This post is about one of my 45-second pitches at my BNI Chapter, BNI City Business. You can read the introduction to this collection here.

27 October 2023. In this morning’s BNI pitches, we were challenged to explain why we do what we do. For me, my core motivation is happiness, so a slight link to this week’s slide. I had cued up the slide before seeing the challenge, so I in my mind I made the slide and the pitch work together. In my head anyway. The slide got the requisite laugh, although people at the back of the room needed to stand to see it.

I do what I do because it makes me happy. This should be part of any business owner’s motivation. If you are not happy, why are you (still) doing it?

My happiness comes from two core drivers: (i) I enjoy helping people, and (ii) I live to learn. I help people utilising my knowledge and experience. I have picked up quite a lot along the way – that is as a result of being a keen learner. I enjoy sharing what I have learned to help others get the best out of their business.

But not everyone wants help. “Sometimes people are happy in their hole. They don’t want a ladder.” (a quote from BNI founder Dr. Ivan Misner). I like working with people who want the ladder, who want the help, who want to succeed and learn and then exit at some point. The people who don’t want my help are not usually my clients anyway.

So, if money wasn’t the issue, why do you do what you do? What is your driving goal?