Let The Games Begin!
Back in September I was invited to attend a two day workshop for a local company called GameChangers. The founder, Andrew Hewitt, created a list of the most socially conscious companies in the world called the GameChangers 500. The list was designed to highlight those companies that are focused on a triple bottom line of planet, people and profit. Andrew has a TEDx Talk that describes why he started the list. He initiated the list to demonstrate what types of companies we need in our society in order to create a future that we all wish for. At his core, Andrew believes that we need systemic change across all sectors to achieve his dream, and I agree.
I heard about Andrew about 3 years ago when I was still building 4-Profit and doing volunteer work around San Diego and traveling the world looking to make a difference. He was someone who was doing some great things and I only heard about him at the time. Over the past 17 months, since returning from our global journey, I’ve been on a path to build a community of like-minded and like-hearted business professionals. The idea was to help people that wanted to use their business as a vehicle for social change. The original plan was to build the community under the Success Redefined brand and grow something locally here in San Diego, eventually expanding it to other cities around the country.
The first 6 months of the Success Redefined journey were filled with lots of conversations with business people around town and letting them know what I was planning to build. I had never done business in San Diego so people were talking but they really didn’t know what to think of me or of Success Redefined. The reception to the concept was very positive but I wasn’t able to get as much buy-in as I thought I would, and Success Redefined stalled last spring. I have been able to launch one group of amazing business leaders and they continue to meet on a monthly basis, but the road was murky to growing beyond that. Over the past few months I’ve continued to network and get to know San Diego under the 5 Dots brand. I’ve met a ton of amazing people and launched 5 Dots as a business development coaching company has helped me gain clarity around my skills and purpose.
So, how do these two stories fit together? This afternoon at 2 pm PST we will be hosting an event in town for about 70 local influencers, and some individuals from around the country, to talk about developing a local community of GameChangers here in San Diego. Over the coming weeks and months I’ll be speaking about the evolution of this project and the people that we are attracting. I’ve been around entrepreneurial businesses for almost 25 years and I’ve never seen, or been a part of, something that was so pure and intentional and so 100% aligned with my skills, my passion and my desire to make a difference in the world. The concept of a Success Redefined community is not dead, it’s just being reborn within another organization.
I never thought I’d be following a 34 years old visionary to the promised land, but here we go. Thank you Andrew for being the light that has shown me a clear path.
To a life well lived!
Larry Kesslin 