Here are the steps to take your town for your cause!
THE WORLD IS LITERALLY DYING FOR THE RIGHT CAUSE! If you are doing good work, good at what you do, and have something to offer that people truly require in order to thrive, then you need a strategy to take over your region of the world.
When I opened 5 clinics and took over 2 gyms in Central Florida, it was for the purpose of transforming healthcare. I WANTED TO SAVE MY TOWN! Strategically, I had to recognize that certain persons, places, or things are more a direct hit for the mission. For example, if your goal is to reach families, then churches and schools are loaded with families. If your goal is to help masses of employees, then relationships with HR representatives and CEOs are important. Once again, if it is the fitness community, then online health and wellness blog writers, gyms, nutrition stores, and naturally oriented health care providers are all important groups to meet.
A BIG MISTAKE entrepreneurs and doctors make is by focusing on what you can get FROM the community vs. what you want to do FOR the community. The leaders of the churches, schools, businesses, gyms, sports teams, etc. are not sitting back today hoping someone shows up and tries to sell them something. On the other hand, these organizations and your community need help. If you can serve them, you’ll find they’re open to serve with you in your cause.
Kissimmee Miracle
Although now I’ve shown many people how to do this in many, many different industries, at the time the results were unprecedented. I had been co-missioning with a local gym, a powerhouse branded gym, three high schools, and representing multiple charities. We were doing good together, including being in the paper twice for how much food, clothing, furniture, and non-perishable goods we had raised and once showing the line up of 60 football players I was adjusting at a local high school (All compliant, with files, paperwork, and a locked filing cabinet).
I had given so much of my time helping the school system, a local Target, and a local Walmart that they all considered me to be part of their staff. The “miracle” was the ringing phone. It didn’t stop. Within three years of opening my first clinic, we literally HAD TO expand to three more clinics in neighboring communities to keep up with that avalanche of growth. All of those clinics went from zero to a million. Additionally, the Kissimmee Miracle expanded into multiple new businesses that also had million or multi-million start-up trajectories. All from a passionate cause and a willingness to serve.
GETTING INTO THE NBA
At 5 ft. 6 in. and a 30 percent free throw shooter on a good day, I didn’t have much of a chance at making into the NBA as a player. (I’m only 5’6” on a good day too). Yet, being in Orlando, I did want to get in with the Magic. In the nineties, the only professional game in town was the Orlando Magic. With Shaq and Penny (Shaquile O’Neal and Anfernee Hardaway) taking the team to the NBA Championship, they were hot. (This is no longer true, but stay with me on this trip down memory lane.)
Because of the Magic influence, I wanted to work with the team. However, this appeared impossible. Professional sports teams require enormous investments by any outside business or vendor that wants to create a relationship with them or be even associated with their name. On the other hand, I believed in the power of mission. In 2000, the Magic traded for who at the time was the heir apparent to Michael Jordan: Grant Hill. A member of the 1996 Olympic Team, Grant was famous for throwing a pass the length of the floor to Christian Laettner with 2.1 seconds left in the round of eight of the NCAA Tournament. Laettner made the basket, or what is now called “The Shot,” to allow Duke to beat Kentucky 103-102 and make it to the final four.
Grant Hill coming to Orlando was big news and he was hopefully going to be our new Shaq. Sadly, upon being traded to the Magic, he got injured and could not play. With enough feelers out, I found a friend of a friend who knew Grant. I told her that I would agree to drive to Grant’s house to help him every week until we could put him back on the floor. Grant agreed and I worked with him for a couple of years.
An enormous part of mission-based work is your constituents joining your mission. At the time, Grant was a spokesperson for many commercial products, but none that were a benefit to society. He is an amazing, godly man. Thus, when I asked him to help me save more lives, he smiled and agreed to help me take care of the Orlando Magic. Soon, I was in a meeting with the coach at the time, Doc Rivers, and became a doctor for the team.
You have a cause worth fighting for that the world needs to be successful. Victory will come more as you learn how to serve more.
Have fun saving the world
Dr. Ben
