How do you blend a business venture with social purpose?

A recent podcast interview posted on my blog offers one example of integrating social purpose into a business start-up. Entrepreneur Lino Falotico of Inner Balance Wear, interviewed on his launch day, candidly revealed the driving force of social purpose.

Falotico began as a successful caterer with a long-term interest in fashion design and a son who suffered from mental illness. One morning driving to a catering job during a particularly colorful sunrise, Falotico had his epiphany. Suddenly, he understood how to help his son and others like him while indulging that long-held design interest.

Listen to Falotico share his personal story of struggling to understand his sons fight against anxiety disorder and of learning how to help him. Youll realize that the right purpose ignites passion. This drives individuals to believe they must take on a cause to help others.

Faloticos story is not without humor. The combined mental-health and fashion statement he is making is with underwear - or more exactly on underwear.

Nothing disrespectful there. His slogan for this motivational variation on days-of-the-week undies is "Let the first thing you put on be you." Each pair of chakra-color-coded, super-comfies in a 7-pack displays one of seven powerful "I AM" self-actualizing statements on its waistband. This means that wearers start the day concentrating on an "I AM" theme that brings vitality to the day ahead. Faloticos son works at Inner Balance as part of the team intent on ensuring the messaging works as an invisible-to-others personal reminder.

Falotico promises to donate 7 of the net proceeds to Mental Health Awareness and Research. This is not a launch gimmick, but a long-term commitment to mental health organizations and their causes. He is adamant that his success will mean success for others.

However your new purpose comes to you, finding practical ways to integrate it into your work routine can be a challenge. Wherever you start, your expertise with implementation and communication will determine your success, just as comparable skill will determine Inner Balances.

The point is this...your social purpose or solution may seem odd to others until your new way of thinking about the problem and solution gains acceptance. Your goal is to develop a unique approach that guarantees this new commitment works for you and everyone concerned.

Before you plunge into a new social venture, consider these 5 Tips for Successfully Pursuing Social Purpose:

1. Slow Down

Remember the previous long-term projects you started and couldnt sustainthe newsletter, the blog, the door-knocking campaign? Here "failure to stick" can do more than embarrass you. The very people youre intent on helping will be let down.

2. Research Is Essential

Ask real estate colleagues and others with established social purpose projects what the long-term positive and negative considerations are. Reach outside your area to learn from professionals who have adopted a purpose that intrigues you. Volunteer on others projects to learn how to engage volunteers, fund raiseand the list goes on. Construct a very practical strategy to achieve your goals within your current real estate workload before you jump.

3. Scale Down The Start-Up

Start small. Begin with a manageable event or a campaign to see if this is really for you. Fine-tune practical considerations before you expand commitment. An annual event may be all thats necessary.

4. Understand Target Needs

Invest time and resources listening to those you intend to help. They know what will and wont work for them. Stereotypes, labels, and "common knowledge" are usually wrong. You may discover targets would prefer an enti>5. Put Your Real Estate Strengths To Work

Incorporate your real estate skills into the design of your organization and project. Your powerful communication, problem-solving, and implementation expertise can ensure your project succeeds. The more you incorporate aspects of your social project into your business routine, the more youll achieve for both.