Joseph founded his first business at sixteen years old. He has gone on to launch a number of organisations since. He is still involved with a few of these organisations: Sterning Group, which is a licensing group of ethical and sustainable recruiters, and the Merz Institute, a data-driven conservation organisation with a broad mission that ensures continual relevance in a world where the only constant is change.
Joseph is passionate about solving big issues from consumerism and energy to insect biomass decline and the climate crisis.
You can learn more about the Merz Institute at https://merzinstitute.org/ and you can connect with Joseph on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/josephmerz.
Some of the questions I ask Joseph in this conversation
What is an ethical and sustainable licensing group business?
How did you decide what kind of businesses to set up to drive your mission forward?
How did your dad’s experience as a monk influence your business and leadership mindset?
How did you recognise you were unfulfilled?
What is your goal setting system that’s different to larger organisations?
How do you cultivate an essentialism mindset?
How can you tune into seeing how things really are?
What can move the needle faster to deal with our biggest planetary problems?
How do you keep moving forward in the face of pessimism about success?
How do you design and build an advisory board?
How to make the most of your available advisers?
Selected links from the episode
About Dev Singh:
Dev Singh (@DevSinghNet) has over 15 years of experience working with established and aspiring organisational leaders to build stronger & more strategic business foundations, and to lead with greater impact and influence.
Besides working with organisations all over Australia in over a dozen sectors, Dev has coached and consulted for entrepreneurs and executives in places as varied as Eastern Europe, Scandinavia, UK, Southeast Asia, North America, and Singapore.
Dev has designed and delivered keynotes and workshops for hundreds of organisations worldwide on entrepreneurship, business strategy, leadership, branding & marketing, communication, influence and innovation, across a range of industries and sectors including Government, Financial Services, Retail, Professional Services, Non-Profit, Education, Technology & start-ups.
Connect with Dev Singh:
Lead by Design podcast: https://leadbydesign.show
Under My Turban newsletter: https://devsingh.substack.com
LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/devsinghnet
Twitter: https://x.com/devsinghnet
Joseph Merz on serial ethical entrepreneurship, creating your own advisory board, influencing social behaviour, and some hope for our deteriorating planet (#004)