{"id":38310,"date":"2018-09-25T06:00:27","date_gmt":"2018-09-25T10:00:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thestoryexchange.org\/?p=38310"},"modified":"2021-04-23T17:03:55","modified_gmt":"2021-04-23T21:03:55","slug":"how-to-make-a-difference-through-your-work","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thestoryexchange.org\/how-to-make-a-difference-through-your-work\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Seriously Make a Difference Through Your Work"},"content":{"rendered":"

Editor\u2019s Note: This is part of our\u00a0Good on the Ground<\/a>\u00a0series, profiling\u00a0entrepreneurial women<\/a>\u00a0who are addressing social issues in innovative and inspiring ways.\u00a0Video by Sue Williams<\/a><\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

Sherri Franklin was running a successful San Francisco hair salon<\/a> when she realized something: Work<\/a> just wasn\u2019t as satisfying as it used to be. <\/span><\/p>\n

What was rewarding, though, was volunteering at the local animal shelter. \u201cI just go mad for the dogs,\u201d she says, particularly the old ones with gray or white faces. \u201cNormal people have a reaction to puppies,\u201d she says. \u201cOld dogs are my calling.\u201d \u00a0She spent hours walking an old basset-beagle mix named Heidi — and was heartbroken to arrive at the shelter one day and learn that her furry friend had been euthanized. <\/span><\/p>\n

Research shows that <\/span>old dogs over 7<\/span><\/a> are often considered \u201cunadoptable\u201d and put down even if they are in good health with friendly personalities. Motivated by grief, Franklin became committed to changing that statistic, even though her job experience entailed managing salons, cutting hair and (generally speaking) dealing with humans. \u201cIt was a leap of faith,\u201d she says. But, \u201cI had a burning feeling that I had to try.”<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/div>

A Podcast for Dog Lovers<\/h2>

Listen to our podcast episode for more of our interview with Sherri Franklin.<\/h3>

Today, Franklin is the founder of Muttville<\/a>, a 19-employee social enterprise<\/a> whose mission is to change the way the world thinks about and treats older dogs. The $4 million nonprofit organization rescues about 1,000 senior dogs each year and finds them foster or \u201cforever\u201d homes, working out of a 10,000-square-foot cage-free facility. In 2016, she was recognized as a CNN Hero<\/a> for her work saving senior dogs from euthanasia.<\/span><\/p>\n

[Related: Read more about Muttville’s startup story<\/a>]<\/em><\/p>\n

Here\u2019s Franklin\u2019s advice to anyone thinking about making an impact in the world by starting a social enterprise:<\/span><\/p>\n

Don\u2019t try to fix a problem unless you are absolutely, personally motivated to solve it.<\/span><\/h5>\n

That\u2019s good advice for anyone starting a small business, but it\u2019s all the more critical when you\u2019re starting a socially conscious venture that might require a good chunk of your time, money and emotional capacity. \u201cYou must have a passion for what you are doing,\u201d she says. \u201cIt\u2019s way too much work if you\u2019re not feeling it.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n

Become as familiar with the problem as possible, even if it\u2019s heart-wrenching. <\/span><\/h5>\n

In Franklin\u2019s case, she first learned about issues related to unwanted pets by volunteering at the shelter. She got to know veterinarians and fellow animal activists, and eventually applied for a position on San Francisco\u2019s Animal Control and Welfare Commission (she was appointed, and served for 6 years). <\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve seen things that have taken my breath away and made me have nightmares and feel despair,\u201d she says. But she also helped write the city\u2019s backyard dog ordinance, which mandates minimum care for pets kept in backyards. The experience putting solutions in place gave the hairstylist new standing in the animal rescue world.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Start small and keep a source of part-time income. <\/span><\/h5>\n

Before she launched Muttville in 2007, Franklin continued to operate a hair salon and started taking dogs home that were slated for euthanasia. She matched many of her salon clients to furry companions. She learned about what it would take to run an animal-rescue organization, all while continuing to support herself by cutting hair.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIf you\u2019ve got millions of dollars saved, then jump in wholeheartedly,\u201d she says. \u201cIf you still have to pay a mortgage or rent, you do have to start slower, like I did.\u201d She continued to cut hair on the side after starting Muttville, as it took many years — and much fundraising — to pay herself a salary.<\/span><\/p>\n

[Related: 5 Sources of Money for Your Startup<\/a>]<\/em><\/p>\n

Become a student of social entrepreneurship. <\/span><\/h5>\n

Franklin had owned two salons — one in San Francisco, and one in Aspen, Colo. — before launching Muttville, so she had more experience than most newbie business owners. But launching a mission-driven business is another matter. She took classes about how to start a 501(c)(3) nonprofit through national organizations like the <\/span>Foundation Center<\/span><\/a>, <\/span>CompassPoint<\/span><\/a> and even <\/span>Craigslist Foundation<\/span><\/a>, which ran a nonprofit bootcamp program. (That work is now being done by <\/span>Social Media for Nonprofits<\/span><\/a>). She attended conferences, enrolled in seminars, watched YouTube videos and \u201c<\/span>asked for a lot of help<\/span>,\u201d which also helped build her network.<\/span><\/p>\n

Raise funds, raise funds, raise funds. <\/span><\/h5>\n

This is especially critical if your social enterprise does not generate revenue by selling products or services. \u201c<\/span>I remember being told before I started Muttville that \u2018you will never stop fundraising, you’re always going to be asking for money,\u2019\u201d Franklin says. \u201cThe truth is, that’s exactly right.\u201d She <\/span>\u00a0says it’s easier to do if you focus on your social mission when raising funds<\/span>. \u201cWhen I\u2019m asking for money, I am not asking for me,\u201d she says. \u201cI am asking for the dogs.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n

During her first year, she recalls getting a $5,000 donation \u201cand calling everybody I knew\u201d in excitement, she says. Today, 80 percent of Muttville\u2019s $4 million operating budget comes from individuals, and she has donors who give as much as $1 million a person to support Muttville. <\/span><\/p>\n

Don\u2019t be overwhelmed by the enormity of the problem you\u2019re trying to solve. <\/span><\/h5>\n

This is a particular challenge for social entrepreneurs, who by definition are trying to make the world a better place by tackling a variety of environmental or societal problems such as <\/span>addiction, poverty and homelessness<\/span>. \u201cY<\/span>ou have to keep your eye on the fact that you\u2019re helping the problem,\u201d Franklin says, even if that only means \u201cmaking the problem a little bit less.\u201d Before Muttville, she used to volunteer to take a dog for its last walk before euthanasia because \u201cI wanted to make sure it had a final last joy.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n

She doesn\u2019t even like to visit places like India, because she knows she can\u2019t fix the animal-rights issues there. But at home at least, \u201cno dog in San Francisco has to face euthanasia anymore,\u201d she says, thanks to Muttville\u2019s efforts. \u201cDoing something rather than nothing [is] sometimes not the easiest path to take, but it is the most rewarding.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Check out more social entrepreneurs making an impact in our Good on the Ground<\/a>\u00a0series.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Sure, you could have a safe and secure job in any old profession. But if you\u2019re looking to make an impact, consider starting a social enterprise. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":51,"featured_media":39955,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"autoblue_enabled":false,"autoblue_custom_message":"","autoblue_shares":[],"autoblue_post_url":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[187,218,35,3],"tags":[19465,19452,19444,20423,19934,19761],"class_list":["post-38310","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-features","category-good-on-the-ground","category-startup-tips","category-entrepreneur-videos","tag-personal-services","tag-social-entrepreneurs","tag-animal-business","tag-animal-welfare","tag-nonprofit-management","tag-social-entrepreneurship"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n6 Tips for How to Seriously Make a Difference Through Your Work<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Sure, you could have a safe and secure job in any old profession. 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