The Do Village

There’s the language of business – a world of accountants, reason, utility and rationality – then there’s the language of Tim Smit. The language of originality and truth, the language of Beauty. According to Smit, we are arriving at a period where we are collectively rediscovering beauty. He is insistent that what he is talking about is not, in fact, ‘hippy shit’, but rather a reminder that “There’s more to life than existence and consumption and utility.” We are increasingly aware of our responsibilities as a society, with a wealth of knowledge on hand from the web and the means to question it. We see the undeniable greed and irresponsibility of those who have been managing the country and it’s finances playing out each day in the news. It seems we no longer want to plough our money, efforts and hard work into faceless corporations. There’s a move towards wanting to buy better, work better and live better.

What’s the story?

For a long time there’s been the feeling that more and bigger is better, but things are changing. The advent of social media channels like Twitter and Facebook have helped businesses communicate with their customers and share ideas and stories much more easily. This sharing of information gives us more power when we decide who, as a consumer, we want to invest in. We are all constantly searching for meaning in our lives and as consumers we are beginning to look for this in what we buy and what we do. This search for meaning can be utilised in business, even within the financial and practical world of securing funding – venture capitalists and investors want to be part of a story too. In Smit’s words; “Utility is dull if it doesn’t come with the hidden romance of something beautiful behind it” It provides them with the reason why they

should support your business. If you feel part of something then you can invest yourself fully, you want to do your best for each other. Your contribution then means something to everybody else and yourself. A shared risk inspires a shared passion. As Smit puts it “The moment you decide to go down in flames together, you’re not going to go down in flames.”

The right track?

If you aren’t honest with yourself about what you find beautiful, about what really inspires you, then Smit would say that you are doomed to fail. This is because even if you win, it will feel like ‘ashes’. It will be a hollow victory. Maybe you are motivated by proving to your family and friends that you can make a success of yourself, but, having everyone else think you are fantastically successful may not feel quite as good as you might expect. Smit was very successful in the music industry and when he reached the pinnacle of that career (he’d written the biggest record in French history that spent 15 weeks at number one) he broke down – he realised it meant absolutely nothing to him. And if something means nothing to you, does it matter if you fail or succeed? Because Smit says “Things that matter make the blood course through your veins in different ways.”

Smit thinks that there’s a general misunderstanding when it comes to optimism. In his experience it isn’t about a business plan where all the imaginary figures add up, it’s about following your gut and completing a project using sheer will and passion. It is about sharing the life affirming beauty of your vision with other people and trusting them to help you get there. To really care about what you are doing and to really care about and trust the people you are doing it with, this is the lifeblood of success to Smit. People bring the beauty and meaning to a business. When people are reminded how beautiful life and work can be, and if they are trusted and feel a love of the shared enterprise, they will flourish. They will be inspired and work hard. It’s normal

for things to be difficult, life is difficult, but loving what you do will make success a damn sight easier to achieve, and you are much more likely to have a grin on your face along the way.

sarah