Purpose Before Profit: Victor J Giusfredi On The Benefits Of Running A Purpose-Driven Business
An Interview With Chad Silverstein
Know Your Talents (and Limitations): Understanding your strengths and acknowledging your weaknesses is crucial for effective leadership and decision-making.
In today’s competitive business landscape, the race for profits often takes center stage. However, there are some leaders who also prioritize a mission-driven purpose. They use their business to make a positive social impact and recognize that success isn’t only about making money. In this interview series, we are talking with some of these distinct leaders and I had the pleasure of interviewing Victor Giusfredi.
Victor is a mindset and resilience coach, author, and entrepreneur from Dingmans Ferry, Pennsylvania. With a diverse background that includes working in over 40 locations worldwide and launching multiple businesses, he brings a wealth of experience and insight to his coaching practice. He is dedicated to helping millennial men master their mindset and build resilience, drawing from his own massive vault of life experiences and lessons learned as an immigrant, father, business founder, inventor, author, and coach.
Thank you so much for doing this with us! Our readers would love to get to know you a bit better. Can you tell us your “Origin Story”? Can you tell us the story of how you grew up?
I was born in Rivadavia, a small town in the west of Mendoza, Argentina. My grandparents, originally from Syria, were among the wealthiest in the province. At the age of 8, my stepfather embarked on a nomadic lifestyle, leading me to live and work in over 40 places worldwide.
Since arriving in the US in 2001, my journey has ranged from being a janitor to becoming a National Product Manager for luxury automotive. I’ve launched seven businesses, developed two inventions, started an international franchise, and now work as a mindset and resilience coach for millennial men focused on mindset and resilience tactics to thrive in the modern world.
Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you began leading your company or organization?
After my second divorce, I found myself unemployed, a full-time dad to my two children, and having lost everything I owned. I persevered for another year, selling my belongings, and seeking work, but eventually confronted my failures and contemplated ending my life. The thought of my life insurance helping my children crossed my mind.
However, at the brink of action, I had a revelation. I realized that sharing the blood-earned wisdom from two decades of adventures could offer more to my children — and others like me — than mere financial support. This epiphany marked the start of my purpose and calling as a coach and self-published author, driven to help others avoid pain through the lessons I’ve learned, and the world class principles that helped me overcome life’s toughest challenges.
We often learn the most from our mistakes. Can you share one that you made that turned out to be one of the most valuable lessons you’ve learned?
Throughout my life, including living in 40+ places, enduring two divorces by 36, single parenting, and varied professional experiences, the most significant lesson I’ve learned is: fortune favors the brave (and being brave also means honest). This realization has been pivotal in shaping my approach to challenges and opportunities.
As a successful leader, it’s clear that you uphold strong core values. I’m curious what are the most important principles you firmly stand by and refuse to compromise on. Can you share a few of them and explain why they hold such significance for you in your work and life?
I firmly believe in the Golden Rule, not just as a responsibility, but as a life hack. My experiences have taught me that emotional pain, fear, and suffering are universal, regardless of background or status. This understanding drives me to extend a hand to anyone in need, as everyone suffers one way or another.
I hold integrity in high regard as it’s the cornerstone of a worry-free life and a direct path to peace. Like gravity, the unbreakable laws of decency have shown me that any deviation leads to equal or greater consequences. This understanding keeps me steadfast on the path of doing what I know is right, regardless of the cost.
What inspired you to start a purpose-driven business rather than a traditional for-profit enterprise? Can you share a personal story or experience that led you to prioritize social impact in your business?
My entrepreneurial journey, filled with thrills and profits, made me realize that fulfillment outshines transient achievements. I discovered that monetary gains, however significant, offer only fleeting satisfaction and widen the gap between who we are and who we want to be. This led me to prioritize doing good for others over mere profit, finding deeper fulfillment in making a positive impact on others’ lives.
Can you help articulate a few of the benefits of leading a purpose-driven business rather than a standard “plain vanilla” business?
In my previous ventures, where KPIs, profit, and reports were the driving forces, I felt like I ran as fast as I could, chasing an elusive goal. Seeking fulfillment, I ventured into inventing mobile apps and luxury accessories, and even worked in Corporate America.
The realization that monetary goals were hollow pushed me to find purpose in helping others avoid the struggles I faced, achieve joy, and find fulfillment. This purpose-driven approach ignites a passion unlike any other, making even the most challenging tasks feel rewarding.
How has your company’s mission or purpose affected its overall success? Can you explain the methods or metrics you use to evaluate the impact of this purpose-driven strategy on your organization?
Unfortunately, this is a new journey for me, and the metrics are yet to come. Over nearly three years, I’ve devoted myself to writing, editing, and publishing a book, acquiring certifications, and building my personal brand. I liken this phase to being in a desert, just before stumbling upon an oasis.
Can you share a pivotal moment when you realized that leading your purpose-driven company was actually making a significant impact? Can you share a specific example or story that deeply resonated with you personally?
About a year into my coaching practice, I noticed a positive shift in those around me, almost as if their world had become a bit brighter. My indirect coaching influenced my children to excel academically without stress, my parents to heal their relationship after 40 years, my brother to launch his dream business, and led me to become a published author.
This positive ripple effect extended to others as well, helping many men find themselves, their passion, and a sustainable way to live life, often leading to success aligned with their inner values.
Have you ever faced a situation where your commitment to your purpose and creating a positive social impact clashed with the profitability in your business?
Absolutely, and I am currently in it. Throughout the years, my professional training, experience, and real-world application have taught me world-class marketing guerilla tactics, limbic resonance hacks, and the ins and outs of running a business, both for profit and for purpose.
However, I realized that financial gains left me feeling empty, regardless of the day’s profits or broken records. Discovering more about my personality type, archetype, and innate gifts, I decided to use them for meaningful impact rather than profit. I now choose to earn by helping, avoiding tactics that might exploit others’ ignorance or innocence.
Have you ever been challenged by anyone on your team or have to make a tough decision that had a significant impact on finances? If so, how did you address and reconcile this conflict?
Although I am my own team now, the other part of my life are my two children and fiancé. Everything I do directly impacts them, and running a purpose-driven business is a balance walk on the tightrope, making hard choices often. To support my mission and make ends meet while I finished “No Grail Without Dragons”, I sold my BMW coupe, most of my belongings, and even collectors’ items I had held onto for years.
The chance to save anyone one day of pain is worth absolutely everything: the difference between giving into the void or getting up once again. I also know and trust that by the laws of the universe as you sow you reap, and I’m sowing seeds of strength and resilience for those looking for ways to find peace and fulfillment in such turbulent times.
What advice would you give to budding entrepreneurs who wish to start a purpose-driven business? What are your “5 Things You Need To Create A Highly Successful Purpose-Driven Business.”
- Know Your Talents (and Limitations): Understanding your strengths and acknowledging your weaknesses is crucial for effective leadership and decision-making.
- Know Your Why (and Why Not): Clarity about your motivations and boundaries is essential for maintaining focus and integrity in your business.
- Know Your Target Audience (and Love Them): A deep understanding of and empathy for your audience ensures that your business genuinely meets their needs.
- Serve a Specific Niche Within Your Skillset (and Do It Well): Specializing in an area where your skills excel allows you to provide exceptional value.
- Choose Your Highest Moral and Ethical Goal and Pursue It Without Fear (and Have Faith It Will All Work Out): Committing to high ethical standards and pursuing them fearlessly fosters trust and long-term success.
I’m interested in how you instill a strong sense of connection with your team. How do you nurture a culture where everyone feels connected to your mission? Could you share an example or story that showcases how your purpose has positively influenced or motivated people on your team to contribute?
Leading by example is a fundamental principle for me, not because I’m exemplary, but because I disdain ambiguous leadership. This approach has allowed previous teams to feel like equals, each a vital piece of the larger puzzle. By equality, mutual responsibility and purpose, every project becomes a collaborative effort where everyone is motivated to give their best, learn from failures, and strive for success as one, while reaping the benefits individually.
Imagine we’re sitting down together two years from now, looking back at your company’s last 24 months. What specific accomplishments would have to happen for you to be happy with your progress?
Reflecting on the last two years, my sense of fulfillment doesn’t hinge on specific milestones but rather on the journey itself. I don’t profess to predict the future; instead, I find joy in the present and in the daily strides we make. Embracing life as a game filled with uncertainty, I’m open to experiencing each moment as it unfolds.
This approach contrasts starkly with my earlier years, where certainty and rigid goals were the norms. Now, living with openness and adaptability, I find myself more content and successful than ever before, a testament to the richness found in embracing life’s unpredictability.
You are a person of enormous influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. :-)
The simple yet profound truth I’d advocate is the impact of our actions on others and ourselves. If we recognize that we are all interconnected, we can transform from adversaries to allies, pushing together for the greater good while promoting our individuality and living purposefully.
How can our readers further follow your work or your company online?
Those interested in my work can connect with me on my website, www.victorgiusfredi.com, or on X @VictorGiusfredi.
This was great. Thanks for taking time for us to learn more about you and your business. We wish you continued success!
Thank you for this opportunity to share my journey and insights. I’m grateful for the chance to connect with your readers and look forward to continuing our mission of making a positive impact.
About the Interviewer: Chad Silverstein is a successful entrepreneur with more than two decades of experience as a successful founder and CEO. He started his first company, Choice Recovery, Inc. a third-party collection agency, out of his apartment while going to The Ohio State University. He grew the business nationwide and represented more than 10,000 clients before selling the company on his 25th anniversary. His second venture, [re]start, is a career development platform that helps people find new jobs, launched in 2013 as a division inside his agency. [re]start was a catalyst to Chad’s team becoming an industry outlier after connecting thousands of people to meaningful employment opportunities. His company was nationally recognized for its social impact, twice being ranked the #1 business to work for in Central Ohio. Chad sold [re]start in 2023 and is now a writer and thought leader for Authority Magazine’s Entrepreneur and Sports Editorials. He also offers an exclusive executive leadership program inside his online community at Authentic Authority.
