In Business we often attend many conferences and in July of last year, the opportunity presented itself to attend what I often describe since as the most inspiring conference in 20 years. We were there celebrating the ten-year anniversary of the conception of Buy1Give1 – a global giving initiative that raises money for different charities all around the world (to find out more about Buy1Give1, please go ahead and check out this article I wrote about them). We were there to cheer on the initiative and get behind their mission to help make over 100-million meaningful impacts globally. And in the midst of this inspirational melting-pot, the idea to write a book that would help spread the principles and messages of Buy1Give1 even further was put in motion.
In this article, I wanted to share the story of that book and the impact it had on me personally.
The title was to be, Better Business, Better Life, Better World, because that’s exactly what we set out to achieve. To present key themes and ideas that would help people from all walks of life improve their businesses, lives and the world around them.
Like the rest of the delegates who decided to contribute to the book, I can see how much business is changing. Gone are the days of entrepreneurs who are just out for themselves to make as much money as possible. The companies of the future that are really going to flourish will be those that have a purpose, those that go beyond the services and products they provide and have a real, altruistic philosophy behind them. We believe that these businesses will be key in improving the world for everyone, and wanted to share with people how they could go about doing it.
The book is made up of 34 chapters, each one written by a different author. All of these authors were either delegates or keynote speakers from the conference in Bali, and collectively they add up to a pretty impressive list. Including the likes of Daniel Priestley, Paul Dunn and Masami Sato, these guys are from four continents, seven countries and have collectively written 38 other books. They’re not just world-class entrepreneurs; they’re also medical experts, artists, government advisors, legal professionals… one of them was even involved in staging the Olympics.
So, you can imagine how valuable their advice is.
In each chapter, the authors were asked the same three questions, and came up with unique and inspiring answers:
- If you could only pass on one piece of BUSINESS advice to your grandchildren, and you knew with absolute certainty that they would follow that advice throughout their time in business, what would that advice be?
- If you could only pass on one piece of LIFE advice to your grandchildren, and you knew with absolute certainty that they would follow that advice throughout their lives, what would that advice be?
- If you could only pass on one piece of advice to your grandchildren about MAKING THE WORLD A BETTER PLACE, and you knew with absolute certainty that they would follow that advice throughout their lives, what would that advice be?
By answering these three questions and focusing on the key advice they would pass on to their grandchildren, each author was forced to tap into the most powerful driver of human behaviour: the desire to see your descendants succeed. As a result, the book contains inspiring lessons learned by the contributors along their respective journeys, insights that will improve the lives of the readers, and shortcuts to take and pitfalls to avoid.
For me, the writing of this book came at just the right time. Having left the corporate world, I’ve decided to focus on living better: spending more time with loved ones, taking better care of myself, travelling and seeing more of the world. I felt that writing my own chapter, ‘Celebrate the Little Wins’, gave me the chance to reflect on my journey so far.
That said, the writing itself taught me a great deal. The collaborative process of creating the book reminded me of the importance of surrounding myself with the right people, not just in business but in life too. We’re responsible for the relationships that we have, both good and bad. It’s up to us to nurture the truly important people in our lives and exit those relationships that are potentially damaging for our present and future selves.
I also found the experience to be a humbling one and realised that I still have a lot to learn, even in those areas I believe myself to be an expert in. Tim Wade’s chapter resonated deeply, in it he shared this gem of advice. “It’s important for us to always be coachable”, meaning that we are open to constructive criticism and new perspectives on all issues across the board.
And finally, my third big takeaway from the writing and collaborative process was to strike a true balance between work and life. I’ve often talked about the importance of taking time away from business in order to live a more enriched life, but I had to ask myself whether I was really walking the walk. We all need to spend good quality time with friends and family; we need to get away from it all from time to time; and we need to make sure that this special time is a commitment to ourselves, not just a possibility.
I know that the other authors came away with similar feelings. The self-reflection process gave us all an insight into a deeper and more profound version of ourselves than we usually tap into. For me, I’ve written plenty in my life, including two bestselling books. But contributing to Better Business, Better Life, Better World was a different experience and was rewarding on many levels.
You can purchase Better Business, Better Life, Better World right here, and immediately soak up the wisdom of all 34 contributors, as well as find out how to ask yourself those three all-important questions. It just happens to be an Amazon Best Seller now too.
Grab a copy today, I think you’ll be genuinely surprised by what you discover.
About Adam Houlahan
Adam Houlahan is an International Keynote Speaker specialising in Social Media for business, and CEO of the highly successful boutique agency, Web Traffic That Works. He lives in Australia’s famous tourist destination the Gold Coast Queensland, and is considered to be one of Australia’s leading experts in harnessing the power of Linkedin for business. Over 6,200 people globally have sought his skill and insights to leverage the power of LinkedIn for their businesses.
Adam is also an Australian Brand Ambassador for Microsoft. He consults on Social Media to private clients in Australia, New Zealand, North America, The Middle East and Singapore. His work as CEO and owner of 6 successful companies has given him the hands-on experience to understand business from the inside.
Adam believes real and meaningful change comes through the world’s entrepreneurs. His purpose is to provide their businesses with powerful tools to grow and accelerate their global footprint. And that together we make a huge impact!
Through his Lifetime Partnership with the Global Giving Initiative B1G1 www.B1G1.com he is well on track to positively impact the lives of more than 1 million people in need.
