The Death of Business as Usual

Why the future belongs to movements rooted in purpose and legacy

The old story of business as usual is killing us. For decades, we have bowed to the gods of profit and growth, pretending that endless extraction could somehow sustain us forever. However, now the consequences are undeniable: a burning planet, collapsing ecosystems, and leaders more concerned with quarterly returns than the survival of future generations.

ENOUGH!

The era of soulless organizations is over…what we need now are movements that are alive with purpose, rooted in vision, and accountable to the Earth and future generations.

Despite being more digitally connected than at any point in history, people feel increasingly isolated, anxious, and unseen. Businesses cannot solve this crisis with more products, faster shipping, or clever marketing campaigns. What people hunger for is true belonging. They long to be part of something larger than themselves that gives them more purpose and connection.

Movements meet this need by weaving individuals into communities bound by shared values and a common story. They transform isolation into solidarity, strangers into allies, and consumers into co-creators of a better future.

When we study those who have dared to think beyond profit, we see the profound ripple effects. Patagonia is not simply an outdoor clothing company; it is a global movement for environmental stewardship. The Founder went so far as to give away the company, ensuring that its profits would be used to protect the Earth rather than line the pockets of shareholders. Patagonia does not merely sell jackets; it calls people into an identity as defenders of the planet.

Ben & Jerry’s is another example that could have stopped at selling ice cream. Instead, they made ice cream a vehicle for social justice and raising awareness about climate change, racial equity, and LGBTQ+ rights, all while offering something delicious and joyful. They remind us that pleasure and purpose do not need to be in conflict.

Dr. Bronner’s Magic Soap is not just a hygiene product, but a manifesto printed right on the label. Every bottle speaks of unity, sustainability, and a cosmic vision of “All-One.” Their business model reinvests profits into regenerative agriculture, psychedelic research, and fair trade initiatives. Buying their soap becomes an act of solidarity with a worldview.

These companies remind us that a for-profit entity can hold a deeper mission that galvanizes millions and inspires real cultural shifts. They teach us that mission must come before monetization, that vision and values must be the true north star, and that a brand can become a story that changes consciousness.

Yet many business leaders today are asleep to this truth. Too many organizations operate as if they are only here to fill a market gap rather than answer a soul-deep calling. Particularly in the world of technology, leaders wield immense power to shape humanity for the better, yet too often their eyes are fixed only on profit margins and shareholder returns.

Meta is a perfect example of such debauchery. It has become one of the most powerful companies on the planet, with billions of people using its platforms daily. Yet instead of prioritizing human flourishing, it has repeatedly chosen profit over well-being. The company’s own internal research (the Facebook Papers leak) revealed how its algorithms were fueling polarization, harming teen mental health, and spreading misinformation. Rather than fundamentally redesigning the platform to reduce harm, Meta doubled down on growth and advertising revenue.

This is a textbook case of a company asleep at the wheel…sitting on immense power to build connection and community, but channeling that power primarily into profit extraction. Imagine if Meta invested the same resources into building genuine belonging, supporting democratic dialogue, and designing for human thriving. Instead, it became a cautionary tale of what happens when leaders forget they are shaping the very architecture of society.

Amazon is another powerful example of a tech giant that reveals what happens when business is built for profit and domination rather than purpose and movement. It is one of the most profitable companies in history, yet its model has been built on the relentless extraction of labor, resources, and attention. Workers in warehouses report grueling conditions (peeing in bottles to meet impossible quotas, facing constant surveillance, and being treated as disposable cogs in a machine). Small businesses are crushed under its monopoly, and the environmental cost of its endless packaging, shipping, and consumption cycle is staggering.

Amazon’s vision has never truly been about creating a better world, only about creating a more efficient one (faster delivery, more products, cheaper prices), at the expense of human dignity and planetary limits. Imagine if Amazon, with all of its logistical brilliance and global reach, channeled that power into building a regenerative economy, creating fair labor models, and designing commerce around sustainability and community resilience. Instead, it remains a monument to what happens when innovation is unmoored from values.

Businesses cannot remain neutral when the stakes are survival. What we need now are not titans of industry, but sacred leaders who understand that their decisions ripple across generations. Sacred leadership asks these figures, and all of us, to expand our lens from personal gain to collective legacy. The question is no longer how much wealth one can accumulate, but what kind of ancestors we will become.

This is the revolution of our time: to demand that organizations act not as predators of the present, but as guardians of the future. Legacy is at the heart of this shift. Businesses tend to think in quarters, while Movements think in generations. To build a movement is to ask not only what will succeed today but what will still matter a hundred years from now.

The invitation is clear. Leaders, it is time to think bigger, more ethically, and to act more boldly. We need to shift from individual profit to collective purpose and to awaken to the truth that organizations are not only capable of solving problems but of shifting consciousness. Movements remind us of what is possible when we stand for something greater than ourselves. They remind us that change begins not with what we sell, but with what we believe.

If you feel this call stirring deep inside of you and and if you long to build a movement that shifts consciousness and leaves a legacy…you are not alone. This is exactly why I created the Movement Maker Incubator: a sacred crucible for visionaries, changemakers, and leaders ready to align purpose with strategy, ancient wisdom with modern tools, and passion with real impact. Because the future will not be built by those who sell more products. It will be built by those who dare to lead movements.