For some people, the path to career success is crystal clear: attend a prominent university, find the perfect internship, attend another prominent university, secure a job with a powerful company, and climb the corporate ladder until you have a cozy seat at the top. But Farhad Attaie is not some people, well, at least not anymore.
Farhad is the Co-founder and CEO of hellosmile—a health management company that is transforming the delivery of pediatric health services to underserved communities in New York City. He is also a founding member of Factory and the Co-founder of Do.Live.Love.—a social community driven by the belief that there's no separation between creating a better self and better world.
If Farhad’s bio reads particularly touchy-feely, you may be surprised to learn that the rising entrepreneur began his career at Merrill Lynch Investment Bank with a single, solitary goal: get rich. But after only a few years on the job he knew it wasn’t the right fit.
“I got the chance to see the cycle of money from not having it, to having it, to having too much of it,” says Farhad. “I saw the ups and downs and what that does.”
Earlier this summer, I invited Farhad to be a guest on my show The Next Crop—a weekly web series that features the
In the short clip above, Farhad and I discuss what prospective social entrepreneurs can do to better improve both their overall approach and execution—the first of which is stop using the term “social entrepreneur.”
“The distinction between social entrepreneur and entrepreneur is part of the problem," says Farhad. "As entrepreneurs we all have the responsibility to make a difference and to understand that every action has a reaction.”
In the full episode, which you can watch on TheNextCrop.com, Farhad and I explore the topic further. He shares how mission-based companies are evolving in the marketplace, the power of understanding the “why” behind an idea, and why he believes the future belongs to founders.
“Entrepreneurship is the greatest vehicle for change,” says Farhad. “We’re seeing that even with businesses that are not deemed ‘social businesses.’”
Although not all of Farhad’s ideas about business are universally accepted, it’s hard to deny the appeal of cause-focused companies, especially to the younger generations. And that, whether you agree with him or not, is certainly something to smile about.
Check out the clip above to watch five minutes of my interview with Farhad, and visit TheNextCrop.com to view the full episode.
