By David Howitt
This past June I had the pleasure of speaking in Portland, Oregon at the inaugural Love Summit, a cutting edge business conference founded by John Perkins' nonprofit organization, Dream Change, Inc.. (John is the valiant author of the New York Times bestseller Confessions of an Economic Hit Man--a classic example of what I talk about in my book Heed Your Call.)
Dream Change's executive director, Samantha Thomas, contacted me after she read my book Heed Your Call and learned about my business, the Meriwether Group--a private equity, business accelerator and advisory firm committed to changing how human values are expressed in business by helping disruptive consumer brands and entrepreneurs "Fulfill their Journey."
Samantha felt my work could serve as an example for business leaders and change agents who would be attending The Love Summit with the intent to improve their own business practices, and asked if I would come and share my story. She wanted me to speak about the power of And versus the tyranny of Or, and why choosing between the two is not only at the expense of our personal wellbeing, but also the wellbeing of other people and the planet.
Thanks to the power of And, I have been able to achieve unparalleled wellbeing and success in my life. Not too long ago, I took the courageous leap to leave an unfulfilling corporate job that was making me miserable, and found that I could in fact heed my call--follow my passion--and make a living doing so. All it took was a little strategy, time and perseverance.
Of course, the patterns and programming of my youth told me otherwise. They told me that I had to choose between heeding my call and making a good living, that I couldn't have meaning and purpose in my life and be successful. But those messages couldn't have been more wrong. In fact, it has been through heeding my call that I have been able to achieve such an abundant lifestyle, while simultaneously making a positive difference in the world.
By heeding my call, I took a chance on living more authentically--to fulfill my instinctive desire to be more and do more with my life. I honored the nudge we all feel at some point to leave our known world--the patterns and programming of our youth; the comfortable job that is not fulfilling; the relationship we're in that satisfies our desire for socioeconomic status and companionship, yet does not feed our soul.
Through following that instinctive desire to leave my corporate job and seek a path that was genuinely fulfilling, I have found more meaning, purpose and happiness in my life than I ever dreamed possible. Once I began to follow my calling, everything suddenly became easier. I established a successful business that serves others, and wrote a book that teaches people how they can be the hero of their own lives.
The most rewarding part of it all is that I get to play a part--a truly life-changing, eye-opening, heart-warming part--in helping create a better world for my children, their children, and all future generations. A world where it is not taboo to do what you love. Where work-life balance ceases to be a phrase in our lexicon because we no longer feel we have to escape from our job to do what really makes us happy, because our job does make us happy. It's true: we spend too much of our lives working to not do what we love.
Every day at the Meriwether Group I help my clients heed their call--guiding them to the most meaningful, valuable, authentic version of themselves, and thus, their business. By weaving together the lessons of Heed Your Call and providing personalized business strategy, we are able to create some of the most successful and sought after brands in the world.
Whether you are a seasoned businessperson, a just-getting-started entrepreneur, or an individual who is simply seeking more purpose and meaning in your life, Heed Your Call will resonate with you. It is meant for everyone--to live out the truest version of ourselves so that we can all live a happy, abundant life, and in turn, make the world a better place.
David Howitt is founder & CEO of the Meriwether Group and author of Heed Your Call. He is an inspiring thought leader and accomplished entrepreneur with over twenty years of experience providing financial, strategic, and brand counsel to early stage and Fortune 100 companies. He has the unique ability to integrate vision and growth strategies with mission and purpose, and has provided guidance to Pendleton, Adidas, Flavor Paper, Stumptown Coffee, Bishops Barbershop, Dave's Killer Bread, ABC Carpet & Home, and many others.
