{"version":1,"type":"rich","provider_name":"Libsyn","provider_url":"https:\/\/www.libsyn.com","height":90,"width":600,"title":"My Year in Reflection","description":"It\u2019s almost the New Year, which means it\u2019s the perfect time to reflect on the first year of the Mission Driven Business podcast. In this special Year in Reflection episode, Brian re-lives some of the best moments from the first 21 episodes of the podcast. You'll hear some of the insights, strengths, and hope shared by the diverse podcast guests on their respective episodes. Brian also shares some of his favorite nuggets of wisdom, and he recounts how each guests\u2019 story ties into the larger podcast theme -- that you can make money and serve a purpose. Episode Highlights There is no one definition of mission-driven business. If you\u2019ve listened to the podcast, you know that the first thing Brian asks his guests is to describe what a mission-driven business means to them. That\u2019s because mission-driven businesses are distinct, and everyone has a different answer. One of Brian\u2019s favorite answers came from Phuong Luong, who shared a quote she heard in grad school. \u201cDon\u2019t ask yourself what the world needs,\u201d she said. \u201cInstead, ask yourself what makes you come alive and go do that. Because what the world needs is for more people to come alive.\u201d Regardless of their definition, Brian makes sure listeners know that your business can make money and serve a purpose. It\u2019s a point echoed by many of the guests on the podcast. In the very first episode, Dawn Hancock summarized the principle by saying, \u201cProfit does matter. It just doesn\u2019t have to be the only thing.\u201d But Brian Floriani may have said it most succinctly in episode 18: \u201cNo margin. No mission.\u201d Everyone has a different journey. Every entrepreneur on the show has had a different path to their career. Brian highlighted how in episode two, Bill Bynum credited his childhood experiences as fundamental to him later running one of the largest community development financial institutions (CDFIs) in the U.S. Other entrepreneurs had numerous twists on their paths running companies with purpose and profit. In episode 13, attorney Nici Kersey shared how running her own businesses wasn\u2019t something she planned, but came after her company let her go because of a military move. Nothing is perfect. Unforeseen circumstances are a given with entrepreneurial life. In episode 11, Lauren Klafke opened up about how her work and home life adjusted when her business started booming at the same time she was caring for a newborn and overseeing a house remodel. One way to navigate unforeseen circumstances is to know your values. Perhaps the best example yet of letting your values guide you is financial planner River Nice. In episode 20, River shared how their values first guided them to leave the corporate world and try their hand at entrepreneurship, then again when defining their niche. The result is that River's day-to-day work is aligned with their strengths and values. \u201cI\u2019m just so happy on a day-to-day basis,\u201d River said. \u201cWho knew life could be this good? It feels like bragging, but that\u2019s the point, right? The point of this podcast is that life can be this good, and you can do it, too.\u201d Learn from the experts\u2019 experiences. While it\u2019s nice to hear about purpose and values, podcast listeners have most enjoyed learning the strategies and tactics guests rely upon to run their home and work lives. In episode 16, the owners of Columbus Running Company played up the importance of community, while in episode 3, Jacob Padr\u00f3n praised the merits of asking for help. But Brian particularly appreciated the insights of Nici Kersey on how to let go of perfectionism: watch baseball. \u201cWatching baseball made me really focus more on the fact that you don\u2019t have to be perfect,\u201d Nici said. \u201cThese players are the best in the world at being a baseball player, and they mess up all the time, right?\u201d Self-care isn\u2019t selfish. Brian always ends the episode by asking each guest to share anything surprising they\u2019ve learned on their journey. One of the most commented lines ever on the podcast came from Pamela Capalad\u2019s answer to this very question. \u201cRunning a business mostly sucks,\u201d she said in episode 5. While running a mission-driven can suck at times, all entrepreneurs on the podcast say the freedom and fulfillment are well worth pushing the uncertainty and overcoming the inevitable obstacles. But the grit needed to do that can be hard to learn, said Mark Suh in episode 21. \u201cThat belief in yourself has to be strong enough that you don\u2019t quit,\u201d he said. While the year has been filled with wisdom, Brian\u2019s favorite piece of advice also came from the answer to this last question when Emlen praised the importance of self-care. In episode 10, Emlen explained how incorporating self-care into his regimented schedule has helped him ultimately have a more productive day. \u201cIt was the aspect of tracking over time that made me realize, when I do this, I was a better husband, I was a better dad, I was more patient with the kids,\u201d he said. Resources + Links Brian\u2019s Social Media: Twitter, Instagram, Facebook  Episode 1: Socially Conscious Design with Dawn Hancock Episode 2: Advancing Opportunity in the Deep South with Bill Bynum Episode 3: Values-Based Leadership with Jacob Padr\u00f3n Episode 4: Taking the Entrepreneurship Leap with Phuong Luong Episode 5:  Building Brunch & Budget with Pamela Capalad Episode 6: Eradicating Entrepreneurial Poverty with Ron Saharyan Episode 7: Being Profit First with Mike Michalowicz Episode 9: Launching a Family-Run Business with Chantel Valentene and Brian Mackin Episode 10: Systems and Self-Care with Emlen Miles-Mattingly Episode 11: Setting Boundaries with Lauren Klafke Episode 13: When the Entrepreneur Life Chooses You with Nici Kersey Episode 14: Living Your Passion with George Kinder Episode 15: Equitably Investing in Cannabis with Seke Ballard Episode 16: Running a Successful Retail Business with Columbus Running Company Episode 17: Success on the Second Try with Anna Murphy Episode 18: Social Enterprise for Literacy with Brian Floriani Episode 19: Humane Marketing with Sarah Santacroce Episode 20: Defining Your Niche with River Nice Episode 21: Developing an Entrepreneurial Mindset with Mark Suh About Brian and the Mission Driven Business Podcast  Brian Thompson, JD\/CFP, is a tax attorney and certified financial planner who specializes in providing comprehensive financial planning to LGBTQ+ entrepreneurs who run mission-driven businesses. The Mission Driven Business podcast was born out of his passion for helping social entrepreneurs create businesses with purpose and profit. On the podcast, Brian talks with diverse entrepreneurs and the people who support them. Listeners hear stories of experiences, strength, and hope and get practical advice to help them build businesses that might just change the world, too. ","author_name":"Mission Driven Business","author_url":"https:\/\/btfinancial.com\/podcast","html":"