While hitting the streets of the South Bay in Los Angeles to meet people who are a part of the YOU ARE ENOUGH campaign, I am meeting the most amazing people who are showing me how they lead with purpose to make a social impact.  I have been delivering campaign yard signs and am hearing more and more how we need to come together as a society in order to help us all feel that we are ok, we matter, and that we are enough just the way we are.  Connection is so key right now as we face the challenges of the Covid-19 pandemic.   While many are facing isolation, depression is becoming more prevalent in people’s lives.  Therefore, when people connect with one another around a cause that they believe in, they are helping themselves and others feel a sense of self and unity. One individual I had the honor to meet was Vish Chatterji, an author, business coach, and motivational speaker who is also on running for re-election to the Bay Beach Cities Health District.   We talked about so many of us are affected early in life by statements about us not being good enough and how being told this one time can bruise our ego and sense of self and haunt us throughout our lives and careers.   In his book, “The Business Casual Yogi, Take Charge of Your Body, Mind & Career, Chatterji helps us learn how to integrate a systematic method to cultivate self-improvement – in work, in relationships, and in life.  More and more people are focusing on how to live and work with purpose and it is folks like Chatterji and those I am meeting on the YOU ARE ENOUGH campaign trail that are doing what they can to pave the way to help us all feel a sense of self.  ...

No matter who we are, how we live, or what we believe, we all share a deep, instinctual need and capacity for human connection and belonging. It’s at the core of our shared humanity — and baked into our DNA. As human beings, we yearn to be in relationship: to feel seen, valued, and understood; to inhabit places where we live together, work together and look out for each other; to be part of a community of shared values and aspirations that is bigger than ourselves. And yet, we are living in a culture that all too often reinforces just the opposite. A culture that stokes distrust and amplifies divisions. That fuels hyper-individualism and alienates us from ourselves and each other. A culture that creates a distorted sense of belonging for some of us by telling others they don’t belong. As we navigate the “twin pandemics” of COVID-19 and racial injustice, we face a fundamental challenge that lies at the heart of all others: a crisis of human connection. All around us, we see more and more Americans living in isolation, loneliness, anxiety, and fear. And all too often, our culture reinforces a zero-sum game that seeks to benefit by pulling us further apart — with an “us vs them” mentality that’s eroding our faith in each other, our institutions, and the future we seek for our children. The sheer speed and scale of these challenges can seem overwhelming, but beneath them lies a simple and inescapable truth: we cannot solve our nation’s most complex and urgent challenges unless we see, hear and understand each other first. If we want to build it back better, we must draw upon one of the greatest and oldest technologies we have as a species: human connection. Our ability to connect, empathize, build relationships, and collaborate may be our greatest gift. When we start to see ourselves in others and recognize that our own humanity is a reflection of our shared humanity, we begin to shift from a culture of turning on one another to turning toward one...

During my career, I have been drawn to heretics such as Harvey Lacey, a retired welder from Wylie TX who wanted to help people in developing nations build their own homes out of plastic trash. Flashback to the Ubuntublox housing concept in 2012, a concept that could be a reality if we could get companies to stand behind building sustainable housing that would in turn help clean up our planet and give people jobs. We could use these homes now in a big way for developing nations and even our own country. The clip attached shows how Harvey’s Ubuntublox house could withstand a 7.0-8.0 magnitude earthquake. He built his first house in Haiti, a place where people are more scared of their homes than earthquakes. We need more believers like Harvey and individuals who fight for the well-being of those who are less fortunate. The one-pound building blocks are made from plastic trash and tied together by welder’s string. They dance together as one during the earthquake...

At one time, consumers were a captive audience. You sold it, they bought it, as long as it was a prestige brand, a household name, or was promoted by an influencer or by a really cool cartoon animal. Times have changed and to stand out, you not only need to have a quality product or service, but you also need to show that you understand your audience—not even stellar content curation and content promotion can save you if your marketing isn’t hyper-targeted. This is where purpose comes in. You need to ask yourself, what is your purpose behind promoting your product, brand, or initiative? Enter empathy-based marketing. What is empathy-based marketing? Empathy-based marketing is a strategy that calls for you to walk in your customer’s shoes for a bit. Instead of using a hard-sell approach, you consider their experience and think about how your brand can help them get what they want, which could be: More free timeMore happinessMore friendsBetter healthA more attractive appearanceA career advantage Yes, you’re still out to make a profit, but with empathy-based marketing, your strategy is different. You need to connect with your audience on a deeper and more intuitive level by delivering an immense value that they never anticipated. In short, make them feel like you read their mind before going above and beyond. Define your customer A lot of businesses use buyer personas to direct their marketing. These personas are fictional characters that represent your ideal customers. Without them, your marketing efforts can be a bit like throwing snowballs in the dark and hoping that you blindly connect with something. To be effective, your personas need to take customer emotions into account. Identify their wants and pain points, understand how these factors make them feel, and then plan your content accordingly. For example, customers who are constantly rushed for time will want a simplified usage guide while those who are buying to indulge themselves value things that make them feel extra-special, like a free gift with purchase. Understand your customer Who are you marketing to? Is it busy parents? Small business owners? People who are passionate about the environment will pay attention. To communicate properly with them, you need to understand what they care about and how your product can give them what they want, whether it be more free time, a healthier body, or a new skill that they can use to climb the corporate ladder. Send a message that resonates Empathetic content shows customers that you understand what it’s like to walk in their shoes. People feel positive about brands that can solve their problem, so send a message, using the right words, that shows how your products address issues that matter to them. Conclusion Although...