My friend, Nancy, whom I met at a Beijing Social Club dinner, and who I wrote about in my Saipan Tribune column, sent me this email.

Hi Walt,

Hope you are well! Since that time that we shared a meal, a lot has happened. I have discovered what I truly want to do- teach Jivamukti yoga. Not coincidentally, Jivamukti emphasizes nonviolence via ethical veganism…so it’s really a good fit! :) Thank you so much for your thought-provoking questions. And the article you wrote, I reread it when I feel the pain of animal cruelty.

I’d like to ask you to please visit the page below. I am hoping to raise funds for my yoga education and yoga community service project! Your help in any way, through donation or posting it at your newsletters or sites, would be much appreciated :)

Namaste,
Nancy
Click here to read and help

I’ve received several such requests for support of passion-centered ventures. One friend of mine, in particular, was able to exceed his goal and is now somewhere in Ecuador living his dream!

Through sites like Gofundme.com, a person with a passion-centered business or project posts his/her idea and seeks the financial support of the public. I thought about this trend, and how to name it, and came up with the phrase “communal capitalism!” So, I did what any self-respecting, self-conscious entrepreneur with a penchant for coining new phrases would do: I googled it, and sure enough, I’m not the first to come up with the concept. (Maybe I ought to read more!)

In any event, I found this quote….…what CNN called “communal capitalism,” demonstrates that even in this difficult economy and with no clear profit potential, people are willing to invest in entities about which they care and in entities that they believe will have a positive impact on their community.”

Once you read Nancy’s promise and proposal, you’ll see how she intends to make that positive impact on the community.

Please help any way you can!

Nancy to my left and members of the Beijing Social Club last year

p.s. To read some of the ideas Nancy and I talked about over dinner, check out
Turn Your Passion into Profit