Continuing our discussion from episode 55, Suzy of GiveBackHack hosted an episode exploring my experience building Wild Tiger Tees, and what it’s like to engage with the social enterprise community.
Reflecting on the journey so far, Suzy and I agree two major parts are finding what impact to make and discovering how to sustain what you are creating. I find myself navigating how to efficiently grow and sustain the projects I’m currently focused on. Honestly, there are barriers to get over.
Our discussion transformed into conversations that need to happen to help grow passion projects. Along with growth, alterations may occur. For Wild Tiger Tees, we became more involved with giving youth exposure to technology and training to help explore their talents, such as art. Suzy and I expressed the value of having conversations to make sure what we do is helpful and useful. Identifying the population you work with and their specialities are crucial.
Being the innovative thinker she is, Suzy gathered questions and commentary from community leaders to bring new topics to our discussion. First up was a shoutout to my time management skills. Undoubtedly, that credit goes to my wife, Anu, who keeps our projects on track. She is a natural project manager, and everything runs smoother with her attentiveness. (To put it nicely, delegation and time management are key skills I continue to develop.) In order to continue growing, I need to make sure my focus can be driven towards growth, and not preoccupied with only the maintenance of the projects.
We then explained our thoughts on what people should know if they would like to participate in the field of social enterprise. A major thought-piece for myself is “understanding your personal motivations”. These are the origin of anything you do afterwards. Suzy asked if I could give a couple of tips, so I listed a few everyone may find helpful with their own journey.
Suzy was curious about the background for the team I work with. I can say that having an interdisciplinary team is an undeniable asset. Both the project and the team benefit. We are able to deepen the project’s impact, and our team members are exposed to all the possibilities their efforts create. I couldn’t stop myself from mentioning our Wild Tiger Tees art teacher, Catherine. Around six months after we started, Catherine said she never imagined she would be an entrepreneur. She, and every entrepreneur, shows that you don’t know what you could do until you start.
“If you have a passion to solve a problem, you can learn whatever you need to do along the way.”
–Suzy Bureau
We close our discussion on the near future of Wild Tiger Tees and the People Helping People podcast. I list ways I’ll expand these projects, like the Social Good Blueprint. I also talk about what I want to hear from you!
If you want to learn more about Wild Tiger Tees, check out Instagram, Facebook, or the official site.