GROW WITH US

A lot of people see Mindvalley on its glossier side. Great products like Omvana (which has been featured by Apple in iPhone Commercials), award-winning office spaces, a really talented team and stellar growth without ever having to take VC funding or loans. But what many don’t see is that BEFORE all of this is that Mindvalley was, well, really, really, really basic. Some might even say “sucky.” In this post, I wanted to share some shocking photos of Mindvalley before we succeeded. So you know that success may not always come quick, but if you’re prepared to start small and sucky and dream really, really big AND keep pushing, epic things may happen.

In every large city there are people we sometimes don’t really take notice of. Janitors, valets, cleaners, the migrant worker mowing the lawn. . . This could be due to various reasons – from us simply being too busy, through to socioeconomic or cultural differences, or even language barriers, to name a few. Many of these people are those with low-income jobs – sons, daughters, mothers, and fathers who leave what is familiar and comfortable with the hopes and dreams to make enough money to support their families left back home, to feed themselves and survive, to purchase land and/or a home for their loved ones… It’s not easy to take notice of these individuals. Sometimes they appear to be “invisible” as we plug away in our own busy lives, oblivious to their stories and struggles. Recently though, I had a very special encounter with someone at our Mindvalley headquarters. He was the cleaning attendant who had been sweeping and cleaning our offices for the last one year. He wasn’t a member of staff, nor a full employee, he was just the ‘simple’ cleaner who took out trash, cleaned the washrooms, and other odd jobs. I was heading out to get my lunch one day when I bumped into Amitoj in the elevator, and seeing that I didn’t have any actual lunch plans, I asked him if he wanted to join me. I found out that he left India, leaving his wife and family behind, to pursue “a better life.” With a Bachelor’s Degree in Hospitality, Amitoj first went to Singapore in search of a respectable job. Earning meager pay in his first job as a janitor in a hotel, he had little savings to show for his family. His pursuit of “a better life” wasn’t going so well. So he decided to find a higher-paying position, and finally, after a few more odd jobs over the course of a year, he was given an opportunity to work as a cleaner at Mindvalley in Kuala Lumpur. But the thing that really shocked me was when I learned that he hadn’t see his wife in 2 years as he was saving up to return home to India someday to provide for his family. I was in awe at the struggle that so many like Amitoj go through just to provide for their families. Throughout the past 8 months, Amitoj has been silently observing our Awesomeness Reports each week, checking up on Mindvalley’s company-wide Vision Board, paying attention to our goals and dreams, and all the while, little by little, putting together his own personal and professional goals. He wanted to earn enough money, find meaning in his work, contribute to society, and be a respected citizen in his community. He wanted to finally see his wife, whom he hasn’t seen in almost 2 years. He wanted to be a man with not just a good job that pays well, but one with a career and a prospering future. But life just wasn’t treating him well. For the first time I broke our own hiring rules. No 5 part interviews. No video cover letters. No resume. I hired Amitoj on the spot. Anyone who can go through that much struggle and still cling to their dreams is someone I want to support. A few days later, we made him a full-time Mindvalley employee and inducted him at our weekly Awesomeness Report where we introduce our new-hires. And something remarkable happened. See, at every Awesomeness Report, new hires introduce themselves and have to answer 3 questions from over 100+ existing hires in the audience. Someone from the audience, a fellow Indian native, casually asked him to dance. I tensed up. I knew Amitoj was nervous enough speaking in public and I wasn’t sure how he’d react to THIS request. And for the first time in 10 years, with Bollywood music blasting, a mind-blowing but heartwarming performance ensued, and a new employee got a standing ovation. That was Amitoj. It was the FIRST time in history a new hire had received a standing ovation at our weekly company report. It was heart-warming to see 100+ people stand up to applaud Amitoj – the guy who once cleaned our toilets and washed our dishes. The story of Amitoj has inspired all of us at Mindvalley… The cheers, hoots, and even tears from the audience made me realize that we are all part of a family and we are here to inspire each other. We’ve shown that when you give people a moment, a chance to speak about their goals and aspirations, they may surprise you. So next time you’re talking to a grocery store clerk, door-man, cleaning lady, or your taxi driver, simply ask them where they are from. Ask them what their story is. Ask them what they are passionate about or what they want to do in life, and you’ll be surprised how many people have big dreams for themselves. What do you think of the story of Amitoj? Please share your thoughts with us in the comment section below! Also, please feel free to share this story of Amitoj with your friends! You never know how you may inspire someone. Mindvalley is creating a global school that delivers transformational education for all ages. Powered by community. Fueled by fun.We are dedicated to ensuring that humans live happier, healthier, and more fulfilled lives by plugging in the gaps that conventional education failed to teach us.We do this by organising real-world events around the world and producing world-class quality programmes in several areas of transformation, including mind, body, and performance.

A goal statement is the North Star that guides us on our path and helps us find our purpose. Let’s explore what makes a great goal statement and look at some examples. Put your focus on what you want to experience, how you want to grow and what you want to contribute to the world. Your goal statement should bring into reality what drives you the most. The importance of having a measurable goal is that it helps you to track your progress which keeps you focused, holds you accountable and allows you to enjoy the excitement of getting closer to achieving your goal. If your goal statement is your North Star, your personal values are your moral compass. They fuel you to create meaningful goal statements. They are often deeply influenced by the challenges that you have faced in life. A career goal statement is the vision of where you want to be in your career, put into words. It drives your focus to the specific direction and path you need to take to manifest your career dreams. Vishen Lakhiani, the founder of Mindvalley and the author of Mindvalley’s Becoming Limitless program, stresses that when creating a career goal you should find a mission and a purpose-driven career. He believes that if you pick a job that speaks to your soul, one that makes you feel like you’re contributing to a bigger cause and helping push forward the human race, every day will be exciting. And the idea of “work” will not be the same for you. Work, instead, will be something that gives you meaning, helps you grow and helps you contribute. Mindvalley is creating a global school that delivers transformational education for all ages. Powered by community. Fueled by fun.We are dedicated to ensuring that humans live happier, healthier, and more fulfilled lives by plugging in the gaps that conventional education failed to teach us.We do this by organising real-world events around the world and producing world-class quality programmes in several areas of transformation, including mind, body, and performance.