049: When Mission and Good Business Collide: Brian Preston of Lamon Luther
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SUMMARY:
Can you be mission-focused but also profit-focused? Yes, and Lamon Luther is a really good example of it. When Brian Preston found himself wanting to help people who needed jobs, he realized that the best way to do that was to grow a healthy, profitable business. Brian is passionate about his mission, but in order to stay on mission… he has to stay in business. On today’s podcast, he shares his fascinating story and lessons he’s learned for any launcher looking to make a difference.
Welcome to episode 49 of the Executive Minds Podcast.
LINKS + RESOURCES:
THREE KEY TAKEAWAYS:
Just keep moving
Just as Brian was on his way to having one million dollars in his bank account, the recession hit and he lost everything. It’s easy to let that loss shut you down mentally and emotionally. But Brian persisted. He just kept moving and kept seeking opportunities to work on something he was passionate about. During this time, he even worked at a church for free for two years. It was at that church where the idea for Lamon Luther was born.
Mission and wise business need to collide
Brian started Lamon Luther out of a heart to help people. And keeping your mission central is important, but the business part of the job matters just as much. Don’t get so caught up in helping people that you don’t make wise business decisions. If you go out of business then you’re not going to help anyone.
Plan to win
Lamon Luther started as more of a mission and dream than an actual plan. While Brian has been successful in figuring out a plan, he would advise anyone starting to not ignore the need for a documented strategy. Remember, a plan isn’t a lifetime commitment, you can always change it if you need to. But what it does is force you to think about critical issues and find proactive solutions.