better your money? The distinction is not slight.
Robyn and I sat down with Tampa Bay Lightning CEO Tod Leiweke a couple months back (Tod — and their entire organization — are incredible and I will forever be a Lightning fan, but that’s another story), and something he said struck me. It was along the lines of “I’m a hockey CEO because it lets me do the things that really matter to me.” We were talking about helping people, and how important it is to him. His comment, as I took it, meant his position as CEO allows him great ability to affect change. I loved it. Don’t get me wrong — he is incredibly passionate about his job. You don’t get that position without serious drive and vast skill.
In a post I wrote shortly after losing Ezra and Price, I said this:
It’s all shaken us up to a thought: either there is nothing that matters, or everything does. It is possible nothing matters – could it be we simply exist without meaning and any attempt to romanticize this life is vain? I’ve considered it. The alternative, I find, is only that everything matters. I can’t rationalize a medium. It seems every moment should be relished, each a part of something so boldly beautiful as life.
I share this approach with Gary and Tod. As I become more familiar with how the world works, there’s a pull to become jaded — as if our own moments of tragedy haven’t pulled us in that direction enough. But I notice, as we push through tragedy to find success, Robyn and I are able to affect greater change and help as we expand our influence. But even if we never did — the same tenants apply. Help those around you. Don’t get jaded.
I do love the entrepreneurial world, and my craft in general. I have loved creating a community of do it yourself tech tinkerers at ModMyi.com. I love the ability to realize incredible technology like Fuse at Laicos. I get a thrill knowing we’re solving problems through great design. The creativity and expertise I hone as I grow is important to me, and I constantly work to better my skills. My point is,
Build your approach to life around people.
You’ll always have good people near you, and will make lasting change. The more we help those around us, the better our world becomes. It matters.
