25 years ago, Shawn Askinosie was a successful criminal defense lawyer. Being a lawyer was a childhood dream passed down from his father. He defended and won many high profile cases, which brought him fame and fortune. But the high-pressure of his work lifestyle was unsustainable and one day, Shawn woke up without motivation to continue, “it was like turning the lights off,” and his empty soul starting searching for a new meaning.
He looked everywhere but he wasn’t able to find an answer. On his quest to discover more meaningful work, he started volunteering in the palliative care wing of a hospital until one day he realized that what he wanted to do was to create chocolate. Keep in mind that up to this moment Shawn had no experience whatsoever in the chocolate business.
He created a chocolate company that sourced 100% of its cocoa beans directly from farmers across the globe and with whom he shared its profits fairly. In addition to developing relationships with small farmers, he also partnered with schools in their origin communities to provide lunch to 1,600 children every day with no outside donations
In this episode, Shawn describes his quest to discover more meaningful work, his insights into doing work that reflects one’s values and purpose in life. He shows us how to create a work-life that is inspired and fulfilling, and we talk about his book Meaningful Work.
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