The Questions That Keep Me Up at Night (And How You Can Help)
A personal note about research, purpose, and the businesses our world needs
There's a conversation I have almost weekly.
It usually starts with someone saying, "I have this idea for a business that could really make a difference, but..."
The "but" is followed by a dozen different reasons: they don't know where to start, they're afraid it won't be profitable, they don't trust themselves to figure it out, they've tried business education before but it felt disconnected from their values.
As someone who teaches entrepreneurship and works with conscious business leaders, these conversations have become both my greatest source of energy and my deepest concern. Because I see a troubling pattern: the people most motivated to solve our world's pressing problems often feel least equipped to build the businesses we desperately need.
The Traditional Business Education Problem
Most business education was designed for a different era—when success was measured purely in financial terms, when environmental and social impacts were considered "externalities," and when business was seen as separate from the human who created it.
But the entrepreneurs I work with aren't just seeking financial success. They want to build something that reflects their values, serves a purpose beyond profit, and creates positive change in their communities. They're looking for a way to integrate who they are with what they build.
The question that keeps me up at night is this: Are we teaching people how to build the businesses our world actually needs?
Why I'm Asking for Your Help
I'm conducting research to understand the real barriers, needs, and preferences of people interested in purpose-driven entrepreneurship. Not just what I think they need, but what they experience.
Whether you're:
Already running a business with social impact
Actively planning to start something meaningful
Interested but haven't taken concrete steps yet
Have tried and decided it wasn't for you
Have no interest in entrepreneurship at all
Your perspective is essential to this research.
I want to understand:
What really stops people from starting impact businesses
What's been disappointing about existing business education
How people actually want to learn about conscious entrepreneurship
What role businesses can and should play in addressing social challenges
What This Research Will Create
The insights from this survey will directly inform:
New Educational Resources: Based on what people need, not what experts think they should want
Better Support Systems: Addressing the real barriers people face, particularly the intersection of purpose and profit
Community Building: Connecting like-minded entrepreneurs based on shared challenges and goals
Practical Tools: Resources that honor both the spiritual dimension of meaningful work and the practical realities of building sustainable businesses
The Bigger Picture
Here's what I believe: the most pressing challenges of our time—climate change, inequality, social fragmentation, mental health crises—won't be solved by governments or nonprofits alone. We need businesses that are designed from the ground up to create a positive impact while building sustainable prosperity.
But that requires a new kind of entrepreneur education. One that integrates inner development with outer strategy. One that honors both the heart's calling and the head's practical wisdom. One that recognizes business not as separate from our values but as a powerful vehicle for expressing them.
Your Part in This
The survey takes 5-7 minutes and is completely anonymous. You can be brutally honest—in fact, I'm hoping you will be. The most valuable insights often come from the most uncomfortable truths.
If you'd rather share your thoughts more personally, I'd love to hear from you. Email molly@redtailcreative.com and tell me: What's your relationship with the idea of purpose-driven business? What excites you? What concerns you? What questions do you have?
Your voice matters in shaping how we prepare the next generation of conscious entrepreneurs.
Thank you for being part of this research and for caring about businesses that serve something larger than themselves.
With gratitude and intention,
Molly