GROUNDSWELL FOR GOOD

“Our prime purpose in this life is to help others. And if you can’t help them, at least don’t hurt them.”

—Dali Lama

When you’re selling, you’re creating a state of mind within your audience. ere’s responsibility in that.

Patient, confident, and giving . . .

ere’s an additional key element of Groundswell Growth that I want to highlight: natural, intelligent, and elegant growth must also do no harm. Harm can look like everything from interruptive marketing to forceful sales that make people feel pushed. Or the harm can be subtle, like a badly designed billboard that is out of place in either content or context. e pain can be low but it’s there. For example, when a digital ad wrongly targets me with a makeup and perfume advertisement, it detracts from my experience and is out of place. Alternatively, people flock to watch the ads during the Superbowl and even replay them—they are so creative and innovative that the interruption is welcomed. is means not pursuing growth “at any cost.” If growth makes you compromise your value and values, if it doesn’t align your at kind of growth is the antithesis of a Groundswell.

But there is another level: when the content that entices you to consider a call to action is viewed as value-added content. Remember the “waiting for waves” ad by Instinct? I saw this as content, not an advertisement, and the content in the magazine is all part of my desired experience because it is connected to something I value.

So, Growth needs to be a bit of art with the science—an elegant and simple solution that is connected to your audience. Create based on values and on what people value, and they will respond. We need to stop just chasing growth for growth’s sake.

Don’t sell out to sell.

Epic Center to your Epic Outcome, if it costs you the value-based culture you have built . . . then the price of growth is too high.

Your brand is the promises you make, and to rise to a higher standard, you must look inward and be willing to adjust as necessary.

Everything that you put out into the world—from your culture to your goods and services to your ads and web copy—should align with your values and give value to others, even those who are not your audience. When you approach growth with your website or your ad, it should reflect your deeper brand promise.

A Groundswell Parable: Choosing When and How to Grow

After the first big Give debacle, Koa and Kalani made sure to have the infrastructure to support new clients needing surf lessons. They integrated lessons with a walk-through of their goods and options so there was also an opportunity to bring sales into the experience. They got into a great rhythm of giving and connecting with their value and values to their audience. This led to natural growth, slow and steady, that they could manage well. Like a vine, they were shaping it in the direction they wanted as it grew.

Their success led to more chances for growth—faster growth Opportunities came a-knocking.

They had several investors reach out asking to distribute their goods, franchise their shop, and license their brand.

Company A and Company B wanted to distribute their goods. Company C was interested in franchising as well as a mass distribution and brand licensing agreement.

But these opportunities didn’t necessarily align with their values and vision They didn’t want to simply grow fast—they wanted to grow beautifully. Luckily, because they had cultivated patience and learned from their mistakes, they knew better this time around. They learned what really matters to them and their audience, and the kind of growth that feels good, not just looks good to an investor

With this sustainable perspective, they are able to decide which avenues are authentic and aligned with their mission, goals, and Epic End, rather than just growing for growth’s sake. Koa and Kalani decided to work with Company A, a heartfelt business owner, to open a second Groundswell Goods shop; and with Company B, a small string of shops, to distribute with. But they opted out of working with Company C for mass distribution, licensing, and franchising It was a slower but more elegant approach and allowed them to maintain the intimate connections they cherish with their partners and fellow surfers.