I admit that I don’t know what a soul is, but I know one when I see one.
Ok, so my wife is the best. Quick story: A few years ago, she was invited to join a book club and she jumped at the chance. Her friend that invited her is one of her favorites and even though she didn’t know anyone else, she thought it would be fun to meet new people. I refer to this phenomenon as “social geometry.” If A is friends with B, and B is friends with C, then A is likely to be friends with C. Not always, but it’s probable.
The first book was one of the Twilight books. Not sure which one but also, who gives a shit? A girl is in a love triangle with a vampire and a werewolf and that’s kind of it, right? I honestly don’t know, but also…I think that’s kind of it.
She read it. She thought it was dumb. She expected to go to the “meeting” and drink wine and talk about other things, but nope. They wanted to have a serious conversation about the book.
They started to go around and debate if vampires had souls. Grown women. Smart women. Accomplished women. They had strong opinions about whether or not vampires had souls.
It was my special lady’s turn to announce her position. “Well, what do you think?” they ask, “Do vampires have souls or not?”
Wife: “Ummm, seriously? Vampires don’t exist.”
I imagine there was a record player and it screeched to a halt. A dog definitely howled in the distance and I bet there was some tumbleweed that inexplicably rolled across whatever Pier One-decorated living room they were in.
Yeah. A≠C. It’s ok because ironically enough, speaking your mind and not conforming takes soul. Like I said, she’s the best.
. . .
Now, I can’t define what a soul actually is, but I know when it’s there or not there.
Good music has a soul. Good art has a soul. Good food has a soul. People and animals surely have souls.
But what about a business? Can it have a soul? Turns out that the answer to that is “yes.”
My aforementioned wife works at a hospital and told me a story earlier this week about an older man who is suffering from Alzheimer’s. His wife is helping any way she can, but they’re both older. One thing he still has, though, is his love for cars. He’s a former race car driver and when it comes to cars, he can talk to anyone about them. He still drives, too, which seems sketchy but he apparently does fine.
Cars. That was his safe place. His love for cars was in a fortress so strong that even Alzheimer’s couldn’t breach its walls.
But, a problem was that he loved cars so much, that he kept buying them. Like many times a week. He’d go out to the local dealership, talk cars, and then buy a car.
The local dealership knew of his illness, so of course they weren’t really selling him multiple cars every week. They talked with him, showed him cars, and flipped through brochures with him. Then, when it was time to “buy” a car, they gave him a bunch of stuff to sign, and waved as he drove off the lot with his new car.
All the while knowing that his lovely wife would bring the car back to the dealership the next day.
People > Everything else.
Again, I will be the first to tell you I have no idea how to even begin defining what a soul is, but I know one when I see one and that car dealership has a soul. It’s not a business that treated a man with respect, it was a team of individuals who treated a man with respect, and therefore giving the business for which they worked a soul.
They put humanity in front of profit, liability, and expenses. Seems crazy simple to do, I know, but it can be hard to do when you’re running a business, especially when it’s counter to what’s probably more sensible.
I’ve always coveted brands that aim to be part of something larger than themselves. The ones that aren’t only trying to make money, but instead are focused on being a part of people’s lives and passions. I started Magic Room Brand with the goal of empowering musicians to bring their interest in sustainability into their passion for music. As a young business venture, it’s hard not to focus on just the bottom line, so a story like this is a great reminder.
So, yes. A business can have a soul. Actually, I’d say that all of them do, but knowing how to harness it is the trick.
Find it, use it, and protect it.
But if you’re in the vampire business, sorry. You’re screwed.
#bewhatyoumake
