Passion Capital by Paul Alofs

So many books by successful leaders are vanity projects. This book is a project of passion from a man who made an actual mark in massive tectonic industries like retail, music and the technology of the interwebs only to trade that business success for a mission of significance...

And now he's messing with my work / life. 

He is leading the rethinking of fundraising - read this article renaming the "non-profit" sector as the "social-profit" sector. Sure he didn't come up with the concept but he a leading voice on the value of charity - to transform that nebulous word philanthropy into common-sense instead of only dollars and cents.


He's rebranding... me! I've struggled with explaining the reason for my existence. You see, I love to capture money. Oh man I love it. And I live to network and connect. But not for myself, I exist to empower the passionate, fight for the innocent, the helpless, the powerless. As a younger man, this was my mission statement. My adult statement has been about passion for years....but thanks to Mr. Alofs I have found a tribe - I'm a Passion Capitalist!

Why is this book worth your time and money?

Paul has spent years distilling the message, pruning the stories and each chapter has that new-school business book summary of takeaways. He is a CEO leader who has written a book for other time-pressed leaders. It's a new way to think about business, your career, your cause...


This is not about good to great, it's about great to BEST. Theories are ideas, stories are proof! And they have layers of wisdom. I love the many stories he tells in this book. Practical stories of winners, failures - why they won and lost even when one looked like the other; Thomas Edison, JK Rowling were bad bets to start. 

This is a book dedicated to the strategic, faithful long view unlike the short-sell attitude that just recently broke the world. This book is a dog-whistle for innovators and entrepreneurs. Don't hear it? No desire to be your best? You're not one of us.

Much like Rockefeller made a creed, Paul has reflected on and thoroughly defined the exact components of passionate organizations, who live by the vital components of excellence: 
Creed
Culture
Courage
Brand 
Resources
Strategy
Persistence 
- but it's jibber-jabber if he's another loudmouthed  'leadership' guru right? Well I know many of the people he has assembled in his war on cancer, they do indeed "Believe It". They and he walk the talk, heck the man rides in his own fundraiser. His people work hard and are performing at levels of collaboration and professional  excellence that is unparalleled right now. It's Camelot over there. 

Does your organization posses a passionate culture? Paul and some powerhouse partners ( Knightsbridge, BNN Global Governance, Torys LLP and the National Post! ) have teamed up to celebrate Canada's Passion Capitalists - I was excited to nominate the most passionate company in my consumer life, Zipcar- and the winners are listed here....

Want to learn more and amp up your passion? Peruse these videos on the vision of Passion Capital. If they move you, hey, buy the book and join our tribe. In the words of the most interesting man in the world... "stay thirsty my friends"...

Paul