What a wonderful time of year. 2024 is about to wave goodbye and 2025 is on our doorstep. The anticipation of what this year will bring fills me with anticipation and a little angst. How can I create an inspiring read for others while keeping the topic grounded? Suddenly, I realized a common thread while researching trending do-good influencers. It was their backstories.
In SeeChangemakers’ last post, Zachery Dereniowski, alias MDMotivator, discussed his battle with depression. This finally determined his career redirection. Similarly, this article looks at influencers who hit psychological walls that redefined their career paths. More and more backstories of adversity are shaping popular opinion about who we can trust to walk their talk.
YouTube Influencer Explodes
YouTube influencer, Mel Robbins brought herself up and out of a life filled with anxiety. Mel Robbins is a dominant personality in social media’s life coaching industry. Her recently released book, “The Let Them Theory” has already ranked #1 on Amazon and Audible. She is also a powerhouse when it comes to media influence. The Mel Robbins YouTube Channel has 3.25 million subscribers and almost 250 million views of the over 2500 posted videos. She is active on most major social media platforms. She has a robust number of followers on them as well. Additionally, she has two websites. One is for herself, and another is for her recent publication. She also hosts a hugely popular podcast.
Walking Her Talk
However, this wasn’t Robbins initial career. She originally received her doctorate degree in law in 1994. She was working as a criminal lawyer for the Legal Aid Society in New York in 1996. The same year she met her husband and partner in life. Years later in 2013, she would be seen as the go-to legal analyst for CNN during the George Zimmerman Trial. However, years earlier, she started down another path. In 2011, she published her first book, “Stop Saying You’re Fine: Discover a More Powerful You”. This publication was her response to a critical turning point in her life.
So how did Robbins life coaching career find its beginnings? Well, she states on her website, “I hit rock bottom and nearly lost everything I cared about in life. My anxiety was so bad, I could barely drag myself out of bed.” Starting in 2008, her and husband, Christopher Robbins, were drowning in debt and she was drinking more than usual. One of her Facebook posts talks about why it is important to reach out to friends. It so happened that she “was barely holding on and too ashamed to reach out for help.” Robbins suffers from anxiety, dyslexia, and ADHD. Yet, she finds ways to heal herself and shares her insight with others.
Rich Man, Reformed Man
The next influencer is the founder of Norrsken Foundation, a non-profit, non-partisan and non-religious foundation. Swedish-born, Niklas Adalberth, came to Norrsken from a place of privilege and newly attained wealth. In 2010, his dream of becoming a successful millionaire became a reality. Klarna, “a buy now, pay later” service provider, created by himself and two others took flight. Suddenly, they went from a localized Nordic financial service provider to Europe’s top 100 young tech companies. With a cash injection from a US investor, their revenue increased by 80% overnight. Yet, one evening in Las Vegas, caused Adalberth to question everything.
Now, he runs an organization that supports entrepreneurs who create positive change for global challenges. The foundation page states: “Our work stems from a belief in entrepreneurship. We also believe in new technology as forces that can positively impact the world.”
The Unicorn Entrepreneur
Much like Upworthy’s founders, who we discussed earlier in this influencer series, Adalberth’s position, with Klarna, created an avenue. His newly attained wealth allowed him to contribute 125 million to get Norrsken up and running in 2016. The World Economic forum refers to Adalberth as a unicorn entrepreneur. Adalberth is unlike other global unicorn entrepreneurs. These include Space X’s founder, Elon Musk, and Uber’s, Travis Kalanick and Garrett Camp. Alternatively, Adalberth strives to better global communities.
Norrsken Stands Up to Stand Out
Norrsken has “House Hubs” in Stockholm, Kigali and Barcelona. These hubs work to help globally conscious (impact) startups. They provide access to investor connections. Impact startups can use facilities like co-sharing spaces. They also get access to an 8-week accelerator series. Kigali is the flagship in this array of housing hubs. It supports a circular economy approach. The building uses repurposed materials, a solar photovoltaic system, and a thermal labyrinth to reduce energy use.
In less than 10 years, Adalberth has co-opted and facilitated the rise of a globally conscious ‘ecosystem’. This includes thousands of founders, investors, and portfolio companies. To learn more, go to https://www.norrsken.org/about
LAST WORDS
A Humanitarian Passes
While writing this article, a philanthropic legend passed on Sunday, December 29th, 2024. Jimmy Carter, the 39th American President, left this world after turning 100 on October 1st. Carter was a lifelong changemaker long after his duties and service to the United States Presidency ended.
Jimmy Carter’s Presidential Term
After his inauguration, he began his presidency by giving amnesty to all the Vietnam War draft evaders. A war still talked about as a “well-intentioned mistake” thrust Americans into mistrust of their government. Carter was constantly mending wounds. Alongside other activities, he advocated for the environment. For example, he approved the Love Canal Superfund. This move aided displaced inhabitants of the nuclear waste sites in New York. Also, he was the first president to actively support alternative energy use. In 1979, he approved a move to install solar panels on the White House. Decades later, in 2002, he won the Nobel Peace Prize for his humanitarian work.
The Carter’s Influences
I became an admirer of Jimmy and Rosalyn Carter back in the early 1990’s. When I lived in Calgary, Alberta, my partner and I bought our first home together. Because of this, I was looking for reasonable ways to upgrade our kitchen. Since I was a great purveyor and promoter of thrift and secondhand goods, I soon found Habitat for Humanity’s Restore. Restore was a used construction goods warehouse. My partner and I bought various pieces. These included a dual convection oven and a countertop stove for the kitchen renovation. We bought them all at a deeply reduced price. Even though, the prices were amazing the foundational values of the not-for-profit are what sold me. All the money made by Habitat for Humanity’s Restore goes back into building homes for families who couldn’t afford one. This was where the Carters came to the forefront for me. I realized they had an affiliation with Habitat for Humanity through the Carter Work Project. Throughout their years, they contributed money, time, and influence to help less fortunate families.
The Carter Work Project
“The Carters and their example have rallied thousands of volunteers, supporters and celebrities to take part in our mission, helping Habitat for Humanity become internationally recognized for our work to build decent and affordable housing. They’ve touched the lives of thousands of Habitat homeowners and volunteers and inspired millions across the globe.”[1]
Since 1984, the Carter Work Project has helped to build 4,447 homes. These homes span across 14 countries. The project received aid from 108,000 volunteers. The Carters will never be forgotten. Their legacy lives on in the generations of people they have helped. They have reached many with their acts of kindness.
Wrapping Up
As you have read, these three Change Makers are both living and now passed. They are part of the global trend of change for the better. Stay tuned for upcoming interviews with other Change Makers, who are preparing to make a world of difference in 2025.
Theresa K. Howell
[1] https://www.habitat.org/carter-work-project