Throughout my career, I have been intrigued by what makes a person confident and successful. Not only in economic terms but a life full of plenitude. Every time I met someone with this “special power,” I took the opportunity to ask questions. After some time, and influenced by my CPA numeric approach to life, the answers started to make sense. When I asked them about their goals, aspirations, and future, their answers had insane clarity. They understood clearly what they were going after, what moved them and what they were willing to fight for.
When I was certain that my findings were correct, I decided that in all job interviews the key question I would ask would be — What are your goals in life? The more I used this methodology, the more surprised I was — no one had a clue what to do with their life.
Back then, I was in my late 20s and I decided to do something about it. I got myself into teaching Marketing at Monterrey Tech and a big part of my class promise was to accomplish two things. One was to learn about marketing and the other was to clarify their future. At the beginning of the course I asked my students to write their life goals and aspirations on a piece of paper. I would pick up the papers and return them on the last school day. I found a way to blend the course with my topic and my class was a success. They understood the relevance of clarity in life and goals. I taught for 2 years and then moved on because our restaurant startup was doing great and demanded more of my time. Back then I was working at a frozen food company and running our restaurant chain — Super Salads — with friends. My first startup.
Fast forward some years, I founded IMM on June 4th, 2007 when I was 35. This is the company Ricardo, my business partner, and I are running today in Dallas. I kept focus on having clarity in my goals and our business skyrocketed year after year. I kept using my methodology in all our interviews and continued to be surprised having the same answers. No purpose and zero clarity.
In 2013, after a suggestion from a friend of mine, Andres, I decided to join Harvard’s OPM program (Owners President Management). After completing my MBA in 1996, I decided that going back to school, was not a bad idea. Three years later and after an amazing experience, I could refine my thoughts in this matter, which have kept me intrigued and frustrated for years.
One day, in a one-on-one session in the second year of OPM with one of my professors, he told me something that hit me hard: “David, you need to make sure you align your personal purpose with your business one.” I had goals for both, but I never asked myself what my purpose was. If I die tomorrow, was I at least getting closer to it? I had clarity with my goals but not with my purpose.
I decided to continue my search of this new challenge. Purpose, as I was challenged, should be one and must be aligned on both personal and business levels. The very first thing I did in the company after coming back from OPM that year was to remove our mission and vision statements and the goal for the planning meeting was to define our company purpose. It didn’t take us long to decide and polish it. “For everyone to enjoy the best Latino brands.” Business Purpose — Check. It started to make sense, but still I needed to figure it out how to merge it with my personal aspirations.
One day, reviewing the pile of books to read I saw one that I bought while at an OPM reunion from a class I was not able to attend but my wife, Ana Maria did and spoke highly about it — How Will You Measure Your Life? by Clayton M. Christensen. I was intrigued why someone famous for creating the
Disruption innovation concept in business was now writing about life. I read it in a weekend. What an amazing book. It was all about life purpose and a great framework to figure it out how to come up with yours. After that, for me it was simple to connect the dots. Bingo! Now I had a clear life purpose. It was now connected with my business, what I love and with all the things I am willing to fight for. I felt energized and inspired. At 43 years old back then, my OPM challenge was cleared.
Since 2015 inside our company IMM, we decided to challenge and guide all our associates in how to come up with their life purpose. How to get clarity in their lives and do something amazing with it. Work for the person they want to become. Every 6 to 7 weeks for a total of eight each year, we do one-on- ones with all of our associates to make sure we nurture this initiative. We call it Partners in Progress. It is not about the business, it is about them and it is amazing!
Less than a year after we launched this program we were recognized as a “Great Place to Work” organization. Believe me, it is not a coincidence. Now it is clear to us that the people that work at IMM, don’t work for us. They share our purpose and are encouraged by it. We are fighting the same battle.
Purpose as Mr. Christensen suggested it, needs three parts. Likeness, commitment and metrics. I added a fourth. To influence millions of people. Times like today, demand it. One last thing on this framework. Life purpose, or this “A to B” journey, must always have the pillars of values. In other words, the end doesn’t justify the means. It is insane the level of violence and intolerance we are exposed to today. Values have to be reinforced and must start at a family level.
It would be unfair to discuss this topic without sharing my life purpose: Create a set of companies and foundations to make Latinos the most educated people on earth. Yep. Bold. Must be. It is my calling. On average 20 out of 100 Latino students that start elementary school graduate from College. That’s an awful number. Education, is the number one disease in the world and all of us are entitled to one. At least, from my end and with all the energy in the world, I am going to fight for it. That is the road for the next 10 years.
I encourage you to give the necessary time to have a sense of purpose. I read a few days ago Mark Zuckerberg’s speech at Harvard. It was all about purpose. Insane and a must read. The new great leaders of today have one thing in common. Great clarity with their purpose. Read about them and you find it is so true. At the end of the day, the only difference between you and them is that clarity. The clarity of a life purpose. Please. Please. Don’t spend one more day without one.
David Benitez davidb@immlatino.com