The Story Of A Younger Entrepreneur Constructing A Higher World With A Nonprofit

John Jantsch (00:00): This episode of the Duct Tape Advertising Podcast is delivered to you by Nudge, hosted by Phil Agnew. It is delivered to you by the HubSpot Podcast Community, the audio vacation spot for enterprise professionals. You may study the science behind nice advertising with chew measurement 20 minute episodes filled with sensible recommendation from world-class entrepreneurs and behavioral scientists. And it isn’t at all times about advertising. Nice episode. Not too long ago you realized the shocking truths about and suggestions for beating, stress and anxiousness. Appears like an amazing program, would not it? Take heed to Nudge wherever you get your s

John Jantsch (00:48): Hey.

John Jantsch (00:48): Welcome to a different episode of the Duct Tape Advertising Podcast. That is John Jan, and my visitor in the present day is Camden Francis. He is the founder and c e o of a nonprofit group referred to as Past the Disaster. It is a couple of meals distribution charity that is distributed over $100,000 of meals gadgets to housing communities and homeless shelters throughout Massachusetts. I also needs to let you know that Camden is eighteen years outdated. His nonprofit Past the Disaster landed him on the Drew Barrymore discuss present, Bloomberg Radio podcast, quite a few podcasts with npr, together with All Issues Thought of. So we’re gonna speak about his entrepreneurial journey. So Camden, thanks for becoming a member of me.

Camden Francis (01:28): Thanks a lot for having me. It is a pleasure to be right here.

John Jantsch (01:31): Effectively, I, I’ve to say you, you’ve a, you earned an honor. You’re the youngest visitor I believe I’ve ever had on the present. Wow. I betcha I am not the primary individual that’s advised you that although. Oh, you are, you are fairly younger to get began in accomplishment. It is, yeah, yeah. It is what you have achieved at such a younger age is newsworthy, in order that’s why you make it on these reveals. So let me, let me ask you about Past the Disaster, going again to whenever you began it, cuz I do know you have been doing this for at this for a short time. What, I imply, what was it that led you to start out, what, what made you say I would like to do that factor?

Camden Francis (02:02): So it was actually on the top of the pandemic. I am very bold. I am an entrepreneurial minded child, however I actually wished to do one thing to assist my neighborhood. So it was that mixed with like entrepreneurship that basically turned an concept into like a mobilization to essentially assist households in want.

John Jantsch (02:20): Yeah. So discuss a bit of bit concerning the begin of it. Was it, you recognize, discuss a bit of bit concerning the challenges. I imply, beginning any entrepreneurial enterprise is a problem. So what have been a few of the challenges? After which possibly form of discuss a bit of bit concerning the day-to-day what, what the group truly does on a day-to-day foundation.

Camden Francis (02:37): Yeah, so form of in the course of the, like the times of like founding this group, I did it with my 13 12 months outdated brother. We have been so younger on the time. One of many issues that we did was we obtained a mentor so we reached out. I’ve an amazing community. I am very lucky. My dad is also an entrepreneur himself, in order that’s useful. However I reached out to the CEO of Y M C A in Metro North area. Her identify is Kathleen Walsh, she’s my mentor up to now with the nonprofit. And that basically helped us not fall into too many form of pitfalls as a result of like we form of bootstrapped the group, which implies we self-funded it and with assets from a 13 12 months outdated and on the time I used to be 16. So it is fairly wonderful that in the present day we’re in a position to distribute 100 thousand {dollars} price of meals gadgets. Nevertheless it actually goes to point out you that form of it you, should you put your thoughts to one thing and should you get the proper companions in place, you actually have good folks behind you and a neighborhood that basically can use your concept, it is marketable and it may well actually assist folks then it may well actually go far.

John Jantsch (03:33): Yeah. So discuss a bit of bit concerning the day-to-day, what, you recognize, what is the precise perform of the group, how does it work?

Camden Francis (03:39): So day-to-day what we do is we form of attain out to form of housing communities and homeless shelters throughout Massachusetts that may actually use form of meals gadgets. So we form of have them fill out surveys and so they get again to us with form of what they want. And often we are able to fulfill these necessities as a result of we even have sponsors in place. We’ve got sponsors in a trustee board. The trustee board is what we took from like faculties. We noticed faculties and universities. They’ve form of devoted donors like each month that basically believed within the mission and the CO that they are supporting. And we noticed why cannot we do that at a nonprofit stage? In order that’s actually serving to us. However yeah, additionally our company spots is a very nice, they’re form of massive form of meals manufacturers and so they form of can assist with the precise meals donations mandatory.

(04:24): However we now have an amazing community. We’re form of linked with form of governors, congressmen. Certainly one of our most strategic donors proper, is Jim McGovern, who’s form of an enormous advocate for form of the US and world meals insecurity, well being and vitamin. And in addition we’re closely concerned at even a nationwide stage with the podcast outreach. I imply the media outreach that we have achieved. And we’re form of additionally concerned with the White Home and serving to them form of strategically use a few of our analysis as a result of what we have discovered is we’re meals distribution charity, which is fairly distinctive as a result of we have discovered that there is truly sufficient meals to go round, however households lack entry to accessible meals elsewhere. And a number of meals proper now’s simply getting wasted. So we now have folks on our staff working with meals recirculation, so form of taking meals from eating places that is not actually used and can go to waste and redistributing it to soup kitchens. And we now have folks on the bottom who’re drivers form of delivering the meals from level A to level B. After which we now have the operations on the manager board who form of handles the operations of the

John Jantsch (05:25): Group. What was, I imply o clearly listening to you describe what you have achieved actually in a reasonably brief time. However whenever you have been getting began, what was the toughest factor and and once more, consider anyone beginning any entrepreneurial enterprise, what was the toughest factor for you?

Camden Francis (05:39): I might say in essentially the most humble method, as a result of I used to be so younger, I knew that I did not have proper the information that a number of 40 and 50 12 months outdated entrepreneurs had. And it wasn’t essentially naive to say, nevertheless it was like the power to form of make errors that was actually scary. It is scary for entrepreneurs basically, proper? They do not at all times know if their concept’s gonna work out. However being at such a younger age, you hear suggestions from like different folks in your interior circle, household and pals and there is like, they’re like, yeah, proper, like this is not gonna occur. However actually seeing form of the progress that we have made to date and saying actually centered and current has actually been a blessing for me, my brother and the opposite folks round this group and my household as a complete. So it is nice seeing it come collectively.

John Jantsch (06:26): Was there ever a time you felt like chucking it? It is like why am I bothering, that is simply too onerous. I imply, I do know what I used to be doing once I was 16, 17 years outdated, , there was a number of different issues that, you recognize, that I wished to go do. I imply, did you ever have a second the place you simply felt like, I simply cannot do that anymore

Camden Francis (06:43): many occasions as a result of it was actually in the course of the starting that we, I’ve had that second now, not a lot as a result of I see form of what it is doing for households, proper? Who actually might use and profit from it. However in the course of the starting when like my pals form of wished to hang around consistently and a few of the plans I could not make, it was undoubtedly onerous to form of make these sacrifices. However figuring out that they paid off up to now is admittedly nice. However yeah, I actually, I did this nonprofit to find out about to, along with assist folks to find out about entrepreneurship as a complete. And I am at present launching a, like a tech startup proper now that is much more form of, I might say attention-grabbing and nearly distinctive.

John Jantsch (07:24): Superior. So would you say you’re, you hinted at this a bit of bit, speaking about how in some methods you have been so younger that you simply did not know what you did not know and you were not afraid to love ask since you weren’t possibly embarrassed by, you recognize, by not figuring out. Would you say that your youth or your age has been a assist or a problem or each?

Camden Francis (07:45): It is undoubtedly allowed me a platform, proper? To essentially form of inform my story to uh, form of talk what I’ve achieved and what I plan to do and form of how I plan to proceed to assist households in want. That is actually the primary objective of the group and it is actually vital with nonprofits to simply actually keep centered on the objective. Why are you doing it and the way can it assist folks? However being so younger to start with, I actually wasn’t taking severely, I used to be sending so many emails they have been getting bounced again, rejected, rescinded ghosts. However yeah, it actually form of gave me perseverance and it is good to be younger and form of have developed these talent units early on. So whenever you’re older you form of have this information, you’ve skillsets developed and you may actually form of make a good greater distinction as a result of that is what I plan to

John Jantsch (08:31): Dos. So was there additionally, I talked, I requested you if there was time you felt like quitting. Was there additionally that second or like in the future that you simply bear in mind, you recognize, possibly you bought some buddy to say sure, you recognize what the place you, the place you mentioned your self, this would possibly truly simply make it.

Camden Francis (08:46): Yeah, I, for us, actually one of many biggest days for us is form of being on the Drew Barmore present and having the ability to inform our story mainstream in entrance of a reside viewers and have it additionally make nationwide protection on c V s. And that was form of like a breaking level as a result of at that time we form of had an viewers, we, we had listeners, we obtained volunteer alternatives from that, extra donors, we had associate alternatives. I had the power to community with even um, extra highly effective influential folks akin to CEOs of corporations. You identify it like governors. It was, yeah, it was a very form of, once I look again at it, it was a nearly gonna be a core reminiscence most likely in my expertise as a younger entrepreneur. However yeah, there it has been a rollercoaster journey

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John Jantsch (10:31): What would you say, and I believe you have already hinted at this, however I am gonna ask you anyway, has been essentially the most rewarding factor about doing this, placing within the work?

Camden Francis (10:39): I might say essentially the most, yeah, essentially the most rewarding factor for me was form of doing it with my youthful brother. We’re so shut, we have gained a lot information about entrepreneurship and simply having him as a associate. You recognize, we’re very shut and ultimately form of when our dad and mom form of cross us on the baton, it is actually nice to have like a finest pal who you possibly can belief and who you possibly can bounce concepts with, concept with and simply develop collectively. And I might say that is undoubtedly top-of-the-line issues for me.

John Jantsch (11:10): Yeah, that is superior. So I believe I learn this someplace, your school certain?

Camden Francis (11:19): I’m, yeah. So I at present utilized ready to listen to again. I utilized to a choose variety of faculties, a couple of Ivys, Vanderbilt over in Tennessee. I utilized to Duke, so like high, high faculties and I am enjoying to, I examine both entrepreneurship or finance. So yeah, it is thrilling ready to listen to again, however

John Jantsch (11:38): So what does that imply? Assuming you are gonna go off, what does that imply for the group?

Camden Francis (11:43): Yeah, so proper now due to how we run the group, a number of our form of employees are digital and we now have a very nice volunteer base. However we’re planning to develop the group tremendous organically. And what that is gonna enable us to do is form of simply continue to grow at small and regular charges and maintain making a small impression. Once I’m in school, we’re most likely not going to develop and scale anymore, however we all know that we are able to form of retain what we now have and proceed to assist like a particular variety of households, which we have already form of form of assessed and labored via. So

John Jantsch (12:17): Yeah, in order that was my subsequent query was, you recognize, what is the imaginative and prescient for the longer term for the group? Nevertheless it sounds to me such as you nearly need to take the place you at the moment are and simply get higher at doing what you are doing

Camden Francis (12:27): Precisely. However we even have imaginative and prescient for the longer term. We actually wanna keep centered, keep current, however we actually need to flip it right into a household basis to form of set up a an enduring legacy of giving and have one thing within the household the place both I can donate time or assets to my brother or form of even possibly 10 years down the street, who is aware of if the group’s nonetheless gonna be working, however form of having this be like a household factor. Just like the Francis household based this and that is what we do, here is our impression and form of that is our legacy. So that is the play.

John Jantsch (13:01): So little bro, you are ceo, is that it now?

Camden Francis (13:04): Yeah, I believe I am gonna give my brother a few of the reigns for certain. I am going to undoubtedly be on name serving to out. It is nice form of with Zoom and Google Meet and all these apps, proper? You may form of do conferencing like we’re doing now. However yeah, I believe that I am going to simply form of maintain it small, maintain it manageable, that is actually form of the primary factor.

John Jantsch (13:22): So can you discuss concerning the tech startup that you simply’re working

Camden Francis (13:25): On? There’s a number of disclosure round it, however I can provide a couple of particular form of particulars and actually what I am going to go into, I am not gonna go into the design facet of it as a result of it’s totally, however we’re gonna nearly our form of like associate or the group, our foremost competitor is gonna be LinkedIn and we’re gonna make this app nearly like form of how Fb began it round school campuses. LinkedIn is, it is an amazing app, however I am discovering that it is onerous to seek out internships on the, on the app. It is onerous to seek out job alternatives, particularly for actually younger, proficient, um, people and college students out of school, proper out of school. So by making a platform that is very user-friendly and permitting it to be college-based, have college students form of make teams and be capable to form of set up whether or not that be like no matter teams, life teams, health teams, stuff like that.

(14:19): And as well as, it might be an amazing networking app, which can also be, which additionally permits college students to form of not simply waste senseless hours on social media, however form of use social media to form of enable themselves to impression their futures and actually form of create core connections. After which with that companies, proper, we are able to go on our app and so they’ll pay us like a price, a costing price, however over time, proper? If we get companies, massive companies, there’s so lots of them costing price or when you have their price, the retention there may be going to be fairly nice. And in addition if we form of get, get a consumer base proper when these customers develop up, it could possibly be the subsequent massive app as a result of they’re gonna already know the best way to use it, they’re gonna be aware of it, these school college students, then they’re gonna get possibly older thirties, forties, then their children are gonna even be aware of it. So it is a good time to launch one thing like this.

John Jantsch (15:07): Superior. So here is the toughest query I am going to save for final. Do you see your self as an inspiration be seen as such?

Camden Francis (15:13): I am so humble that I am actually attempting to develop my skillset, develop my mindset, keep concentrated, keep centered, and sooner or later who is aware of the place life will take me. However as of proper now, I am so grateful for the work I’ve achieved to date and I am very motivated. It is nice form of to have motivation once I get up within the morning, I am excited, I am able to go. And that is simply, it is nice. It is actually nice and I am tremendous blessed for it. However ultimately I plan to form of continue to grow my platform too.

John Jantsch (15:45): Are you a reader?

Camden Francis (15:47): I’m, sure.

John Jantsch (15:48): Sure. So, so the place, what books does give us your high three or 4 newest reads that you simply suppose everyone must

Camden Francis (15:55): Learn? Yeah, off the highest of my head, I believe I might need a couple of of ’em listed someplace. Maintain on one sec. Certain. Sorry concerning the delay right here. I simply, off the highest of my head, onerous to recollect. Okay. So How To Win Associates and Affect Individuals by Dale Carnegie. That is on my record.

John Jantsch (16:14): That e book’s older than Me even. Yeah,

Camden Francis (16:17): nice e book. It is a Relic, the lead startup Crushing it by Gary Vaynerchuk. After which I additionally am massive into podcasts, so I take a look at form of the Harvard Enterprise Assessment and form of how this was made podcast and some different podcasts akin to that. However yeah, I am a giant reader. I like to form of study and that is form of how I ideate how I get these concepts, how I community massive a part of. Superior.

John Jantsch (16:41): Superior. So Camden, inform folks, is there someplace you’d wanna invite folks to take a look at past the Disaster or clearly any method to join with you personally?

Camden Francis (16:50): Yeah, certain. So I’ve LinkedIn, a Camden Francis, uh, you would go verify me on the market. I would love to attach. I would like to reply questions concerning the group, what I do, and in addition be on the disaster’s web site. Go verify this out. www.beyondthecrisis.org. Every little thing’s up there. Yeah.

John Jantsch (17:06): Superior. Effectively, Camden, I admire you taking a couple of moments to cease by the Duct Tape Advertising podcast and good luck wherever your subsequent ventures Legion. Perhaps we’ll run into you certainly one of lately on the market on the street.

Camden Francis (17:16): Yeah, possibly. So thanks once more for having me. It is a pleasure.

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