Meaningful Work

1. Find Your Personal Vocation by Confronting Sorrow and Serving Others.

Our greatest joy is sorrow unmasked.

Sorrow reveals joy. The path to finding your personal calling often begins by acknowledging and exploring your deepest sorrows. This difficult introspection, while painful, carves space within you to contain greater joy and leads to a deeper understanding of your true self. The author's grief over his father's death ultimately led him to his new vocation.

Service is the bridge. Once you confront your sorrow, selflessly serving others becomes a crucial step. Focusing on the needs of others, rather than your own unhappiness or search, creates the internal space needed for clarity and openness. Volunteering in palliative care helped the author shift his focus outward and opened him to new possibilities.

Action over research. Endless research about what you should do is often a detrimental feedback loop leading to paralysis. Instead, take action by inventorying your talents, passions, and what the world needs, but then set the lists aside and begin serving. This active engagement, without expectation of immediate answers or rewards, is where true discovery happens.

2. Develop a Business Vocation for Survival, Engagement, and Excellence.

Just as individuals can and should have a personal vocation, companies are living entities and should have a calling that gives meaning to the work of the organization.

Vocation is essential. In the coming century, businesses with a clear calling will not only survive but thrive, as workers increasingly seek meaning and dignity. A corporate vocation attracts and retains talent by providing a sense of belonging and purpose beyond just a paycheck, countering the isolating effects of technology.

Engaged employees excel. A business vocation fosters employee engagement by addressing fundamental human needs like safety, belonging, and self-esteem within the workplace. When employees feel valued, respected, and connected to a larger purpose, they are more involved, enthusiastic, and committed, leading to higher quality products and services. The author's company prioritizes employee well-being and celebrates contributions, fostering kinship.

Beyond the mission statement. While mission statements can articulate purpose, a true business vocation is a living entity woven into the organizational culture, prioritizing action over words. It's the collective calling that inspires everyone, from leadership to the front lines, to understand why they do what they do, resulting in better quality and a positive impact on the world.

3. Harmonize Profit and Purpose: It's Not Either/Or.

Our aim is to transcend the limiting belief prevalent in traditional business that says “doing good” exists only at the expense of profit.

Interdependent goals. Traditional business often views profit and social responsibility as separate or even conflicting, but they are interdependent. A business vocation integrates the pursuit of financial health with the desire to do good, creating a harmonious relationship where each supports the other. The author's chocolate business funds its social projects, and those projects, in turn, enhance the quality and story of the chocolate, driving sales.

Quality embodies purpose. Great products or services are not just about physical attributes but also embody the intention and purpose behind them. When employees are motivated by a higher calling, their dedication to craft and excellence is amplified, resulting in a superior offering. The author believes their chocolate tastes better because of their dedication to serving farmers and community, not just because of the ingredients.

Embrace the tension. The pursuit of both profitability and goodness creates a natural, healthy tension within an organization. This asymmetry, like wabi-sabi in design, is not a flaw but a source of creativity and better decision-making. Leaders must encourage civil disagreement between those prioritizing craft/profit and those prioritizing social impact, as both perspectives are vital for long-term sustainability and authenticity.

4. Define "Enough" Instead of Chasing Endless "More."

Do you know how many fruitcakes the abbey makes per year? Enough.

Question the growth mandate. The conventional business wisdom of "grow or die" is a seductive premise that can be harmful if pursued without considering the cost. Constant acceleration for "more" can sacrifice authenticity, well-being, and the very values that give work meaning. The author learned from the monastic concept of "enough" – producing only what is needed to sustain their contemplative life.

Growth redefined. "Enough" is a dynamic target, but it shifts the focus from endless accumulation to meeting specific, meaningful goals. For a business, this might mean achieving financial health sufficient for fair wages, reduced debt, and investment in quality, rather than maximizing shareholder value at all costs. It also includes non-financial goals like interior peace, efficient workflow, and strong relationships.

Humility guides "enough." The root of understanding "enough" is humility, recognizing limitations and resisting the arrogance of believing you must constantly expand. Defining "enough" requires ordering your loves, prioritizing what truly matters (like relationships, trust, and purpose) over disordered loves like endless popularity or market share. This intentionality, guided by your vocation and vision, provides a clear path forward.

5. Practice Direct Trade for Quality, Transparency, and Mutuality.

Direct trade is knowing and having a relationship with our cocoa farmers, who we refer to as our “farmer partners”—because that’s what they are; we consider them partners in our business.

Beyond certification. Direct trade is not a third-party certification like Fair Trade, but a hands-on practice of building relationships directly with suppliers, particularly those at the beginning of the supply chain. It involves personal visits, understanding their lives and challenges, and working collaboratively on quality and sustainability. This approach fosters deeper connection and trust than relying solely on intermediaries.

Benefits flow both ways. Direct trade enhances product quality by incentivizing suppliers through personal connection, fair pricing, and collaboration on best practices. It also allows for greater traceability and transparency, enabling businesses to share authentic stories with customers. Crucially, it creates mutuality, where both buyer and seller learn from and benefit each other, fostering kinship and shared purpose.

Universal application. While exemplified by sourcing cocoa beans, the principles of direct trade—knowing your suppliers and customers, building relationships, transparency, fair pricing, and mutual respect—can be applied to nearly any business. It's about removing layers to connect directly with the people involved, leading to better products, stronger cultures, and opportunities to address social problems within your industry.

6. Embrace Open-Book Management for Ownership and Engagement.

For employees to be invested and interested means a better experience for them and better chocolate for us all to enjoy.

Transparency builds trust. Open-book management involves sharing critical financial and operational numbers with all employees, teaching them what the numbers mean, and showing how their work impacts the results. This transparency fosters trust and eliminates suspicion, ensuring everyone is on the same page regarding the company's health and goals.

Stake in the outcome. A core component is providing employees with a share of the company's success, often through bonuses tied to performance targets. This financial stake, combined with understanding the numbers, encourages employees to think and act like owners, taking greater responsibility and initiative. The author applies this not only with employees but also shares financials with farmer partners.

Alignment across departments. Open-book management breaks down silos between departments by showing how everyone's work contributes to the overall success. Production teams understand how their efficiency impacts sales, and sales teams appreciate the effort required to create the product. This shared understanding aligns efforts towards common goals, improving overall business performance and employee engagement.

7. Reverse Scale (Human Scale) for Deeper, More Sustainable Impact.

Their company is about reverse scale, touching one person at a time, and keeping their soul.

Depth over breadth. Instead of focusing solely on scaling up projects to reach the largest possible numbers, reverse scale prioritizes deep, transformative impact on individuals or small groups. This approach fosters genuine human connection and mutuality, which is often lost in large-scale initiatives. The author resists the pressure to scale his social projects exponentially, focusing instead on profound change in specific communities and individuals.

Transformation begins within. Reverse scale recognizes that the most powerful change begins with personal transformation. Engaging deeply with others in service, even on a small scale, alters the individual providing the service. These transformed individuals then create ripple effects, spreading compassion and positive change more organically and sustainably than top-down, large-scale programs. Jean Vanier's L'Arche communities are an example of this "little lamps" approach.

Honoring the small. There is inherent value and dignity in small ideas and actions that impact just one person. Reverse scale encourages entrepreneurs to pursue these seemingly small initiatives, recognizing that they contribute to a more compassionate world one heart at a time. It's about being present in the moment with the bean, the bar, the student, the farmer, rather than constantly looking to the next big thing.

8. Seek Solitude and Retreats for Clarity and Transformation.

Solitude is not something you must hope for in the future. Rather, it is a deepening of the present, and unless you look for it in the present you will never find it.

Time apart is essential. Retreats and intentional solitude provide necessary time away from the constant demands and distractions of business and daily life. This deliberate pause, whether in a monastery or simply unplugging at home, is crucial for gaining perspective, reducing stress, and fostering mental clarity. The author's regular retreats to Assumption Abbey have been pivotal in his personal and business journey.

Solitude reveals the self. Being alone with your thoughts, though sometimes frightening and uncomfortable, is where you can distinguish the voices of fear and anxiety from those of courage and creativity. Solitude is a training ground for listening to your inner voice and unearthing your true self, which is essential for authentic leadership and decision-making.

Practice makes presence. Cultivating solitude is a practice, not a destination. It involves intentionally creating moments of stillness and unplugging from technology, even amidst a busy schedule. This practice, whether through meditation, contemplative prayer, or simply quiet reflection, helps you become more present and mindful, allowing the fruits of rest and introspection to manifest in your daily life and business decisions.

9. Create and Live by a Rule of Life for Balance and a Center Point.

My Rule of Life... is our heart, our true self, and the point from which everything in our life flows.

An anchor for life. A Rule of Life, inspired by ancient monastic traditions but adaptable for anyone, provides a framework for balancing key areas of life like prayer/contemplation, work, study, and recreation. It serves as a nucleus, a center point that anchors your personal vocation and prevents your business from becoming the sole focus or identity. The author's Rule, based on the Rule of Benedict, guides his daily rhythm and intentions.

Structure supports freedom. While seemingly restrictive, a Rule of Life offers freedom by reducing decision fatigue and providing a clear path aligned with your deepest values. It helps you prioritize "being inserted by doing" – living from a core state of presence and intention, rather than constantly reacting and doing without purpose. Simple routines, like daily prayer or regular walks, build this rhythm.

Accountability is key. Living by a Rule requires commitment and accountability. Sharing your Rule with trusted friends or a spiritual director who can ask difficult questions helps you stay on track and navigate the inevitable challenges and temptations to deviate. It's a lifelong practice of striving for balance and congruence between your beliefs and your actions, continually returning to your center point.

Last updated: May 4, 2025