Dharius Daniels - 3 Keys to Turn Your Purpose Into Profit

This is probably one of the greatest obstacles for the people I work with, especially in the entrepreneurial space. It’s so vague; they don’t have clarity. When I ask, «What do you want to do?» they say, «I want to help people.» Well, write the vision and make it plain so that they can read it and run with it. If you can’t write it plainly, you can’t act on it. You need to be so clear that you know what action you need to take. So, write it down clearly enough for the reader to run with it. For example, «I want to help women.» Okay, but what kind of women? Do you want to help divorced women, single women, older women, or younger women? Do you want to help women become whole emotionally or financially? Do you want to help single moms, stay-at-home moms, or others? I think many people skip this crucial step, but that step is everything because clarity gives you speed. Let me say that again: clarity gives you speed. You can tell when you’re driving behind someone who doesn’t know where they’re going; they stop and hesitate. But when you have clarity, you can accelerate. So many people skip this step; they don’t drill down to get clear enough.

I’ll use myself as an example, as some people disagree with my clarity. I say I want to help people get out of debt. When I go deeper, I clarify that I particularly want to focus on Millennials and minorities. Some might ask, «Why focus on this small group when minorities make up only about 33% of the world? Aren’t you missing out on lots of money and people?» But let’s be clear: I’m not for everyone. When I generate my content, I’m specifically thinking about minorities. What I hear you saying is to niche down your focus. However, some might think, «That’s too small; what about everyone else?» I understand that people might think, «What about all the other individuals I’m missing?» But I can’t help everyone. I aim to clarify where I’m going. Everyone can benefit from my work, but I’m clear on who I’m creating content for and who I’m serving. This clarity will enable you to move faster.

I want to emphasize that I am saying to niche down unapologetically. I want people to understand that I am speaking from the perspective of a purpose-driven entrepreneur. This doesn’t mean we are not profitable. I believe that a purpose-driven entrepreneur can be very profitable. It means we can find profit in being purposeful. We don’t exploit our purpose for profit and recognize something that maybe an average entrepreneur doesn’t understand: not every need is our responsibility. God calls us to certain needs, but every need isn’t our responsibility. So when you say you feel called to Millennials and minorities, you’re not saying that’s the only group you help—primarily, yes, but not exclusively. You’re saying, «I am at my best when serving this group, and I will never apologize for being faithful to the people God assigned me to.» There are countless needs in the world that I wish I could meet, but every need isn’t my duty. It’s self-centered to assume I can meet all those needs. The people I can’t reach are those someone else has been called to serve.

I don’t want people to think we’re saying to serve only a specific group. You can’t be purpose-driven in life or business if you don’t know the difference between your primary and secondary audience. That’s crucial! I serve the hungry. Some people may be motivated differently; if they don’t want it, I’m not their guy. There’s nothing wrong with that. If they don’t want to take action yet, they can come to me when they’re ready, and I’ll show them how to achieve their goals. There are others who can help them prepare. I don’t apologize for that. I’m wired uniquely, with distinct dreams and discontent, all for the group I’m meant to serve. Here’s the truth: I’ll have the greatest impact with that group.