7 Characteristics Of Conscious Entrepreneurs (Do You have Them Too?)
If you’re an assiduous reader of this blog, you’ve probably seen the words “conscious entrepreneurs” several times in recent articles. But how do conscious entrepreneurs look like? How are they different from traditional entrepreneurs? I’ve listed here 7 fundamental characteristics that aim at bringing clarity on a topic that I deeply care about.
#1. They Are Empowered By A Solid Personal Mission
What’s your mission? I’m not talking about the purpose of your project or product, but the purpose of your life. Conscious Entrepreneurs believe they have been put in the Universe to solve a problem in order to help other living things. “What counts in life is not the mere fact that we have lived. It is what difference we have made to the lives of others that will determine the significance of the life we lead” said Nelson Mandela.
Conscious entrepreneurs regularly take the time to step back, digest past experiences, engage in introspective work and reconnect with their higher self. This frequent work helps them strengthen their personal mission and come up with a statement that empowers them, stirs their souls and gives them the feeling of living for a purpose bigger than themselves.
#2. They Work On A Cause-Driven Project
Driven by their personal mission, conscious entrepreneurs create projects that help them make significant impact. These projects obviously go beyond the pursuit of ‘’making a living”: Conscious entrepreneurs first and foremost care about social and environmental issues that shake our world, aim at bringing more justice, freedom or sustainability — or all of the above.
Because they deeply care about the problems they want to fix, they are glad to share their convictions and enthusiasm at any occasion; there’s a fine line between their professional life and personal life.
Although they aren’t “cash driven”, they don’t hesitate to use tools and tap into methodologies primarily developed for the “business world” in order to work effectively and make smart decisions.
#3. They Are Community-Centered And Collaborative
When they share their message with the world, conscious entrepreneurs automatically attract like-minded people who want to connect and interact with them. They are attracted and empowered by the authenticity and passion that emerge from the entrepreneurs. All together, they start forming a community of engaged individuals.
Driven by their passion, conscious entrepreneurs work at making everyone participate and take part in the cause, to spread the word and gradually turn the startup project into a global movement. They are leaders who invite community members to get involved in several tasks of the project, from co-innovation to co-production. Moreover, they constantly ask for fresh feedback to ensure that the project is creating the expected impact for everyone.
#4. They Work Within The Gift Economy
“Community is woven from gift” - Charles Eisenstein.
Collaborative communities are rarely compatible with the use of traditional money because it tends to foster selfishness and competition. Because they constantly co-work with their community, the conscious entrepreneur believes their work and creations should have free access to whoever may find it useful and not made falsely scarce by the mechanisms of the monetary economy.
As we all need to make a living in our global economy, conscious entrepreneurs choose to base their business model on voluntary payments. To be clear, it doesn’t mean that the products and services created by this entrepreneurs are “free”, it signifies that “free access” is granted and users are expected to give “something” in return according to how satisfied they have been with the experience provided. Conscious entrepreneurs work at educating their community about the gift economy (a concept that is unfortunately a bit alien today) and especially the need for reciprocity in order to make their projects sustainable.
Conscious entrepreneurs don’t measure success primarily in term of revenues; rather they believe that the impact created measures their progress better than income generated; for example, how much positive feedback they receive from their community can be a great solution to track progress.
#5. They Take Care Of Themselves
I helped entrepreneurs who spent more than fifteen hours everyday in front of their screens (weekends included), slept 4 hours per night, took vacations for 10 days every year (Most of which were spent working anyway), were over-caffeinated, ate far too much or not enough, never did a single minute of sports, barely saw their families, looked 10 years older than they actually were and rarely talked about topics other than their business… According to them, they were successful: They were making money! However I believe our world can benefit much more from these entrepreneurs if they could learn how to live healthier lives.
Some people believe we are the average of the 5 people we spend the most time with and I must say that my life was following a similar direction once upon a time. As soon as I became aware of my unhealthy habits, I started to take care of my well-being, learning to listen to my body more, taking daily breaks for sports as well as complementing my diet with more fruits and vegetables. As the body and the mind are widely connected, I almost immediately experienced the benefits of a healthier routine: more freshness, less stress, more productivity… I also integrated meditation and yoga in my everyday life and took time off for activities that had no direct link with work. Engaging in these practices helps the mind and body to regenerate effectively which makes a big difference in the long run!
#6. They Are Happy… Now!
I used to think that life would be better once my entrepreneurial projects were more developed, when I created more impact… I was wrong for three reasons.
First, I was always expecting more results from my work to allow me to be truly happy but soon understood that if I kept postponing happiness like that, it would simply never come. I could have spent my entire life waiting for happiness to arrive until one day I would have come to the realization that it was too late and that I hadn’t enjoyed enough each minute of my precious existence. This was a fundamental change in my vision of life.
Second, happiness leads to success (and not the other way around). Happy entrepreneurs tend to perform better as they are more likely to attract and connect with others who can “feel” their positive energy. Furthermore, these entrepreneurs are more prone to rely on their creative capacities when they face new or difficult situations.
Third, my personal happiness used to be linked to the evolution of my projects. If the project was going well, friends and family could feel my excitement, but would also feel my bitterness when things weren’t going as expected. Conscious entrepreneurs know how to stay balanced and wise in each situation. They don’t let news concerning their projects affect their mind and heart too much so their happiness can remain intact.
#7. They Are Conscious About Every Aspect Of Life
What makes conscious entrepreneurs really “conscious” is that they keep their state of mind 24/7; they are aware that their thoughts and actions have a significant impact on our world not only throughout their projects but in all aspects of life. In that sense, they care about constantly making conscious decisions: buying from local producers and shops, reducing meat consumption, conserving water, purchasing “organic” foods that did not harm Mother Earth, caring about over-packaging, commuting by bike or on foot, washing with natural products to avoid mixing water with chemicals… These are simple examples of daily habits conscious entrepreneurs have integrated into their lives.
In summary conscious entrepreneurship isn’t a trend, but a slow and deep evolution observed within the entrepreneur community and society. Its rise is primarily stems from a more accurate perception and understanding of our world. News media have slowly raised our awareness facilitating global consciousness and fostering our entrepreneurial mindset. While still in an initial stage, I strongly believe conscious entrepreneurship will in one decade or two be the “normal way of doing” things, especially if we succeed in improving our monetary system.
Being a conscious entrepreneur isn’t a title either, but a state of mind or even a lifestyle. In that note, the purpose of this article wasn’t to make clear distinctions between who is and who isn’t part of this community of conscious entrepreneurs, but rather to inspire and make you feel empowered by a new story that I hope you’ll consider as yours. This is not a story that I’m writing alone, it’s a living story that we are all constantly creating and developing. What matters now is that you keep the big ideas in mind and gradually make more conscious decisions regarding your life as well as your project. The whole world will benefit from your evolution.
Namaste
Thomas
