What do you think of when you see a dandelion?
A weed? Helps maintain food supplies? Let’s address these ideas.
The dandelion taproots are tough to rip out of the ground and become an annoyance to anyone who regards dandelions as a weed. However, dandelions are also bold, resilient, and beautiful.
The dandelion’s boldness is represented in its name, which comes from the French dent de lion, meaning lion’s tooth.
The dandelion’s resilience is shown by how they are firmly planted in the ground and can grow in sparse environments, such as walls and cracks.
The dandelion’s beauty is shown in its positive impact on its community, such as bees. Dandelions provide bees an early source of nectar and pollen. Bees, in turn, are vital for maintaining our ecosystems and maintaining our food supplies.
In times of adversity, we sometimes don’t look past the immediate ugliness. There is always an opportunity to adapt our thinking and grow beyond our current situation. But first, we need to make sure that our deep thinking skills are active, and that fear is not getting in the way of our thinking.
Think about this infamous story:
You see an acorn. What is the acorn’s potential?
You may have given one of the following answers:
- The acorn’s potential is to be a food source for squirrels.
- The acorn’s potential is to grow into a tree.
- The acorn’s potential is to grow a forest.
- The acorn’s potential is to grow into trees to build houses.
- The acorn’s potential is …
If you gave an answer similar to number 1, your thinking isn’t yet deep enough and may be blocked by fear. If you gave an answer similar to number 4, you are engaged in deep thinking.
What potential does the current climate have?
In difficult times, people turn to help each other and form communities. How could your life and the life of communities change, if you decided to become a social entrepreneur?
Grow into a dandelion
As a social entrepreneur…
- You will feel like jumping out of an airplane. But remember, you have a parachute just like a dandelion seed! The wind will blow you in all directions, and you will not know what exact spot you will land on. However, your vision will help you steer your parachute into the right area.
- You may battle with looking outward. At first, you may find it difficult to pitch how your products and services solve problems for your funders or investors. Discussing your ideas with people, who are business trained or have achieved one of your goals, are the best people to help you overcome this hurdle.
- You may start with a shoe-string budget. Like with all start-ups, you may start with little budget to create your brand. I also started this way, and I now help charities, non-profit, and social entrepreneurs receive investment.
- You can create a positive impact on society. The beauty of social entrepreneurship is that your organisation has a purpose that withstands good and bad times.
Sometimes, all you need is a change of perspective and I would be delighted to help you. Whether you have a budget that is big or small, I can find ways to help you.
Let’s start a conversation
Email: hello@janinaneumanndesign.co.uk
Phone: +44 (0)1905 570605
Book a consultation call / online meeting: https://www.janinaneumanndesign.co.uk/index.php/contact