Go live to share your expertise

How do you help to make wisdom more easily distributed? This was the question that faced Crowdcast founder Sai Hossain while at a retreat in Costa Rica in 2013.

Surrounded by healers, teachers and wellbeing practitioners with so much valuable knowledge to share, he wanted to give them an easier way to reach more people over the Internet.

In his words, he was creating a platform that was “Skype for teachers”. He wanted to level the playing field, allowing wisdom-keepers to host gatherings virtually without the stress, and increasing the reach of teachers and community-builders everywhere.

We started using Crowdcast in March 2020, which was the time the platform exploded from 500,000 users per month to 2.5 million.

It’s a really great tool for running ticketed online events that are engaging and easy to sign up to, and it has helped us grow our business and connect our community.

This one’s for you if…

• You’re a coach or consultant who wants to share your expertise with more people but you find live video too complicated or overwhelming

• You want to build a community and a sustainable business but get lost in short-term growth goals

• You wish to make a living from following your passions

• You’re wondering how to allow your spiritual beliefs to influence the kind of work you do

Here are nine takeaways from the conversation:

1. You’re allowed to be a truth seeker

Many of the people who come onto our Vision 20/20 program are at a crossroads. Like you, Sai wanted to understand his purpose and role in improving the world.

"I was just an early-twenties tech guy amongst all these masters in yoga, meditation, and regenerative agriculture. And I'm like, why did I get here? What's my role here?"

2. Use what you’re good at to do good

Sometimes effortless impact comes from redirecting your existing skills. Amidst all of those master teachers, Sai had a realisation: none of them knew how to use the internet.

“I left that retreat wondering: how I could support these folks who are trying to build a future where we're living more in harmony with each other and the earth? How do I help amplify this? The seed was planted.”

3. Tolerating uncertainty takes secure foundations

When we’re caught between seeking challenge and needing comfort, purpose-lead entrepreneurs need a “fabric of community” to hold them, whether they realise it or not. Until he went back to Jersey, Sai didn’t appreciate how where he grew up provided it:

"If that foundational safety isn’t there, then, you know, it’s really hard to operate." Having a supportive community provides an anchor which allows more risk-taking.

4. You were made to explore

When you get to mid-life, things can feel stuck.

“You don't see any growth if you know what's going to happen. I think all of us are geared towards taking the route of expanding ourselves in some way .. I think that's core to the human experience.”

But finding the courage to make changes doesn’t come easily, which is where a like-minded community comes in handy.

5. Simplicity, simplicity, simplicity

When we help people develop products through our programs or monthly in-person events, it’s easy for ideas to become more and more complicated. But Sai’s approach echoes our advice:

"The North Star has always been, “How do you actually solve the problem in the simplest way?" Focusing on solving your customers' core problems in the simplest way frees you up to deliver unexpected delight.

6. Minimum loveable product

Sometimes the biggest barrier to bringing a product to market is a technical one, and Sai’s journey was no exception. After a flash of insight he piggy-backed on existing technology for the first 6 months, but knew he was onto something:

“It was less about having an idea that I thought would be helpful, but more about seeing people struggle.”

7. Become a signal amidst the noise

Social media wants to grab our limited attention. It can be exhausting to create as well as to consume. Making fewer disposable things isn’t just for coffee cups, especially when so much content feels like shouting at people who pass you on the street.

"Attention is the hardest thing to get from people .. I think people are starting to realise that there’s a lot of burnout on these platforms, and business models are shifting to be more sustainable."

8. Your history can point to your future

When Sai began Crowdcast, it was solely with the idea of amplifying wisdom in an effortless way. But, over the last few years, he’s realised that, "Oh, actually, events are just facilitating this bigger thing around community."

Looking back over his life, he discovered that he had a “natural tendency” to create community at school and in co-housing, reflecting the large community he grew up with.

9. Is it time to follow your passions?

We only have a limited time on earth. The majority of it is spent at work, and the world of work is changing.

“It's going through a major transition right now .. we're re-evaluating why we're working, period. Like, what is it? Why do we work? And how can we shape things differently? So the opportunity, the ability, to make a living following your passions, I think, is now more true than it ever was.”

Sai’s journey shows how being open and receptive to what the world needs, and understanding your place in it, can help you connect the dots in your history to support a better future for everyone.

Do you want to connect with others who also want to make a positive impact in the world? Come along to an event, join our community, or learn more about our Vision 20/20 program.

And find new ways to share your expertise and benefit from the wisdom of others.

Notes

Thanks to Sai for his time. You can find Crowdcast here, and connect with him on LinkedIn here.

If you’d like to find your deeper purpose at work, our next tribe of our Vision 20/20 program starts March 2024.