Make Sure Your Business Aligns With Your Purpose

by Lydia Blanco

January 24, 2024

Jovian Zayne, founder of the OnPurpose Movement and International Day of Purpose, wants to help entrepreneurs create a purpose-driven business. 

Originally published July 27, 2019

It’s one thing to launch a business; it’s another to launch a business with a purpose. Jovian Zayne, founder of the OnPurpose Movement, created a purpose-driven business.

The certified leadership and professional development coach, consultant, and public speaker says that purpose is the foundation of her work and the core of who she is.

Zayne says she has worked with Google, Goldman Sachs, The New York Times, Columbia University, Harvard University, The Clinton Foundation, The Aspen Institute, Janelle Monáe’s Wondaland Records, and Teach for America.

“When I think about purpose through my work, I think about it through service and impact,” says Zayne. “When people are thinking about using their sense of purpose to grow a business, you need to build your business on purpose, not by accident. Be very thoughtful around why are you doing this.”

She adds that being honest about why you want to start a business is key.

“I don’t think there’s a problem with starting a business because you want it to be profitable. And to that point, asking yourself ‘Am I doing this in a way that honors the values I hold most dear?’ will help you.”

When it comes to making a profit from a purpose-driven business, Zayne says, “Self-care is knowing your worth and being comfortable asking for it. No matter what products or services you provide, you thrive when you know what value you add.”

“I believe in the work that I do; I believe in the service I provide, and I believe that my gifts will make room for me. I also believe in creating a sustainable business that can create a legacy and generational wealth for people who look like me. That is something I’m committed to doing in this world, because one of my values is equity.”

She concludes, “People should be putting their value where their output is. You can’t say that you’re doing critical work and let people pay you chump change, it’s just not gonna work. You won’t be able to continue to do the work that’s important and have a scalable business.”

A Framework for Creating Purpose

A big part of her work with corporations and individuals begins with being clear about not only the goals of the client but how she can best serve them. She starts her work with her “Core Five Framework.” As a part of that framework, Zayne encourages entrepreneurs to ask themselves the following questions:

Who do I want to serve right now?
What skills, gifts, resources, and experiences do I have right now that I feel most compelled and uniquely positioned and called to use to positively serve this group?
What habits need to shift in order for this impact to be real?
Who needs to impact me?
Who do I want to be as I serve?

Zayne’s framework serves as a guide, but she also says that when doing the work it is important that you ask, “What value are you bringing with you?”

In addition, Zayne says that impactful work requires a team effort: “I deeply believe that you can’t be your best self by yourself.”

Doing Business On Purpose Requires a Lifestyle Shift  

“There were certain things that I needed to shift in order to set my life up to be an entrepreneur. And it was everything from creating a different kind of health routine to creating structures that supported me being effective and keep my energy up,” says Zayne. She offers these tips on creating a business with purpose:

Automate services and tasks that might be time-consuming and easy to forget to complete.
Find a community of people who will hold you accountable.
Create a routine that supports your health and wellness as you do the work so that you don’t burn out.
Be more ferocious and committed to carefully curating what you allow in your spirit: from who you follow on your social media to what you watch on TV, the books you read, etcetera.