When serving new markets, unless we have the means to build understanding so that people know what they're going to do with what you gave them and why, they're not going to know – or be motivated – to use it.

The #1 challenge in all I've thought about through the work I do at The Citizens Media^® is bridging communication. It's how it began but easily gets sidelined with everything else going on! When serving new markets, unless we have the means to build understanding so that people know what they're going to do with what you gave them and why, they're not going to know – or be motivated – to use it. The 'why' must come from the person we want to be of service to. What we think will help another can often have the opposite effect. To assume or make judgement on another person’s values is to push them away. Do this in business and there’s no way you’ll succeed.

Make this your work and the funding you need to do what your heart most desires will come.

Entrepreneurs need to begin with the why rather than the what. The how must come from the why. It must connect like an umbilical cord. The seed of the why comes from what presently exists. Treat it like a treasure cove. Go to the people and see what they have. Walk with them. Talk with them. Find the 'aha!' that feeling deep inside that lights up when you know for sure that something you have to give can be of meaningful service. Find your value and let your passion for moving that forward explode! If people throughout the world can learn to do this, the world will change. We've only tapped into the surface of what's possible here. Most of the world has been underserved by an economy that is controlled by a few and takes away from the rest. We have the power to introduce new ways of working where society supports each other so it's environment and people can thrive.

Our job at The Citizens Media^® is to do everything we can to help people to do this. Asking each other the right questions is the key. We've just started working on a website connecting people in a rural village in Limpopo, South Africa. The idea is to use it to generate conversations between community members, investors and innovators to help both increase funding for locally driven initiatives, as well as help innovators from around the world to realize economic opportunity by developing meaningful tools that can help further the work being done. Tools that are meaningful because they enable them to develop and continually reinvest prosperity from within.

The projects are being collectively managed through Bergnek Community Projects Cooperative, which is an initiative that was founded by My Arms Wide Open and local citizen, Keabetswe Monsumane. More on their story and why their work began here. It's an excellent story and well worth a read!

I recently wrote a letter to the people of Bergnek inviting those who can to get involved. Most members of the community cannot speak or write in English, so we'll be getting the letter translated into the local language Sepedi. Keabetswe has found someone at the University of Limpopo who's willing to help us out. Language barriers, as well as discrepancies in costs and access to technology needed to connect make engaging underserved markets difficult to do. Part of our job at The Citizens Media^® is to attract funding to help bridge the gaps. We're calling this Kudos. How we distribute funds given to Kudos will depend on what we discover is needed as we work with the communities where initiatives unfold. Some will go to content providers and local citizen journalists, helping those who don't have the means to connect have their voice heard. Some will be used to bring internet access and computers to rural locations. All expenditures will be made transparent online. To give to Kudos click here.

To see how you can connect and get support for what matters to YOU in all this, check out the letter and the blogs from Bergnek Projects and members of its community. The letter shares information about a Global investment Cooperative we're lunching that will invest in proposals developed from conversations taking place on the website.

To keep updated on new content, sign up to the website. Post questions that dig deep so you can begin to identify real needs. Learn why the projects already taking place are serving the community, the problems they solve, their goals and where they need help.

If you’re working on something that can assist, it will show itself. You’ll not only have a clearer idea for what it is you have to offer, but you’ll see how you can most effectively work with others to implement it too. Make this your work and the funding you need to do what your heart most desires will come.

When it comes to existing platforms, communication and finance are oceans apart.

It’s time to come together and bridge the gap.

Give Kudos Today!

Footnote: I shared these sentiments in a recent comment on Facebook. One of the responses came from Bernd Nurnberger, who said: "The customer's Big Why is key to find underserved needs. Then you may find what will serve to achieve customer's desired outcomes and innovate it into existence. See also https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Outcome-Driven_Innovation"