This is how you light a fire under your ass.

by Josh Schukman / Wednesday, 12 April 2022 / Published in Social Change

Hey Change Nation…

So I’ve been doing a great deal of pondering lately on a topic of superb importance for all of us - how we can light a fire under our asses to make a dollar AND a difference with our business.

Read on if you’d like to know how to do that…

Why does this matter? Because, frankly, I’ve been working with far too many wantrepreneurs lately who have bold dreams for sparking social change but aren’t setting the practical and tactical goals to make it happen.

I used to be in this boat… In fact, I nearly crashed my business because I lacked urgency. I managed to make it back from the precipice by creating a ‘have to’ mentality for myself, so I want to write you today and help you do the same…

What exactly am I talking about? I’m talking about not getting so comfortable with making a difference that you forget that you’ve gotta make the DOLLAR to be in business. I’m talking about remembering that there are people who are URGENTLY depending on you to help them. I’m talking about keeping your eye on the freaking ball and killing it every stinking day.

Here are 5 ways to start living this RIGHT NOW:

Get desperate about bringing HOPE into desperate situations.
- As social entrepreneurs, we work with people who are truly desperate for hope. For example, LSTN Headphones sells its headphones SO THAT it can give hearing aids to children who would never hear otherwise. Mission Belt sells its belts SO THAT they can make microloans to people living in extreme poverty. And you need to be obscenely bold about growing your business SO THAT you can be the difference for people living in desperation.
Set goals and consequences.
- All goals must be S.M.A.R.T: Specific. Measurable. Agreed upon. Realistic. Time bound. Beyond that, you need to have consequences for not achieving your goals. For example, if you set a revenue goal in your business for quarter 1 (Q1), a consequence of not hitting it could be that you get a part-time gig in Q2 to offset your losses. OR in extreme cases, if you’ve consistently failed to hit goals, your consequence may be that you need to pivot and pursue social entrepreneurship in a different way. Tough to hear, I know, but again, I’ve been there and I can tell you that sometimes you do have to shift gears to win.
Reinspiration
- Getting discouraged by all the despair in your world? Build a healthy dose of reinspiration into your business. For example, Bridget Hilton runs LSTN Headphones, a massive headphone company that is growing SUPER fast. Despite this, Bridget makes it a priority to take time off to get into the countries where her company is helping provide hearing aids for kids. She actively goes out on the missions to help kids hear - thereby reinspiring herself and why she does what she does with her venture. What are ways you could keep yourself similarly inspired?
‘The Baby Effect’
- It’s a known fact that startup entrepreneurs who were once lackluster become rockstars when they have kids. It’s something about the fact that you have another mouth to feed that inspires creative action. So, I get that many of us probably won’t be having kids anytime soon… but what are some ways you can recreate the ‘baby effect’ in your own venture? What are some ways you can make yourself SO HUNGRY that failure is not an option?
The ‘Close Shop’ Strategy
- This is the most extreme version of #2 (goals & consequences). In this case, the consequence of not hitting your goal is that you actually close up what you’re doing OR completely pivot into something new. This is NOT something to be handled lightly. But if you’ve been setting goals, pouring your heart out and just haven’t been getting traction, it may be time to force a decision.

Remember that we’re out here changing the way business is done FOR GOOD. This is no small or easy task. There will be resistance. You’ll get your nose bloodied. You WILL FAIL at some things along the way. Learn from them, build a sense of urgency in your biz, set goals w/consequences and you’ll be a long way in the right direction to a business that makes a dollar AND a difference.

Great content for a great cause
March 5, 2022 by MegMurray15 from United States
Josh was brilliant to identify the need for content and ongoing dialogue regarding social innovation and entrepreneurship. It's great to hear such bright minds discussing how to leverage business to generate meaningful social change. Keep up the great content!
Cause Minded? THIS is for you!
March 5, 2022 by Travel with a Purpose from United States
What I love about Josh and Social Change Nation is that they’re showing us a way we can spend and support with a purpose. For those who may not be a ‘social entrepreneur’, there’s still an important role that everyone can play in making this world a better place. For some, it’s creating these companies, sharing their successes and hardships for others to learn from. For others, their purpose may be to spend a dollar where it will best be used to serve others. Social Change Nation speaks to all ‘cause minded’ audiences. No matter your role in this ecosystem, there’s something we all can learn. THANK YOU FOR DOING WHAT YOU DO!
A must listen for cause base minded people.
March 4, 2022 by da_KNG from United States
Voices of Social Change is a well produced, insightful podcast for anyone that wants to make a difference whether you need to be inspired or help getting started with your caused base business,
The Best Resource for Social Entrepreneurs I Have Found
March 4, 2022 by Founder, Invisible Souls from United States
There are many resources available to social entrepreneurs, but this is one of the best I have found. I am in the very early stages of a startup. Hearing from others that have already walked the path enlightens me and also reminds me that it can be done when things seem a bit overwhelming. I feel that the information shared here will change and impact how I do things going forward. This cuts to the chase and gives me the exact info I need even before I know I need it!
Social Entrepreneurship understood
March 3, 2022 by Pantera11 from United States
Many times folks misunderstand exactly what a social entrepreneur is... This podcast provides regular periodic reminders of what it is and how important it is... Especially in today's political and economic environment. Keep up the great work !
Why Social Change Nation MATTERS
March 3, 2022 by Panty Provider from United States
Josh Schukman has truly created something that matters - in the eyes of social entrepreneurs and in the eyes of those who care about making a difference by way of cause based business models. I'm the founder of MADI Apparel - for every pair of underwear you buy, a pair is donated to a woman in need. We are new, we are growing, and we are attempting to spread as much awareness as possible about the need for underwear donations. So, in my eyes, any platform that cheers on social causes and the ideas behind business that give back, is a platform that we should all support and take notice of. It's people like Josh - who care to listen to companies who spend their days attempting to give voices to the voiceless - that we should cheer on. His podcast is one more way for us to unite and spread the word about cause based business. GO SOCIAL CHANGE NATION! we can't wait to hear more exciting podcasts!
Inspiring stories of social good
March 3, 2022 by EJohnson07 from United States
We often hear about great ideas that can change the world, but rarely do we get a chance to learn the stories behind them. Josh’s podcast give a glimpse into what it takes to launch and run successful social enterprises. Each interview gives color on the personal stories behind the ideas, which helps make the process of engaging in social good less intimidating and more attainable. Great work!
Awesome interviews!
March 3, 2022 by volunteer4life from United States
This is a great podcast. I look forward to each episode. It’s packed with inspirational companies, advice and wisdom.
Great Inspiration, Great Quality
March 3, 2022 by Gnnjigv from United States
This podcast is so inspiring, and covers a wide variety of types of socially-minded businesses.
Founder, ENGAGE: The Mecca of Social Innovation
February 25, 2022 by Kristine Knutter from United States
I’ve been impressed by how quickly and consistently Josh has produced useful content for social entrepreneurs on Social Change Nation. I’m a first time social entrepreneur in the first year of a startup and the podcasts have been incredibly helpful and motivating during tough times.
Essential for any Social Entrepreneur
February 25, 2022 by JaredAngaza from United States
Brian Tracy always said, “find people that are operating at the level you want to achieve and start by doing what they are doing”. Josh has opened up this door for anyone wishing to make a positive impact through enterprise. On top of that, Josh’s questions are thoughtful, intelligent and provocative. I would consider this essential listening for any social entrepreneur, regardless of your tenure in the industry.
My New Favorite Podcast
February 12, 2022 by anne@ WW Entrepreneur from United States
This is such an inspiring podcast I love listening to social entrepreneurs and the different businesses they run that are amazing I want to be a social entrepreneur
We need more podcasts like this!
October 5, 2021 by LornaLi from United States
There aren’t a lot of social entrepreneurship podcasts on iTunes that aren’t boring, academic, & produced by stodgy MBA programs. It’s great to see a podcaster passionate about business for good, like Josh is.

This is how you light a fire under your ass.

This is how you light a fire under your ass.

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