I Thought I Was Mentoring Them. Then These Two Founders Flipped the Script.

Every once in a while a story just falls into your lap – or walks through your front door, which is what happened when Paul and John came to my office one day.

I do a lot of mentoring about B Corps and other business models focusing on social and environmental impact.  So, when Paul Miles and John Bingham emailed and asked for a meeting to learn more about B Corps, I said, as always, “Sure!”

I was in for a surprise.

When Paul and John walked in the front door of my coworking space, I first thought they were coming in to meet with someone else.  You see, I wasn’t expecting them to be so…well…old.

Older than me even.

Usually, the people I mentor about B Corps are much younger, say in their 20s and 30s. 

But John, a former hospital CEO, is 77.  And his co-founder Paul, a former pediatrician, is 81.

Both are vital and engaged – and on a mission.

Their startup addresses the health care crisis in our country.  They’re building an app to improve patient care – and free up providers to focus on the important stuff, their patients.  I can’t say much more about it, as they’re still in the stealth stage 😉, though given their evident smarts, ample hearts, and careers in the field, I’d say they’re as well positioned as anyone to bring about positive change.

They met with me because they want their company to integrate values and purpose that outlives their involvement, as both realize as their long and fruitful lives won’t go on forever.

In fact, it’s the first time I’ve talked with entrepreneurs who are planning to launch a startup and their succession plan at the same time.

We had a good talk: about Certified B Corps, public benefit corporations, perpetual purposes trusts, Idaho rivers – and a whole bunch more.

And as often happens when I mentor people, I came away with a lot more than I gave.

I turn 67 next week, and the winds of change are blowing a bit.  I’m often asked why I’m not retired, and I tell folks I’m just enjoying my work too much.  In more reflective times, by myself, I wonder if I’m simply striving to remain relevant in the world and frightened by the prospect of being forgotten or worse, obsolete, like a Studebaker, a Sony Betamax.

I came away from the meeting super charged.  Sixty minutes with Paul and John flipped the role dynamics – they became MY mentors by teaching me an inspiring lesson.  There’s no reason NOT to keep going with your work if you are propelled and energized by it.

So, why am I still working?  I’m here to help people like Paul and John.  And that seems like a pretty good reason to keep going, because helping others never becomes obsolete.

I mean, what the hell, maybe, just maybe, I have one more startup left in me! (Please don't tell my wife. 🤫)

Godspeed, friends.

Russ

P.S. I’ll be sure to keep you posted on Paul and John’s progress as we plan to stay in touch. 

💬 Think About It

"Age is an issue of mind over matter. If you don't mind, it doesn't matter." Mark Twain

💥 Quick Hits

• Someone to hold my hand – Could it be that empathy and human connection are the future of business? (World Economic Forum)
• Can robots go on strike? – So, how are the robots going to feel when they discover that "robot" comes from the Czech word "robota," which means “forced labor”? An interesting test shows shows they might just start organizing labor on the factory floor. (BoingBoing)
• Just for fun – What’s the most famous book set in your state?  Check out all 50 here. (Business Insider)

The "Force Quit" of Courage

I just love this graphic illustration by Ben Denzer for the New York Times. If you'd like to read the op-ed by Aaron Zamost, which include a line I also love – "For tech companies, courage doesn't scale" – here's a gift link.

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