May 6, 2025 • 42 mins
In this episode of Purpose Project, host Leslie Pagel sits down with entrepreneur and connector Maile Collmer to discuss the crucial role of purpose in the workplace. Maile shares her journey from a shy, introverted child in Hawaii to a confident business coach. They explore how personal and collective purpose drives small businesses, the importance of meaningful relationships, and the benefits and challenges of integrating purpose into business strategies. Maile also provides actionable advice for leaders looking to foster purpose among their teams, emphasizing the importance of mission statements, consistent communication, and role modeling. The episode underscores how purpose can energize employees, enhance customer experiences, and contribute to a more fulfilled and happier world.
00:00 Introduction to Purpose Project
00:54 Meet Maile Collmer: Entrepreneur and Connector
01:15 Maile's Personal Journey: From Shyness to Confidence
04:04 Transition to Entrepreneurship and Networking
06:54 Exploring Purpose in the Workplace
08:38 The Importance of Passion and Purpose in Business
14:11 Creating Shared Purpose in Organizations
20:39 Living and Leading with Purpose
41:11 Conclusion and Final Thoughts
Purpose Project is a research study on the topic of life's purpose. You can follow along in the making of Purpose Project:
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Episode Transcript
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Leslie (00:04):
Welcome to Purpose Project.
My name is Leslie Pagel, and Iam so glad that you are here
with us today.
In today's episode, I sit downwith Maile Collmer.
Maile is an entrepreneur.
She is a connector, and she isan expert in building success
through people.
Miley believes that confidence,growth, and achievement are
(00:26):
never solo pursuits.
They're built throughrelationships.
Through collaboration andthrough purpose aligned teams
together we explore how purposeshows up in the workplace.
And Miley brings energy,clarity, and actionable wisdom
for anyone who is looking tobuild success by leaning into
(00:48):
what matters most people andpurpose.
Let's take a listen.
Maile, thank you for joiningPurpose Project.
I'm looking forward to talkingwith you about purpose in the
workplace.
I'm excited to be here.
Thank you so much.
Absolutely.
Before we dive into purpose inthe workplace, tell us a little
(01:09):
bit about you.
Who is Miley, both personallyand professionally.
Mailie (01:15):
Well, um, growing up I was super shy and introverted
and, uh, we lived in Hawaii whenI was a kid.
Uh, for my first decade.
We lived in Hawaii, uh, and myparents met there and that's how
I got a Hawaiian name.
And, um, being shy andintroverted, I was a huge
bookworm and I still am.
I read lots of books.
(01:37):
I love to read.
My mom gave me a love oflearning.
And my entrepreneurial spirit aswell.
And, um, I was definitelyblessed with beautiful, great,
loving kind parents.
And when I was a kid, we movedfrom Hawaii to California and I
had to start in a new school.
(01:59):
And I just, I will alwaysremember having to, um, go to
school.
In a new place.
Um, I felt like an outsider.
I felt I was, you know, ofcourse very shy and uh, and
nervous about being in a newplace and meeting new people
(02:22):
and, um, will I be accepted?
And, I had to correct everybodyon my name.
'cause in Hawaii, Miley's anormal name.
And in California it's not ascommon.
So, um, I just remember, thatfeeling of being alone, being an
outsider.
Um, not sure what I would sayand how I would connect.
(02:45):
And one of the ways that I grewout my shyness was by joining
groups and teams.
I got really involved in lots ofdifferent activities and I, I,
uh, found myself.
Uh, very interested in dance andI got really involved in dance.
(03:06):
Uh, so much so that in college Iwas in a performing arts group
and we toured all over the USand we performed in stadiums
like, Meadowlands and Mile Highand like all like big stadiums
and venues, and it built myconfidence.
(03:28):
Uh, because first of all, youhad to compete to get in, so you
had a certain level of, ofexcellence.
And I was surrounded by otherpeople who were also driven and
competitive in that way.
Uh, really smart and interestingand just a really eclectic group
of amazing people that I touredwith for four years and.
(03:52):
Um, by having my team, by myside, it built my confidence and
I went further than I everimagined I could go on my own.
So when I got out of college, Ijoined the entrepreneurial world
and when you go get intobusiness, people say, oh, you
(04:13):
need business, you should gonetwork.
So I went to a networking eventand it was so funny because I
went to this very crowded, verybusy chamber of commerce mixer,
right?
And the first, when I firstwalked in, I had those
butterflies like I did as agrade school kid walking into
that classroom.
And I was like, wait, I thoughtI got out this.
(04:36):
And I was like, you know what?
I just need to meet some people.
I decided what I would do isbuild my business team, just
like I had my dance team and mydebate team and all the team
things I did.
And that's how I approached mybusiness.
Um, and I found that working asa team works in business, um,
(04:59):
just like,'cause it does in, insports and competitive alu um,
athletics and things like that.
So those were some of my, thoseare some of my life lessons and
what I bring.
Um, to the work and the passionthat I have for what I do and,
and who I help.
Um, so that's, that's a littlebit about me personally and
(05:19):
professionally.
I, I guess I kind of, um, didn'tsay what I do exactly.
Yeah.
Tell us a little bit about yourbusiness.
So, um, so when I, um, was.
When I first was out of college,I went straight into real
estate.
So I was a realtor for 20 years,and about 13 years ago, I
(05:44):
stopped selling real estate andstarted coaching.
And um, so I've been coaching,uh, for the last 13 years, uh,
and really specializing inbusiness development through
relationships.
Uh, I also do some speaking andum, and I also lead mastermind
groups.
(06:05):
So, um, last year I teamed upwith two of my business friends
and we created a new companycalled Business Acceleration
Group because we saw a gap in,in how business owners and
entrepreneurs were beingsupported.
There's lots of networkinggroups and of course there are
coaches like me.
(06:26):
But we wanted to createsomething that was a
community-based learningenvironment.
That's Mastermind, like NapoleonHill talked about it, um, to
create that support with provenmarketing and business
strategies along with the peersupport.
Um, so, so businesses couldaccelerate faster, um, and have
(06:48):
that support from others.
Leslie (06:51):
Love that.
Yeah.
Yeah.
I would love to dig into thetopic of purpose in the
workplace, both from yourperspective as an entrepreneur
and how does it show up for you,but then also in the work that
you're doing with otherorganizations to help them
accelerate their growth.
(07:13):
Let's talk, first about whatyou're seeing out there as
you're working with otherorganizations, does the topic of
purpose ever come up?
As a way of helping your clientsachieve their goals?
Mailie (07:27):
I see it tied together all the time.
So I work with really smallbusinesses.
So most of my clients have, um,10 or fewer employees.
Um, like the largest businessesI have, I work with have maybe
30 employees at max.
So I'm working with really smallbusinesses, and some are
(07:49):
actually solopreneurs as well.
Maybe they have a, their, anattorney have a paralegal or
something like that.
Um, so small businesses, most of'em have 10 or few employees,
like I said, and.
With that a lot of people comeinto business into an
entrepreneurial world with apassion and a purpose.
Yeah.
Right.
(08:09):
They, they have a drive to helppeople.
It's typically that drive tohelp people and they saw a gap
or they saw something that waslacking, um, in their lives, and
they saw their business as a wayto fulfill that.
(08:29):
Lack or gap.
Mm-hmm.
Mm-hmm.
Yeah.
And so I see it, it, it reallydriving, a lot of small business
owners is that purpose.
They're, they're in it to, toserve and to help people for a
reason.
Leslie (08:43):
Yeah.
So what I'm hearing is a lot ofentrepreneurs are, um,
identifying gaps and they'restarting their business much
like you.
They're starting their businessto fill the gap.
Mm-hmm.
Is that, is there a connectionbetween their individual
(09:03):
purpose?
Like as a, as an individual?
My life's purpose is, X, Y, ZI.
And, and I see this gap in themarket, and so I'm gonna fulfill
my life's purpose by creatingthis organization.
Or is it separate from theirindividual purpose?
So maybe their purpose iscompletely distinct, but they
(09:26):
realize that there's this gap inthe market and they have an
opportunity to to fill it, andit's not really connected to
them individually.
Mailie (09:34):
Uh, majority of the people that I work with, there's
a, a huge connection.
Yeah.
And it's actually theirdifferentiating value.
Mm.
It's what they bring to, to thetable, um, that, that gives
their business their uniquevalue.
Mm-hmm.
(09:54):
It's definitely tied to, totheir service.
Yeah.
So a lot of my clients areservice based businesses.
Okay.
When you have someone who says,I offer this service and you
know, we, you know, give greatservice, we have great customer
(10:14):
service.
We, um, deliver timely.
We're, you know, do all checkall these boxes.
That's one thing.
But when you say the reason.
That we are so dedicated to giveour clients such great service
is this purpose and thispassion, and this reason why
(10:38):
we're in business in thebeginning.
That that purpose, it, it givesan an extra layer of trust.
So when you have passion, yeah,passion.
It, it just shows that you care.
(10:59):
Mm-hmm.
And when someone's passionateabout something, they study it,
they live it, eat it, breatheit, right?
It is, it is part of who theyare.
And if you have someone thatsays, I clock in and clip out
and this is what I do for mybusiness, you get one level of
service.
But if you're like, I eat andbreathe and live and love this.
(11:22):
That's a different level ofservice.
Leslie (11:25):
Absolutely.
And speak a little bit to the,the customer side of it.
I get how someone who's not aspassionate is gonna come across,
but what it, what's the been, tocustomers and to the business of
creating that passion and thatpurpose?
Mailie (11:46):
There's a level of integrity that's tied to I care
about this.
Mm-hmm.
So the business owner is gonnawanna do everything to do right
by the client and give thatclient the best.
So it's absolutely a customerbenefit to work with someone who
has passion for what they do.
Mm-hmm.
(12:07):
Absolutely.
Leslie (12:08):
Yeah.
Well, I imagine that theirexperience is gonna be better,
the customer's experience,because it feels to me as you're
describing it, as the passionateperson may go above and beyond,
you know, they're gonna createan energy about the, their
interactions that.
(12:29):
Yeah, that's up.
You know, it's an up energy, sothat's naturally gonna feel
better to the customer.
But it also seems like it'sgonna be more than just the
experience, like they might getmore value, um, in that
relationship.
There might be other businessoutcomes that come as a result
of it.
Mailie (12:50):
Yeah.
And I think that people who livewith passion and purpose.
Uh, they're interested in peopleand they care about people, and
so oftentimes it leads intoother, other things.
Um, so if I'm talking to aclient and I might be, you know,
helping them when, with someaspect of their marketing, I'm,
(13:13):
I wanna know more about themand, and what, what else is
going on in their life,especially with business.
Business owners, right?
Um, they are their business andso if something's happening in
their personal life, it canaffect their business.
So when you care, um, you findout more about the person and
(13:35):
then you can help them in inother ways.
Um, because I can connect them,because I know so many great
businesses, I can connect themwith other people who can help
solve their problems in otheraspects that I don't solve their
problems in.
And I think other businesses dothis as well, other business
owners, but at least the onesthat I work with, you know, when
they care about that client,they connect them with the
(13:56):
resources that they need, um,that that business owner doesn't
provide.
They help them, of course, withwhat they provide, and then if
they need other things and theyhelp them get connected to the
right people that can help them.
Leslie (14:09):
Yeah.
Yeah.
So talk a little bit about yourclients where it's not the
solopreneur, but they've got ateam of people and, and you said
it's a smaller organization.
In terms of number of employees.
Mm-hmm.
The, the thing that I'minterested in learning more
about through Purpose Project isthis concept of shared purpose,
(14:34):
right?
Mm-hmm.
Because then it becomes lessabout the individual purpose.
My purpose in life, my passionis all these things, and then it
becomes this collective, andthat feels different, and it
feels like it could be harder.
What do you see in terms ofcreating shared purpose in the
(14:54):
organization?
Mailie (14:57):
Well, a couple of things with that.
So one of my clients is ageneral contractor and he is
building this great business.
Uh, and I'll even say he'screating an empire.
He is got multiple businesses.
Um, and he has a real passion,um, to, to build and grow and.
To help his employees grow anddevelop.
(15:20):
And he has a lot of passion forserving his employees as he
builds the business andtogether.
Um, and so he's like, he came tome and he is like, I'm poking
them up.
I'm said, we're doing this, butI don't have like something that
like really says it or ties ittogether.
So what we did is we worked on amission statement for him.
(15:41):
Okay.
And, um, we created that missionstatement together where I, you
know, did an intake.
We, we had a conversation withspecific questions and created
this mission statement.
He's like, oh, this is it.
And he's like, this tieseverything together.
I can share this with my team,and then they can see this is
(16:04):
our mission.
This is what we're here for, andthis is who we serve and this is
how we do it.
And this is, and, and it ties ittogether for them and it gives
something succinct for all theteam members to be able to
articulate it as well.
And they have some ownership init as well.
So, just having a clear missionstatement that means something,
(16:25):
um, and that ties all of thattogether is really helpful.
I'm sure, as you know, um,having activities and team
meetings and things like that.
Um, also helps.
So some of the things that I'vedone is, um, for example, with a
all woman law firm in SanFrancisco, we had a team meeting
(16:49):
where we were doing teambuilding and really learning
about each other and findingeach woman's purpose and passion
for why they're in the business.
And then tying that.
To the owner's purpose andpassion, and you could see how
it was all connected and youcould see how, why they were
(17:13):
such a good fit on the team,because each one has an
individual story and a differentindividual background, but it,
there's a tie and there's aconnection.
So if you bring that forth andconnect the dots, then it
creates a stronger team and thewhole team has.
(17:35):
Combined purpose and
Leslie (17:36):
passion.
Yeah.
Yeah.
So there's two things you talkedabout.
One is coming together andcreating this mission statement
for the organization.
Um, which is a tool, right?
For unifying everyone for help,for getting everyone unified and
pointing in the right directionin the same direction.
(17:57):
Mm-hmm.
And then the other thing I heardis that every individual within
the organization has their ownunique.
Interests, passions, purpose,and through dialogue, creating
dialogue that allows those to beshared.
(18:18):
Sometimes we might be able tofind that thread that weaves
through everyone that can createthat collective purpose.
Absolutely.
Do you see a difference betweenmission, statement and purpose?
Just outta curiosity.
'cause mission statement hascome up multiple times in season
(18:39):
two.
Mailie (18:40):
There's a tie because in a mission statement, you're
gonna share who you are and whatyou do, who you serve, and how
you serve them, that, that'sunique and an underlying
character of that are yourvalues.
And, um, so values are tied topurpose.
Uh, and part of that, how weserve in our unique way could,
(19:05):
is oftentimes, um, tied to thatpurpose.
And us a really great missionstatement will also have a
little touch of inspirationthere at the end as well.
Mm-hmm.
And that oftentimes is a touchtowards that, that purpose as
well.
'cause we're looking at thatbigger picture.
(19:25):
Of inspiration of like how we'regonna, how our business impacts
the, the world positively.
So there is a tie in there, buthaving your purpose statement is
gonna be different than yourmission, but they it should,
there should be, like you said,a thread that tie that.
Yeah.
That is a through line.
Leslie (19:47):
Yeah.
And one of the things that Iheard there, Maile, is that the
purpose is about the differencethat you're gonna make.
Is that how you would Yeah.
Yeah.
Mm-hmm.
So it's one thing to have amission statement and another
thing to have kind of everyonecome together and we find this
(20:09):
thread that creates, ourcommonality, our purpose.
But talk a little bit aboutwhat's next, um, because one of
the things that, that I'mhearing is we put these mission
statements up on the wallmm-hmm.
And we don't live them out everyday or, um, or it, it's like a
(20:30):
check the box thing.
Yeah.
We got a mission statement andwe're done.
What happens after you, you dothese workshops with each other?
How do you create a.
A living environment wherepurpose is alive and thriving in
the organization?
Mailie (20:48):
Well, I, I, I've seen a number of businesses actually,
um, print it or paint it or.
Mounted on the wall so it'spresent.
Um, and just having it theredoesn't mean that we're going to
practice it.
So one of the best things is,whoever is leading the company,
(21:11):
they are, communicating andwe're messaging, to the team.
And so it's in that messaging tothe team at your office meeting,
your team meeting, right.
Is continuing to tie it to themission, uh, and even restating
(21:33):
it in, in those meetings withpassion and purpose, right?
Not just like, oh, I'm readingthe mission statement, but like
tying it to your message for theday and maybe even just taking
one piece of it.
And saying, here's why wedecided this wording.
Mm-hmm.
Right?
Or, or saying, Hey, do you seehow when Leslie helped this
(21:57):
person, like how that tied toour mission and how she really,
um, led by our mission right?
And led by our purpose.
So, so you tie it and youreiterate it.
Yeah.
Consistently over time, uh, it'sabout, it's.
It's building culture around it.
(22:21):
And so that's, and that's theleader of the organization needs
to continually message andcommunicate it.
And, and, and like I said, anexample is show how other
members are embodying it.
Yeah.
And carrying it out.
Leslie (22:38):
Yeah.
Yeah.
So I hear kind of keep itvisible, whether that's on the
wall, you know, as a mural orwhatnot.
Keep it visible in terms of yourcommunications, and then role
model it, but then also letother people know about the
role, how it's being rolemodeled in the organization.
(23:02):
Share stories, um, as well.
Mm-hmm.
Yeah.
I imagine a company puts thiseffort together to create this
mission statement and there'ssome energy behind it, and
they're doing all these thingsand then in the blink of an eye,
it's three years later, youknow?
(23:23):
Does, does it stay active anddoes that same energy stay with
it or.
Or does that evolve and changetoo?
Mailie (23:35):
Well, it depends.
So, you know, like I said, likethe, usually the owner is in
charge of, of really, uh,designing the, the mission
statement.
And, um, it's good to revisit itfrom time to time.
Is does this still feel like afit or have we evolved?
Have we shifted things?
(23:56):
Do we need to.
To, you know, make someadjustments or start from
scratch and do it all overagain.
So it's good to revisit it everynow and again, every few years
probably, and make sure it doesstill feel like the right fit.
And one of the great thingsabout being a business owner is
you can change it at any moment.
(24:16):
It's your business.
You can, you know, and one ofthe things we learn as business
owners is that we are everevolving.
Like when you open your doors,day one of a business.
What you know about thebusiness, even if you've been in
that, like you have, a lot ofbusinesses are started by, uh,
experts, right?
Or, or technicians or, so they,they have a certain, um,
(24:40):
expertise, right?
And so oftentimes they've workedfor another company or they did
it previously, and so theyalready know the business
somewhat, right?
But being a business owner is atotally different thing than
just doing the work.
Right.
Uh, and having that expertise.
So when we open our doors, dayone, we think we have an idea of
(25:01):
what this business is going tobe like.
We think we have an idea of whatour ideal clients are gonna be,
what's our target market?
What's our messaging?
What's our, you know, what areour offerings?
What are, you know, our, youknow, what are the services
we're providing?
And all of that.
And through experience andthrough, um.
(25:22):
You know, implementing marketingstrategies or hiring employees
or doing all the things, uh,and, and having experience with
clients, um, you really go, oh,like, I thought my target was
this, but I really like, we'rereally, we're, this is really
(25:42):
where our strengths come toplay, and we really serve people
well and they're great clientsfor us, and we're a great fit
for them.
Right.
So, so you learn by doing.
So things shift in our businessall the time.
So we do need to revisit what isour target market?
Are we going after, right?
Clientele?
Are we reaching them in theright way?
And the same is true of our,our, you know, our mission or
(26:05):
vision or values or purpose, ourgoals, all those things.
Um, and are, and keeping that inalignment with where we are.
And you can revisit it.
Every year, every six months,every fi five years, whatever
that timeframe is for you, um,as a business owner, but it's
yours to, to play with and torefine, to make it fit.
(26:29):
Yeah.
Leslie (26:30):
Well, what that makes me think of is season one of
Purpose project was.
Very much focused on theindividual purpose.
Uh, it was all about what can welearn from people with clarity
in their pur their personalpurpose, and they're actively
pursuing it.
And one of the, the learningswas that purpose changes.
(26:54):
It's not the same in our life.
It evolves and changes, and itwas this concept of, my purpose
for now is this, and what I hearfrom you is that applies in
business too.
A business.
As it's evolving, it'sresponding to market conditions,
it's responding to gaps in themarket, or new competitive
(27:18):
threats.
The business purpose evolves aswell.
Um, and it's, uh, it sounds tome from your perspective or from
your experience, that it's thefounders or the, the CEO's
responsibility of kind of, uh,keeping their finger on the
(27:39):
pulse of, of the market anddetermining do we need to evolve
our purpose and our position?
Absolutely, yes.
Well said.
Awesome.
Cool.
Okay, so what I'm hearing isthat, um, purpose is helpful in
terms of creating energy,creating an experience that
(28:00):
customers value, that customersrecognize.
Are there, well, one, are thereany other benefits of having
purpose from your perspective?
Mailie (28:12):
Well, I think if, if people work and live with
purpose.
Um, there's more joy, there'smore happiness, there's more
fulfillment.
Mm-hmm.
Uh, and so if we get to work andbe fulfilled, that's a beautiful
thing.
Yeah.
Uh, so, so it just helps makethe world happier because we're
happier.
(28:34):
Uh, and also also say withmarketing, a lot of people are
marketing their purpose.
Um, you've seen that with, withother companies.
I guess there's a, you know,sock company that gives socks to
people, you know, like the, yousee purpose in business and tied
to marketing as well.
(28:54):
And like I said, it can be yourdifferentiating factor in your
value bring.
So, so it can expand to, tosharing that and inspiring
others.
Mm-hmm.
Leslie (29:07):
Yeah.
Okay.
So it brings energy tocustomers, it helps your
employees wellbeing.
Mm-hmm.
Um, it's leveraged in marketingas a competitive differentiation
strategy, and ultimately it'sjust gonna make the world a
happier place.
Are there any downfalls though,to purpose,
Mailie (29:28):
sure.
There can be situations where,um, someone is so purpose driven
in a certain direction that, um,they don't look at the business
as a business and making surethat it's making a profit and
it's running accordingly.
And maybe they need to make itinto a nonprofit.
(29:48):
Um, certainly there could besome, people who, who get a
little, too into a certainpurpose that doesn't.
Serve the whole as well as itcould or keep the business
running accordingly.
Um, but I would say that I don'tsee that as much.
I usually, the, the purposereally fuels and helps the
(30:10):
business.
Um, and that, and that canhappen more with just business
acumen and getting the rightsupport to run your business as
a business as well.
So that could be.
Leslie (30:23):
Yeah, it's a good point.
I could see people getting, sopassionate, but not knowing how
to monetize that, um, in a waythat drives sustainability for
the business.
Um, right.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Any other disadvantages or,potential.
(30:46):
Risks to consider?
Mailie (30:51):
I will say a risk could be, um, you know, it can be
scary to be vulnerable and itcould lead to personal growth.
So, and
Leslie (31:07):
that makes that we just wanna stay in our safe space.
Mailie (31:15):
So say
Leslie (31:16):
more about that.
That's interesting because it's,um, to, to live on purpose.
To have a business that isliving on purpose, it sounds
like can require somevulnerability.
Mailie (31:33):
Absolutely.
Leslie (31:34):
Yeah.
Mailie (31:35):
So oftentimes what drives us is down deep.
And as we grow, we have certainthings that find their way into
our subconscious.
We have certain experiences thatlead to what we believe, what we
(31:56):
value, and what we believe aboutourself, and how we decide to
operate in this world.
And oftentimes that's, you know,in, uh, between seven and 12
years old oftentimes.
So that's where we get theseimprints.
And oftentimes the thing thatdrives us and gives us passion
(32:21):
and purpose is tied to anexperience that we oftentimes
want to shove deep down andnever, ever think or talk about.
Mm-hmm.
And, and, um, one of the biggestthings we can do is to actually.
(32:41):
Revisit it and see how it hascreated, um, our drive and our
value and our purpose and ourpassion and how it's fueled us
in a certain way and given usthis, this superpower, uh, to
help people in the way that wedo and to care about people the
(33:01):
way that we do.
Um, but it takes some, somevulnerability and quite
honestly.
When I first experienced thisfor myself, what I found is
that, um, it helped me, havemore confidence.
It helped me connect better toother people, uh, and it helped
(33:26):
me reach a whole nother level inmy business.
Um, be, and it gave me morefreedom to be, to accept myself
as well.
Yeah.
And to celebrate myself.
And I, and I see this when otherpeople go through it as well, so
sometimes digging deep andfinding that that.
(33:48):
That point that gave us a lot ofpain is actually our gift and
what makes us so amazing.
Um, now.
Mm-hmm.
Leslie (33:59):
Yeah.
And um, yeah, you mentionedvulnerability when I asked about
the disadvantages.
And so, uh, to me it seems likemaybe the disadvantage is not
being vulnerable because you'renot gonna have that growth.
Mailie (34:18):
Mm-hmm.
Yeah.
Yeah, yeah.
And avoiding that vulnerabilitycan keep you stuck.
So there, that would be adisadvantage as well.
And, and to be able to reallylive and soar as a person, it's,
it's just a different level of,of, of personal freedom to like,
(34:40):
to accept yourself and to, toreally go, wow, this is my value
and this is, this is.
This is what makes me unique andbeautiful and and valuable to
others.
Leslie (34:55):
Yeah.
One of the things that I am,starting to learn from season
two, purpose in the Workplace isthis, uh, similarity between a
person that lives with purposeand leadership.
Hmm.
I mean, it is, it's almost liketo be an an amazing leader, you,
(35:24):
you have to live on purpose.
Um, because people that areliving on purpose are really
clear on who they are.
Their actions are in alignmentwith who they are.
Yeah.
And they're trying to make adifference in the world.
And when I think about that,like I think that's leadership,
(35:48):
right?
Mailie (35:49):
Absolutely.
You can, you can spot them in acrowd there, like you said,
there's an alignment.
Mm-hmm.
Right?
And, and it's clearer.
And when you talk to people, youcan have just even at a mixer.
You could get a different energyfrom someone who has done, has
(36:12):
done nothing to figure out theirpurpose and their passion, and
is just, you know, what I call abusiness bot, like don't
business bot.
Right.
Um, uh, but you know, so we havethe people who haven't quite
figured it out, and then youhave someone who has mm-hmm.
(36:34):
You don't even have to ask themif they have a purpose or a
passion.
You feel it just in theconversation, and you might just
be talking about the event thatyou're at, but you can feel it.
You can sense it.
Yeah.
And, and, and you can hear it ifyou pay attention.
And of course if you ask thenthey'll, they'll, it'll be even
clearer.
(36:54):
But you can, you can sense itwithout specifically talking
about it.
Yeah.
Leslie (36:59):
Yeah.
And to me, the connection tovulnerability is to really
understand who you are and tolive in alignment with that.
To make a difference in thisworld, you have to uncover all
those things that you've beencovering up and, and look in the
(37:21):
mirror to face to be vulnerablewith yourself, to face your
fears to.
Accept and love what you see.
Mailie (37:30):
There is strength and vulnerability.
Leslie (37:32):
Yeah.
Yeah.
I'm curious, a question I askeveryone on the show is, do you
have a life's purpose and if so,what is it?
Mailie (37:44):
My, my purpose is to help others build confidence,
uh, and to build community, uh,and, and to, to find our
teammates in, in business and,and to create community wherever
I think that human connection isso important.
(38:06):
I think that's definitelysomething that we learned from
the pandemic, is we need eachother.
Um, but I've always, I've alwayssensed that that's, that comes
from, from my story of, of beingshy and really finding my
confidence, um, through having ateam by my side and how that
(38:32):
community, um, can lift you evenhigher.
Uh, and it's true.
I truly believe.
Together, we can accomplish somuch more than we can alone.
And so that is what reallydrives me, is to help people
build connection, help people,um, build community, help people
(38:56):
build their confidence throughthat connection and that
Leslie (39:01):
community.
Love it.
Love it.
Um, advice for any leader outthere who, is looking to bring
more purpose into their team ororganization.
What advice do you have for thatperson?
Mailie (39:18):
I would say that journaling is a really great
tool.
I.
Um, and clarifying it foryourself.
And then I would look around andsee what, what you see in your
team, right?
And see how that connects to, toyour, your purpose and your
(39:41):
passion.
And you can see what tiestogether.
Um, so, so first it helps to, toidentify yours.
Before then, you could, youknow, just like.
With the oxygen masks on theairplane, you gotta like, put it
on yourself first and then youcan give it to others.
So, so look to yourself firstand then find the connection
(40:04):
with the team.
Um, so journaling can help, youknow, um, get out there, get the
support.
There's great books and podcastsand coaches and, um, other
people can support you in it aswell.
Leslie (40:20):
Love it.
Uh, anything left unsaid on thetopic of purpose in the
workplace.
Mailie (40:27):
I just, I just encourage everyone to continue to pursue
it, to find your purpose, findyour passion.
Um, I love, I love that you'redoing a whole podcast about
this, uh, because I do believethat it.
Will help your own fulfillmentand the fulfillment of others.
(40:50):
And it will make this wholeworld a beautiful, more joyful,
happier place, I
Leslie (40:57):
love it.
Well, thank you so much forbeing on Purpose Project.
I am taking a lot away from ourconversation and I know others
will too.
Mailie (41:07):
Thank you so much for having me.
It's been a pleasure.
Leslie (41:11):
There's something unmistakable about someone who's
living and leading with purpose.
You can feel it, can't you?
It's something that isn'ttaught.
It is something that is sensed.
That's the kind of energy thatMiley highlights.
(41:31):
In this episode of Purpose PRProject.
She highlights how when we havepurpose in our work, it can
create a renewable source ofenergy, a source that fuels our
work, and radiates into ourrelationships.
Our relationships with our team,with our customers and our
(41:52):
communities.
And when others feel thatenergy, it builds trust, it
creates momentum, and that'swhen purpose becomes contagious.
Miley, thank you for being onPurpose Project, and thanks to
all of you for tuning in.
(42:16):
Purpose Project is brought toyou for education and for
entertainment purposes.
This podcast is not intended toreplace the advice that you
would receive from a licensedtherapist or doctor or any other
qualified professional.
Welcome to Purpose Project.
My name is Leslie Pagel, and Iam so glad that you are here
with us today.
In today's episode, I sit downwith Maile Collmer.
Maile is an entrepreneur.
She is a connector, and she isan expert in building success
through people.
Miley believes that confidence,growth, and achievement are
(00:26):
never solo pursuits.
They're built throughrelationships.
Through collaboration andthrough purpose aligned teams
together we explore how purposeshows up in the workplace.
And Miley brings energy,clarity, and actionable wisdom
for anyone who is looking tobuild success by leaning into
(00:48):
what matters most people andpurpose.
Let's take a listen.
Maile, thank you for joiningPurpose Project.
I'm looking forward to talkingwith you about purpose in the
workplace.
I'm excited to be here.
Thank you so much.
Absolutely.
Before we dive into purpose inthe workplace, tell us a little
(01:09):
bit about you.
Who is Miley, both personallyand professionally.
Mailie (01:15):
Well, um, growing up I was super shy and introverted
and, uh, we lived in Hawaii whenI was a kid.
Uh, for my first decade.
We lived in Hawaii, uh, and myparents met there and that's how
I got a Hawaiian name.
And, um, being shy andintroverted, I was a huge
bookworm and I still am.
I read lots of books.
(01:37):
I love to read.
My mom gave me a love oflearning.
And my entrepreneurial spirit aswell.
And, um, I was definitelyblessed with beautiful, great,
loving kind parents.
And when I was a kid, we movedfrom Hawaii to California and I
had to start in a new school.
(01:59):
And I just, I will alwaysremember having to, um, go to
school.
In a new place.
Um, I felt like an outsider.
I felt I was, you know, ofcourse very shy and uh, and
nervous about being in a newplace and meeting new people
(02:22):
and, um, will I be accepted?
And, I had to correct everybodyon my name.
'cause in Hawaii, Miley's anormal name.
And in California it's not ascommon.
So, um, I just remember, thatfeeling of being alone, being an
outsider.
Um, not sure what I would sayand how I would connect.
(02:45):
And one of the ways that I grewout my shyness was by joining
groups and teams.
I got really involved in lots ofdifferent activities and I, I,
uh, found myself.
Uh, very interested in dance andI got really involved in dance.
(03:06):
Uh, so much so that in college Iwas in a performing arts group
and we toured all over the USand we performed in stadiums
like, Meadowlands and Mile Highand like all like big stadiums
and venues, and it built myconfidence.
(03:28):
Uh, because first of all, youhad to compete to get in, so you
had a certain level of, ofexcellence.
And I was surrounded by otherpeople who were also driven and
competitive in that way.
Uh, really smart and interestingand just a really eclectic group
of amazing people that I touredwith for four years and.
(03:52):
Um, by having my team, by myside, it built my confidence and
I went further than I everimagined I could go on my own.
So when I got out of college, Ijoined the entrepreneurial world
and when you go get intobusiness, people say, oh, you
(04:13):
need business, you should gonetwork.
So I went to a networking eventand it was so funny because I
went to this very crowded, verybusy chamber of commerce mixer,
right?
And the first, when I firstwalked in, I had those
butterflies like I did as agrade school kid walking into
that classroom.
And I was like, wait, I thoughtI got out this.
(04:36):
And I was like, you know what?
I just need to meet some people.
I decided what I would do isbuild my business team, just
like I had my dance team and mydebate team and all the team
things I did.
And that's how I approached mybusiness.
Um, and I found that working asa team works in business, um,
(04:59):
just like,'cause it does in, insports and competitive alu um,
athletics and things like that.
So those were some of my, thoseare some of my life lessons and
what I bring.
Um, to the work and the passionthat I have for what I do and,
and who I help.
Um, so that's, that's a littlebit about me personally and
(05:19):
professionally.
I, I guess I kind of, um, didn'tsay what I do exactly.
Yeah.
Tell us a little bit about yourbusiness.
So, um, so when I, um, was.
When I first was out of college,I went straight into real
estate.
So I was a realtor for 20 years,and about 13 years ago, I
(05:44):
stopped selling real estate andstarted coaching.
And um, so I've been coaching,uh, for the last 13 years, uh,
and really specializing inbusiness development through
relationships.
Uh, I also do some speaking andum, and I also lead mastermind
groups.
(06:05):
So, um, last year I teamed upwith two of my business friends
and we created a new companycalled Business Acceleration
Group because we saw a gap in,in how business owners and
entrepreneurs were beingsupported.
There's lots of networkinggroups and of course there are
coaches like me.
(06:26):
But we wanted to createsomething that was a
community-based learningenvironment.
That's Mastermind, like NapoleonHill talked about it, um, to
create that support with provenmarketing and business
strategies along with the peersupport.
Um, so, so businesses couldaccelerate faster, um, and have
(06:48):
that support from others.
Leslie (06:51):
Love that.
Yeah.
Yeah.
I would love to dig into thetopic of purpose in the
workplace, both from yourperspective as an entrepreneur
and how does it show up for you,but then also in the work that
you're doing with otherorganizations to help them
accelerate their growth.
(07:13):
Let's talk, first about whatyou're seeing out there as
you're working with otherorganizations, does the topic of
purpose ever come up?
As a way of helping your clientsachieve their goals?
Mailie (07:27):
I see it tied together all the time.
So I work with really smallbusinesses.
So most of my clients have, um,10 or fewer employees.
Um, like the largest businessesI have, I work with have maybe
30 employees at max.
So I'm working with really smallbusinesses, and some are
(07:49):
actually solopreneurs as well.
Maybe they have a, their, anattorney have a paralegal or
something like that.
Um, so small businesses, most of'em have 10 or few employees,
like I said, and.
With that a lot of people comeinto business into an
entrepreneurial world with apassion and a purpose.
Yeah.
Right.
(08:09):
They, they have a drive to helppeople.
It's typically that drive tohelp people and they saw a gap
or they saw something that waslacking, um, in their lives, and
they saw their business as a wayto fulfill that.
(08:29):
Lack or gap.
Mm-hmm.
Mm-hmm.
Yeah.
And so I see it, it, it reallydriving, a lot of small business
owners is that purpose.
They're, they're in it to, toserve and to help people for a
reason.
Leslie (08:43):
Yeah.
So what I'm hearing is a lot ofentrepreneurs are, um,
identifying gaps and they'restarting their business much
like you.
They're starting their businessto fill the gap.
Mm-hmm.
Is that, is there a connectionbetween their individual
(09:03):
purpose?
Like as a, as an individual?
My life's purpose is, X, Y, ZI.
And, and I see this gap in themarket, and so I'm gonna fulfill
my life's purpose by creatingthis organization.
Or is it separate from theirindividual purpose?
So maybe their purpose iscompletely distinct, but they
(09:26):
realize that there's this gap inthe market and they have an
opportunity to to fill it, andit's not really connected to
them individually.
Mailie (09:34):
Uh, majority of the people that I work with, there's
a, a huge connection.
Yeah.
And it's actually theirdifferentiating value.
Mm.
It's what they bring to, to thetable, um, that, that gives
their business their uniquevalue.
Mm-hmm.
(09:54):
It's definitely tied to, totheir service.
Yeah.
So a lot of my clients areservice based businesses.
Okay.
When you have someone who says,I offer this service and you
know, we, you know, give greatservice, we have great customer
(10:14):
service.
We, um, deliver timely.
We're, you know, do all checkall these boxes.
That's one thing.
But when you say the reason.
That we are so dedicated to giveour clients such great service
is this purpose and thispassion, and this reason why
(10:38):
we're in business in thebeginning.
That that purpose, it, it givesan an extra layer of trust.
So when you have passion, yeah,passion.
It, it just shows that you care.
(10:59):
Mm-hmm.
And when someone's passionateabout something, they study it,
they live it, eat it, breatheit, right?
It is, it is part of who theyare.
And if you have someone thatsays, I clock in and clip out
and this is what I do for mybusiness, you get one level of
service.
But if you're like, I eat andbreathe and live and love this.
(11:22):
That's a different level ofservice.
Leslie (11:25):
Absolutely.
And speak a little bit to the,the customer side of it.
I get how someone who's not aspassionate is gonna come across,
but what it, what's the been, tocustomers and to the business of
creating that passion and thatpurpose?
Mailie (11:46):
There's a level of integrity that's tied to I care
about this.
Mm-hmm.
So the business owner is gonnawanna do everything to do right
by the client and give thatclient the best.
So it's absolutely a customerbenefit to work with someone who
has passion for what they do.
Mm-hmm.
(12:07):
Absolutely.
Leslie (12:08):
Yeah.
Well, I imagine that theirexperience is gonna be better,
the customer's experience,because it feels to me as you're
describing it, as the passionateperson may go above and beyond,
you know, they're gonna createan energy about the, their
interactions that.
(12:29):
Yeah, that's up.
You know, it's an up energy, sothat's naturally gonna feel
better to the customer.
But it also seems like it'sgonna be more than just the
experience, like they might getmore value, um, in that
relationship.
There might be other businessoutcomes that come as a result
of it.
Mailie (12:50):
Yeah.
And I think that people who livewith passion and purpose.
Uh, they're interested in peopleand they care about people, and
so oftentimes it leads intoother, other things.
Um, so if I'm talking to aclient and I might be, you know,
helping them when, with someaspect of their marketing, I'm,
(13:13):
I wanna know more about themand, and what, what else is
going on in their life,especially with business.
Business owners, right?
Um, they are their business andso if something's happening in
their personal life, it canaffect their business.
So when you care, um, you findout more about the person and
(13:35):
then you can help them in inother ways.
Um, because I can connect them,because I know so many great
businesses, I can connect themwith other people who can help
solve their problems in otheraspects that I don't solve their
problems in.
And I think other businesses dothis as well, other business
owners, but at least the onesthat I work with, you know, when
they care about that client,they connect them with the
(13:56):
resources that they need, um,that that business owner doesn't
provide.
They help them, of course, withwhat they provide, and then if
they need other things and theyhelp them get connected to the
right people that can help them.
Leslie (14:09):
Yeah.
Yeah.
So talk a little bit about yourclients where it's not the
solopreneur, but they've got ateam of people and, and you said
it's a smaller organization.
In terms of number of employees.
Mm-hmm.
The, the thing that I'minterested in learning more
about through Purpose Project isthis concept of shared purpose,
(14:34):
right?
Mm-hmm.
Because then it becomes lessabout the individual purpose.
My purpose in life, my passionis all these things, and then it
becomes this collective, andthat feels different, and it
feels like it could be harder.
What do you see in terms ofcreating shared purpose in the
(14:54):
organization?
Mailie (14:57):
Well, a couple of things with that.
So one of my clients is ageneral contractor and he is
building this great business.
Uh, and I'll even say he'screating an empire.
He is got multiple businesses.
Um, and he has a real passion,um, to, to build and grow and.
To help his employees grow anddevelop.
(15:20):
And he has a lot of passion forserving his employees as he
builds the business andtogether.
Um, and so he's like, he came tome and he is like, I'm poking
them up.
I'm said, we're doing this, butI don't have like something that
like really says it or ties ittogether.
So what we did is we worked on amission statement for him.
(15:41):
Okay.
And, um, we created that missionstatement together where I, you
know, did an intake.
We, we had a conversation withspecific questions and created
this mission statement.
He's like, oh, this is it.
And he's like, this tieseverything together.
I can share this with my team,and then they can see this is
(16:04):
our mission.
This is what we're here for, andthis is who we serve and this is
how we do it.
And this is, and, and it ties ittogether for them and it gives
something succinct for all theteam members to be able to
articulate it as well.
And they have some ownership init as well.
So, just having a clear missionstatement that means something,
(16:25):
um, and that ties all of thattogether is really helpful.
I'm sure, as you know, um,having activities and team
meetings and things like that.
Um, also helps.
So some of the things that I'vedone is, um, for example, with a
all woman law firm in SanFrancisco, we had a team meeting
(16:49):
where we were doing teambuilding and really learning
about each other and findingeach woman's purpose and passion
for why they're in the business.
And then tying that.
To the owner's purpose andpassion, and you could see how
it was all connected and youcould see how, why they were
(17:13):
such a good fit on the team,because each one has an
individual story and a differentindividual background, but it,
there's a tie and there's aconnection.
So if you bring that forth andconnect the dots, then it
creates a stronger team and thewhole team has.
(17:35):
Combined purpose and
Leslie (17:36):
passion.
Yeah.
Yeah.
So there's two things you talkedabout.
One is coming together andcreating this mission statement
for the organization.
Um, which is a tool, right?
For unifying everyone for help,for getting everyone unified and
pointing in the right directionin the same direction.
(17:57):
Mm-hmm.
And then the other thing I heardis that every individual within
the organization has their ownunique.
Interests, passions, purpose,and through dialogue, creating
dialogue that allows those to beshared.
(18:18):
Sometimes we might be able tofind that thread that weaves
through everyone that can createthat collective purpose.
Absolutely.
Do you see a difference betweenmission, statement and purpose?
Just outta curiosity.
'cause mission statement hascome up multiple times in season
(18:39):
two.
Mailie (18:40):
There's a tie because in a mission statement, you're
gonna share who you are and whatyou do, who you serve, and how
you serve them, that, that'sunique and an underlying
character of that are yourvalues.
And, um, so values are tied topurpose.
Uh, and part of that, how weserve in our unique way could,
(19:05):
is oftentimes, um, tied to thatpurpose.
And us a really great missionstatement will also have a
little touch of inspirationthere at the end as well.
Mm-hmm.
And that oftentimes is a touchtowards that, that purpose as
well.
'cause we're looking at thatbigger picture.
(19:25):
Of inspiration of like how we'regonna, how our business impacts
the, the world positively.
So there is a tie in there, buthaving your purpose statement is
gonna be different than yourmission, but they it should,
there should be, like you said,a thread that tie that.
Yeah.
That is a through line.
Leslie (19:47):
Yeah.
And one of the things that Iheard there, Maile, is that the
purpose is about the differencethat you're gonna make.
Is that how you would Yeah.
Yeah.
Mm-hmm.
So it's one thing to have amission statement and another
thing to have kind of everyonecome together and we find this
(20:09):
thread that creates, ourcommonality, our purpose.
But talk a little bit aboutwhat's next, um, because one of
the things that, that I'mhearing is we put these mission
statements up on the wallmm-hmm.
And we don't live them out everyday or, um, or it, it's like a
(20:30):
check the box thing.
Yeah.
We got a mission statement andwe're done.
What happens after you, you dothese workshops with each other?
How do you create a.
A living environment wherepurpose is alive and thriving in
the organization?
Mailie (20:48):
Well, I, I, I've seen a number of businesses actually,
um, print it or paint it or.
Mounted on the wall so it'spresent.
Um, and just having it theredoesn't mean that we're going to
practice it.
So one of the best things is,whoever is leading the company,
(21:11):
they are, communicating andwe're messaging, to the team.
And so it's in that messaging tothe team at your office meeting,
your team meeting, right.
Is continuing to tie it to themission, uh, and even restating
(21:33):
it in, in those meetings withpassion and purpose, right?
Not just like, oh, I'm readingthe mission statement, but like
tying it to your message for theday and maybe even just taking
one piece of it.
And saying, here's why wedecided this wording.
Mm-hmm.
Right?
Or, or saying, Hey, do you seehow when Leslie helped this
(21:57):
person, like how that tied toour mission and how she really,
um, led by our mission right?
And led by our purpose.
So, so you tie it and youreiterate it.
Yeah.
Consistently over time, uh, it'sabout, it's.
It's building culture around it.
(22:21):
And so that's, and that's theleader of the organization needs
to continually message andcommunicate it.
And, and, and like I said, anexample is show how other
members are embodying it.
Yeah.
And carrying it out.
Leslie (22:38):
Yeah.
Yeah.
So I hear kind of keep itvisible, whether that's on the
wall, you know, as a mural orwhatnot.
Keep it visible in terms of yourcommunications, and then role
model it, but then also letother people know about the
role, how it's being rolemodeled in the organization.
(23:02):
Share stories, um, as well.
Mm-hmm.
Yeah.
I imagine a company puts thiseffort together to create this
mission statement and there'ssome energy behind it, and
they're doing all these thingsand then in the blink of an eye,
it's three years later, youknow?
(23:23):
Does, does it stay active anddoes that same energy stay with
it or.
Or does that evolve and changetoo?
Mailie (23:35):
Well, it depends.
So, you know, like I said, likethe, usually the owner is in
charge of, of really, uh,designing the, the mission
statement.
And, um, it's good to revisit itfrom time to time.
Is does this still feel like afit or have we evolved?
Have we shifted things?
(23:56):
Do we need to.
To, you know, make someadjustments or start from
scratch and do it all overagain.
So it's good to revisit it everynow and again, every few years
probably, and make sure it doesstill feel like the right fit.
And one of the great thingsabout being a business owner is
you can change it at any moment.
(24:16):
It's your business.
You can, you know, and one ofthe things we learn as business
owners is that we are everevolving.
Like when you open your doors,day one of a business.
What you know about thebusiness, even if you've been in
that, like you have, a lot ofbusinesses are started by, uh,
experts, right?
Or, or technicians or, so they,they have a certain, um,
(24:40):
expertise, right?
And so oftentimes they've workedfor another company or they did
it previously, and so theyalready know the business
somewhat, right?
But being a business owner is atotally different thing than
just doing the work.
Right.
Uh, and having that expertise.
So when we open our doors, dayone, we think we have an idea of
(25:01):
what this business is going tobe like.
We think we have an idea of whatour ideal clients are gonna be,
what's our target market?
What's our messaging?
What's our, you know, what areour offerings?
What are, you know, our, youknow, what are the services
we're providing?
And all of that.
And through experience andthrough, um.
(25:22):
You know, implementing marketingstrategies or hiring employees
or doing all the things, uh,and, and having experience with
clients, um, you really go, oh,like, I thought my target was
this, but I really like, we'rereally, we're, this is really
(25:42):
where our strengths come toplay, and we really serve people
well and they're great clientsfor us, and we're a great fit
for them.
Right.
So, so you learn by doing.
So things shift in our businessall the time.
So we do need to revisit what isour target market?
Are we going after, right?
Clientele?
Are we reaching them in theright way?
And the same is true of our,our, you know, our mission or
(26:05):
vision or values or purpose, ourgoals, all those things.
Um, and are, and keeping that inalignment with where we are.
And you can revisit it.
Every year, every six months,every fi five years, whatever
that timeframe is for you, um,as a business owner, but it's
yours to, to play with and torefine, to make it fit.
(26:29):
Yeah.
Leslie (26:30):
Well, what that makes me think of is season one of
Purpose project was.
Very much focused on theindividual purpose.
Uh, it was all about what can welearn from people with clarity
in their pur their personalpurpose, and they're actively
pursuing it.
And one of the, the learningswas that purpose changes.
(26:54):
It's not the same in our life.
It evolves and changes, and itwas this concept of, my purpose
for now is this, and what I hearfrom you is that applies in
business too.
A business.
As it's evolving, it'sresponding to market conditions,
it's responding to gaps in themarket, or new competitive
(27:18):
threats.
The business purpose evolves aswell.
Um, and it's, uh, it sounds tome from your perspective or from
your experience, that it's thefounders or the, the CEO's
responsibility of kind of, uh,keeping their finger on the
(27:39):
pulse of, of the market anddetermining do we need to evolve
our purpose and our position?
Absolutely, yes.
Well said.
Awesome.
Cool.
Okay, so what I'm hearing isthat, um, purpose is helpful in
terms of creating energy,creating an experience that
(28:00):
customers value, that customersrecognize.
Are there, well, one, are thereany other benefits of having
purpose from your perspective?
Mailie (28:12):
Well, I think if, if people work and live with
purpose.
Um, there's more joy, there'smore happiness, there's more
fulfillment.
Mm-hmm.
Uh, and so if we get to work andbe fulfilled, that's a beautiful
thing.
Yeah.
Uh, so, so it just helps makethe world happier because we're
happier.
(28:34):
Uh, and also also say withmarketing, a lot of people are
marketing their purpose.
Um, you've seen that with, withother companies.
I guess there's a, you know,sock company that gives socks to
people, you know, like the, yousee purpose in business and tied
to marketing as well.
(28:54):
And like I said, it can be yourdifferentiating factor in your
value bring.
So, so it can expand to, tosharing that and inspiring
others.
Mm-hmm.
Leslie (29:07):
Yeah.
Okay.
So it brings energy tocustomers, it helps your
employees wellbeing.
Mm-hmm.
Um, it's leveraged in marketingas a competitive differentiation
strategy, and ultimately it'sjust gonna make the world a
happier place.
Are there any downfalls though,to purpose,
Mailie (29:28):
sure.
There can be situations where,um, someone is so purpose driven
in a certain direction that, um,they don't look at the business
as a business and making surethat it's making a profit and
it's running accordingly.
And maybe they need to make itinto a nonprofit.
(29:48):
Um, certainly there could besome, people who, who get a
little, too into a certainpurpose that doesn't.
Serve the whole as well as itcould or keep the business
running accordingly.
Um, but I would say that I don'tsee that as much.
I usually, the, the purposereally fuels and helps the
(30:10):
business.
Um, and that, and that canhappen more with just business
acumen and getting the rightsupport to run your business as
a business as well.
So that could be.
Leslie (30:23):
Yeah, it's a good point.
I could see people getting, sopassionate, but not knowing how
to monetize that, um, in a waythat drives sustainability for
the business.
Um, right.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Any other disadvantages or,potential.
(30:46):
Risks to consider?
Mailie (30:51):
I will say a risk could be, um, you know, it can be
scary to be vulnerable and itcould lead to personal growth.
So, and
Leslie (31:07):
that makes that we just wanna stay in our safe space.
Mailie (31:15):
So say
Leslie (31:16):
more about that.
That's interesting because it's,um, to, to live on purpose.
To have a business that isliving on purpose, it sounds
like can require somevulnerability.
Mailie (31:33):
Absolutely.
Leslie (31:34):
Yeah.
Mailie (31:35):
So oftentimes what drives us is down deep.
And as we grow, we have certainthings that find their way into
our subconscious.
We have certain experiences thatlead to what we believe, what we
(31:56):
value, and what we believe aboutourself, and how we decide to
operate in this world.
And oftentimes that's, you know,in, uh, between seven and 12
years old oftentimes.
So that's where we get theseimprints.
And oftentimes the thing thatdrives us and gives us passion
(32:21):
and purpose is tied to anexperience that we oftentimes
want to shove deep down andnever, ever think or talk about.
Mm-hmm.
And, and, um, one of the biggestthings we can do is to actually.
(32:41):
Revisit it and see how it hascreated, um, our drive and our
value and our purpose and ourpassion and how it's fueled us
in a certain way and given usthis, this superpower, uh, to
help people in the way that wedo and to care about people the
(33:01):
way that we do.
Um, but it takes some, somevulnerability and quite
honestly.
When I first experienced thisfor myself, what I found is
that, um, it helped me, havemore confidence.
It helped me connect better toother people, uh, and it helped
(33:26):
me reach a whole nother level inmy business.
Um, be, and it gave me morefreedom to be, to accept myself
as well.
Yeah.
And to celebrate myself.
And I, and I see this when otherpeople go through it as well, so
sometimes digging deep andfinding that that.
(33:48):
That point that gave us a lot ofpain is actually our gift and
what makes us so amazing.
Um, now.
Mm-hmm.
Leslie (33:59):
Yeah.
And um, yeah, you mentionedvulnerability when I asked about
the disadvantages.
And so, uh, to me it seems likemaybe the disadvantage is not
being vulnerable because you'renot gonna have that growth.
Mailie (34:18):
Mm-hmm.
Yeah.
Yeah, yeah.
And avoiding that vulnerabilitycan keep you stuck.
So there, that would be adisadvantage as well.
And, and to be able to reallylive and soar as a person, it's,
it's just a different level of,of, of personal freedom to like,
(34:40):
to accept yourself and to, toreally go, wow, this is my value
and this is, this is.
This is what makes me unique andbeautiful and and valuable to
others.
Leslie (34:55):
Yeah.
One of the things that I am,starting to learn from season
two, purpose in the Workplace isthis, uh, similarity between a
person that lives with purposeand leadership.
Hmm.
I mean, it is, it's almost liketo be an an amazing leader, you,
(35:24):
you have to live on purpose.
Um, because people that areliving on purpose are really
clear on who they are.
Their actions are in alignmentwith who they are.
Yeah.
And they're trying to make adifference in the world.
And when I think about that,like I think that's leadership,
(35:48):
right?
Mailie (35:49):
Absolutely.
You can, you can spot them in acrowd there, like you said,
there's an alignment.
Mm-hmm.
Right?
And, and it's clearer.
And when you talk to people, youcan have just even at a mixer.
You could get a different energyfrom someone who has done, has
(36:12):
done nothing to figure out theirpurpose and their passion, and
is just, you know, what I call abusiness bot, like don't
business bot.
Right.
Um, uh, but you know, so we havethe people who haven't quite
figured it out, and then youhave someone who has mm-hmm.
(36:34):
You don't even have to ask themif they have a purpose or a
passion.
You feel it just in theconversation, and you might just
be talking about the event thatyou're at, but you can feel it.
You can sense it.
Yeah.
And, and, and you can hear it ifyou pay attention.
And of course if you ask thenthey'll, they'll, it'll be even
clearer.
(36:54):
But you can, you can sense itwithout specifically talking
about it.
Yeah.
Leslie (36:59):
Yeah.
And to me, the connection tovulnerability is to really
understand who you are and tolive in alignment with that.
To make a difference in thisworld, you have to uncover all
those things that you've beencovering up and, and look in the
(37:21):
mirror to face to be vulnerablewith yourself, to face your
fears to.
Accept and love what you see.
Mailie (37:30):
There is strength and vulnerability.
Leslie (37:32):
Yeah.
Yeah.
I'm curious, a question I askeveryone on the show is, do you
have a life's purpose and if so,what is it?
Mailie (37:44):
My, my purpose is to help others build confidence,
uh, and to build community, uh,and, and to, to find our
teammates in, in business and,and to create community wherever
I think that human connection isso important.
(38:06):
I think that's definitelysomething that we learned from
the pandemic, is we need eachother.
Um, but I've always, I've alwayssensed that that's, that comes
from, from my story of, of beingshy and really finding my
confidence, um, through having ateam by my side and how that
(38:32):
community, um, can lift you evenhigher.
Uh, and it's true.
I truly believe.
Together, we can accomplish somuch more than we can alone.
And so that is what reallydrives me, is to help people
build connection, help people,um, build community, help people
(38:56):
build their confidence throughthat connection and that
Leslie (39:01):
community.
Love it.
Love it.
Um, advice for any leader outthere who, is looking to bring
more purpose into their team ororganization.
What advice do you have for thatperson?
Mailie (39:18):
I would say that journaling is a really great
tool.
I.
Um, and clarifying it foryourself.
And then I would look around andsee what, what you see in your
team, right?
And see how that connects to, toyour, your purpose and your
(39:41):
passion.
And you can see what tiestogether.
Um, so, so first it helps to, toidentify yours.
Before then, you could, youknow, just like.
With the oxygen masks on theairplane, you gotta like, put it
on yourself first and then youcan give it to others.
So, so look to yourself firstand then find the connection
(40:04):
with the team.
Um, so journaling can help, youknow, um, get out there, get the
support.
There's great books and podcastsand coaches and, um, other
people can support you in it aswell.
Leslie (40:20):
Love it.
Uh, anything left unsaid on thetopic of purpose in the
workplace.
Mailie (40:27):
I just, I just encourage everyone to continue to pursue
it, to find your purpose, findyour passion.
Um, I love, I love that you'redoing a whole podcast about
this, uh, because I do believethat it.
Will help your own fulfillmentand the fulfillment of others.
(40:50):
And it will make this wholeworld a beautiful, more joyful,
happier place, I
Leslie (40:57):
love it.
Well, thank you so much forbeing on Purpose Project.
I am taking a lot away from ourconversation and I know others
will too.
Mailie (41:07):
Thank you so much for having me.
It's been a pleasure.
Leslie (41:11):
There's something unmistakable about someone who's
living and leading with purpose.
You can feel it, can't you?
It's something that isn'ttaught.
It is something that is sensed.
That's the kind of energy thatMiley highlights.
(41:31):
In this episode of Purpose PRProject.
She highlights how when we havepurpose in our work, it can
create a renewable source ofenergy, a source that fuels our
work, and radiates into ourrelationships.
Our relationships with our team,with our customers and our
(41:52):
communities.
And when others feel thatenergy, it builds trust, it
creates momentum, and that'swhen purpose becomes contagious.
Miley, thank you for being onPurpose Project, and thanks to
all of you for tuning in.
(42:16):
Purpose Project is brought toyou for education and for
entertainment purposes.
This podcast is not intended toreplace the advice that you
would receive from a licensedtherapist or doctor or any other
qualified professional.
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