Chapter 6

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Generosity

Servant leadership is the only leadership that ultimately works.

— Dave Ramsey, financial author and host of The Dave Ramsey Show

Could there be a more illustrious example of an entrepreneur so serious about making kindness the central mission of a company than Daniel Lubetzky, whose nutritious snack company, KIND Healthy Snacks, is known as the fastest-growing brand in the industry? The brand’s name KIND is a permanent signpost to consumers, reminding them that the food they have chosen to munch on would not exist if it weren’t for the belief in the power of kindness. Today, the company reports revenues upward of $120 million per year.¹ That’s a whole lotta kindness being swallowed with those delicious bars! My friend Marci Shimoff put it perfectly when she said “People trust those who are kind.”² By following through on his motto, “Do the kind thing for your body, your taste buds, and your world,” Lubetzky has earned people’s trust.

What Lubetzky knows is that kindness is synonymous with generosity, and that a company that is generous to the world is one that wins customers. Merriam-Webster’s primary definition of the word generosity is “the quality of being kind.”³ When he founded KIND Healthy Snacks in 2004, Lubetzky simultaneously established the KIND Movement, an initiative to fund projects that help make the world a better place. When I headed to the KIND website, I discovered that the movement donates $10,000 per month to community projects.⁴ What I loved most was the invitation to visitors of the site to vote on which one of the projects will be funded.

The company’s generosity in philanthropy is boosted by the generosity of spirit KIND puts forth. As you navigate the site, you will experience the feeling of transparency and notice that the company is servicing first and selling second. That’s the power of generosity and its many faces, all of which are the focus of this chapter. We don’t need to host charity balls or offer big giveaways. Generosity is shown in many ways, and in your business there are a multitude of opportunities to be generous toward customers, prospects, staff, and—don’t forget—yourself! When practicing generosity, you will see (just as Lubetzsky has) that kindness in business most certainly pays off.

It’s okay to ask “What’s in it for me?” We are not trying to be martyrs here; we are business owners. What we will see throughout this chapter is example after example of how generosity, and the connection it establishes between all people, results in marketing, more referrals, reciprocation, a larger network, growth, and profits.

Generosity of Time

I think the number-one thing people remember about other people is when they have been given more of their time than expected. We all know doctors who make us sit in the waiting room for far too long, but we keep going back because once we are in the examining room, she gives us enough time to feel like we are being cared for. We don’t mind waiting because we trust she will give us the time back, and then some. The same holds true for anyone who works on retainer. When I spend a few more minutes on the phone with a client, I hope my clients see that I am invested as much in them as they are in me. I care, and if there are a few minutes unlogged, so what?

A manager who will stop what he’s doing and listen to an employee will be remembered for “taking time out.” No matter how few perks you think you can offer from a business standpoint, remember that you possess the best commodity out there: your time. By being generous with it when you think it matters most, it will pay off. This is not to say you shouldn’t be discerning about who gets your time. We have all been trapped by those moments of unrelenting small talk that dwindles our daily rates.

An attorney friend who had to keep rescheduling an important hearing billed back some time to his client, who was in limbo without the charge being cleared. Although his frustrated client was ready to bash him all over town, he mitigated the situation by letting her know that her time and her unease had been noticed and meant something to him. Now, she refers him constantly. When we offer our time, we are offering so much more: patience, listening, problem-solving, and, as in the case with the attorney, compassion and empathy for a client’s fear and frustration.

Time is a motivator for employees as well. If employees don’t feel they are given enough of your time, they will feel resentful. Your reputation depends on your employees because they are the most powerful source of word-of-mouth PR you can ever find, especially in today’s social media culture. No matter how many bad days or good days you give to your employees (and, hey, nobody’s perfect), when you are generous with your time, stopping what you are doing to hear someone out, regardless of whether it is founded, you will be remembered as an upstanding employer. “He didn’t always say or do the right thing, but he was always there for me,” one employee might say.

Time can also be a great commodity by using some spare minutes to mentor someone, whether it is an employee or someone in the community. Programs in local schools, at libraries, and nursing homes are in need of mentors. Some programs are advertised and will incorporate your business logo or name into their marketing materials, while others will be able to have that ever-powerful word-of-mouth effect. For instance, a dry cleaner who reads to the elderly might gain a few more customers just because of the new personal connection. People talk to other people about business owners all day long. You will be astounded by how many new patrons you might gain by offering an hour of your time per week.

Similarly, a dentist working with seniors in high school who are interested in dentistry gains 30 new clients, because the students and their families decided to make the switch. The point is, in a time-crunched world we all experience shortage of time. So when you are willing to give up some of yours, it makes an indelible impression on people.

Joan makes it a point of calling back prospects and spending time with them on the phone, offering advice about publishing, and most of the time, referring them to another service more appropriate for their needs. What results are emails from these prospects offering testimonials about how generous Joan was with her time. Two lucrative clients were referred to Joan by one of these grateful callers. Joan’s time was not in the least wasted.

Rick Warren wrote, “When you give someone your time, you are giving them a portion of your life that you’ll never get back. Your time is your life. That is why the greatest gift you can give someone is your time.”⁵ When given freely, your time is a powerful and generous currency. Imagine your customers, peers, and vendors who feel as if you are approachable and available. Not everyone is looking for their money back or a sly discount. If you make customers feel as if they matter to you by allowing them the time to hear what they need, you won’t need to be handing cash back to people.

Generous Credit and Compliments

Giving credit where credit is due is an important aspect of being a great leader. Generously thanking, complimenting, or praising a staff member, vendor, or customer—even for the most mundane thing—shows people you take the time out of your schedule to notice them and to stop what you are doing to acknowledge them. And when you are receiving credit for something you haven’t personally done or conceptualized, be sure to redirect the compliment. A great leader in business knows how to graciously pass on a compliment to the person who truly deserves it. Good leaders don’t care about taking credit; they just care about doing good work. Blogger Tom Basson poignantly wrote in his post, “Real Leaders Don’t Take Credit,” “Real leaders take the blame and give the credit. Empathy, humility, and kindness are signs of leadership strength—not weakness.”⁶

This kind of leadership has been dubbed Servant Leadership. And Basson believes that leaders who do not adhere to the concept of “service above self” will never engender the trust, confidence, and loyalty of customers, employees, or colleagues. According to his website, when assessing what kind of leader we currently are, Basson suggests asking yourself the following questions:

Do you shift the blame for problems?

Do you need to take credit for your good decisions?

Would you be described as kind and empathetic?

Do you ask yourself “What can I do to help?”⁷

Complimenting others generously has been proven by researchers to work just as well as cash when it comes to helping people perform better. Compliments can increase clients and customers, put them at ease, invite them to give you more feedback, and make them trust you more—all of which are important to running and growing your business. A wild experiment at Purdue University led students Cameron Brown and Brett Westcott to dedicate every Wednesday to offering compliments to other students on campus, saying things like, “Nice shirt,” “You have great curly hair,” and “You deserve to have a great day.”⁸

For years they included complimenting the staff of the university, telling personnel, “Keep up the good work” and “Thanks for all you do here.” The result? Students rerouted themselves between classes just to hear the compliments. We can make our own clients and customers want to come back by letting them know how special and unique they are. Watch them reroute to your business all for the price of a compliment.

Generous Networks

Have you heard of social capital? It’s all the rage. Finally, more and more people understand that it is not just who we know, but how well we know them that makes business viable. Social capital is all about networks, where transactions occur through trust, cooperation, and reciprocity. Groups that have formed as a means of gaining social capital do so not only for themselves but for a global good. Without social capital I would be nowhere, and for that I thank the visionary behind the social capital network that I have belonged to for 15 years, Berny Dohrmann, founder and CEO of CEO Space International. Founding the company more than 20 years ago, Berny has embraced his vision for entrepreneurial collaboration by giving prospective business leaders the tools and education they need to succeed in the future. Berny generously gave me some of his time and spoke to me about how generosity is demonstrated through his business and how we can utilize some of his philosophies as we plan to grow our own. He said:

CEO Space is a place for addicts, and we host the heads of companies that are “addicted completers.” When CEOs come in they learn that companies that thrive are the compassionate companies. Companies that thrive are companies that are filled with the priority of their customer over their profits. That the experience their customer is receiving is more than the customer expected or paid for. And when that occurs, the care you have for humanity in all of your outreach is social capital. Today in a change market, the CEO has to remain current. They have to find a place, a continued place to get current and stay current.⁹

That’s precisely the kind of place CEO Space is. I feel similarly to Berny when he says the one and only thing that makes business easier is the compassion of the other business owner, who looks you in the eye and says “I have a solution for you. I think this solution would save you time and money.” This kind of collaboration saves you and it lightens your load. Why? Because sharing your ideas and experiences within a network means you are actively engaging in relationships. There’s that need for connection again.

“I think competition itself is a roadblock,” says Berny. “I think when we think competitively we are the source of the virus in our brain software. Competitive thought is the source of every problem in relationships. We have reorganized companies on a cooperative culture arch, and they have performed in ways that have moved them up the fortune ladder and won awards.”¹⁰

Can you imagine your business world without the preoccupation of competition with others? It’s difficult, for sure, as we are indoctrinated into thinking that if we don’t protect our turf, someone will invade it. The connection and community that Berny offers has taught me that the opposite is true. If you invite in the competition, most likely it won’t stab you in the back. Through your own network, what can you share?

There are so many terrific avenues you can take to find education, advice, mentoring, idea-sharing, and cross marketing, both virtually and physically. So where and how can you sync up? Of course, CEO Space is a great venue, as is eWomenNetwork, which I will tell you more about in Chapter 8, however, you need not go further than your LinkedIn network or local Chamber of Commerce. Professional associations abound, and if you are a member of one or a few already, ask yourself whether you are taking advantage of all they have to offer. Conferences, newsletters, forums, pod-casts, guest speakers, and other education series are usually available through the organizations’ websites.

What about those LinkedIn groups? Are you taking advantage of the community of likeminded people waiting to hear from you? Can you start your own group for those “water cooler moments” that small business owners aren’t privy to? Ask a question, vent, talk though a conundrum, and get help from experienced people who are more than willing to be your sounding board.

Do you rent or share space with other entrepreneurs or small businesses? It doesn’t matter if your business isn’t necessarily in the same domain, because at the end of the day, we are all solving problems and trying to enhance relationships. So no matter who your neighbor may be—a real estate agent, chiropractor, or commissioned artist—you will find that sharing ideas and networks within your physical space offers connectivity and increases your knowledge about what it takes to run your business. These professional relationships make brain-picking fun and useful. If you want to find people who have their ear to the ground, you don’t have to look outside your own community. For a nominal fee you can join many Chambers of Commerce, even in places you don’t live, and share email addresses and other contact information with one another. Referrals will be a great perk as well, as many members of chambers are dedicated to supporting local businesses first.

Berny founded the largest entrepreneurial organization in the world, ranked year after year by Forbes, and if such network sharing didn’t work, Berny’s success wouldn’t have been sustainable. “We take executives and make sure they have a post-graduate degree in how to get their culture reformed and build the systems that will give them the next generation of buyer and keep the millennial in their orbit,” Berny said.¹¹

I have never seen an organization so committed to helping their high-level business owner members, who have major projects around the world in all kinds of industries. Through CEO Space, we can come together and practice kindness and truly help each other.

Berny told me, “We are cooperationalists who ask, ‘What are you doing and how can I help you?’ In cooperation we always find consensus. Be generous with kindness and watch it come back to you through the three R’s: retention of customers, repeat business, and increased referrals, because they are raving fans!”¹²

Generous Support

Don’t we hope to turn our customers and those we lead into “raving fans,” as Berny calls them? Is it possible to go a step beyond and demonstrate our kindness by being vocal fans and cheerleaders of the people in our network in a way that lifts them up? Marci Shimoff, New York Times best-selling author of Happy for No Reason and Chicken Soup for the Woman’s Soul, believes she wouldn’t have experienced her level of success if it weren’t for the power of those who supported her. As Marci’s friend who also happens to be a huge fan, I can tell you that when you hear Marci’s name thrown around in conversation, it is always in the context of her unwavering kindness. Marci says:

I was very fortunate because I learned about kindness from two of the kindest people—my parents—who were kind for no reason. I was fortunate to have that in me. I enjoy being kind in business. The fringe benefit is that being kind has brought me an enormous amount of work. When I believe in a book, I offer endorsements and write forewords. I offer connections and advice whenever I possibly can, and it has paid me back in so many ways. There is no way my books would’ve been on the best-seller list without the help of the colleagues and friends who have supported me throughout the years.¹³

Marci credits her tremendous publishing success to her fandom of her mentor Jack Canfield. Before he and Mark Victor Hansen conceived Chicken Soup for the Soul, Jack was her mentor. “I loved his work and did everything I could to help bring him business,” she remembered. “I brought him to my town to do workshops, sent him corporate clients, and just talked him up every chance I could. Four years later, in 1993, Chicken Soup for the Soul had become a blockbuster, and I suggested the idea of coauthoring a book titled Chicken Soup for the Woman’s Soul. Not only did Jack agree, he and Mark invited me to partner with them, resulting in more than 15 million copies sold. I believe my kindness and authentic belief in what Jack was doing was returned to me in this way.”¹⁴

When we are fans of someone or something, we can’t wait to share our “find” with people. It’s like that with a great trainer, a delicious restaurant, or an understanding veterinarian. When we are treated well, and receive generous care, we tend to rave. Word of mouth is the single-most crucial aspect of growing and sustaining a business, and what Marci did was grow Jack’s business and network because she believed he was bettering the world and told everyone who would listen.

Showing support for your customers and those in your network will result in so much good will; it will spill over into more prospects and profits. For instance, Marci told me about the year her mother spent her birthday in the hospital and the chef in the hospital baked a cake just for her and presented it, singing “Happy Birthday.” Marci and her entire family were gathered, and as Marci recalled, “It was the last birthday we as a family had with my mom. It is so memorable, and all because of one chef. I refer that hospital every time.”¹⁵ The chef had single-handedly turned Marci into a loyal fan of the hospital, and now Marci generously supports that hospital with referrals and good word-of-mouth public relations.

“Kindness generates gratitude and loyalty,” says Marci. “We trust people who are kind. When showing our support, always, when possible, answer yes.”¹⁶

I felt so supported by holistic veterinarian Gary Richter when my cat was diagnosed with nose cancer. Anyone who has ever had a pet knows the emotional blow that comes with the threat of losing an animal companion. We were devastated and looking for the best medical care. I was referred to Gary by a friend who couldn’t say enough about the experience and care her pets received through Gary’s veterinary practice, Montclair Veterinary Hospital. Gary was so generous with his kindness, his time, and his emotional support, that I traveled 45 minutes each way to have my cat treated by him and his exceptional team of 40 professionals. Now, I tell everyone about Dr. Gary and the hospital. He not only worked with me to care for my cat, he extended my cat’s life for three years! I could never repay Gary for giving me that precious time with my beloved feline friend, so I just keep talking him up (and writing about him).

The support that I felt was so generously given to me, on both a personal level and a professional one, was an extension of the culture that Lee Richter instills as CEO of Montclair Veterinary Hospital. She generously does things for her team that shows them they matter to her. The littlest thing like filling a giant Easter basket with candy and surprises, and then refilling the basket the next day, is not only an illustration of how taking time out impacts others, it gave adults the reminder of the wonders of being children again. “It had been decades since we all relished in the simple joy of peeking through an Easter basket,” Lee told me. “What this did for each member of my team is connect them through the shared joy of the basket. I saw them, in turn, really show up to take care of their client, because they felt taken care of.”¹⁷

Support like this naturally fuels that pay-it-forward mentality, again, because we are all instinctually pulled to bond and connect with one another—in business and beyond. In the 65 years the hospital has been operating, Lee says it is currently growing faster than ever. She attests this success to the commitment of being generous with her support and having others feel the intention of that. “The thank you’s, repeat business, referrals, are all results of the little seeds of kindness,” she said.¹⁸

Lee doesn’t stop there. She takes the success that is generated through her support of others, and pays it forward with more support, generously offering her time as a mentor. A true global citizen, Lee mentors people in San Francisco who are seeking their dream jobs. In what she calls a “speed dating” environment, 50 community volunteers, including Lee, meet for seven minutes with people in need of advice.

Acts of service is how I give back. It gives me so much joy to share what I have learned and shorten others’ learning curve. I’ve learned through kindness that invitations and connections deepen to a level that is more advantageous and rewarding in my life because I pay attention to kindness. Being kind is so much more fun. To be loving and positive feels good. Because you inspire others to connect with you on that same level, deeper and more meaningful relationships become possible.¹⁹

As someone who teaches influence, Teresa de Grosbois, international best-seller of Mass Influence and chair of Evolutionary Business Council (EBC), a community of thought leaders and emerging thought leaders, focuses on the importance of such relationship capital. “We often think of intellectual or physical capital, but now we are noticing the importance of relationship in building businesses, and kindness is the capital that builds those relationships,” Teresa said.²⁰ Teresa told me the story of someone reaching out to thank her for a kind act she had performed years earlier. She had supported this person’s book within her network. She admitted,

It’s funny. I had completely forgotten I did that, but here I have a half-page email telling me what a profound difference I had made. It’s those little moments of investing in other people all the time, and we don’t know how or when it will come back to us, and not even from the same person, but they really create a difference for your business in how you are perceived in the world and how much support you get from other people.²¹

As an example of that type of support, Teresa told me about one of EBC’s founding members, Charmaine Hammond, and her “big ask.” “Charmaine is always willing to help people, give advice, and is one of the kindest people, and she connects people,” explained Teresa. She continues:

At one of our earlier retreats, Charmaine stood up and very vulnerably said, “I have a book coming out, and I need help, and I need people to shout out and support the campaign.” Well, the entire room stood up as if to say she could count on them. It brought tears to my eyes. In just 20 seconds, Charmaine now had a campaign in the millions. The investment she had made in these people by being kind to them made all these members love her. We were all so excited about her impending book launch, so we went on Facebook and spread the word. Charmaine’s book hit the best-seller list two weeks before it launched! All these people loved her so deeply, they wouldn’t let her fail.²²

Too Big to Fail

Has your heart been big in business and now you have a “big ask” for yourself? Whether you are launching a new product, expanding a business, looking for capital, or need some extra marketing muscle, perhaps it is time to go ahead and solicit support from those you have shown support to. Here are a few suggestions on how to properly ask for a business favor and avoid awkwardness.

Be Brief: Clear and concise writing is hard work, but completely worth it when it comes to raising your chances of having the recipient read it. You don’t have to tell the whole story, just the best part of the story. There is always going to be chances for follow-up information, upon the other person’s request. Write briefly enough that people want to respond and worry about spilling all the details later.

Entrepreneur and venture capitalist Mark Suster suggests on his blog, “Both Sides of the Table,” to offer an appendix when worried about not offering enough context in a short email. “Ask the question/favor in a very short email, draw big underscores under the bottom of the email, and then below that put ‘appendix: more info just in case you wanted more context,’ or something similar. Reading this should not be required to answer the question.”²³

Write for Forwarding Ease: As a person who places connection above all things, many times when I can’t help a person, and I do know someone who might, I want to forward the request. Therefore, when you write an email asking for something, write it so that it can be easily forwarded by the recipient. Avoid including personal commentary that will need to be edited out. The less work the recipient has to do in order to get your request into the right hands, the better. Be sure that whatever you are writing is readable to a third party.

Employ the Double Opt-In Rule: When introducing two people who don’t know each other, ask each of them to opt-in to the introduction first, and only proceed when permission is granted. I have seen contacts diminished and good will destroyed because people felt their privacy and freedom were invaded because a person was overzealous when asking for help.

Generosity Marketing

John M. Sweeney is the founder of a social movement called Suspended Coffees. In his article, “Kindness Makes Good Business,” Sweeney describes himself as being, among other things, a kindness coach, saying that making others happy had always been his mission in life. This is why, when it came to his career, he found himself flailing. For two-and-a-half years he was unemployed and felt he had no purpose. Then he read about an old tradition called cafe sospeso or “suspended coffee,” which began in the cafes of Naples, Italy. A suspended coffee is the advance purchase of a cup of coffee for someone who needs it, no matter why. “But it really is about so much more than the coffee,” the Suspended Coffees homepage says. “It can provide physical comfort, conversation, a smile or even a laugh, and a sense of belonging. A suspended coffee can change lives, sometimes even save them.”²⁴

Today the Suspended Coffees movement has more than 2,000 cafes promoting the concept across 34 countries. Sweeney’s compulsion and dedication to spread kindness through business nearly brought him to his knees. Financially and personally Sweeney struggled, but stuck with his mission. It is no surprise to discover that his generosity was rewarded.

“I’ve had a complete stranger pay for me to become a fully qualified coach, been flown to America to speak in front of incredibly influential people, have spoken at TEDx, made lifelong friends, and learned a tremendous amount along the way,” writes the native of County Cork, Ireland.²⁵

What can we learn from Sweeney when it comes to business? Well, businesses who join the Suspended Coffees movement market themselves by association as a cafe that is compassionate. This kind of generosity marketing attracts customers who share the same beliefs and will therefore become loyal customers.

More companies are capitalizing on kindness by associating their brands to a larger cause. From generous return policies like L.L. Bean’s to Airbnb’s “Random Acts of Hospitality,” and even McDonalds’s “Pay with Lovin’” campaign, in which customers could offer a hug as a form of payment, ideas like these spread like wildfire. Called “generosity marketing,” giving freely to its customer has been demonstrated by major players in business. For example:

Coca-Cola set up a special Coke machine dispenser in the middle of a college campus that gave out free drinks.

Kleenex, during its “Softness Worth Sharing” campaign, allowed people to send free packs of tissues to their sick family and friends.

Sweetgreen, a Washington, D.C., restaurant, gave out “random acts of sweetness” by leaving gift certificates on cars that had received parking tickets.

Hyatt managers and employees surprised patrons by picking up the bar tabs and paying for spa treatments.²⁶

The element of surprise is so much fun and it really makes an impact on customer loyalty. I love to surprise a client or a colleague with an unexpected gift, a thank-you card, or even a referral or testimonial. Don’t these generosity marketing ideas inspire you to surprise some of your best customers?

We all can perform acts of kindness and pay it forward with similar programs and individual acts that result in customer loyalty, partnerships, and marketing. In her Forbes article, “How Kindness and Generosity Made My Business More Profitable,” Natalie Peace wrote about the results of her 22 Days of Kindness campaign at the three Booster Juice businesses she owned. She paid all 50 of her staff members to work shifts during which their only duty was to perform random acts of kindness: giving flowers to strangers, washing windows for neighboring businesses, and generally going out of their way to brighten another person’s day. Peace wrote “To pay for the kind of publicity we received would have cost thousands of dollars.”²⁷

She also reported a marked shift in employee productivity and engagement, community involvement, increased loyalties of existing customers, and new customers. Did the campaign turn a profit? “You bet,” Peace reported. “I can’t encourage you enough to consider your contribution beyond the products or services you sell. Dare to do something truly newsworthy and amazing.”²⁸

When it comes to newsworthy and amazing, nobody can beat the generous business that John T. Carr has been doing for more than 50 years through his organization The Charitable Giving Foundation, which is in the record books as the first American business to engage in cause marketing. Through the work he continues to do through his volunteer-based organization, Carr was able to not only work his way through college and partner up with business and motivational icons like Zig Ziglar, he was able to retire by the age of 34. Try to call him a self-made millionaire, and John’s humility will appear in his response: “There’s no such thing.” Generosity marketing, social responsibility, and relationship currency are literally John’s business. Cause marketing involves cooperative efforts between a for-profit business and non-profit organization for mutual benefit. In March 1974, when John formed Carr & Associates International as a way of “giving back,” he began promoting how charitable causes and businesses could support one another. John focused on inviting businesses to give back referral fees on what they might normally spend for marketing and redirected those funds toward the charitable cause of the buyer’s choice.

It has worked remarkably well, generating hundreds of millions of dollars for charitable causes, connecting consumers with merchants and causes that benefit us all. The company’s missions statement says it all: “Enriching the lives we serve with compassion, respect, and integrity.” And when you go to the website, www.charitablegivingfoundation.org, all purchases made through the website go to charitable programs. So, it’s safe to say that John’s whole business was founded on kindness and giving back.

“I always tried to use kindness in business to tend to customers’ desires and needs first, because that’s when people realize that you really care about them,” John told me. “One of my famous partners, Zig Ziglar, said, ‘If you find out what people want and deliver it for them, you will be successful.’”²⁹ John credits the book Try Giving Yourself Away by David Dunn for changing the course of his entire life, describing the book as the epitome of the profit of kindness. And give himself away he did.

“We did everything we could do to exceed the needs and expectations of our customers. We would rectify the mistake, even if it was on the customer’s end. We don’t really advertise, and we don’t solicit or make cold calls. We simply work through referrals and word of mouth. This is how we know the profit of kindness really pays off in the marketplace.”³⁰

John explained that he subscribes to the same business belief as Berny Dohrmann at CEO Space: collaboration, not competition. “I strive to help other business and charitable causes, and I get criticized for trying to be all things to all people, to which I respond, ‘Can’t I try?’” he said with a laugh.³¹ Well, it seems he has succeeded, because it is a genuine spirit of generosity that helped John help others. By putting others before himself, John has been able to go down in history with his ingenious blend of business and generosity to make the important point: The two should be practiced as one, and when they are, everyone comes out a winner.