The Why

As part of 1871′s WiSTEM program, each week founder’s  have a session fondly referred to as “RockStar Roundtable” in which founders and CEOs of startups come to share their journeys in the start up world. It’s easily become a session favorite for all of the women participating in the cohort. It allows us an opportunity to get a glimpse into the daily lives and grinds of those that have come before us, for those looking in from the outside at those that have “made it.” It’s an opportunity to hear of mistakes and achievements made, pivots, and daily doubts.

Hearing the real and often raw experiences behind a founder’s journey has stoked the fire in our bellies that motivates us to turn dreams and visions into the next big thing. To hear the similarities of what it takes to build successful companies and know that we are not alone in our struggles and doubts is incredibly powerful.Success is certainly not born overnight rather often a result of a series of small, yet significant actions and moments that gain traction and attention from the outside world.

The “Rockstars” have shared the highs and the lows, the seemingly endless days of doubts and worry that come from starting and running a business, the sleepless nights wondering how payroll will be met, or rebounding from a bad hire, and the joy and validation of receiving that first check. To say it’s helpful to hear common themes on the road to success is a huge understatement.It’s the oxygen to our face mask. We are not alone.

In this latest roundtable, the rockstar wisely suggested that as entrepreneurs we continue to keep focused on the why of our business. It’s easy to get caught up in the what of our business which can lead to to detours that aren’t always recognized as such until it’s too late. This can result in bad decisions, time and money wasted and momentum lost. The “why” must be kept front and center.

At SpringFour, we are focused on the why- making certain consumers have better opportunities to pay their bills, build savings and financial resiliency. Every day, through the SpringFour platform, we help people save money, get caught up on bills, and live a more financially secure life.

With SpringFour, a senior citizen can reduce her prescription costs from $600 to $300 a month allowing her a little more cushion to pay her other bills and a family who once spent over $100 a month on check cashing fees is now banking with a mainstream financial institution and can use that savings towards other household expenses.

Each month, SpringFour is making over 100,000 referrals that result in savings just like these for thousands of families across the U.S.

It’s these stories of impact that provide us with the why of what we do and motivate our team to stay focused- curating additional resources, enhancing our technology and user experience, and reaching out to potential subscribers—because we believe that consumers need and deserve to be connected to local resources that can and will make a difference in their financial lives. It hasn’t been easy building a for profit company with a non-profit mission but we recognize that it can be a win win for our subscribers and their customers. And it’s the why that keeps us going.