Mission Driven Business

Brian chats with serial entrepreneur and visionary leader Amanda Bauer-Frisch. As the CEO of Small Legacies, Amanda creates a way to give thoughtful, high-quality learning tools that enhance a child’s development. She also oversees several other small, legacy-driven businesses under the Enduring Legacy brand. On the episode, Amanda opens up about how becoming a young widow and being open to the right, new opportunities shaped her entrepreneurial journey. She also provides a behind-the-scenes look at how she’s purchased several existing brands and shares tips for finding and acquiring businesses. Episode Highlights Mission-driven businesses exist for a reason deeper than profit. Amanda defines a mission-driven business as one that exists for a reason deeper than profit. When she started Small Legacies, she created a hand-made wooden bank to teach her oldest son the basic financial literacy skills of saving, spending, and giving. But she also had a deeper meaning in mind. “My first husband passed away in 2017 from a genetic heart condition at 30 years old,” she said. “So making this bank for my oldest was like helping to carry on my husband’s legacy and memory.” Elevate and delegate. When Amanda started Small Legacies, she built the company’s signature wooden bank boxes in her garage. Eventually, Small Legacies received so many orders that she needed to find a wood toy manufacturer to meet the demand, which in turn made it possible to acquire and take over the operations of another family-owned woodworking business. She wouldn’t have been able to grow if she hadn’t practiced the principle of “delegate and elevate.” “That’s still a daily part of my journey -- trying to figure out where I can shine and what things bring me the most joy but also yield the most results for the business,” Amanda said. “And then how can I find the right people to support me in the business on the things that, frankly, bring me no joy or I’m not good at them.” Hire and fire based on your values. For Amanda, one of the hardest parts of running a mission-driven small business is knowing that she is responsible for the well-being of the employees on her payroll. Finding the right teammates that fit her company’s mission, vision, and values is already challenging, but gets even more complex when acquiring employees of another company. Amanda experienced this challenge firsthand last year when an existing employee of a company she had acquired refused to comply with Enduring Legacy’s policy of being open and accepting to any employee. Although the employee had a lot of knowledge about the newly acquired brand and processes, Amanda decided to end the company’s relationship with him because he wouldn’t be a good fit for the company’s values. Even though the decision required Amanda to cash in her 401(k) to buy new equipment, she knew it was the right thing to do. “It was an incredibly easy decision,” she said. “It was a difficult day, but at the same time, I went to bed and slept great that night because it was the right thing to do.” Resources + Links What the Heck is EOS? A Complete Guide for Employees in Companies Running on EOS by Gino Wickman and Tom Bouwer Amanda Bauer-Frisch: LinkedIn Small Legacies: Website, Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, TikTok Navy Paddles: Website, Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn Brian Thompson Financial: Website, Newsletter, Podcast Follow Brian Thompson Online: Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, X (formerly known as Twitter), Forbes 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.

Brian chats with Brian Moak, an entrepreneur, consultant, coach, and motivational speaker focused on service-based businesses and team engagement. As the owner and CEO of HEART Certified Auto Care, Brian used empathy to transform his family’s business into an industry-leading auto shop. He also owns one of the largest Shack Shine franchises in North America and is a partner in a digital marketing firm. On the episode, Brian Moak details his rollercoaster entrepreneurial journey, riding the lows of losing $1.5 million in one year to growing his business to earn nearly $15 million in revenue. He also lists his Four Point Plan to help any business thrive and shares the most critical question to ask to change your business’s trajectory.  Episode Highlights Mission-driven businesses are aligned. When defining a mission-driven business, Brian takes a term from the auto shop world: alignment. At a mission-driven business, all parts of the operation are aligned toward the end goal or outcome to be achieved. “Every person in the company should be facing the same way,” he said. “That has to come from the top. The top has to give that vision and sell that vision to the team, so they can feel engaged and make it happen.” Create a 4-point plan. Through the years, Brian has learned that for a plan to work it needs to be based on strategy, not just an idea. He’s since created and implemented a 4-point plan to help his company reach its goals.  Step 1: Build rapport Rapport means understanding the connection between the owner and the employees as well as understanding the needs that your employees have. To build rapport, Brian makes it a point to talk with every one of his 75 employees every week. “It’s not like I do a review,” Brian said. “It’s a casual stroll through the business to say hello and find out how their family is doing."  Step 2: Define “it” To know where you want to go, you first have to define “it.” Rather than speaking in generalities, get clear on your vision, mission, and short- and long-term goals. Also, be specific when you tell employees what you need from them to achieve those goals.  Step 3: Share why Not only is it important to clearly detail the plan, but it’s also critical to share why the broader goal matters. “Sometimes it’s as simple as we have to do this so we can ensure job security,” Brian said. “Sometimes it’s as big as we have to do this, so you can get a huge raise.”  Step 4: Ask for commitment A plan can’t succeed without the commitment of everyone to follow the process and achieve the outcome. At HEART Certified Auto Care, Brian makes sure everyone is aligned on the plan and then asks for a verbal commitment. “If we don’t have their commitment, typically there’s a breakdown in communication somewhere,” Brian said. “Either their values don’t align, the ‘what’ wasn’t clear enough, or the ‘why’ wasn’t compelling enough.” Live up to your standards. As a gay man in a blue-collar industry, Brian felt he had to prove himself. Early in his career, he tended to overcompensate, which created a toxic work culture. The result was that he almost lost his business. “I asked everyone else to succeed in an area that I was failing, and that’s the worst kind of leader,” he said. “I have really high standards, and if I was going to have those high standards, I better live up to them myself.” After personal therapy and a forced business rebrand, Brian committed to putting heart at the center of his business and leading with empathy instead of tyranny. It didn’t take long for the business to start to grow. “All of a sudden, people wanted my help,” he said. “We went from losing a million and a half dollars in one year to we’re going to do just shy of 15 million bucks this year.” Resources + Links Brian Moak: Website, Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, X HEART Certified Auto Care: Website Shack Shine: Website, Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn Brian Thompson Financial: Website, Newsletter, Podcast Follow Brian Thompson Online: Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, X (formerly known as Twitter), Forbes 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.

On this special episode, Brian dives deep into the art of crafting your business’s mission, vision, and value statements. These principles are the roadmap to success, and Brian gives a blueprint for creating powerful mission, vision, and values statements that shape the foundation of a successful company. This process is a fundamental topic for any budding entrepreneur or business owner.  Episode Highlights How to write an effective mission statement The mission statement is the heart of any business, encapsulating the “why” behind your company’s existence. To be effective, a mission statement must be clear, concise, and informative. It should also encapsulate your business’s identity. Below are three helpful questions to ask yourself when creating a mission statement: What is our purpose? Who do we serve? What impact do we want to make? How to write an inspirational vision statement A good vision statement is aspirational. At its best, the vision statement inspires not just the company’s founder and employees but everyone associated with a business. Below are two helpful questions to ask yourself when creating a vision statement: What problem are you solving? What would your company look like 10 years from now if all your goals were met? How to write an authentic value statement Value statements are memorable, actionable, and timeliness principles that guide a company’s decision-making and culture. As the backbone of an organization, value statements are not just words on a page but the core beliefs that the company would be willing to go out of business to defend. Resources + Links The Mission Driven Business Podcast Episode 69: Building A Business For Financial Independence with LaSean Smith Brian Thompson Financial: Website, Newsletter, Podcast Follow Brian Online: Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, X (formerly known as Twitter), Forbes 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.

Brian chats with LaSean Smith, a software developer and business creator on a mission to help businesses and business owners succeed. LaSean spent more than a decade as a software executive at Amazon and Microsoft, where he uncovered patterns to use process as a tool to win in business more often. He now uses those insights to help entrepreneurs launch and sustain bootstrapped businesses.  On the episode, LaSean digs deep into what it means to have a values-based business and why owning a business is the most predictable way to achieve financial independence. He also outlines the three-step process that can help any business serving a healthy market to reach $2 million in revenue in five years. Episode Highlights Mission-driven businesses are values-based businesses. LaSean believes that values are the foundation of a successful business. Mission-driven businesses don’t just identify their values, but they also live and breathe them even when times get tough.  “Increasingly, customers are seeking out companies that stand for something,” LaSean said. “If you really want to be a values-driven business, you have to be willing to go out of business to protect those values.” Move fast or rescope. How fast you iterate is requisite for building a business, according to LaSean. While big businesses move in months and medium-sized businesses move in weeks, a budding entrepreneur needs to move in a matter of hours. If you can’t break the process down and move that quickly, rescope and reconsider how you’re tackling your problems. “You have to move that fast because you’re trying to compound faster than anyone else,” LaSean said. “Your doubling rate is critical when you’re starting a business.” Find your audience first. Rather than starting a business by building a product, LaSean first recommends focusing on your audience. By talking to 100 potential customers upfront, you can gain valuable insights from the people who will ultimately buy your product or service. “A market requires that you have an audience of people who have a shared problem that is urgent, that is painful and reoccurring, and they have the willingness to find the means to financially pay to solve that problem,” he said. Audit your life’s minutes. For more than two years, LaSean has journaled his life through a calendar. Three times per day, he inputs what he’s done so far that day into his digital calendar as an exercise to be more intentional with his time. He challenges others to do the same exercise for 30 days. “Challenge yourself for 30 days to journal and see how you are spending your time,” he said. “Audit the books of your life minutes and see if there’s a disconnect between where you say you want to go and how you’re actually spending those minutes.” Resources + Links Values-Based Business Design: Modern Product Development for High-Growth Companies The Four Burners Theory: The Downside of Work-Life Balance by James Clear “Fortunes require leverage. Business leverage comes from capital, people, and products with no marginal cost of replication (code and media).” -- Naval Ravikant (@naval) Louder Than Words by Todd Henry The Life Map: The Predictable Path To Financial Independence Follow LaSean Smith: Website, Instagram, LinkedIn, X (formerly known as Twitter)  Brian Thompson Financial: Website, Newsletter, Podcast Follow Brian Online: Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, X (formerly known as Twitter), Forbes 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.

It’s hard to believe that 2023 is almost over. Before the New Year, it’s time to reflect on the past year and get ready for the next one. On this special episode, Brian lists off 10 business and 10 personal tasks that you should check off your list to end 2023 on the right note and start 2024 with a clean slate. Episode Highlights 10 End-Of-Year Business Action Items 1. Review your goals How did you do this year? What were you proud to accomplish? Anything you wish you could have done better? The end of the year is a great time to review the goals you made at the beginning of the year and set new ones for 2024. 2. Update your cash flow If you use Profit First, look at each bucket’s allocations. If a bucket looks too full or scarce, update your percentages accordingly. Remember: Do not make adjustments of more than 3%, which can put you in a bind later. 3. Review your profit & loss At this point in the year, you should have a good sense of your business’s gross income, which makes it an ideal time to review your profit & loss statement. Hopefully, it was a banner year for you! 4. Find your tax return There’s nothing like some downtime during the holidays to organize and prepare for tax season. Take some time to find a return to help with some of the next tasks on this list. 5. Max out your Solo 401(k) or SEP IRA If you have a little extra profit this year, retirement accounts are a great way to shelter income. If you have a Solo 401(k), you can contribute $22,500 as an employee in 2023. Additionally, if you are age 50 or older, you can contribute $7,500 in employee catch-up contributions and up to $66,000 in employer contributions. If you have a SEP IRA, you can contribute up to 25% of your adjusted net earnings or $66,000 in 2023, whichever is less.  6. Defer income and incur expenses It’s an excellent time to defer income until 2024 and incur expenses you know you’ll have at the beginning of the year while it’s still 2023. However, remember two things before you take this approach: The business expense must be ordinary and necessary, meaning it’s an expense that a business like yours would incur. You don’t save money on an expense you wouldn’t otherwise buy. 7. Consider “out-of-the-box” expenses When thinking about expenses, consider some that may be “out-of-the-box,” such as employee cell phone reimbursement, educational assistance, or dependent care assistance. Expenses can also include up to $25 per person gifts for clients or holiday parties and some forms of holiday travel if they include business reasons. 8. Update your asset list Did you buy new assets during the year that will affect your tax return? It’s important to have an accurate list of assets associated with your business for tax purposes. Also, figure out what equipment you no longer use in the business and consider what equipment you can acquire if you’re trying to reduce your bottom line. 9. Review your business structure Evaluate your business structure and the qualified business income deduction for any changes that you need to make, such as setting up a Solo 401(k) by the deadline of December 31. 10. Reflect before 2024 How do you feel about your business? Is it going in the direction you want? How can you bring more intention to what you’re doing? Reflecting on the past year and creating some attention for the new year is essential. 10 End-of-Year Personal Action Items 1. Review your goals Just like you did with your business, review your goals for 2023 and take stock of where you succeeded and where you fell short. Either way, you’ll have some good information about the changes you can make in 2024. 2. Update your budget Your money and your business are tools to live the life that you want, and the end of the year gives you a solid endpoint to assess whether you matched the goals you set at the outset of 2023. If you didn’t set financial goals for 2023, the start of the new year is a great time to use a budget that finally works for you. 3. Create a holiday bucket Consider how much you want to spend this holiday season, which may look a lot different than in past years. Create a separate bucket for holiday spending, then stop spending when that money is gone. You’ll thank yourself come January when you don’t have huge credit card bills. 4. Spend benefits you’ll lose Take stock of the benefits you have that won’t roll over to 2024. Whether that’s unused vacation days, medical dependent care benefits, or money in your flexible spending account, use your workplace benefits to your advantage. 5. Make any last charitable contributions December 31 is the last day your donations can go on your 2023 tax return. If giving to charity is part of your spending plan, use these three questions to make the most out of your charitable giving. 6. Pump up your 529 account More than 30 states allow for a tax deduction for your contributions to a 529 plan. However, to count for this tax year, contributions must be made by December 31. 7. Max out your 401(k) If you have a spouse who works as a W2 employee, 401(k) contributions made through December 31 count for the 2023 tax year. If you have extra cash and want to boost your savings, consider adding your spouse’s last 2023 paycheck to their 401(k). 8. Find your tax return Tax season is right around the corner, so prepare yourself now, while you have some space and mental energy. You can also use this time to assess whether a Roth conversion is best for you. 9. Review your will and trust With end-of-year reflections, you’re keenly aware of all the changes in life. Remember, your estate plan is also affected by those changes and needs to match your current situation. Checking your estate documents is especially important if you’ve gotten married, gone through a divorce, or had children in the past year. 10. Review your insurance documents Just like your estate documents, your insurance policies should also cover your current needs. Review your life and disability policies to ensure they protect your income and those dependent on you. Also, your renters and homeowners insurance should protect any additional big purchases you made during the year, and your health insurance policy should be reviewed for any upcoming changes. Resources + Links The bucket budget: How To Get Control Of Your Spending Without Tracking Every Penny Questions for charitable giving: How To Make The Most Of Your Charitable Giving States that offer a tax benefit for 529 plan contribution Brian Thompson Financial: Website, Newsletter, Podcast Follow Brian Online: Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, X (formerly known as Twitter), Forbes 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.

Brian chats with inclusive entrepreneurship expert Ebony Janelle. As an Empower by GoDaddy manager, Ebony drives GoDaddy’s corporate program that helps underserved entrepreneurs thrive. She manages the day-to-day operations that provide education, networking, and mentorship to small business owners from underfunded communities.  On the episode, Ebony discusses the challenges facing LGBTQ+ entrepreneurs, including a disparity in funding and resources. She also shares the three pillars that entrepreneurs of all kinds can use to uplevel their businesses and how the use of generative AI can give small business owners some of their precious time back. Episode Highlights Mission-driven businesses support positive change. Ebony defines a mission-driven business as a company that seeks to solve or change social problems, demonstrating responsibility for supporting positive change in the world. She's proud that the company she works for, GoDaddy, meets that definition -- especially because the work she manages within GoDaddy’s signature Social Impact program and Empower by GoDaddy are crucial components of GoDaddy's mission to make opportunity more inclusive for all. “The mission is actually what drives all aspects of the business,” she said. “Not only does it help local economies, it also helps build intergenerational wealth for families.” Three pillars for success: Education, networking, and mentorship. Empower by GoDaddy espouses three pillars to help business owners succeed: Education, networking, and mentorship. All three pillars are needed to “uplevel” entrepreneurs, according to Ebony. “Without the education of how to run your business, you’re not going to have the opportunity to network or find a mentor,” she said. “If you don’t have the networking of like-minded individuals, you’re not going to be able to run ideas past them or improve your education. And without a mentor, you don’t have the necessary pathway to discuss areas of opportunity or talk through roadblocks.” Use generative AI to get some time back. Small business owners wear many different hats, and there’s never enough time to do all the tasks on the to-do list. Recently, Ebony has heard entrepreneurs using generative artificial intelligence (AI) tools, such as ChatGPT, to lessen the time it takes to do some of the more menial tasks. As a result, the business owner can focus on bigger, more important items. “Using generative AI can really be helpful to your small business to automate some of the things that you may not have the time to do,” Ebony said. Don’t do it alone.  Especially if you’re an entrepreneur from an underserved community, you may feel like there’s no one else who’s faced the hurdles you’re experiencing. That’s why it’s important to find a community of like-minded individuals. “One of the things that a lot of small business owners don’t take into consideration is that there are others that have done it before you and can give you some practical advice to help you over the hurdle you may be facing,” Janelle said. “Don’t try to do it alone.” Resources + Links Ebony: LinkedIn, X (formerly known as Twitter) Brian Thompson Financial: Website, Newsletter, Podcast Follow Brian Online: Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, X (formerly known as Twitter), Forbes 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.

Brian chats with serial entrepreneur and SendGrid founder Isaac Saldana about his new venture Memo, which helps people build authentic and trustworthy personal brands. On the episode, Isaac opens up about how his introversion initially made it difficult for him to sell his expertise online, and how he's now using his experiences to help other entrepreneurs and creatives effectively showcase their talents. He also gives tips for being a leader with your natural personality and for using your values to navigate difficult business decisions. Episode Highlights Mission-driven businesses move mountains. Mission-driven businesses share a motivation to make the world a little bit better. Issac says you know your level of motivation is right as a business owner when you have the passion to move mountains. "If your motivation is big enough to move a mountain, then you've found the right motivation and the right mission," he said.  Personal brands build new connections. Establishing a personal brand on social media can help convey trust and demonstrate your knowledge. While some people think the purpose of a personal brand is to be popular online, Isaac sees its true value as building connections.  "If your purpose is to connect with other people, specifically new people that you don't know, a personal brand could be influential," he said. Establish your company values early. One of the first things that Isaac did with his new company, Memo, was to establish a set of values, which spell out the word HAPPY: humility, adaptability, peers, passion, and you. Issac prioritized creating values for Memo early on because being an entrepreneur requires making decisions even when there's no right answer. In those instances, he believes it can be helpful to lean on your values. "You can't go to Google or ChatGPT and ask them to give you an answer," Isaac said. "You need something to help you make decisions, and values do that."  Build a culture around your values. Establishing company values can help with more than just making decisions. Building values into a company's culture can lead to a more efficient and happy workplace, and conveying a company's values online can help build trust and credibility with an audience.  "I can talk about values for a long time because I truly believe they make a huge difference," Isaac said. "Many entrepreneurs don't focus on that early on."  Resources + Links Isaac: LinkedIn, Crunchbase, X (formerly known as Twitter) Memo: Website, Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, X (formerly known as Twitter)   SendGrid: Website, LinkedIn, X (formerly known as Twitter)  Brian Thompson Financial: Website, Newsletter, Podcast Follow Brian Online: Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, X (formerly known as Twitter), Forbes 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.

Brian chats with Elliot Greenberger, a new entrepreneur who recently pivoted from corporate leadership to business coaching. On the episode, Elliot opens up about how he felt stuck and drained before he started his business, even though he had a successful career and a fulfilling family life. He also shares the practical steps he took to launch his coaching firm and tips for creating an effective sales process that aligns with your business's mission. Episode Highlights Mission-driven businesses are born out of a sense of purpose. Every business has a purpose, whether the leaders of a company know it or not. But what defines a mission-driven business is that the company is born out of that sense of purpose, according to Elliot. "What sets a mission-driven business apart is that there's a specific kind of intentionality and specificity about the mission," Elliot said. "That mission literally drives the business." For Elliot's coaching business, the mission has evolved into teaching his clients how to be courageous. He writes a weekly newsletter called "On Courage" and is thinking about teaching courses or doing speaking on the subject. Align your sales process with your mission. A company's mission can't go very far without a sales process to support turning that mission into a reality. That's why creating a sales process that aligns with your business's mission and vision is one of the most important steps you can take, according to Elliot. "Having a process really allows me to keep my integrity as a coach," Elliot said. "It allows me to really focus on my mission and make sure I'm attracting clients and getting clients who support the work I want to do." Carve out time for self care. One of the benefits of being a business owner is being able to more easily carve out time in the day for self care. For Elliot, that sometimes looks like ending his day at 3 p.m. and going for a swim as a way to care for himself and do what's best for his business. "The way I pace my day not only helps me become a better person to those around me, it also helps my business," he said. "It helps me as a coach, and there's something that can be transmitted about that to the people that I work with." Resources + Links Elliot: Website, LinkedIn Elliot’s Substack and the “On Courage” Newsletter Brian Thompson Financial: Website, Newsletter, Podcast Follow Brian Online: Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Forbes 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.

Brian chats with Spider Perry, founder of the inclusive clothing company NerdyKeppie. Spider initially created the company as a side business to provide LGBTQ Judaica for their daughter and now runs NerdyKeppie full-time with the help of several part-time employees. On the episode, Spider shares how the business has evolved throughout its growth. They also list their top tips for keeping a business afloat and emphasize the importance of delegation. Episode Highlights Mission-driven businesses create the world you want to live in. Spider defines a mission-driven business as a company that actively tries to create the kind of world you want to live in. This definition of a mission-driven business extends beyond just the products a company makes to the working environment it provides for employees. “It has to go both ways,” Spider said. “It would be hollow if it were only outward facing or only inward facing.” Get organized from the beginning. When Spider started NerdyKeppie, they were the only person who had to understand how files were named and organized. But as the company has grown, the system they created didn’t always make sense to the other people working at the company. They advise other business owners to strategically organize files from the start. “Keep track of things better than you think, and do it from the beginning,” Spider said. “I still have a file on our server now that I still have to finish sorting.” If you don’t trust a person, don’t work with them. Delegation is a crucial part of running a business, so it’s important to trust the people that you work with. If you don’t trust a person, you shouldn’t be working with them, Spider advises. “If you can’t hand off something to someone and trust that they’re going to get it done in the way that you need, maybe you need to reevaluate that relationship,” Spider said. Spider has had to end a few business relationships because they couldn’t trust the end result. However, the people he does continue to work with are empowered to make decisions and do the job right. “I have to pay our operations lead for the job that I want him to do,” he said. “I have to make sure that he has the tools that he needs. And then I need to stop, walk away, and let him do the job.” Resources + Links The Mission Driven Business Podcast Episode 59: Creating The Job You Want with Sarah Kendrick Spider: Tumblr, Patreon, Twitter NerdyKeppie: Website, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram Brian Thompson Financial: Website, Newsletter, Podcast Follow Brian Online: Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Forbes 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.

Brian chats with serial entrepreneur, social innovator, and author Miki Agrawal. As the founder of disruptive ventures Tushy, Thinx, and Wild, Miki is known for challenging the status quo and driving cultural change. She is also the author of best-selling books Do Cool Sh*t and Disrupt-Her. On the episode, Miki dives deep into her experience building multiple 100-million-dollar businesses. She also shares the questions she asks before starting a new business and opens up about how some of her hardest times have led to growth. Episode Highlights Mission-driven businesses do well and good. Miki defines a mission-driven business as a company that does good and well at the same time. As a member of a board on conscious capitalism, she’s witnessed how companies that create socially conscious business models perform better financially, too. “It’s a company that looks at the stakeholders versus just the shareholders,” Miki said. “Having not just a revenue-focused target but also an impact target is important.” Three questions to ask before starting a business. Before she starts a new business, Miki asks herself three questions: What sucks in my world? Does it suck for a lot of people? Can I be passionate about it for a really long time? “There’s a saying that it takes 10 years to be an overnight success,” Miki said. “When I think about starting Tushy or Thinx or Wild, they are all things I could be really passionate about for a really long time.” 90% of success is action. Miki likes the saying that 90% of working out is putting on your running shoes and walking out the door. She attributes a similar action-first mindset to success in business, too. If you’re inspired and take action, you may end up somewhere miraculous. “If you have an idea in your head, take the first step,” she said. “Talk is cheap. Action speaks louder than words.” Question everything. Miki attributes her success to her desire to creatively solve problems to the best of her ability. She also credits her culturally diverse upbringing in French Canada, where she grew up with a Japanese mother and Indian father in a Hindu-Buddhist household. “We got a chance to not conform,” she said. “When you don’t conform, you get to really question everything. And when you get to question everything, you invent new possibilities.” Resources + Links Miki Agrawal: Website, Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest Books: Disrupt-Her: A Manifesto for the Modern Woman, Do Cool Sh*t Tushy: Website, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter, Threads, YouTube  Thinx: Website, Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, Twitter Wild: Website, Instagram, Facebook  Brian Thompson Financial: Website, Newsletter, Podcast Follow Brian Online: Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Forbes 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.