Brian chats with professional basketball player-turned-entrepreneur Jori Davis. Jori started her professional career in the WNBA with the Indiana Fever. Her decade-long global basketball career spanned six countries and sparked her desire to help other elite athletes own their legacy.
Jori’s new venture, Wevolv, builds on her passion for empowering global athletes by creating a decentralized platform for global athletes to manage their careers and lifestyles. On the episode, Jori chats about what keeps her motivated as an athlete and business owner. She also opens up about some of the barriers that modern athletes face and how her company is trying to overcome them.
Episode Highlights
Mission-driven businesses have soul.
A mission-driven business goes beyond just having a purpose but drives straight into the heart and soul of the founder, Jori said. By starting with the soul and a struggle, a founder and company get the energy and grit to do something most others wouldn’t or couldn’t.
“It’s impossible for you to just walk away from,” Jori said. “That’s when you find a mission-driven business.”
For Jori, that mission is to build a community of athletes that have an opportunity of ownership and force the industry to shift with the needs of athletes. However, that also puts her on the opposing side of powerful forces.
“Do I get a little nervous? Yes because I know what people are capable of when it comes to money, greed, and having power,” she said. “It scares me that I will lose touch or get blinded as I’m trying to navigate these waters.”
Stay humble but confident.
One of Jori’s greatest strengths is to find common ground with people from totally different backgrounds, while still staying true to herself. She attributes her ability to blend humility and confidence to her strong New Orleans roots. As she has traveled around the world, she has learned that not everyone knows the genuine, unconditional love of her hometown community, so she’s made a conscious effort to show that kindness to others even when it’s hard.
“I felt it was my duty, no matter where I go, to allow someone to experience that love despite it being hard,” she said. “I might not get it returned, but that’s okay because I have enough.”
Detach when you’re feeling overwhelmed.
When Jori was younger, her stepfather would help her try and see a new perspective by encouraging her to imagine her mind detaching from her body and looking down at herself from above. Now that she’s a business owner, she finds taking a similar 360-degree view helpful for finding clarity.
“Literally imagine the people involved,” she said. “Pay attention to what they’re paying attention to like the pieces on a chessboard. Really conceptualize the whole element, then come back to your vision and what you’re doing today.”
Resources + Links
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Jori’s Social Media: Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube
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Follow Brian Online: Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Forbes
About Brian and the Mission Driven Business Podcast
Brian Thompson, JD/CFP, is a tax attorney and certified financial planner who specializes in providing comprehensive financial planning to LGBTQ+ entrepreneurs who run mission-driven businesses. The Mission Driven Business podcast was born out of his passion for helping social entrepreneurs create businesses with purpose and profit.
On the podcast, Brian talks with diverse entrepreneurs and the people who support them. Listeners hear stories of experiences, strength, and hope and get practical advice to help them build businesses that might just change the world, too.