I recently connected with Kirsten on LinkedIn. I sent her a copy of our book, and some videos, and then invited her along to a morning tea I was hosting.
She asked a great question:
I hate to sound cynical, but what's in this for you? :) You are being wonderfully kind - I respect people who share their wealth, so to speak, but even then, you have gone above and beyond. I hope I did not offend you with the question; I don't get this kind of reception from someone I don't know very often!
I think there are three things that are in it for me, so to speak:
1. Intrinsic. I like being generous, and helping people. I feel better about myself and the world if I’m coming from that place.
2. Purpose. Our mission at Thought Leaders is to help clever people be commercially smart, and I want to do that as much as I can.
3. Commercial. I also think it’s commercially smart. We’ve got awesome stuff (in my not-so-humble opinion) and the more people experience it, the more likely they are to engage and join one of our programs. But that’s not going to happen if no one knows about what we have to offer.
So be generous. It’s good for your soul, and good for your bank account.