Mission Driven Business

In this special episode, host Brian Thompson shares practical steps for conducting a mid-year review that sets you and your business up to thrive in the second half of the year. You'll learn how to clean up some of your central tasks to ensure the end of 2022 and the beginning of 2023 are as stress-free as possible. You'll also hear why Brian advocates for small habits repeated over time and the benefits of taking a mid-year pause. Episode Highlights This year may feel especially stressful for fans of the Mission Driven Business, and one way to find calm in chaos is to focus on what you can control. For small business owners, that can mean tackling some of the big, end-of-the-year tasks now by conducting a mid-year review. "Unfortunately, too many small business owners wait until the end of the year to clean up the different aspects of their business. By that point, it's a numerous and overwhelming task, so let's knock out some of these tasks now." Step 1: Review your successes and challenges. Once you've gotten clear on your emotions, it's time to review your successes and challenges. This is a great time to celebrate your successes, appreciate your progress, and gain insight into what's working and what areas could use improvement. "Instead of thinking that things need to be perfect, or that you can't change your mind, pick a direction and take the next right step." Step 2: Review your business cash flow. Cash flow is the lifeblood of your business, and conquering cash flow takes thought and intentional systems. One good cash flow system is the Profit First system, which leverages entrepreneurs' natural tendency to make decisions based on their bank account balance. "Using this system allows you to continually monitor how close you are to your targets for revenue and profit, and lets you know in real time whether there's a problem." Step 3: Review essential reports. A new step on the mid-year review checklist is to review your essential reports, which include your balance sheet, reconciliation reports, and profit and loss statements: Your balance sheet covers your assets, liabilities, and owner's equity. Your reconciliation report ensures what's in your accounting software matches your bank statements. Your profit and loss statement allows you to do a full review of the first half of the year. Step 4: Make tax projections. You'd probably rather not think about taxes, but the mid-way point in a year is an excellent opportunity to review your tax situation. You've already made two estimated tax payments and can track where you are and make projections. "If you find that you're behind on estimated tax payments, you still have the year to catch up, calculate how much you're short, divide that by the six remaining months, and add that amount to your monthly tax bucket." Step 5: Analyze your expenses. Now that you've reviewed your buckets and profit and loss statements, it's an excellent time to analyze your expenses. To do this, print your expenses for the last six months and any recurring expenses. Add up all of your costs, multiply that number by 10%, and cut expenses by that number. "Remember that just because you have a tax deduction for expenses, you still lose money if you're purchasing something you don't use." Step 6: Write down your next actions. As you perform your own mid-year review, you're likely to gain insight into the changes you want or need to make. It's essential to write these changes down and develop an action plan with the steps you'll take to accomplish your goals. Try limiting the changes you want to make to two or three goals. "You're more likely to find success taking little steps each day rather than trying to run several miles simultaneously." Resources + Links Episode 7: Being Profit First with Mike Michalowicz Episode 8: Eradicating Entrepreneurial Poverty with Ron Saharyan Episode 14: Living Your Passion with George Kinder Goals are only guesses, Behavior Gap / Carl Richards / The Sketch Guy Brian's Social Media: Twitter, Instagram, Facebook About Brian and the Mission Driven Business Podcast Brian Thompson, JD/CFP, is a tax attorney and certified financial planner who specializes in providing comprehensive financial planning to LGBTQ+ entrepreneurs who run mission-driven businesses. The Mission Driven Business podcast was born out of his passion for helping social entrepreneurs create businesses with purpose and profit. On the podcast, Brian talks with diverse entrepreneurs and the people who support them. Listeners hear stories of experiences, strength, and hope and get practical advice to help them build businesses that might just change the world, too.

Brian Thompson chats with Damian Pelliccione, CEO and co-founder of Revry, a global, LGBTQ-first streaming network with free live TV, movies, series, news, and more. Through Revry, Damian champions diversity and inclusion in the media and entertainment industry. On the episode, Damian shares their journey to becoming a first-time CEO and the corresponding struggles with imposter syndrome. They also highlight the importance of working on yourself and setting good boundaries, and how being your authentic, unapologetic self gives your business the best chance of thriving. Episode Highlights Mission-driven businesses leave a legacy. For Damian, Revry's mission is to be the driving, positive force in media for queer culture. To meet that mission, Revry creates content reflective of the entire LGBTQ community, which is not homogenous by race, gender, sexual orientation, or language. Revry also lives out its mission by having an incredibly diverse workforce that is reflective of the audience it wants to serve. "We've attracted the most diverse, talented team on the planet, and I'm very proud of everyone who works for us," Damian said. But the mission of Revry goes beyond the workforce and content that it produces today. While Damian is proud of how far the company has come, they envision that Revry will ultimately be part of their legacy. "You realize this is going to be bigger than me; this will live beyond me," Damian said. "This legacy that hopefully we are building with this business will resonate well beyond my years, and that is the coolest thing I could ever do with my life." Fail big. Fail fast. When Damian talks to young entrepreneurs, they emphasize the need to fail big and fail fast -- but also to learn from failures. While starting over or starting something new is part of the entrepreneurial process, it's also important to build resilience. "You may have to scrap the whole thing and start over and try something new, but that's okay," Damian said. "The difference is the resilience to never give up, to keep going." Learning from failure and adapting is part of Damian's own entrepreneurial journey. Damian believes that their "false starts" before Revry were crucial to getting them to where they are today in both work and life. "Had those not existed for me, had I not had those experiences, had I not taken the time to listen to them and evaluate what went wrong … there's no way I'd be sitting here talking to you," they said. Be unafraid and unapologetic in business and life. Damian was clear about their biggest takeaway for entrepreneurs: "Live out loud. Be unapologetic. Be vulnerable. And be unafraid." One way Damian lives their life in this manner is by dressing to impress themself. One way that they do that is by wearing heels on public stages, panels, and conferences. "There's something about putting on that shoe that gives me the vote of confidence," they said. "I feel powerful, and I feel fabulous. That's the energy that I want to exude when I'm doing something in a public forum." By not holding back from their true, authentic self, Damian believes they're permitting others to also live as their authentic selves. But even more, that living authentically has made them even more respected professionally. "Business is evolving to the point where that level of authenticity is going to be such a tenant to company cultures and will hopefully soon be equated in a datapoint to show this is how you really build a brand," Damian said. "You are the brand." Resources + Links Revry: Website, Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn QueerXFest: Website, Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn Damian's Social Media: Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn Brian's Social Media: Twitter, Instagram, Facebook About Brian and the Mission Driven Business Podcast Brian Thompson, JD/CFP, is a tax attorney and certified financial planner who specializes in providing comprehensive financial planning to LGBTQ+ entrepreneurs who run mission-driven businesses. The Mission Driven Business podcast was born out of his passion for helping social entrepreneurs create businesses with purpose and profit. On the podcast, Brian talks with diverse entrepreneurs and the people who support them. Listeners hear stories of experiences, strength, and hope and get practical advice to help them build businesses that might just change the world, too.

Brian Thompson chats with Yana Tallon-Hicks, a pleasure-positive sex therapist, educator, and writer. On the episode, Yana shares her unexpected journey to becoming a relationship therapist and business owner. She also gives tips for using a sliding scale fee model and offers insight into the process of writing her upcoming book, Hot and Unbothered: How to Think About, Talk About, and Have the Sex You Really Want. Episode Highlights Make money in a way that aligns with your values. Yana defines a mission-driven business as one that pays attention to its values and goals so that it can make money in a way that aligns with those values and goals. "It's a business that pays attention to what their values and goals are every step of the way, to the best of their ability," she said. "Because at the end of the day, a business needs to make money … and I think that it can still be done with their mission and your values." Be intentional about structuring your time. Yana's career spans her incorporated work as a relationship therapist, sex writing, and education projects. Juggling all of these responsibilities requires a lot of balance, and she blocks out time dedicated to specific projects, like writing her new book and general administrative tasks. Yana is also a co-parent, which has prompted her to keep her schedule regimented to ensure she can be fully present for her child when she's with him. While she felt busy before she had her child, she's found being an entrepreneur and a parent has helped her unlock a new level of efficiency. "Having a kid really helped me get into much better balance," Yana said. "I actually think I'm doing more work, more efficiently, and better." Set clear expectations from the start. Being part of the LGBT+ community, Yana knows that she'll run into her therapy clients more often than some therapists might, so she lays out ground rules and expectations upfront. For instance, Yana asks current clients not to follow her on social media, and her intake form includes a paragraph that clients may see her while out in public. She is also clear about her use of a sliding scale fee model and has prices listed on her website and intake form. Her clients have been very responsive to the model, and people who can pay the highest amount generally do. "Business owners assume that if you do a sliding scale, people will always pay the bottom of your scale, and that is just not true," Yana said. "The trick is you really do need to be truly okay with whatever people choose." Resources + Links Yana's Website Hot and Unbothered: How to Think About, Talk About, and Have the Sex You Really Want Yana's Social Media: Twitter, Instagram, Facebook Brian's Social Media: Twitter, Instagram, Facebook About Brian and the Mission Driven Business Podcast Brian Thompson, JD/CFP, is a tax attorney and certified financial planner who specializes in providing comprehensive financial planning to LGBTQ+ entrepreneurs who run mission-driven businesses. The Mission Driven Business podcast was born out of his passion for helping social entrepreneurs create businesses with purpose and profit. On the podcast, Brian talks with diverse entrepreneurs and the people who support them. Listeners hear stories of experiences, strength, and hope and get practical advice to help them build businesses that might just change the world, too.

Brian Thompson chats with Coss Marte, a former inmate turned business magnate. Coss is the founder of CONBODY, the first fitness method developed in prison. Through CONBODY and his two other ventures, Coss is fulfilling his mission to aid and uplift the formerly incarcerated community. On the episode, Coss shares how he found his passion for fitness after losing 70 pounds during his incarceration as well as his struggle to start a company as someone in and out of the prison system. He also discusses how his "figure it out and survive" motto has spurred him to create three ventures, including one in the legal cannabis industry. Episode Highlights Mission-driven businesses do good from front to back. Coss defines a mission-driven business as one that doesn't just say it's doing good upfront -- but also does something good on the back end. "You want to make money and do good as well," he said. For Coss, the tripartite mission of CONBODY is to destigmatize the formerly incarcerated community, ease their transition back to society, and change the criminal justice system -- all barriers he's faced as a formerly incarcerated person himself. "I saw the pain I had to go through, and I really didn't want people who were my friend or my people that were coming out of the system to go through that," he said. You don't need a formal business plan. Coss created his business plan for CONBODY while in solitary confinement. He didn't have a formal mission, list of values, or vision statement. But he did write down the extensive workout he used to get fit while incarcerated and how he could turn that into an opportunity. "I did what I wrote," Coss said. "I came home and I started doing it in the local park where I grew up, and eventually, one person turned to two, to three, to five, to six, and my mission started evolving." If you don't ask, you don't eat. Coss's mother always told him: If you don't ask, you don't eat. It's a strategy he took to heart when developing CONBODY. "When I came home, I validated by getting one customer in the street, and just stopping them and talking to them and telling them what I'm doing," Coss said. "I got a gazillion nos, but fortunately enough, I've had a few yeses." Coss eagerly shares his mother's advice with fellow entrepreneurs who have smart but unvalidated business plans. That includes Ivy League MBA students who have incredible, technical business ideas but have yet to ask whether anybody wants their products. "You gotta ask," Coss said. "If you go to the market and nobody wants this shit you just lost a lot of time." Resources + Links CONBODY: Website, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube Second Chance Studios: Website, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn CONBUD: Instagram, Facebook, Forbes write up Conbody the book Coss's Social Media: Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn Brian's Social Media: Twitter, Instagram, Facebook About Brian and the Mission Driven Business Podcast Brian Thompson, JD/CFP, is a tax attorney and certified financial planner who specializes in providing comprehensive financial planning to LGBTQ+ entrepreneurs who run mission-driven businesses. The Mission Driven Business podcast was born out of his passion for helping social entrepreneurs create businesses with purpose and profit. On the podcast, Brian talks with diverse entrepreneurs and the people who support them. Listeners hear stories of experiences, strength, and hope and get practical advice to help them build businesses that might just change the world, too.

Brian Thompson chats with Hannah Olson, an advocate for people with disabilities and co-founder and CEO of Chronically Capable and Disclo. Through her companies, Hannah helps people with disabilities navigate their careers and companies manage employee health disclosures and accommodation requests. On the episode, Hannah discusses why she chose entrepreneurship after her aggressive treatment schedule for Lyme disease resulted in her having to leave her dream job. She also shares advice she received while fundraising and why disabilities are something to be celebrated. Episode Highlights The mission is at the center of mission-driven businesses. Hannah describes a mission-driven business as one that puts its mission at the center of everything it does. At her companies, she goes one step further by hiring people who are also centered around the mission of empowering and employing people with disabilities and chronic conditions. "It's less about the excitement of the business, but more so, at the end of the day, who are we helping? Who are we serving?" Hannah said. One business idea can lead to another. In May 2019, Hannah and her co-founder launched their first venture, Chronically Capable, to help people with disabilities and chronic conditions connect with inclusive employers. The company grew quickly, but as it did, Hannah learned about an unmet and unique need for HR professionals to manage employees' health conditions and accommodation requests in safely and privately. Hannah and her co-founder quickly realized they could turn that need into a business opportunity. They raised funding and launched their second venture, Disclo, in May 2022. Disclo takes the mission of Chronically Capable one step further by bringing compliance tools to HR managers. "We initially thought the problem was just being able to find a job and an employer who cared, but we realized there was a much, much bigger problem because if you get the job, how are you going to keep the job?" Hannah said. "But when it comes to compliance, it's not a nice-to-have anymore; it's a must have." Sleep is a key business strategy. The entrepreneur culture espouses the value of hustle, but Hannah pointed out that you can't hustle hard without adequate sleep. That's why she said sleep is the foremost business strategy she has to share with listeners. "Sleep is so important for anyone, but especially for me as someone who has been recovering from a very, very bad illness and also as someone running a business," Hannah said. "This hustle culture has this mentality that we have to be working, and the times you're not working, you're not doing anything. But if you don't sleep, you're not going to work well the next day." Learn from no. When Hannah was raising funding for Disclo, she received about 120 rejections. After the first few, she took the advice of a friend to ask people who said no either to provide feedback she could use to adapt and change or to introduce her to three other people. "I started adopting that practice and I learned so much in a very short time," Hannah said. "I was able to fundraise very, very quickly. In a month we went from not having any luck to people knocking at the door." Resources + Links Chronically Capable: Website, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn Disclo: Website, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Hannah's Social Media: Twitter, LinkedIn Brian's Social Media: Twitter, Instagram, Facebook About Brian and the Mission Driven Business Podcast Brian Thompson, JD/CFP, is a tax attorney and certified financial planner who specializes in providing comprehensive financial planning to LGBTQ+ entrepreneurs who run mission-driven businesses. The Mission Driven Business podcast was born out of his passion for helping social entrepreneurs create businesses with purpose and profit. On the podcast, Brian talks with diverse entrepreneurs and the people who support them. Listeners hear stories of experiences, strength, and hope and get practical advice to help them build businesses that might just change the world, too.

Brian Thompson chats with Danika Waddell, founder of Xena Financial Planning. As a certified financial planner, registered life planner, and certified student loan professional, Danika focuses on helping women who are in tech or otherwise receive equity compensation. On the episode, Danika shares her journey to starting her fee-only firm in 2020, including why she made the entrepreneurship leap and how she's managed the extremely fast growth. She also discusses the importance of having difficult conversations with clients and how she defines success. Episode Highlights Mission-driven businesses are meaningful. For Danika, the idea of a mission-driven business comes back to doing meaningful work. When she started in the finance industry nearly 10 years ago, that sort of meaning was missing from her job. "When I got into this industry almost a decade ago, what I was doing previously was very transactional, and I just felt there was something very lacking," she said. Danika wanted to have more meaningful relationships with clients, leading her to pivot from accounting to starting her own financial planning firm. Now, she regularly gets the opportunity to have a deep connection with clients. "There's something just so satisfying about having the types of engagements with my clients in exactly the way I want to have them, and being able to show up for my clients in a way that I'm not restricted by my employer or anything like that," she said. Uncertainty can lead to growth. Danika wasn't expecting to start her business. After a crisis at her old firm, she decided very quickly to try entrepreneurship. She first defined the types of clients she wanted to serve and how she wanted to serve them, then she created a space for herself and her clients to be fully who they are at all times. "I'm thrilled about what happened because I was comfortable enough that I probably would have never done this if I wasn't forced to," she said. Define success by impact - not dollars. Danika emphasized that making money is not the priority of her business. While she does take into account revenue and sustainability, she measures her success by impact - not dollars. "I definitely do not define success by the numbers," Danika said. "I do define success by the impact I'm having on clients." For instance, Danika felt great success in supporting a long-term client through a car purchase. As she thinks about growing her business further, she wants to help more people feel that kind of empowerment. "I'm not done," Danika said. "Success to me will look like reaching more people. I don't know how that's going to happen yet, but I know that it is going to happen." Resources + Links Xena Financial Planning Danika's Social Media: Twitter, LinkedIn Brian's Social Media: Twitter, Instagram, Facebook About Brian and the Mission Driven Business Podcast Brian Thompson, JD/CFP, is a tax attorney and certified financial planner who specializes in providing comprehensive financial planning to LGBTQ+ entrepreneurs who run mission-driven businesses. The Mission Driven Business podcast was born out of his passion for helping social entrepreneurs create businesses with purpose and profit. On the podcast, Brian talks with diverse entrepreneurs and the people who support them. Listeners hear stories of experiences, strength, and hope and get practical advice to help them build businesses that might just change the world, too.

Brian Thompson chats with Lindsey Swanson, a certified financial planner and founder of Stripper Financial Planning. Lindsey started her fee-only financial planning firm after noticing a severe lack of financial advice for workers in adult entertainment. Through her company, she offers tailored advice in a supportive, kind environment. On the episode, Lindsey shares financial challenges that workers in the sex industry face, including restrictions from banking institutions, payment processors, social media companies, and website hosting firms. She also discusses the importance of choosing the right people to seek advice from, and why she's thinking of changing her company name. Episode Highlights Mission-driven businesses have integrity that others can see. It can be hard for people within an organization to self-diagnose a mission-driven business, according to Lindsey. She believes that others outside of a company may be better at recognizing whether a mission-driven business is truly accomplishing a higher goal. "So many times, there's a business that alleges they have a mission, but I don't see any actions coming from that," Lindsey said. "For me and my own business, it comes down to having a direct line between what I'm trying to accomplish and making a profit." Seek advice from supportive people. Although Lindsey knew the sex work industry is stigmatized, she was surprised that some people wouldn't give her good business advice if they didn't believe in her business's mission. "One of the things that I realized not early enough is that I can't ask for advice from people who don't want the same things as me," Lindsey said. "I could talk to whoever in marketing or branding or whatnot, and if they don't think that what I'm doing is worthwhile, they don't give me good advice." For instance, some marketers don't want sex workers to be seen or heard, and Lindsey felt their advice was tainted by a belief that they didn't actually want her to succeed. Now, Lindsey specifically seeks out advice from people who are supportive of sex workers. "Otherwise, I'm not going to get people who are supporting me," Lindsey said. "And that sounds obvious if you say it, but I thought anyone could give me good advice because everyone has something they can bring to the table." Not all industries are treated equally online. One issue Lindsey faces is online censorship of the sex industry. She initially thought marketing and publicity would revolve around SEO and key terms, but she says the reality is more of a nightmare. "A lot of my clients are starting to create their own websites and host them offshore not because it's illegal but because there's so much censorship that happens on Squarespace and Wix and Wordpress," Lindsey said. "I built my site on Squarespace, but I'm anticipating that at some point it's going to get taken down. … And it's so much harder for people in the business." Help your audience find you again and again. Website hosting is only one censorship-related challenge for Lindsey. One of the main words in her business name -- stripper -- gets censored on social media, which prompts the sex industry to use an evolving litany of alternative terms to outsmart the algorithms. While Lindsey is leaning into her company name as she grows her publicity and brand recognition, once she's successful, she'll likely have to create a more veiled version of her business so she can stay on the internet. It's a move she's learned from her clients. "It's just amazing how good these individuals are at branding and recreating themselves and having an audience that's so sticky that they are willing to find them again," Lindsey said. "I have one client that has put up her TikTok 20 times. … She's been taken down, and she's recreated that 20 times." Resources + Links Stripper Financial Planning Lindey's Social Media: Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook Brian's Social Media: Twitter, Instagram, Facebook About Brian and the Mission Driven Business Podcast Brian Thompson, JD/CFP, is a tax attorney and certified financial planner who specializes in providing comprehensive financial planning to LGBTQ+ entrepreneurs who run mission-driven businesses. The Mission Driven Business podcast was born out of his passion for helping social entrepreneurs create businesses with purpose and profit. On the podcast, Brian talks with diverse entrepreneurs and the people who support them. Listeners hear stories of experiences, strength, and hope and get practical advice to help them build businesses that might just change the world, too.

Brian Thompson chats with Dr. Samantha Franklin, a school counselor, college professor, and founder of Intersection, LLC. Through Intersection, Samantha uses therapy and mediation to help people learn how to set boundaries and advocate for themselves. It's also the first company she's founded. On the episode, Samantha shares the values that led her to start her own mission-driven business and the areas she's struggling with as a new entrepreneur. She also discusses how she balances working with three different types of clients and the tools she uses to charge what she's worth. Episode Highlights Mission-driven businesses solve problems. For Samantha, the definition of a mission-driven business is an easy one. It's a company that comes into being to solve a problem. "Maybe that person knows how to fill that gap in whatever industry it is," Samantha said. "I'm on a mission. The mission is to solve a problem." Through Intersection, Samantha helps people who have a hard time advocating for themselves in their business or personal life. She works in three different types of markets: therapy for families, mediation for divorced or divorcing couples, and advocacy for school counselors. "Some people don't know how to use their voice, and some people just don't know how to stand up for themselves," Samantha said. "And so the overriding mission of my company is advocacy." Charge what you're worth. One of the aspects of entrepreneurship that Samantha struggles with is charging clients appropriately. Part of that comes from her background as a teacher, which required her to work essentially for free at night. In the early days of her business, Samantha also doubted whether she should charge clients for some services she considered easy or straightforward. To learn what to charge, Samantha asked for advice and guidance from people in the consulting and financial realms. Although she's come a long way, she's still adjusting how she charges as she takes on new experiences and continues to grow her business. "It's really figuring out how much jobs are going to cost," Samantha said. "How much time is taking me away from my family, and deciding what it's worth." It's okay to say no to clients -- even if you're just starting. Saying no to the wrong clients is a theme that's come up before on the podcast, and it's a point echoed by Samantha. Even though her business is new, she emphasized the importance of setting boundaries. "As we build businesses, a lot of times we feel that we should take all the business that comes our way, and that's not always true," Samantha said. "Know your boundaries and what you need as a person and for whatever unit you have around you. It's okay to say no to business. It's okay to refer out." Resources + Links Samantha's Social Media: Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn Brian's Social Media: Twitter, Instagram, Facebook About Brian and the Mission Driven Business Podcast Brian Thompson, JD/CFP, is a tax attorney and certified financial planner who specializes in providing comprehensive financial planning to LGBTQ+ entrepreneurs who run mission-driven businesses. The Mission Driven Business podcast was born out of his passion for helping social entrepreneurs create businesses with purpose and profit. On the podcast, Brian talks with diverse entrepreneurs and the people who support them. Listeners hear stories of experiences, strength, and hope and get practical advice to help them build businesses that might just change the world, too.

Brian Thompson chats with Zach Teutsch and Ari Weisbard, the managing partners of Values Added Financial. Values Added Financial helps progressives build thoughtful, prosperous, and impactful financial lives. Through their business, Zach and Ari aid clients with balancing their own needs with the work they do in the world. On the episode, Zach and Ari share how running a feminist, LGBTQ-friendly, and antiracist company has helped them to attract more clients than they ever imagined. They also discuss the importance of articulating who you are and why saying no to the wrong clients makes room for the right ones. Episode Highlights Mission-driven businesses don't just talk the talk. Like other guests on the show, Ari describes a mission-driven business as one that cares about more than just profit. In practice, that means making decisions that balance the interest of the business with those of the broader mission. "For us, at Values Added, we care about our teammates; we care about our clients; and we care about the world," Ari said. For Zach and Ari the definition of a mission-driven business goes a little deeper because they put their values into practice, too. As Zach explained, that means publicly campaigning for higher taxes and investing in organizations wanting to create a more just system. "If we had a different business, there would be real business consequences that were negative, but because we're so public about who we are, it means I can say things and not worry," Zach said. Socialist financial advisors are in demand. Thanks to being unapologetic in his beliefs and actions, Zach has gained a reputation on and offline as a socialist financial advisor. Although the term sounds contradictory, that language has resonated with the right type of clients and has been a boon for business. "There are way more socialists who need a financial advisor than there are socialist financial advisors," Zach said. "That's been one of the surprises to me is just how many amazing people need the exact thing we want to provide." In turn, the focus on wealthy progressives as clients has helped Valued Added Financial have an even greater social impact than he could have initially imagined, Ari said. There is enough space in this niche for other mission-driven entrepreneurs to be successful, although he didn't fully believe it was possible until it happened, Zach added. "I knew it is true that the more niche you are, the more people are excited," Zach said. "I knew that in theory, but it was really hard to believe until it happened to us." Put your values up top. True to its name, Values Added Financial prioritizes and celebrates its company values. Stating those values up top has helped Zach and Ari to not only attract the right clients -- but also to attract better job candidates, too. "By putting a version of those values right at the top of our job application and using language that's a little bit more colorful and full bodied than the typical Equal Opportunity statement, it really did help to get a very diverse candidate pool applying," Ari said. "In the same way it helps us get the exact right clients to come to us, it was really helpful to get a really great, strong, diverse candidate pool." Resources + Links Values Added Financial Zach's Social Media: Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook Ari's Social Media: Twitter, LinkedIn Brian's Social Media: Twitter, Instagram, Facebook About Brian and the Mission Driven Business Podcast Brian Thompson, JD/CFP, is a tax attorney and certified financial planner who specializes in providing comprehensive financial planning to LGBTQ+ entrepreneurs who run mission-driven businesses. The Mission Driven Business podcast was born out of his passion for helping social entrepreneurs create businesses with purpose and profit. On the podcast, Brian talks with diverse entrepreneurs and the people who support them. Listeners hear stories of experiences, strength, and hope and get practical advice to help them build businesses that might just change the world, too.

Brian Thompson chats with Searah Desaych, the founder of feminist sex shop Early to Bed. For the past 20 years, Early to Bed has operated both as a retail store and as a safe place to explore sexuality. Searah founded the company to create the warm, women-oriented, queer and trans-positive environment she wished existed in the male-dominated sex shop industry. On the episode, Searah shares some of the hurdles she's faced in her two decades at the helm of Early to Bed. She also discusses how she's managed her anxieties around running a business and praises the importance of networking and being kind. Episode Highlights Mission-driven businesses sometimes make unprofitable choices. Early to Bed is a for-profit business, but it's also a mission-driven one, Searah explained. Searah will make a decision most in-line with the mission of the store -- even if it isn't profitable. In practice, that means Early to Bed holds raffles, donates products, and provides education to benefit the community. "The business is about more than profit," Searah said. "Sometimes I don't make a profitable choice. Sometimes, I make the choice that's best for my employees and for what I want to be in the world rather than making money." Follow a business plan -- when it makes sense. After dropping out of graduate school, Searah had a business plan she now says had no basis in reality. She quickly learned she had to ditch the plan and be flexible to make the business work. "If I had tried to use that plan to drive the business, I don't know where I'd be," Searah said. At the same time, Searah needs to make smart business decisions even if they're not what she had initially envisioned. For instance, she didn't like the idea of creating an online storefront for her business, but she realized it's a necessity in the modern era. "I'm an idiot if I'm going to stop people from Texas buying my products," she said. "So even though that wasn't part of my mission in the beginning, I decided to do that." The anxiety is always going to be there. About seven years into her entrepreneurial career, Searah asked a business owner when the worrying about running a business stops. The answer wasn't what she had hoped for. "She's like, 'Oh, honey, never,'" Searah said. "It doesn't matter how long, you're always going to have those worries." Now that she's 20 years into running Early to Bed, Searah worries less than she used to. But she can confirm that the anxiety never fully subsides. "I go to sleep pretty soundly every night, but it's always in the back of your head forever," Searah said. Resources + Links Early to Bed Searah's Social Media: Twitter, LinkedIn Brian's Social Media: Twitter, Instagram, Facebook About Brian and the Mission Driven Business Podcast Brian Thompson, JD/CFP, is a tax attorney and certified financial planner who specializes in providing comprehensive financial planning to LGBTQ+ entrepreneurs who run mission-driven businesses. The Mission Driven Business podcast was born out of his passion for helping social entrepreneurs create businesses with purpose and profit. On the podcast, Brian talks with diverse entrepreneurs and the people who support them. Listeners hear stories of experiences, strength, and hope and get practical advice to help them build businesses that might just change the world, too.