Show notes
When deciding on what career path to take, many people tend to base their job off of how much money they would be making in a specific field, with a specific company. Often what they would actually take pleasure in doing is not given any thought. Maybe, if you were to have a slight shift in your mindset, you could discover your true purpose and find fulfillment and meaning in your work by incorporating what brings you joy into the workplace. Today, WTR welcomes Alexandria Agresta, founder of Purpose Pioneers. In this episode, Alexandria and I discuss how you could accumulate more wealth by taking advantage of the multitude of opportunities available to all of us in the market, all while doing what you are truly passionate about.Ingenious tactics to accumulate wealth, for people who see things differently.Alexandria AgrestaWebsite: http://www.alexandriaagresta.comLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexandriaagresta/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/alexagrestapurposeTwitter: https://twitter.com/alexrayagrestaYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCkXBi0qKe6u8QTzPwTYsuuQNOTES:[00:27] Kevin: Today we’re joined by Alexandria Agresta. We’re going to be talking about aligning purpose with profit[00:50] If you don’t mind, could you talk a little bit about where you came from and what inspired you to get to where you are today?[01:00] Alexandria: I started a company called Purpose Pioneers, which was built on the belief that we really believe in creating a world where people fully align what they do to make money with what they do to experience meaning and fulfillment (purpose and profit)[01:20] I really believe that we live in this beautiful time in the market place where we have so many options and opportunities, and now we have to take that opportunity to our advantage and do what it is that we want to do[01:34] We can make anything profitable[01:54] That inspired me to start my business and empower other leaders and entrepreneurs to put their purpose first and really live in that beautiful sweet spot[02:05] Kevin: It is definitely a world where if you have an idea, you can get it out there for people to hear and see it (Instagram, podcasts, YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, etc.)[02:23] Alexandria: We have social media to take advantage of having our voice heard, getting it out to people, and then we have the opportunity to really understand entrepreneurship and business with purpose and make that a reality[02:38] Our ideas don’t just have to stay in our heads and they don’t have to just stay dreams. If it’s solving a real need, that will be the most profitable idea you’ve ever had and even better, it will mean something to you[02:52] Kevin: Growing up, you go to school to get a career and people always seem to have the attitude that their career is strictly work (don’t feel excited about it because purpose isn’t driving their work)[03:22] Alexandria: When you flip it on its head (which I think is what we need to do as a society, especially with education), and first go with what’s really meaningful to us, then we actually develop skills[03:38] I don’t think it’s learning skills first because we’re so smart and resourceful that we can pretty much learn any skill if we have/want to[03:48] Find things that are meaningful: How do you want to serve, how do you want to help people (will be surprised at the skills that you learn and what you become good at)[05:05] We only have these opportunities now because of the internet and because of this hyper-connected world[05:40] It’s about reverse engineering the beliefs we’ve been taught for a long time (as long as we do it with love and understanding and empathy, we can build on whatever is already built)[05:52] Kevin: I agree. So, let’s backtrack for a second here. When you talk about aligning what you do with what brings you meaning and fulfillment, can you explain more about what that means and how that can benefit our listeners?[06:07] Alexandria: It might feel like it’s a bit complex, but it’s very simple[06:14] Purpose is your gift. I believe we’re all born with natural gifts that we love and are really good at[06:33] The beauty of a natural gift is that 9.5 times out of 10 that’s how you want to help people[06:50] You have to make it clear to yourself what your gifts are (own them, don’t let anyone sway you from pursuing them)[07:22] Profit is what are the needs in the marketplace that people want solved (that goes for if you’re an entrepreneur or if you want to work for a company)[07:37] For entrepreneurship: people buy when they’re in pain and the beauty of purposing your business is you’re solving a pain but in a beautiful and trans-formative way[08:02] For working for a company: think about why you’re so valuable (why does that company need you not just for your skills, but for your gifts)[08:20] What’s the pain that you’re solving as an employee for that company?[08:45] If you’re working for a company, you have to go beyond skill sets (people are looking for determination, passion, and purpose[08:29] Beautiful balancing between connecting your gift with a real transformative need in the marketplace[09:15] Kevin: I know your specialty is more with the entrepreneur side, but once they figure out what their purpose and passion is, and they’re trying to apply it to whatever they’re currently doing but don’t find it fitting, maybe they’re doing the wrong thing?[09:37] Alexandria: That purpose and passion is right (higher self)[09:41] If you’re trying to fit your purpose into a box, it’s never going to work[09:46] You’ll feel unfulfilled[10:02] Once you uncover what makes you tick, and you try to fit it into your current job you’re working at and you’re finding that it’s not working, don’t try and fix it. Rise above and find something else that’s aligned with you[10:15] You’ll be surprised at the fulfillment, joy, and productivity that you’ll find in that[10:24] Kevin: There’s got to be a way for them to get there, so what steps can our listeners take to help them have more meaning in what they’re doing?[11:12] Alexandria: I love the dichotomy of decisions and what it takes to make one, and that’s what I think is the starting point[11:19] To uncover what makes you tick and figure out what brings you job and meaning and fulfillment in your business and your job[11:26] It’s about making the decision to do that deep work first (stepping out of your comfort zone)[1[12:00] First, you have to go internal to communicate the words that match your feelings[12:10] Then, make alignment decisions to match your external reality with your internal world (might have to make a change)[13:05] This can be true for every aspect of your life (relationships, friendships, your health, your physical environment, etc.)[14:03] Everything needs to be aligned in our lives[14:13] Kevin: Do you have a couple of tips for our listeners for when they make that decision to take that action, are there typically resources that they could go to that would help guide them in the right direction?Alexandria:[14:36] Immerse yourself in an environment[14:40] You become the average of the 5 people that you surround yourself with (think about who you want to be around)[14:52] This environment will dictate your beliefs, decisions, and our reality[15:19] Once I started building my levels of self-awareness, I realized I had a group of very unhealthy friends (I recognized that it was dictating my behavior)[15:38] So, I changed my environment (I moved the flower to better soil)[16:12] Surround yourself around the people that have the qualities that you want for yourself (you will start to absorb that)[16:25] Journaling[16:28] Helped me get my thoughts out and make sense of everything[16:32] You have to find your person (whether it’s your business partner, your spouse, a best friend) that wants to grow at the same rate as you do[16:41] You will feel like you don’t need to do this alone (no one really wants to be alone)