Empty pockets never held anyone back. Only empty heads and empty hearts can do that.

—Norman Vincent Peale

The Awakened Millionaire is guided by visions of what we can accomplish through our entrepreneurial might. We understand, through and through, that our profits come second to our mission, that our personal reward is tempered by our communal impact. As we move forward as Awakened Millionaires, we sharpen our mission not only through the growing strength of our passion, but by the emerging shape of our awakened entrepreneurship.

Standing in support behind our efforts is our Big Idea. This is our fundamental reason for our entrepreneurship. This is our understanding of what we offer now, what we're capable of offering, and ultimately what we will offer as our Big Idea comes to fruition.

For many entrepreneurs, their Big Idea is profit. It doesn't mean they are devoid of passion for their customers, but it is not their driving force. They will likely wake up in the morning asking, “How will I make more money today?” As Awakened Millionaires, we wake up asking, “How will I make a bigger impact today?” It is more than virtues. It is more than the creed. There is also an evolved understanding that, in this modern era, our profit is a direct result of our passion to help others. And our Big Idea is the succinct expression of this passion.

This Big Idea is there for our own vision. It is our internal guiding system. It is how we understand our actions, how our intuitions direct our actions, and how we build upon our actions. It is our passion and based on our passion; it grows from our passion. It is, first and foremost, for our own understanding and evolution.

The people we serve see another side of the Big Idea. They see our Big Promise. This is our entrepreneurial mission for all to see. It is what we offer our audience. It is what we guarantee our customers before we ever exchange money. Our Big Promise is a solemn pledge we do not back down from and do not abandon. Instead, we persistently evolve it.

Our Big Idea and our Big Promise are in a persistent spiral upwards. It contains the cycle of feedback as our Big Promise interacts and evolves on the outside and comes back to elevate our Big Idea on the inside. We rely on this feedback loop, this call and response, this cause and effect. We rise as a result.

Our Big Idea is coded in a language intended for us. It does not require translation for others' understanding. But our Big Promise pushes us to articulate our visions beyond our own understanding. We are forced to translate our vision so that others can not only understand, but also respond. That means we don't speak in the language of logic, but in the poignant code of desire and benefit for those we serve.

The Big Promise simply states how our product or service elevates our audience to achieve their one biggest desire. It not only helps people decide whether to stand out from the crowd and join us, but it helps keep us accountable to our community. If our offerings are anchored in a simple, clear, Big Promise, we cannot hide. We are accountable from start to finish. This accountability makes us stronger and bolder as Awakened Millionaires, so we must carefully craft this lynchpin to our efforts.

We cannot fall into the common pit traps of the common entrepreneur. Our Big Promise cannot try to force people to want something they don't already desire. Our Big Promise cannot try to speak to people who are fundamentally not interested.

If we break these cardinal rules, we begin to erode the power of our Big Promise, without our awareness. We rely on its evolution to evolve us. We rely on its feedback to push us. We rely on its truth and stability to rest our mission; a fundamental flaw in its foundation can set us back. We have no time for avoidable setbacks.

If we stay true with our Big Promise, and grow with it as it grows, we have an unshakable foundation to build our enlightened enterprise. Our enlightened enterprise is how we make money. Our enlightened enterprise is one of the ways we express our soulful purpose.

Money + Soul = More Money + More Soul