Sometimes I get on a soapbox when I talk about my allergy to “the program.” The program is also known as the American Dream. The recipe goes like this – do well enough in school to get into college, earn a 4-Year Degree, get a job, find someone to marry, buy a house with a white picket fence, have 2.5 children, work until you can retire and try to enjoy that retirement before you die. There’s nothing inherently wrong with that recipe; I’m just not exactly convinced that’s the pathway to happiness for a lot of people.
What I do believe is that promoting, and in many ways steering, that pathway is good for large institutions like big government, big business, big religion and so on. Again, there’s nothing inherently wrong with large institutions, I just have my suspicions.
The Saint Louis Business Club typically represents smaller institutions and individuals. At the end of the day, we want to empower people to find their purpose and pursue it with passion and authenticity. Sometimes the first step is saying that it’s ok to not subscribe to “the program.” There are countless ways to live this life and we want to help people find that path and live it to the fullest.
Our recipe emulates large institutions in a lot of ways. We recommend things they are good at like cooperation, getting organized and following systems. But, we promote organizing as independent members, cooperating to help one another thrive and we are constantly iterating our systems. We have a capability to move faster than larger institutions because we’re not slowed down by centralized decision-making. We point towards people and processes that work best and empower individuals to work with the authority and autonomy that comes with owning your own business.
But, starting and running your own business can be daunting. So, we think the antidote to that fear is tapping in to a community of resources that help you live your best life, authentically as you.
“To find yourself, think for yourself.” – Socrates