You’re brilliant, talented, and driven. People tell you all the time how much potential you have.
But if you’re honest, there’s a question that lingers in the quiet moments: Why doesn’t my work feel like it’s enough? Why doesn’t it feel like me?
Maybe you’re navigating a 9-to-5, working hard yet feeling like your contributions aren’t aligned with your life mission or adequately rewarded. Or perhaps you’ve taken the leap into entrepreneurship, fuelled by passion, but the impactful results you visualized have not materialized. There’s a disconnect between what you do and the impact you dream of making; and you want to make meaningful income to live well and do more to betther the world.
This isn’t just your imagination. Studies from the Future of Work Report and the International Labour Organization (ILO) highlight a profound shift in the workforce. The future demands a new breed of professionals and entrepreneurs who combine technical expertise, emotional intelligence, and adaptability. By 2027, more than 23% of jobs will transform, leaving workers and business owners alike scrambling to align their talents with emerging opportunities.
Here’s the truth: you don’t have to choose between making an impact and earning a sustainable income. Whether you’re intrapreneurial, driving change within an organisation, or entrepreneurial, building solutions from the ground up, you can align your purpose with your work.
DEFINE: Discover the Fire in Your Belly
Let me take you back to where my journey began.
As a teenager growing up in St Thomas, Jamaica, I was bursting with ambition but completely unsure of what I wanted to do. One week, I wanted to be a paediatrician. The next, a lawyer. Then maybe a psychologist. My mind ran through possibilities, each one exciting but none that felt like the one.
Everything changed when I stumbled upon the Economic and Social Survey of Jamaica. For the first time, I saw statistics as more than numbers; they were the realities of my community. Teenage pregnancies, unemployment, unattached youth; these were not just societal challenges but lived experiences of people I knew.
It was then I felt it: the fire in my belly. I didn’t just want to work. I wanted to create real solutions. Not temporary band-aids but a panacea that addressed the root causes of these problems.
At Northern Caribbean University, I studied psychology and business while immersing myself in community activities and campus leadership. I won awards, but more importantly, I learned about the power of systems and the potential for transformative impact. By the time I delivered my valedictory address, I made a promise: I will dedicate my life to building real, lasting change; not a pancea or band-aid solutions.
Finding your fire begins with clarity. Neuroscience research confirms that purpose-driven individuals activate the brain’s prefrontal cortex, enhancing focus, creativity, and strategic thinking. When you align your work with what drives you, it isn’t just fulfilling; it’s transformative.
To ignite this clarity, ask yourself these questions:
What breaks my heart?
What lights me up?
What do I carry that the world needs?
Clarity isn’t a luxury. It’s the foundation for everything that comes next.
DESIGN: Build the Bridge Between Passion and Opportunity
Once you’ve defined your purpose, the next step is connecting it to real-world opportunities.
Whether you’re an intrapreneur navigating organisational systems or an entrepreneur building solutions, strategy is essential. The Future of Work Report reveals that hybrid roles, blending technical skills with emotional intelligence, will dominate the workforce of tomorrow. For entrepreneurs, this means positioning your business to meet both market demands and your personal mission.
Start by designing your career or business with intentionality:
Use an Industry Matchmaking Framework to identify sectors and organisations that align with your values. Think about industries like renewable energy, fintech for social good, or urban development.
Craft your value proposition with precision. Whether you’re pitching a start-up or advocating for change in your organisation, a clear articulation of your strengths and mission can open doors.
Develop a relationship mapping strategy. Leverage the concept of social capital; your network is often your most valuable resource. Connect with individuals, communities, and thought leaders who can help amplify your impact.
This step requires blending adaptive expertise (the ability to pivot strategies based on changing circumstances) with human-centred design thinking (aligning solutions with the needs of people). Whether you’re negotiating for resources in a corporate setting or securing funding for your enterprise, aligning your purpose with opportunity is critical.
Over the past decade, the island-wide Little Genius initiative, in partnership with the Governor General's I Believe Initiative, has profoundly impacted hundreds of children and their families. By fostering critical thinking and unlocking potential, this transformative project demonstrates how one idea, rooted in purpose and executed with precision, can catalyze meaningful change and shape generations.
DELIVER: Execute with Precision and Passion
Ideas without execution are just dreams. The ability to consistently deliver on your vision is what transforms potential into impact.
When I moved to London to study Development Administration and Planning at University College London, I knew I needed more than theory. For five years, I immersed myself in social development work, honing my skills and gaining the confidence to create measurable impact. Execution isn’t about working harder; it’s about developing systems that ensure progress.
Here’s how you deliver with excellence:
Create a 30-Day Action Plan: Set immediate, measurable goals to build momentum.
Adopt a Weekly Reflection Framework: Evaluate your wins, identify obstacles, and recalibrate strategies. This reflective practice, rooted in organisational psychology, fosters agility and resilience.
Use Impact Metrics: Quantify your success. Whether you’re tracking revenue growth for a social enterprise or measuring the outcomes of an organisational initiative, data tells your story in ways that inspire trust and collaboration.
Execution is also about storytelling. Sharing your journey authentically builds trust, attracts collaborators, and amplifies your mission. People don’t just invest in ideas; they invest in stories that resonate.
Why Now Is the Time to Act
The workforce is undergoing a transformation. Automation, globalisation, and the climate crisis are reshaping industries, but they also present new opportunities. The Future of Work Report highlights the rise of purpose-driven roles and businesses that centre on innovation and sustainability.
If you’re waiting for the perfect moment, it doesn’t exist. Now is the time to act. Whether you’re an intrapreneur looking to lead change or an entrepreneur building something new, the key is aligning your passion with a sustainable plan.
Stop settling for work that undervalues your contributions or businesses that leave you burnt out. You don’t have to choose between creating impact and making money. You can do both.
Your Impact is Waiting
Your journey, like mine, is about more than finding a job or launching a business. It’s about discovering your fire, designing a plan, and delivering impact that creates a legacy.
Whether you’re redefining your role within an organisation or scaling an entrepreneurial venture, the formula is the same: clarity, strategy, and bold execution.
From my beginnings in rural Jamaica to my time in London and beyond, I’ve learned one truth: the world needs the fire in your belly. It needs your ideas, your solutions, your drive.
The world is waiting for your impact. Let’s build it together.
I admire your drive, Tishauna. Keep blazing the trail!!!