Shownotes:

In this episode of the Social Lights Podcast, podcast host and Social Mediology founder Kate vanderVoort chats with Paul Dunn, the co-founder of accountants for good and B1G1 business for good.

About Paul

Paul is a four-time TEDx speaker. He is a senior fellow in one of the world's leading think tanks and consults with the mentors of cutting-edge businesses around the world. He was honoured as a social innovation fellow in his new home of Singapore, something he shares with film star and philanthropist Jet Li and Walmart chairman, Rob Walton.

He was one of the first 10 people in Hewlett Packard in Australia. He then created one of Australia's first computer companies, and then the Results Corporation, where he helped develop and grow 23,000 small and medium scale business enterprises. His programs are used by an estimated 226,000 companies around the world, and he continues to push the boundaries. He is featured in Forbes Magazine alongside Sir Richard Branson in a global piece on disrupters in business. He is the co-founder of accountants for good and B1G1 business for good, the global giving in initiative. B1G1 has already enabled businesses to create over 220 million good giving impacts globally.

BIG IDEA 1

“Entrepreneurs, in particular, do things that allow them to make more impact, so it becomes this lovely flywheel that is based on impact” (03:34) 

Paul says that there are three key ideals that can impact your sense of direction. The first one is having some sort of North Star, something that drives you, that is bigger than yourself and that is the key. The second thing is to understand something that we have always known and is that we are all connected, we've always been connected, but we realize it now.  Finally, the third one is asking yourself the right question. Was that the right track? to be able to know what the best for you and your business is.

He explains that in B1G1 they are playing a significant part in that, in terms of making it easier than ever before for entrepreneurs to do it and to add meaning and purpose to what they do. As a business leader, once you get that big North Star, which involves meaning and purpose, it is not about you anymore, it's about something bigger than you and that will be your guide.

BIG IDEA 2

“Imagine every time you buy a cup a coffee, a child gets access to life-saving clean water” (12:32)

Paul explains how B1G1 was created and that when he was mentoring his now co-founder Masami Sato, she approached him one day with a brilliant business idea. She told him: “I want you to imagine a world where every time business is done, something great happens in our world”.  This idea excited him, and he wanted to know more about it, “you want to buy a TV because you want a better or bigger picture, imagine how would it be if, when you did that, someone who could not see got the gift of sight”.

At that moment he realised that this was the best idea he ever heard in his life, so he asked her if he could keep mentoring her for the rest of her life!

He clarifies that sometimes people start saying that they are lost, what he recommends to people is to look outside, look at some of the issues that you, as an entrepreneur could have an impact on. It is finding a way to hook your business onto those ideals. This also translates to potential customers, investors or team members who hear what you are doing, and then they start saying I want to be part of that as well. 

The larger the purpose the more people are likely to come on board, the more likely your business is to be a magnet for talented individuals. The existing members or stakeholders within your business are more likely to be engaged and involved. It becomes this beautiful sort of virtual cycle, where the people you are influencing getter better and as result so does the world we live in.

BIG IDEA 3

“Three words that are central.” (35:57)

Paul explains that the way they create a community in social media is thinking in three words that are central to his company. One of the words is “Connection”, the second one is “Belonging”, we always want to give people something they feel they can belong to. The third one is “Preferences”, be able to recognise and identify what your customer likes doing, and so you can more accurately match your business services to what the customer needs/wants.

He mentions that if there's one thing that he would love people to do more of is to be more grateful for all of the things that we have, being able to express it frequently. He says that is not about giving money to people, it simply means when we stop thinking about ourselves and we start thinking about the person that's right next to us now. Just really take time to say thank you, the world will be a better place for it.

Keep listening to the upcoming episodes of podcasts by joining in Social Lights Podcast produced by Social Mediology.

You can connect with us on Facebook at @SocialLightsPodcast and find future episodes at socialmediology.com.au/sociallights.

Thanks for your time and stay inspired,

Kate vanderVoort

Episode Links

You can find Paul Dunn, and more on B1G1 at:

·         https://www.facebook.com/realpauldunn

·         https://www.facebook.com/b1g1giving

·         https://www.instagram.com/buy1give1/

·         https://www.b1g1.com/