Book 113 - A Year of Magical Learning

Reflection Title:  The 7th Generation Iroquois!

Book – Let My People Go Surfing: The Education of a Reluctant Businessman by Yvon Chouinard

Book Description: In his long-awaited memoir, Yvon Chouinard-legendary climber, businessman, environmentalist, and founder of Patagonia, Inc.-shares the persistence and courage that have gone into being head of one of the most respected and environmentally responsible companies on earth. From his youth as the son of a French-Canadian blacksmith to the thrilling, ambitious climbing expeditions that inspired his innovative designs for the sport's equipment, Let My People Go Surfing is the story of a man who brought doing good and having grand adventures into the heart of his business life-a book that will deeply affect entrepreneurs and outdoor enthusiasts alike.

Reflection:

Yvon Chouinard, the founder of the outdoor brand Patagonia, began his company by accident. It started off as a side hustle and a way to make a little money so he could keep doing what he was passionate about which was being outside, rock climbing, and exploring nature. He did what he knew and produced some products that fulfilled a niche in the areas that overlapped with his personal passions. This side hustle worked great in the beginning and helped him to maintain the balance he sought in his life to try to do what he loved while still supporting himself and his family. Unfortunately, as his business grew the balances began to tip. Before he knew it, he found himself accidentally running a real company, with real customers, real employees, and real responsibilities to tackle. As you can imagine…this began to weigh heavily on him, and all the dimensions in his life started to slowly unravel. He was now a sup par businessman and corporate leader, and he wasn’t even able to do continue doing the stuff he loved which is what he started all this for in the first place.

So, what did he do?

Chouinard paused all the madness that had accidentally overtaken his life, he and his team figured out what they all collectively valued most, and then they put together a plan to try and have the best of both worlds and live their values in all they do (work and life). That is when everything really started to change for Patagonia and it began to become the iconic and unique brand that we know it as today. They stopped worrying about running a business and started to find ways to express and live their values.

A ton of new and innovative ways to think about work / life balance were generated out of this new approach that helped them to become one of the most sought-after places to work in the world and in turn took their business’ success to new heights. One of the most unique concepts that I heard was something Patagonia instituted called the 7th Generation Committee. The 7th generation committee was modeled after the famous Iroquois philosophy where they tried to make sure that every decision that was made related to the welfare and well-being of the seventh generation to come. The team at Patagonia decided to make sure that they filtered all of their key decisions through the lens of their values to proactively take control over their unique journey vs. be subject to always being reactive to whatever new problem rolled across their path.

What a novel approach to take a slow and methodical approach to long term sustainability vs. the modern world that is seemingly obsessed with quick and explosive results these days.

My co-founder and I loved this concept so much that we’ve applied this 7th Generation principle to our own nonprofit called ClubAny. However, we’re taking this to a new level in our opinion by beginning with this concept in mind before we try anything. We’ve met every single night (Mon-Fri) since the day we first connected almost 18 months ago now to discuss our values, the decisions and actions we are taking and if they align, and how we want this culture we are trying to build to look in generations far removed from today. We call this nightly meeting our 7th Generation Committee Meeting. We are doing our best to apply the principle and pair it with the idea of beginning with the end in mind from the start vs. having to pivot our entire purpose like a Patagonia did many years into their mission. We feel like if we put in this time today and really work through the concepts that we will set ourselves up for success long after we’re no longer involved in this mission.

That’s the power of core values in a nutshell. They give you the control and direction you need to build a sustainable and balanced universe. If you always strive to begin any new venture by leading first and always with your values than I’m sure it will be a success no matter what the end outcome.

Question: What would happen if you stopped reacting to the world and starting using your core values to play offense instead?

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Links:

What is The Year of Magical Learning? An Introduction

YOML Podcast Discussion - Coming Soon

YOML Bookstore - Let My People Go Surfing: The Education of a Reluctant Businessman by Yvon Chouinard