If businesses that win in the long-run focus on win/win solutions, how do you explain doing philanthropic jobs?

"Philanthropy? Won't that hurt our bottom line?"

Common sense says doing corporate philanthropy produces a win/lose situation. The client benefits, but the provider loses.

That is, they think doing philanthropic work:

"We need to focus on win/win solutions, so philanthropic works are out of the questions," they say.

That's why most businesses (especially startups and small businesses) steer clear of corporate philanthropy.

Yet, rock star businesses do something differently:

"We will do philanthropic work, and we will TOO benefit from doing the work."

• It's not an OR question: "Either we grow our business, OR we do philanthropic work."
• Inspired by Jim Collins's Built to Last, it's an AND question: "We will grow our business, AND we will do philanthropic work."

Rock star businesses know doing philanthropic work lets them:

1. Builds a cool customer network.

   A philanthropy normally has an array of important contacts. You get in, and you'll be exposed to business leaders, directors, and of course: the organization's leaders.

   Do a rockin' job with your non-profit, and watch karma work its magic.

2. Builds vast experience.

   Philanthropies aren't as demanding as most businesses, so it's perfectly okay if you mess up. Just pick yourself back up, and try again.

   Because of the leeway, you can start strengthening your capabilities, gradually. Simultaneously, and more importantly: you'll practice working with clients that size.

3. Helps the freakin' world.

   We leave this point last, and we feel it's the most important. We write Trizoko because we find our greatest happiness lies not in what we can get from it, but what we can give through it. It's like Christmas day for us everyday, and it rocks.

   There's something about providing value to others, giving them some rockin' gear, or putting smiles on their faces that makes us all tingly inside. For us, it's what life's all about.

   We encourage you to experience working with philanthropies if you haven't already. It drives you to adopt the most important mindset in business: the "me-second" attitude.

You may be thinking after our cheesy drivel: "Hey, let's go to our nearest philanthropy and help out!"

Not quite! Good business know what they should do -- and more importantly, what they should ignore:

• Take philanthropic jobs that fit with your company's strengths and goals.

  Where do you rock the #$@# out of your competitors? The philanthropic work that you'll do: will it inspire you? If it will, you're on the right track.

  Remember: You need win/win solutions, and a constant and consistent stream of win/win solutions drives you to affect the world like a #@!$@!# rock star.

Go rock the world.

(Like it ain't no thang, but a chicken wing on a string. Word.)

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