The Gift That Keeps On Giving: Investing In Others

Investing in others is the foundation of my business in helping my clients achieve clarity around their vision, and strategize on how to achieve it. It also shows up in who I hire and the services I use to achieve my goals. When someone invests in our services, we do whatever it takes to help them receive a return on that investment. It is all about the value-exchange.

Understanding different ways of investing in others can help you grow exponentially because without these methods, you truly won't understand your own personal impact. Impact is one of the core human-needs we discover once we have mastered our own growth. We, as leaders, start to dial up our energy on how we can show others how to do what we have done, and most of all, learn from our mistakes.

I am sure if you have interacted with a coach, mentor, advisor, conscious leader, or educator, you have felt first hand the impact of someone else investing in you. It is definitely the gift that keeps on giving.

Recently, I invested in a new company, Lite Pink, a woman owned beverage company that has a mission to lead in the arena of women funding women.  The investor dinner I attended put me in a room of 54 other Angel Investors (only 30 of us in the photo) that all had the same mission, Invest In Her. You can not imagine how powerful it is to surround yourself with people who are hyper focused on investing in others.

I get goosebumps thinking about the impact that will come out of that room. Not just because the founder, Lori Harder, was able to raise $2M from ALL female investors (never been done before!), this experience lit me up because we see so much "Me Me Me" energy these days, to be in a room of heart centered investors displayed a togetherness I have not felt in a long while (plus I got to get dressed up, see pic below!).

The energy of believing in each other enough to invest our time, energy, and resources to make it happen is the most powerful space you can put yourself in. 

As a service based business leader that focuses on helping others find clarity and confidence to go after what they truly desire, it has lead me down a path of exploring the impact of investing in others, and it first starts with being conscious about HOW you can invest in others. Hint, it's not just monetarily.

Different Ways to Invest In Others

LISTEN WITH INTENTION: I think time is the best way to invest in others. However, how you spend your time together is what brings the highest return. If you spend time together with a purpose, the ripple effect goes way further. How you maximize your time together is by the questions you ask, and how you choose to listen and respond. Mastering your listening skills is the best way to create a deeper connection,  someone to help someone who is looking to propel themselves forward. Without the skill of listening to the queues and drawing out what they truly desire, you won't know how you can help them achieve it. Most of the time, people need to talk it out and can navigate to their own answer with the right prompts. When you listen with the intention of understanding the other person without judgement and an openness to help them navigate their next move, it is one of the most cherished gifts one person can give another. 

ACCOUNTABILITY TO FOLLOW THROUGH: Investing in someone by asked them WHEN they think they will accomplish what they have set out to do or even the starter step on the list of items they need to do to achieve that larger goal, and then holding them accountable to that date, is such a solid way to invest in someone. You are showing them that you are willing to check in on their progress, that you are walking alongside them, and that you will check in on that date to see how they are progressing. Holding someone accountable to follow through on their desired actions is such a simple way to invest in them and to continuously grow together. (Added bonus)

SHOW, NOT JUST TELL: When you are approached with someone who is interested in your field of work, or wanting to accomplish something similar to you, but you don't have the time to explain it all - let them shadow you. When you are able to show them how you accomplished what they desire and allow them to live it over a period of time, they are able to ask questions and gain a better understanding of what it truly takes to achieve that goal. When you can show someone how to achieve it, the understanding is deeper than just telling them. They are able to assess where they need to strengthen their skills, assess what they are currently ready for, and build a clearer path to achieve it. 

PUT YOUR MONEY WHERE YOUR MOUTH IS: Investing financially in someone's vision is an amazing privilege. We do it by employing people we believe in and holding them accountable to achieve the goals in our business, while assisting them in achieving their personal goals. Another way is to purchase their products and services. As we achieve more financial security and the ability to earn beyond our needs, there is an opportunity to invest even greater in other peoples businesses and personal goals. When there is a mission you can get behind and feel assured that the person you are investing in would do whatever it takes to achieve that goal, the ability to assist with the finances required for them to achieve it, feels magical. Especially if you are like me, where I had a long haul living hand to mouth and earn the financial ability to invest in others in this way. It helps them boost their efforts to achieve their goals because someone believes in them enough to finance it. 

The point of sharing these tips with you is to prompt you to ask yourself, How can I invest more in others and create a ripple effect from my effort? When you start to think about how you can invest in others and are open to the different methods out there, it also creates an opening for you to ask for others to invest in you. You get clarity on your needs when you are assisting others in achieving there's. Similar to what I shared in my book Lead with Value, the value exchange is mutual when two parties are focused on investing in each other. The timing may be different on when a return on your investment may hit, but the ripple effect continues on. 

I would love to hear how you plan to invest in others to initiate your ripple effect! Feel free to share this article on your socials and use the tags #investinher #myrippleeffect and share your impact with me @kareenzwalsh on Instagram or LinkedIn

Make sure to check out Lite Pink and sign up to get early access to the sparkling Rose and Rose Anytime when it launchings Q1'2022.

Images by @girlssquadinc