Why “Making the World a Better Place” is so damn complicated ft. Social Impact Strategist Laura Francois
Ep4: https://impacteverywhere.org
It is always difficult to measure the impact of a project or initiative, but that does not mean that going out there to affect some sort of change is not worthwhile! On the show today we have Laura François to talk about her goals of making the world a better place and how complex these issues can be. Laura is focused on inter-disciplinary social and environmental impact, using both digital and creative mediums. She is the founder of the social change agency A New Kind and social entrepreneurship academy, The Spaceship and is passionate about participating in growing ecosystems and emerging markets, and she believes in really drilling down to the base of problems instead of treating surface-level symptoms.
In our conversation, Laura unpacks her thoughts on the issues she addresses and gives some examples of fundamental concerns as opposed to their resultant indications. Her commitment to real change and the means to make this happen is so impressive; we talk about the ‘five whys’ and taking action instead of allowing complexity to stall progress. Laura walks us through the benefits of socially motivated work for businesses and corporations and how much this landscape has changed in the last decade. She shares so much of her learning and passion, you are not going to want to miss this and stay tuned to hear about the project that Benjamin and Laura worked on together!
Last but not least, Laura created a free tool tool is designed to guide anyone looking to explore how their hard and soft skills have the potential to translate into unique opportunities for creating impact. This framework encourages anyone to rethink the problems they are motivated to help solve by identifying their unique value creation and artistic vision!
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Key Points From This Episode:
- Why is it so hard to make the world a better place? (Hint: The world is not black and white)
- The key to more Innovation in corporations, is the integration of more creative thinkers within their ranks.
- By learning how to speak different “languages” to different “audiences” you can more effectively get your message across.
- Businesses need to be thinking about positive impact →Young consumers care about values like sustainability and human rights more than ever before →A brand is more likable and memorable for being honest about their shortcomings as well as their steps to improve their business practices
- By using the simple technique of the “5 Whys” — you can already begin to better understand your impact. (TLDR: Ask yourself at least 5 times why the problem you’re confronting is happening )
Though every problem in this world mostly falls into a “gray zone” where it can be hard to tell what solution would be best, just start. It can be hard to convince people that a unique approach would be best, especially when the impact is not easily measurable. But Laura suggests not to think so much about how to measure it, but rather to think to yourself, “What wouldn’t happen if I wasn’t there?”
Laura’s Ask, Offer, and Question for Listeners:
Ask: Think about what your impact is in the world, positive or negative
Question: What could happen if we all didn’t assume our regular roles in life?
Tweetables:
“Impact is not necessarily positive, nor is it necessarily negative, it is just impact.” — Laura François [0:00:57]
“We have to think a couple steps deeper if we want to solve anything.” — Laura François [0:01:30]
“The story you are telling, if there are large enough gaps in it, can be really dangerous. You have a responsibility as a storyteller.” — Laura François [0:10:15]
Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:
Laura François
Laura François on Instagram
Fashion Revolution
Clothing the Loop
5 Whys
Coming Up Next:
Eugene Wong is a Cultural Shaper that empowers people to operate more effectively by developing their potential and allowing them to connect to themselves and their causes on a deeper level. Eugene is a polymath with degrees in law, commerce, theology and community development and if you’d like a slight teaser — check out website at AstrongerNarrative.com We know you all have a preferred platform, so take your pick between Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts and Spotify.
