Transforming Money into a Catalyst for Lasting Impact
You've been in the business of inputting your time and effort to create value or money.
Now it's time to switch from using money as the output to an amplifier in that process, focusing on leaving a lasting impact on the world. As you make this shift, you can successfully retool your factory to one that produces Good.
Jeremy was always really good at making money. He worked extremely hard, and there was a direct correlation between his hard work and the success of his business. When his first factory reached a level of output that covered his basic needs, he was determined to continue working and make even more.
He is often asked: “Why are you still working?” with people assuming he continues climbing Money Mountain and is motivated by greed or apathy. His answer is surprising:
"I know what I'm good at—it's making money. But now I've found a reason to keep making money. The more I make, the more troubled teens I can help support."
He then explains, after experiencing the power of a rehab center to help their child work through some life-altering trials, he and his wife put all of their excess funds into building rehab centers to support troubled teens. A savvy businessman, he was mainly influenced to target troubled teens in his Factory for Good because he figured that was the highest ROI he could experience. This time, instead of measuring ROI in money, he measured it in impact or his ability to fundamentally change someone's life.
It was a lightbulb moment for me. A Factory for Good doesn't necessarily mean stopping the production of money. Instead, money becomes a vital amplifier of a lasting impact that creates an element of good in the world.
On the surface, Jeremy chose to continue climbing Money Mountain. However, it wasn't because he wanted to make money to have more money or more things. He continued climbing Money Mountain because he had found a Factory for Good that he was deeply passionate about, and he wanted more money to act as an even greater amplifier of this cause.
He instinctively knew that if he could make more money and invest it into this Factory for Good; he could have an even more significant and long-lasting impact.
So, he keeps working and earning money. The more money he earns, the more he can invest in rehab centers.
Jeremy and his wife helped hundreds of kids each year to get therapy and get back on the right track. Jeremy carefully monitors where his money is going and who it will impact, and he ensures that it will continue to grow through his posterity after he is gone.
In doing so, he tracks his impact on the teens that his funds help support. He maintains close relationships with them and enjoys seeing them succeed as they progress. He has even involved his kids in the effort, and it's something they can talk about and track their family values through.
By translating the money he earns into a clear input toward a cause for good, he has created a lasting impact that is sustained and enduring.
This is the power of a Factory for Good. It’s how to build a lasting legacy that matters to you, and it helps your family contribute to something larger than themselves; the impact is measurable and contributions are sustainable.
