Copyright by Elisha Israel
Anyone curious about psychology and personal development has likely heard of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. However, many people aren’t aware that much of Maslow’s later work was focused on what happens to people after their basic needs are met. Maslow researched and theorized that once people’s basic needs are met, they begin a path towards what he calls self-actualization. From studying others, he realized that the people who he respected and viewed as self-actualized shared a common trait. Once they had met their personal needs, they began to dedicate their lives to helping others.
In our world, many people need help. Most of us are aware that for every instance of success and privilege, there are many others who are under-resourced and in desperate need of a helping hand. Many people have different paths to advocacy to help others. Whether through the non-profit sector, philanthropy, or policy, we see individuals and institutions doing incredible work to help underprivileged people have a better life. However, I’d like to address the private sector and business communities with this article, because I feel many people have a negative association with the private sector. When starting a business, one of the most foundational lessons is to find a group of people, identify the problem they’re experiencing and provide a solution. This can be applied to many different cases. Some are trivial, selling fidget spinners or unnecessary products for a profit. These can be necessary services such as home repair, consumer products, or even the food we eat. However, I’d like to highlight that this methodology can be leveraged for high-impact solutions that recognize the dire need to provide for marginalized people, the dire need for direct action related to systemic changes, and the relatively slow nature of achieving necessary systemic changes. How?
Through the private sector. An example may be ideal here. Let’s identify a problem. A personal favorite is the energy sector. The combination of destructive fossil fuels and horrendous foreign policy to maintain supply chains have led to an increasing need for alternative solutions. These solutions include renewable energy, electric vehicles, oils (and plastics) made from renewable sources, and overall, an immediate shift into a future that’s not reliant on fossil fuels.
However, as you may be aware, there is a significant incentive for established industries to lobby for a lack of action with these initiatives.
This is where the private sector enters. Companies such as Tesla provide electric vehicles and energy storage for profit while using their influence to guide the consumers towards sustainable choices.
We see the same in the renewable sector where solar companies are able to provide sustainable solutions for property owners, reducing their energy expenses while also giving them autonomy and protection from future rate increases.
These are examples of leveraging the private sector to drive systemic necessary change. We see the same happening with the increased popularity of companies like BeyondMeat and ImpossibleBurger, driving social behavior for a necessary cause, in this case reducing the net negative impact on our planet and society that factory farming creates.
This is where business becomes interesting, fun, purposeful, and allows for us, as business owners, to combine our vision for a better future with the reality that there’s is much work to be done for that future to exist.
One of the side benefits is that many initiatives founded in sustainability are also rooted in inefficiency. This allows for better business practices, improved profit margins, and a society that makes decisions based on the net impact of an initiative, rather than just the amount of money a project can make. As consumers, we have a responsibility to use our buying power to incentivize this shift in the business sector.
As business owners, we have a responsibility to offer a mindful commitment to this balance.
I’ll end with a challenge. ~ Elisha Israel
Elisha Israel is a direct response advertiser that has generated millions in sales for his clients. His focus is on creating sustainable digital solutions, allowing for greater access to opportunity.
He is a global citizen & passionate about listening to diverse voices to gain a nuanced understanding for ways to improve our world. A published author and accomplished musician, Elisha is an advocate of continuous improvement and maintains a focused
@elishaisraelpage (@elishaisraelig) Elisha Israel
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