10 Years, 10 Lessons: From My Why to A Higher Purpose

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LESSON 1: Purpose Underpins Everything

Dead Plant. New Life. 🌱

Even at an early age, I could feel the power of direction; of purpose. Often, it is more easily felt in its absence.

In 2002, at my first ‘real job,’ I felt my soul–my purpose–being slowly washed away. Humor helped. It was a coping mechanism. One crisp fall afternoon, my boss's boss approached my desk. "Steve, when will the report be ready?"

"Later today," I responded promptly.

"Great! By the way," she gestured to the corner of my desk, "that plant on your desk is dead."

"Oh yea, I know," I said without thinking. "It reminds me, every day I walk in here, a little piece of me dies."

I remember her laughing that awkward laugh when someone doesn't know how to respond. Then she slowly backed away from my desk and left.

The harsh realization at that moment was that I needed to do something about it. I finished the report, but before I left that day, I finished something else: my application to the Peace Corps. I didn't have a grand vision. I felt the pull of purpose. I just knew I wanted to speak Spanish and be of service.

That was the first, best decision I've ever made.

That decision led me to two incredible years in Guatemala, and eventually, to my first once-in-a-lifetime opportunity at Whole Foods Market's foundation. For 10 years, I funded microfinance institutions in 60+ countries. It was an incredible journey that gave me an intimate view of what worked—and what didn't—when it came to poverty alleviation. (Read: Reflections on that chapter📝)

But over time, I started to feel that same restless urge again—like I had more to give. So I experimented. I opened a co-working space. I tried to start a podcast. Neither stuck, but they were important steps on the path to today. (Read: More on the side hustle days📝)

As time passed, the feeling only grew. Then, I reconnected with Andy, a mentor who I worked with in East Timor. (Read: East Timor memory📝)

Andy taught me what integrity really looks like. If I wanted to plant the seeds of change, I would have to put my hands in the soil. We talked about the idea of building a nonprofit from the ground up and—like all great mentors—he introduced me to his friend, Bill.

These relationships were the founding of JUST.

Bill asked if I'd be up for taking a real leap—leaving the security of Whole Foods for the unproven path of entrepreneurship. His support would come with money, networks, and weekly accountability meetings. It was the second time I hit the professional lottery.

Thankfully, Bill didn't ask me to decide right away. And so, I thought…and thought. Soon after that fateful conversation, I boarded a flight to Chile with that opportunity as my carry-on. On the flight, I read The Power of Habit, and it shifted how I thought about behavior change, support, and the social infrastructure needed for transformation. It was precisely what microfinance lacked. (Read: Books that shaped JUST📚)

That's when the vision for something better emerged.

I didn't want to replicate traditional microcredit and the stress that comes with it. I wanted to build something better. Something rooted in trust, community, and a higher purpose.

(Add photo — JUST early days throwback?)

It wasn't a slogan. It's an ethos, a state of mind. It would become the foundation for everything we would go on to build.

By 2016, I had fallen out of love with microcredit. But when stripped down to its core, I see the potential for what it could be. An environment where people can reach their full potential because they have access to resources (money), a simple structure, and a community of authentic support.