The intersection of purpose and profit is redefining modern careers, and our latest episode of On the Brink with Andi Simon explores this compelling shift with guest Georgi Enthoven. A Harvard MBA and global business leader, Georgi shares her fascinating career journey, insights from her upcoming book Work That’s Worth It (launching April 8), and the importance of intentional careers that merge contribution with compensation.
The Future of Work: Purpose and Profit Go Hand-in-Hand
As capitalism reaches a tipping point, thought leaders worldwide, are exploring how businesses and careers must evolve. A growing number of professionals are no longer satisfied with choosing between financial success and meaningful work. Instead, they are finding ways to achieve both.
Georgina, who once struggled to balance her personal drive for impact with a high-earning corporate career, realized that the key isn’t an “either-or” approach—it’s “and.” Purpose and profit can and should coexist. This realization led to her book, which offers guidance on building careers that sustain both personal well-being and global impact.
How to Build a Career That Matters
During the podcast, Georgina outlined a framework to help professionals align their work with their values:
- Identify a Problem Worth Solving: Careers should be built around real-world challenges that inspire action. Whether it’s sustainability, social justice, or healthcare innovation, finding a mission-driven focus is key.
- Merge Ambition with Impact: Many professionals, like Georgina, initially succeed in high-paying jobs but feel unfulfilled. Shifting toward work that aligns with personal values doesn’t mean giving up success—it means redefining it.
- Intentionality is Essential: The modern workforce spends approximately 90,000 hours on their careers. Georgina emphasizes that these hours should be spent wisely, creating lasting contributions while ensuring financial stability.
- Learn from Trailblazers: The book Work That’s Worth It features inspiring companies like Client Earth (holding governments accountable for environmental policies). The stories provide a roadmap for anyone seeking to build a business or career with impact.
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Why This Matters More Than Ever
The demand for purpose-driven businesses is growing rapidly. Companies that align with ethical and social goals are attracting top talent, loyal customers, and long-term success. The rise of B Corps and social enterprises demonstrates that impact-driven business models are here to stay.
One example I highlighted in the podcast is Unicorn, a company founded by Denielle Finkelstein and Thyme Sullivan. Recognizing the lack of accessible period products in public spaces, they developed a sustainable, widely distributed solution that is both profitable and purpose-driven. This is just one of many examples proving that social good and economic success are not mutually exclusive.
What’s Next?
Georgi Enthoven’s Work That’s Worth It is set to be a must-read for professionals seeking to balance financial success with making a difference. As a leader in purpose-driven business development, she will continue guiding individuals and organizations to rethink the way they approach their careers.
The discussion also connects to an upcoming Women’s Business Collaborative event on March 7-8, 2025, where 50 women entrepreneurs will showcase businesses that integrate mission with profitability. This is an exciting time for professionals eager to redefine the future of work.
Final Takeaways
- Work Should be Intentional: Careers should contribute meaningfully to both personal and societal well-being.
- Success is About Impact, Not Just Income: The highest earners don’t always feel the most fulfilled. Find a balance.
- The Future is Purpose-Driven: Businesses that prioritize both sustainability and profit will shape the next generation of success stories.
If you’re looking to build a meaningful career, don’t miss this episode of On the Brink with Andi Simon. Listen now and be sure to grab a copy of Work That’s Worth It on April 8!
You will enjoy these other podcasts:
407: Shaping the Future: Dr. Emily Springer on Responsible AI in Business
396:Mark Schaefer: The Customer is Changing. How Can We Build a Community Through Marketing?
420: Join Kevin Cirilli to Meet the Future
Additional resources for you
- My two award-winning books: Rethink: Smashing The Myths of Women in Business and On the Brink: A Fresh Lens to Take Your Business to New Heights
- Our latest book, Women Mean Business: Over 500 Insights from Extraordinary Leaders to Spark Your Success, coauthored with Edie Fraser and Robyn Freedman Spizman
- All of our white papers, particularly those on Blue Ocean Strategy
- Our website: Simon Associates Management Consultants
Reach out and contact us if you want to see how a little anthropology can help your business grow. Let’s Talk!
From Observation to Innovation,
CEO | Corporate Anthropologist | Author
Simonassociates.net
Info@simonassociates.net
@simonandi
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Read the text for our podcast here:
Welcome to On the Brink with Andi Simon. I’m so glad you’re joining us today. Whether you’re watching or you’re listening. Remember, I’m Andi, I’m your host and your guide, and my job is to bring you interesting people who are going to help you see, feel and think in new ways. Like an anthropologist. Remember, I’m an anthropologist, and the thing that we bring to you or your business is a perspective that being inside you might not have. But today I have a wonderful woman who has a purpose that you are going to enjoy listening to, and she’s got a new book that’s coming out. It’s called Work That’s Worth It, and I’ll tell you about her in a second, but her name is Georgi or Georgina Enthoven, and she is here, after traveling around the world to discover all kinds of ways that she could be profitable and purposeful. Let me give you her her bio, and then we’ll go right into who she is and her journey. Georgie is a thought leader, a seasoned entrepreneur, and a dedicated advocate for impactful careers.
Andi Simon:
00:01:00
She’s got a master’s in business administration from Harvard. Her purposeful career journey has transcended conventional norms with experiences spanning numerous continents. She believes that capitalism is at its tipping point. And this is not the only one lesson, Stromberg said the same. Daniel Finkelstein was talking about the same thing. We have a bunch of podcasts that are coming together around purpose, which I think is so important with profit careers going forward, will need to demonstrate real positive impact both in one’s own community and globally. Her forthcoming book, Work That’s Worth It, comes out April 8th, and she’s got a podcast that she’s launching as well. Behind this, her backstory an international thought leader, trusted advisor and visionary founder. But she didn’t start her career knowing what would come to define her. I’m going to let her tell you about it. It’s interesting, but she is passionate, and she’s really anxious to help young professionals seeking to combine contribution with compensation. Now I’m involved in the Women’s Business Collaborative and on March 7th and eighth, 2025, we’re hosting a wonderful event with about 50 women entrepreneurs who have companies of purpose, and they have intelligently and intentionally decided that they’re going to make profit and do wonderful, good.
Andi Simon:
00:02:21
Significance is not at odds with profit. And we’re going to talk a lot about today how you can do that regardless of what level you’re at, what career you’re in. Georgie, thank you so much for joining me.
Georgi Enthoven:
00:02:34
Oh, it’s a delight to be here. Thank you for that wonderful introduction.
Andi Simon:
00:02:37
Well, I think that we’re going to have some fun and so will our listeners. So your journey, who are you and how have we come together here?
Georgi Enthoven:
00:02:46
Yeah, I am I am very grateful to be here. And I love everything that you’ve mentioned with purpose and profit coming together. And as I talk about having a contribution you’re making to the world and being compensated in a way that invigorates you and gives you energy to keep going. so I my journey, really helped shape where I am today. I started off graduating from UC Berkeley, and I was really eager to do good in the world. it was quite a theoretical education at the time at Berkeley, and I studied a major that I pieced together that was a little bit like political science, but I ended up calling it Third World development that in today’s world would be emerging markets.
Georgi Enthoven:
00:03:30
And I really wanted to go work for the world Bank or, do something significant, to help people’s lives. And, upon graduation, I was looking for jobs, and I found it really hard to find something that, could contribute positively to the world in the areas of my interest and could meet my ambition. And so I, the jobs that I sort of encountered first were more like handing out flyers for Greenpeace or The Nature Conservancy, and I just really didn’t see a pathway forward for me in that avenue. and so I was living in San Francisco, and I got sucked up really early into the tech world, which I think happened to many UC Berkeley grads at that time and still probably today. and I ended up in a tech company that I really enjoyed, and I worked really hard and did really well and moved up quickly and got compensated very well. But I found it very unfulfilling on a soul level. And so I would start to seek out opportunities to fill that piece of me that really was like craving, more substance, more connection, more contribution.
Georgi Enthoven:
00:04:47
And the way I did that is I fit stuff on the side. And so I started teaching at a school and volunteering my time at a creative writing class in a low-income school. And then I started helping young people with business plans and helping wire tech schools with tech so they could get internet access. And it started to take a lot of my time, and I felt this conflict between what I was doing day to day and really enjoying the ambitious piece but having to fit the sole piece in on the side. And, basically for the rest of my career, I spent time zigzagging between either earning income and feeling really good about that or having a great impact and not earning income. And it seemed like I was in this either-or category, bouncing around even after I, Harvard Business School as well. So, it was only later that I started to meet people that seemed to have combined both, and that really fascinated me and was such a like, wow, the word to use is and not or and so I, I started to get really interested in that, for myself, but more so I thought, I’ve got three children.
Georgi Enthoven:
00:06:00
And I thought, what is what are we leaving out to our kids? What’s the shape of the world we’re leaving to our kid. And as somebody in business, I really do believe business can be used as an incredible force for good. And I learned that the average career is 90,000 hours. And I thought, you know what? This is really an amazing opportunity to contribute positively to the world. If we can leverage those 90,000 hours and really, like, make a big difference. But it would require intention and so intention to create a, a career that’s good for you personally and good for the world. And so that is my area of interest and passion. And that is what I’m dedicated to. Now.
Andi Simon:
00:06:46
You know, I want to talk about the book, and I’m really, I’m not I, I’m a fellow, purpose driven, profit motivated individual. And I never saw them as different. It was always sort of like, how do I do it well and do good at the same time? What kind of career have you had?
Georgi Enthoven:
00:07:06
Yeah, I, So I, I would say my career has been pretty scattered, and it’s mostly because in the definitely the first part of my career, I just, like I said, I couldn’t really find my footing of where I really belonged.
Georgi Enthoven:
00:07:20
but in, like, the broad scheme, like me, my skill sets that I developed was marketing and business development. and but the industry has changed a lot. And so, I ended up, like, strategy, marketing and business development were the areas that I really gravitated towards and, found most interesting and exciting. But it’s something that I talked to about in the book is like when you meet young people, you always ask them, what do you do? And those questions sort of end up being answers like, accounting, operations, human resources, but it tells you very little about the person and what they care about and the contribution they can make in the world. So, I end up realizing now that, we’re asking young people the wrong questions about, what they do and what their career is about.
Andi Simon:
00:08:15
What should we be asking them? This is a great question. I have a grandson who’s starting out college and I, I, I and I think in some ways we do them a disservice by saying, what are you going to study? You know, it’s going to be now that you’re growing up.
Andi Simon:
00:08:28
And it’s a different question you’re asking, isn’t it? Yeah.
Georgi Enthoven:
00:08:32
Yeah. It’s what do you care about? And where would you like to contribute to the world and the world, as you have seen from many of your guests on your podcast? it’s changing so fast. And so us, you know, I’m Gen X, I am, you know, what we walked into is so different from what young people are walking into today. And I always tell young people, you can’t get fired from something you’re interested in, like a cause or your contribution. You can get fired from a job. But having something that you are really passionate about, that you care about, that you’re going to contribute towards throughout your career. That’s something you get to own and direct. And so I think it’s important for young people to start thinking about what they care about way earlier on. And then what you study should, help you get some skills to add fuel to that fire that you’re going to light.
Georgi Enthoven:
00:09:28
and, either work on a possibility of something that you’re inventing that could change the world for the better or helping solve a problem. that we know is, is like a real problem that needs solving.
Andi Simon:
00:09:42
You know, I want to talk to you about the stories that we tell ourselves in a moment, but I really want to get into your book, because I want the audience and the listeners to know that work that’s worth it is a really interesting book. So tell us about it. How did you structure it? You know, we have the same publisher, and I appreciate how well they work with you on organizing and creating a great book. They helped me certainly take what was a manuscript I thought was pretty good, and they said, no, let’s do this over again. okay. Another time. But they really did a great job. Tell us about the book. How did you structure it? What’s the story inside? Why should people read it?
Georgi Enthoven:
00:10:18
Yeah. that is a great question. And I, I mean, the interesting thing about most authors is their first time authors.
Georgi Enthoven:
00:10:25
And so we really don’t know what we’re doing. And it really does require having somebody to give you the guardrails of, how to make your book readable and, and worthwhile for the people reading it. And I think for me, the biggest thing from where you said you started with like a completed manuscript and then they said, oh, back to the drawing board. I had that same experience. And for me, my original book was just too broad. I thought my audience between 18 and 35 felt like very targeted. And they said, no, no, no, no, no, you’re writing for one person. And so that was, for me, an absolutely critical and wonderful way to reframe writing the book. And it’s, you know, if your life ended tomorrow, who are you really upset you didn’t get the message to? And so I narrowed that down to, like a combination of clients and myself and put that into one person. And, and so, the book walks through for different people, in different stages of your career.
Georgi Enthoven:
00:11:32
And I think we all touch upon these stages throughout our career. But the concept is how to have a career that is impactful but also benefits your own life as well. So how can you do good for the world and good for yourself? And so it talks about the person who’s doing great things in the world, but they are not benefiting themselves sufficiently. And those people burn out. And I call those people the unrewarded do goader. And so we all know a lot of them. And I and I have. Yeah, I have been that person. Yeah. But it’s where you’re working incredibly hard for something you really believe in, but you cannot sustain the energy and the clients I’ve had in that space. They say, I’ve been in a pit of despair. Like, I just honestly don’t know where to turn. People keep saying, you’re amazing. You’re doing such great work, but I can’t afford to pay rent. I can’t pay for rent. I don’t know if I’ll be able to have children.
Georgi Enthoven:
00:12:29
and these are real concerns. And these people are the people that I think are so important to give a bigger platform and a bigger stage. So my goal with the book is to get people from that stage into what I call disruptor for good, which is where they are looking after themselves and contributing positively to the world. there’s a couple other categories, that I touch on the book as secondary markets, but one is the uninspired achiever, and that’s the person that’s doing really well for themselves, like I did early on in my career in tech. And it’s like ambitious. You’re earning money, you’re climbing up the ladder, but you feel very uninspired by what the work you’re doing. And the other category is the replaceable employee, where you are frustrated because you’ve got more to offer, but you’re not doing good for you, and you’re not doing good for the world. And I think most of us have also had jobs in that space, too. So the book helps you create the well builds in the self-reflection to get your direction right.
Georgi Enthoven:
00:13:32
And I have seven pillars that I walk people through in the book that really helps you define where you want to go. And I also include I mean, I just think the remarkable stories of humans that are doing incredible work in the world and are able to find, they’ve been able to find this sort of very delicate craft of balance, of where you can have income and impact of all different industries, all different, you know, genders, countries. So it’s small businesses. Big businesses. but I show people examples which I would say are role models and pathways for people to get inspired by.
Andi Simon:
00:14:14
Is there 1 or 2 or three you might share, or is that, you know? Yeah.
Georgi Enthoven:
00:14:19
No, I’m happy to share. So like one example is a company called Vertu. And then, that company is aiming to solve diabetes and obesity in a billion people. So one of the things we talk about in the book is figuring out your contribution and even making a declaration statement of, you know, what you’re going to do in the world.
Georgi Enthoven:
00:14:40
And that then draws the right people behind you and energy towards it. But so that’s one example. Another example. I mean, all the stories I love. But another example is, a UK, law firm called Client Earth and they, help like if, if a government if somebody’s running for political office, let’s say, is claiming to, curb emissions and, has all sorts of environmental, rhetoric in their political campaigns, and then they get elected and don’t do it. They sue them and hold them accountable for it. And, they have done all the business. Yeah, they’ve done all sorts of incredible work. And as they win one case, they can write letters to all the other people and say, FYI, we’ve just won this case. You’re going to need to deliver on what you’ve promised. And so, yeah, that would be another example. And then there’s an example of, a woman who set up a company called pallet and that builds, small homeless shelters for, for displaced people.
Georgi Enthoven:
00:15:49
And so, as you can see, the industries are all over the place, all the, different types of companies, but all really inspiring stories that, I just didn’t have access to when I was in that stage of figuring out the direction, and that is really what I want to share, is you’re not burdened to do good, but if you can get it right, this is the jackpot.
Andi Simon:
00:16:13
No. Daniel Finkelstein and Tom Sullivan, who did a podcast with us. I, we’re both corporate players. they were actually related, and I hadn’t realized what they wanted to really do, but they were no longer just simply compensated emotionally for the work they were doing. Yes, they were making good money. They had good positions. So they both left corporate and wanted to do something good and also profitable. And they did a full analysis and realized that having a sustainability product for women’s period products was simply not there. So they created one, and then they realized that there was no way to distribute it.
Andi Simon:
00:16:53
So what did they create? They created a distributor because you can go into a bathroom and have free toilet paper, but you can’t have free period products. And so they created a way for companies to have free period products in the bathroom at the same place that the toilet paper is. And they are getting into corporate offices that are putting them everywhere. The corporate pays for them. And people have free, and they have purpose and profit. Yeah. And there are a couple of others. Dionne Baker, her kids were talking about how can we get some really good tasting, healthy ice pops? And one of them said, would you make iced tea ice pops? And next thing you know, she had these wonderful pops, and they’re profitable and purposeful. They’re healthy and they’re also fun to eat. And so the world, I think we almost need a directory of all the world’s purposeful, profitable companies. So you can see the scope of it your book is going to be. Yeah. Finally you want.
Andi Simon:
00:17:50
Yeah.
Georgi Enthoven:
00:17:51
And I mean, one of the easiest places for someone to go to, if they’re curious, is to look up B Corp in the city that you live in, because those companies are, you know, you don’t worry. You don’t have to filter them. B the B Corp organization has already done that. So that’s a great place to start. But there are so many even beyond that that are doing incredible things. And, and the people doing this great work, we want them in boardrooms and c suites, like those people who are willing to make the ethical decision and to go a little bit further, maybe have a longer-term view. that is my ultimate goal is how do we get these great people who, really want to contribute positively into positions of power and influence? And we can’t do that if these people are playing small and, given sort of dribbles of cash to do their good work with.
Andi Simon:
00:18:48
It’s interesting because today I’ve been interviewing people for our podcast, and the first one talked about think long term and this is the world of AI technology ChatGPT.
Andi Simon:
00:18:57
And the old marketing is gone. Thank you very much. But there’s a whole new world of community building and gratitude, all kinds of engagement. And it’s a long-term perspective. And so there’s lots of interesting new to your point about who am I? My audience. I hope there are people who want to see, feel and think in new ways because we want to change the world. Yeah, right. Yeah, I say those words, but in fact, my heart is into transformation. And this is sort of my side hustle like yours is. But I, I think that we’re ready for new things and new ways that can really be pretty good. He said something so cute. He said, now, remember, before Henry Ford launched his first car, somebody bought four horses to drag their wagon. Those four horses had no value. After the car came out, he said, well, not even the car came out and was valued. They put, you know, a barbed wire around them.
Andi Simon:
00:19:49
They were terrified of them. It’s not easy to be different or new. So this is really cool. as you’re thinking about it. And your case studies were terrific. as the book is coming out, are you going to going to be consulting for companies and for people as well? Or am I pushing you in directions?
Georgi Enthoven:
00:20:09
no, I, I will tell you, I am at capacity of what I can take on right now, but it is something that I would like to do. And I’ve also done I’m certified in coaching, and I’ve done coaching in the past, and I also don’t have time really for that right now because, getting a book out and a podcast and being a mother and, it’s a lot and it’s, I am working a lot of hours right now, but I, I would like to, here’s what I want to do. I want to have the biggest impact I can in this space. And I want to get these people who are, generous with their heart into these positions where they can have, like, a much larger stage.
Georgi Enthoven:
00:20:51
And so I, I think after the book is launched, I take a breath and then figure out, how can I do that? in a way that is, most impactful. and I think that’s what helps when you know what you’re working towards. It’s very easy to know how to prioritize and how to what to say yes to and what to say no to. Before that, you know, there’s a million ideas. But what’s your what’s the one that lights you up that you’re willing to get behind for the long term? And that is the different.
Andi Simon:
00:21:23
Well, it is different. But I think that Greenleaf, by asking you who your persona was, has also asked you who you are. And this book has given you focus and purpose. So this is quite exciting. And having been a mother of two growing daughters who now are mothers of three grandchildren. congratulations. It doesn’t ever get. And they’re all professionals. It never gets. Quote unquote. I don’t know what easy means. It’s fun.
Andi Simon:
00:21:47
We had a great time, and, and we always laughed a lot. And as long as you laugh and smile. Because the good things can happen. Well, I’m delighted that you’ve joined us today. I think I’m going to ask you for 1 or 2 things you want people to remember, and then I will wrap us up.
Georgi Enthoven:
00:22:04
Yeah. well, I often when I’ve talked to people about the book, and they say, you know, what’s the big what’s the one lesson that I need to learn? I think the very first thing is that you are rich in ours. Like you’ve got 90,000 hours. And so, we don’t know how our life’s going to go, but let’s assume that you get that life, and that’s super powerful. And that is that is something you get to. You get to spend those hours. And the second thing is when you are working and figuring out, once you know, you can do, you’re going to be successful and you are in an environment and you realize, okay, I can do this now, I can actually choose where I’m going to direct it.
Georgi Enthoven:
00:22:45
focus on problems we’re solving. I run into so many people who are, doing all sorts of busy work and work. But if you say, what is the problem you’re solving, they can’t really articulate it, or their mother can’t, or grandmother can’t. And so make sure you’re solving a problem worth solving. And then ask yourself, is it worth my time? Yep. And so those are the things that I would say to leave you with is, you know, important questions to ask yourself.
Andi Simon:
00:23:13
I love it. It’s been wonderful. So let me thank you for joining us today. It’s been an absolute pleasure. I mean, Georgie and has a book work that’s worth it. And it’s coming out April 8th and you should all run and buy it, because I think it’s going to open your hearts and your minds to what’s possible. And that’s really what’s really important right now. And all of this is something you can think about for your own life. Jackie Onassis, I think, was asked, what do you regret? She said, not eating more dessert.
Andi Simon:
00:23:42
I don’t think that’s exactly what you’re talking about. But sometimes when I eat ice cream, I say, I agree, there’s a lot in there. but, on the brink, it’s all about getting you off the brink. And I hope today has helped you see, feel and think in new ways. My books are all on Amazon. You can just look on Andy Simon. Com and they’re there too. And Simon Associates, our website talks all about our business. Our job is to help you see, feel and think in new ways for you and your business. And change comes on an individual level as well as on a corporate one. And today’s times are fast changing. And if you haven’t noticed, you know we’re writing a whole lot of stuff using ChatGPT. And others say, well, you know, I said no, read it. It’s really quite good. We’re having conversations with them. It’s a weird, wonderful time. The question is, how can you have purpose as well? And I do think that’s really what’s coming into our perspective in a clear fashion, that we can begin to see others doing it and say, I want to do that too.
Andi Simon:
00:24:41
So, Georgie, it’s been great. Thank you very much. And I thank Greenleaf Books for sending you along, because I love them as a publisher as well. And remember, our job is to make observations and turn them into innovations. And on that note, I’m going to say goodbye. Have a wonderful day and enjoy and share. This is a great podcast. You should keep sharing it. Bye now. Bye, Georgie. Bye.
Georgi Enthoven:
00:25:04
Thank you.
