I started college with the hope of building a career in which I could be of service to others. At first I thought it meant becoming a doctor. A career in medicine seemed to be my best chance to make a difference.
Throughout my studies, I was fortunate to be surrounded by people motivated by idealistic causes. A particularly ambitious friend wanted to clear a landmine field in Cambodia. He took an entrepreneurial approach to crowdfunding this business by bringing his friends (and often their parents) to host fundraising dinners at a cost, collectively raising $50,000.
He inspired me to want to do such impactful work. I got involved in an arts-based trauma therapy program for children living on the streets near Phnom Penh. I started out doing similar fundraisers, but investing all that time and energy made me want to do more. I wanted to see the impact for myself.
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Knowing that medical supplies were in high demand, I spoke to doctors in Vancouver and filled four duffel bags with western medical supplies, from antibiotics to bandages.
After landing in Bangkok, I carried these bags through the border town of Poipet, Cambodia/Thailand. I spent the next few days in Siem Reap, where I delivered the drugs and volunteered at a hospital to revamp its archaic computer system.
It was hard to see the difficulties a hospital had in the limited resources. Most of those welcomed were mothers and children with life-threatening illnesses. They had usually traveled a day or two to the hospital and had no place to sleep that night. This first week was hard to process.
I continued through Phnom Penh to see firsthand the projects I had fundraised for back home. I then headed south to Sihanoukville, where I spent six weeks working with M'Lop Tapang, an organization that focuses on community issues such as lack of education, sexual abuse, substance abuse and basic health issues. It was impossible to attend the work in progress in Sihanoukville and leave unchanged.
If you, too, oscillate between a path focused on the less fortunate and a path focused on your own personal development, know that both do not are not mutually exclusive. Here are three valuable lessons I learned from my experiences in Cambodia.
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1. Look for people who are aligned with the vision.
By the time of my return visit, M'Lop Tapang had grown from around 20 people to over 200. The same people who had left their comfortable western lives for so many years. years ago were still there, lingering as ever. By banding together with like-minded people, they were able to have a significant long-term impact.
I realized that I could create a similar environment within my own businesses.
Startup of a company itself requires intensive collaboration. Early in my career, I worked with a good friend to start a health-related technology company to democratize access to an online clinical experience.
My friend is a doctor, so he provided medical expertise, I brought technical experience and we worked with a designer to create a user-friendly site. Our complementary knowledge allowed us to quickly create a valuable product. One of us couldn't have done it alone. This is a hard lesson for many entrepreneurs to learn, but once you trust the people around you, you can accomplish your goals much more effectively.
2. Do not try to fix or fix. Understand and support.
On my first trip to Cambodia, I spent a day in a small slum just outside of Sihanoukville where M'Lop Tapang was starting an outreach program to provide basic education in hygiene to mothers and children.
Some children had untreated infections and wounds. Their family's daily budget could not afford such simple medicines. Feeling helpless, I started to get medical supplies from the nearby pharmacy. What I realized was that while I might be able to temporarily alleviate a few small issues, I alone could not produce the lasting impact needed. It became apparent how little I knew. I thought I would go and help people, but in reality, I had almost nothing to offer them.
I came back years later with a new perspective. Just as I learned how important it is to trust the people you work with, I learned how much you stand to gain by listening to those you are trying to benefit.
When my friend and I were building the health tech startup, we basically locked ourselves in a room for a year and didn't tell anyone until we were almost done. We assumed we knew what people wanted from the product we were building. We should have sought their input to find out what they really needed.
Everyone has valuable insights to bring to the table. Remember that, and then listen to people.
3. Reverse your goals to find divergent solutions.
The first big change in my life was deciding that I could reach more people as an entrepreneur than as a doctor. The second change came years later when I realized that even after building multiple companies, I still didn't have that impact.
I decided to start with the end goal and working backwards:how could we build a system for these communities to help themselves? This is divergent thinking in action, considering different approaches and perspectives.
What I learned from thinking backwards is that there is no " miracle solution". After 10 years of building businesses, I'm finally teaming up with friends and fellow entrepreneurs to launch a program that teaches young Cambodians about entrepreneurship and helps them build businesses that address local issues.
It's easy to believe that you've headed straight to your end goal, but you should always be open to new paths that appear along the way. You can get the most out of those you set out to help and find a more rewarding route to your destination.
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