What Do You Believe? Why Do You Do What You Do?

I'm three years late to this party, but I just watched an outstanding video from Simon Sinek that he gave at TED in 2009.

Here are my takeaways from Sinek's talk, titled, "How Great Leaders Inspire Action:"

• Start with Why. Why do you what you do? This inspires you, your partners, your vendors, and your clients. 
• Martin Luther King had a dream, not a plan. (Which do you have?)
• Work from the inside out. The Wright Bros. had a dream of changing the world; they succeeded. Professor Langley, their main competitor, had a goal of getting rich; he failed. (Again, dream or plan -- which do you have?)
• People do things and take actions to prove what they believe already. (What do your clients believe? How do you know?)
• Don't tell people what to do. Tell them what you believe. The ones who agree will take your cause and make it their own, and tell others, and create structures to make it happen. (What do you believe?)

There's more to Sinek's talk. Much more. Watch the whole thing here.

Meanwhile, Sinek inspired me to ask two questions of myself. Here's what I came up with:


1) What do I believe?

• I believe entrepreneurs embody everything that's right with America and the world
• I believe entrepreneurs drive our American economy, by creating value and jobs where before there were none. They are literally miracle workers in this regard
• I believe entrepreneurs deserve the freedom to make their own decisions, and succeed or fail on their own -- free from red tape and bureaucracy
• I believe in one word that sums up my entire philosophy: Freedom

2) Why do I do what I do?

To free entrepreneurs from money worries, by writing promotions that increase their revenues. This lets them do more of what they love every day. Which increases prosperity and freedom for everyone.


That's what I believe. And that's why I do what I do.


Tomorrow is Election Day, a day that will affect the fate of our country for generations. I know it's common to say "This is the most important election of my lifetime," but ... this is the most important election of my lifetime. So the two questions above could not have come at a better time for me.

Regardless of who wins tomorrow, I'll be here working at 7:30 on Wednesday morning. That's what entrepreneurs do.

Now, do your part. Ask yourself:

• What do you believe?
• And why do you do what you do? 

Please share this blog post with other entrepreneurs, or trash me in the comments section below. Or both :-)