My journey with Inspire around the world
Recently, Inspire sent me on a trek to Nepal. Along with a dozen coworkers and a support team from the GivePower organization, we installed solar power in a remote village. This is the first part of a series of posts about the trip. Each is a bite-sized piece of my experience that I’d love to share with you.
Every time I reflect on this trip, I’m filled with gratitude.
It was a financial cost, it was time away from loved ones, it was effort. Our business picked up the first. Our families covered the second. Our team, including GivePower, put in 110%.
Each person’s effort produced dividends and it had a multiplicative effect. I saw everyone grow to be an even greater advocate for the mission we are trying to spread with our business. This is one of the reasons why Inspire is so unique. Other companies may have volunteering initiatives, but this one is extremely special to me when thinking about my personal journey with Inspire.
I joined Inspire three and a half years ago. Back then, we were a dozen people in a converted warehouse in Fishtown, Philadelphia and a small office in Santa Monica. I joined the company for a few reasons, primarily to be part of a growing startup that had the ability to make a real impact on the world. Never, three years ago, could I have dreamed that we would be sponsoring a trek of this size and scope. Never would I have imagined we would be flying to foreign countries, using our bare hands to build something physical, something real, something meaningful for people. This wasn’t even in the realm of possibility. I knew of humanitarian volunteering trips, but an energy-based one? This idea would have completely blown 2015 Matt’s mind.
One thing that never ceases to amaze me is our CEO’s ability to take an idea that seems largely unachievable and make it happen, time and time again. Last January, I was sitting with Patrick on a chairlift in Utah and he mentioned casually that he was thinking about getting a trip together to install some renewable energy in a foreign country. Eight months later, I was on a flight to Nepal. Our business works like that too. We set audacious goals, and year in and year out I’m consistently impressed with our collective ability to rally behind a common goal and actually achieve it. We have such confidence in ourselves because we’re moving too fast to even consider failure.
Which leads me to the future. Inspire has a huge opportunity. We grow massively each year and with that growth, our members collectively make an impact on the earth. This trek helped me understand how Inspire can use some of its revenue and apply it to areas that absolutely need it. I’ve experienced firsthand the transition from minimal electricity to a sustainable power source. Inspire brings renewable energy to more people in the United States, and through treks like this, it will also have a lasting global impact. I’m so grateful to have been included on the inaugural Inspire trek and can’t wait to see more successful treks in the future.
