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“Profit is a filthy word.” – Russell Brand
Russell Brand—actor, comedian, and political activist—says there’s going to be a revolution. Simply put, this is the end of the current chapter of politics and economics.
If you haven’t watched the viral video above of Russell Brand being interviewed by Jeremy Paxman on BBC Newsnight, you should. I respect Russell Brand. I respect anyone who has the courage to speak their mind, propose new ideas, and look for ways to help us all grow and evolve.
Now, in the interview above, Russell mostly goes into how he feels about the politics and inequalities of the world, but also touches on how lost and disillusioned so many people are (and why).
What would Russell Brand say about entrepreneurship then? Or specifically, solopreneurship?
Regardless of what you think about him, the man is using his platform and fame to speak up about some very important issues. Some call his ideas utopian or communist. I personally think it’s an inevitable evolution.
An economy where profit is the number one goal isn’t going to go anywhere tomorrow, but it is slowly becoming an outdated and obsolete incentive. I say this as an American who also believes Capitalism has brought some of the most incredible innovations and technologies to the world. But let’s leave politics aside. This is about much more than that.
You see—there’s no longer a need for the carrot-and-stick mentality.
And there have been many studies that already prove we don’t need money/rewards to incentivize us to get off our asses.
As Alan Watts famously lectured and asked, “what would you do if money were no object?”
Once he finally pushed people to arrive at an answer, what was his advice? Do that.
Do that which you love. That which makes you feel alive. Because if you enjoy that enough, you will become a master of it. And if you become a master of it, eventually the money will come.
At that point you will be such a master of this art you will be able to charge whatever you like and will have all the resources you need to succeed.
What would I do if money were no object? I would write. I would create content and education. And I would coach and mentor people on how to design the lifestyle of their dreams and be successful solopreneurs.
Things are changing: crowdsourcing, crowdfunding, the sharing economy, and dozens of other new ideas that are created daily. But, profit — or rather money — is still a means to the experiences we crave in life.
So what do we do in this day and age where profit is still the most important thing?
What would Russell Brand do? Would he advise you to keep that desk job? Would he say you should continue to be a cog in a machine? To help build other people’s dreams? To settle for less simply because you’re afraid of the unknown?
Absolutely not.
In fact, if you’re feeling that way at all and have ever had the desire to do more with your life, I highly recommend you ask yourself some key questions:
- Why haven’t you started that blog/website yet or started actually doing what it is you love to do?
- Have you always wanted to be an solopreneur, but haven’t been able to convince yourself the time is right? Study this list of the 15 best ways to start an online business with integrity.
- Why aren’t you designing a lifestyle of your choice, where freedom is the ultimate asset?
By the way, no one said you had to quit your job. In fact, I don’t recommend you do right away.
Start your side-project today and begin investing time in those dreams you once had. When the time is right you’ll know. And it doesn’t have to be a jump, by that point it’ll just be a step.
Russell Brand would say that entrepreneurship is one of the greatest and most enlightening things we can do as individuals here and now. Being an entrepreneur puts you in control. Not only will it “wake you up” but it will challenge you to be the best sense of yourself.
Russell himself is an entrepreneur in many ways, and he’s proving that we don’t belong in these individual, compartmentalized boxes that people/society has put us in.
Because he earned his fame through acting people have already started telling him to hush up and keep doing his job—to not to worry about politics and spreading his message. But why? That’s his right and something he feels is his purpose.
This isn’t some utopian or communist idea. It’s an inevitable evolution.
So say goodbye to the carrot-and-stick world. Stop allowing others to force this “temporary compliance” and incentive you with just enough to keep you there.
Do what Russell would do and start to think for yourself. Speak your mind and live your life. Not the one you were born into, but the one you were destined to live.
