By now, you’ve read enough about millennials — those born between the early 1980s to early 2000s — to know that they seriously want to shake up the marketplace and change the world while they’re at it. The Gen Y workforce is not interested in climbing the corporate ladder the way their parents did. In fact, studies show that millennials are even willing to take a pay cut if it means they could work for a company that has a strong commitment to environmental or social impact. In today’s unpredictable job market, social entrepreneurship never looked so good.
We create labels and self-imposed limits to save ourselves from fear. You can live in the stories you tell yourself or you can face your fear, that’s our power.
Enter, Theresa Laurico. As a prominent producer at Much Music, a music-driven television network beloved by pre-adolescent Gen Yers, Laurico had an epiphany that would prompt her to trade in her modern luxuries for a chance to make a global social impact. In 2012, she launched the SociaLight conference in Toronto and gathered the brightest stars in the entrepreneurship arena including: bestselling author and marketing superstar, Seth Godin; founder of Virgin Group, Sir Richard Branson; and international bestselling author and founder of Zappos, Tony Hsieh. After three consecutively successful events, Laurico took the conference to the west coast with the first ever Vancouver SociaLight conference on June 7th.
With a focus on startups, entrepreneurship, and small business success, the conference aims to inspire leadership that empowers people, planet, and profit. “At SociaLight, we look at what’s possible for you, what’s possible for the world and what’s possible for humanity,” said Laurico in her opening remarks.
Like the Toronto event, the inaugural Vancouver SociaLight conference lineup did not disappoint: serial entrepreneur and best-selling author of “Do Cool Sh*t,” Miki Agrawal; Founder of ChangeHeros.com, Taylor Conroy; Co-Founders of World Housing, the world’s first one-for-one gifting real estate company, Peter Dupuis and Sid Landolt; Founder & Skool Principal of Institute B, Darrell Kopke; and Founder of popular Vancouver-based Japanese-style hot dog JAPADOG, Noriki Tamura.
Here are some tips from the conference that will surely inspire you on your quest to do cool sh*t.
Unless you try, you won’t know if you’re going to succeed or fail. – Noriki Tamura
“I think everyone should have a grand vision of what they want to do. The bigger your dream is, the more excited you can be about it. And that’s why Japadog is aiming to be the number one hot dog purveyor in the world, which is why every day is an exciting new adventure.”
Dare to dream…be prepared to fail. – Peter Dupuis and Sid Landolt
“Creating what your Plan B is to realize your dream and to create your company or structure that is flexible. When you start out, invest and think about what your Plan B is to reach that dream.”
Build a team based on culture. – Peter Dupuis and Sid Landolt
“One of the single greatest assets you can have as a leader, is your purpose/mission, direction/vision, values, code of conduct that you work in, and how you work together. This collective culture will start to identify and set apart your business.”
Work with people that know more than you. – Peter Dupuis and Sid Landolt
“Engage teammates, clients, business partners, and suppliers that know more than you. It forces you to bring your best game, there can be no lazy thinking.”
Fight the fear and stop labeling yourself. – Darrell Kopke
“We create labels and self-imposed limits to save ourselves from fear. You can live in the stories you tell yourself or you can face your fear, that’s our power.”
Regarding marketing, make it work. – Marlon English, Slow Jam Sundays
“Always try to raise the bar with what you’re doing. If all you have is $10 in your pocket, do anything you can to make that $10 work.”
People. Product. Pay. – Meredith Powell
“What gets investors excited? People, product, and pay.”
Data is the new oil. – Graham Churchill
“In the data economy, you can take data and find buyers for it and sell it to them. They can take the data and combine it with other data and you have something new. Data doesn’t follow the traditional manufacturing model in that it’s instantly monetizable.”
You are as good as the five closest friends you keep. – Miki Agrawal
“Choose your friends wisely. They can be boom-spirals and spin you out of control or they can be people who inspire you and push you to the next level. Find people that inspire you and seek them out.”
Solve a real problem.– Miki Agrawal
“Please don’t make another t-shirt company. Think about what sucks in your world and start making that change.”
“Think, ‘how can I help you?’ rather than ‘how can you help me?’”– Miki Agrawal
“When developing mentorship relationships, lead first with how you can help them before you ask them to help you. If you ask for money, you’ll get advice. If you ask for advice, you’ll get money.”