After starting numerous projects, ventures, businesses and non-profits, here are some top mistakes I’ve seen and made in the journey.

Top mistakes by social entrepreneurs:

If you are among those that are out there trying to make the world a better place or you want to be, then consider some of these mistakes and errors in thinking:

1. If I start a non-profit people will give money
2. People who give money are the most important
3. If I launch a “cause” on Facebook, people will give money
4. Other people will care as much about my mission as me
5. If I have a cool website, people will visit
6. Number of hits on a website, Facebook Group or blog= success
7. Transfer of information is the only thing that matters
8. If we tell the story once, we’ll make  a huge difference
9. Someone already is focusing on what I’m passionate about so I should find something else.
10. No one cares about this
11. They gave once, they’ll give again
12. They bought the t-shirt, so they must be bought into the vision
13. I have to have a cool website
14. I have to sell trendy t-shirts
15. If I start a new ministry/non-profit I should be able to quit my job in a few months
16. I can do this on my own

Have you fallen prey to any of these? Any I missed? Add your’s in the comments.

Would love feedback for a writing project I’m doing. Thanks!

• What is the issue that keeps you up at night?
• What is the cause that you are fighting for?
• How did you find it?
• What do you want to see changed more than anything?
• What are  you currently doing?
• What are your plans for the future?

A few weeks ago on the way to an extremely important meeting, I got a flat tire. There was a chuck the size of a Moe’s burrito missing from the  tire. Later that day had to go in and get a brand new tire. Last night I was reading through James and got just a few verses in when he starts talking about perseverance and that if we are to truly make a difference, we’ll have to persevere through tough circumstances. I felt like I needed that as we start Backstage Leadership in a few weeks, looking at the next phase for World Causes and Free Chains and as I look at other projects on the horizon.

Thinking about that verse, I get up when the moon is still out this morning to head to the gym for a work out and a day of incredible productivity. After a nice work out, I climb in my car to head home to prepare for another important meeting. Do you know how many times a day/week/year we take for granted what happens when you turn the key to your car? Usually it starts right up and you’re off to your destination. That did not happen to me.

Battery is completely dead. I call every friend that is in a 5 mile radius to see if someone could come jump me off. No one in the parking lot has cables. I then go back in to the Y and they tell me a maintenance man would help if they could find him. After 10 minutes of waiting an older gentlemen sticks his head in the door and asks if I need a jump. We go to my car and on the first attempt, nothing happens. The car won’t even turn over. He decides to take the cables off and clean off some corrosion. He then asks what I do. Ha! I said, how long do you have? He said, he’s paid by the hour so he’s got as long as I need.

Our conversation covers the gambit of World Causes and preaching and all the stuff I’ve got my hands in. After the first failed attempt, he says, why don’t I pray for your car and meeting? (What do you say to that? No?) He prays for the car and after a second, it starts up. He looks at me and says, God is over all the little stuff too you know. Stuff like this will always happen, but its your reaction that impacts and shows your character.

We left the cables on to charge for a second and he prayed for my lunch meeting, our ministry, my marriage and I stood there and cried over my running engine. God is over the little stuff too. Wow, what a crazy morning. (I then got the opportunity to go buy a new car battery! A blessing tons of people don’t have).

What circumstances is God teaching you through right now?

I recently had the opportunity to watch a short film called Kavi. The film is about a young Indian boy who is a slave at a brick kiln. Afterward I got to speak to Gregg Helvey, the writer and producer of the film. Turns out, Kavi was Gregg’s project for graduate film school at Southern Cal.
The film is only 17 minutes long, but it is powerful. Gregg did an amazing job telling a complicated story in such a short time frame. Kavi, the main character, just wants to go to school and play cricket like all the other kids, but is forced to carry wheel barrow loads of bricks all day.
You need to help support Gregg’s effort to raise awareness about modern day slavery. It was really interesting to hear all the effort that went into making the film. It took a lot longer than expected, but this is a great example that making something great does not happen easily nor over night. It recently won the Student Academy Award, which means it’s up for nomination at the Academy Awards. It is also being shown at film festivals all across the country.

Here are some of its awards:

Gold Medal- 2009 Student Academy Awards
Qualified for 2010 Academy Awards – Short Live Action
Best of Fest- Palm Springs International Shorts Festival
Audience Award: Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles (April 23 & 26th)
Grand Jury Prize + Best Short Film: USA Film Festival
Official Selection: Rhode Island Film Festival (Aug 4th -9th, 2009)
Official Selection: Nashville Film Festival (April 17th & 19th, 2009)

Here’s how you can support this great effort:

Visit www.kavithemovie.com
Become a Fan on Facebook
To host a private screening: email helvey@kavithemovie.com
Please spread the word.

Great job Gregg. Can’t wait for the full feature!

This year make your bracket picks really count!

Are you crazy about March Madness and also want to help us end child sex slavery?  Enter our tournament challenge for a minimum donation of $10 and the winner will have all the proceeds donated in their name to the Free Chains Campaign to end child sex slavery.

Other prizes will be awarded for top finishers.

Go to the donate page at www.freechains.org to sign up.  We’ll email you log in information once donation is received.

The FBI had a great breakthrough this past week. 48 girls were rescued, ages 13-17 and over 570 suspects were arrested.

Read details here:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090223/ap_on_go_ot/child_prostitutes

Help us end child sex slavery at Free Chains.

Here is a link to an article in London where a judge has ordered monetary restitution for victims smuggled into the country to perform sex with hundreds of clients a week.  I hope this is only the beginning of a trend as justice is served to those exploiting woman and children.  Money can not make up for the harm that was done, but at least it will help as they try to move on with their lives.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/london/7899923.stm

To join us in our fight, visit Free Chains.  Buy a shirt, support a rescued victim.  Visit here and buy a photo with 100% profits benefiting our safe house.

All Should Be Free!!