BFP: What do you do?
MDP: I’m a catalyst, entrepreneur and mother. Right now, I’m helping to build a community for corporate change agents – or social intrapreneurs (The League of Intrapreneurs). My next project is focusing on empowering busy parents to embed sustainability into their daily lives.
BFP: What is the best part about your work?
MDP: The best part about my work is constantly stretching my brain to think of new possibilities and then collaborating with super smart, passionate human beings to make ideas a reality.
BFP: What have been your greatest challenges?
MDP: I feel like two challenges are constant for me. The first is — am I having enough impact? Is this lever big enough or even the right one? The second challenge is getting the balance right between spending time on work, on my family and on me. I am continuously re-calibrating to find a state of peace and centeredness.
BFP: How have you overcome these challenges? / What advice, would you give to others? / What is the secret of your success?
MDP: I certainly haven’t overcome them yet! My main success was to take control of my own destiny by working for myself. There are demands on my time for sure, but they are self-generated and at any point I can choose to slow down and take a breath. (Though I don’t do this as often as I should!) Also, having a community or support network – people I can reach out to during difficult times or who can stress test ideas – is incredibly important for me.
BFP: If someone wants to do what you do, where should they start?
MDP: 3 pieces of advice based on my own journey:
+ Build authentic networks. This is how you’ll get jobs, advice, support, etc. Networking isn’t about politics. It’s about connecting with others as human beings, discovering what makes other people tick and giving freely to others without expecting anything in return.
+ Follow your heart. You may not end up exactly where you plan, but if you listen to your heart and stay true to your values, you’ll end up in the right place.
+ Take risks. What’s the worst thing that can happen? The rewards of any risk taking far outweigh the perceived initial risk. Even if your first venture doesn’t succeed, the life lessons you will have learned dwarf anything you would have learned by staying put.
BFP: Finally, what do you hope to get out of being part of the BFP community?
MDP: Being part of the BFP community for me is about learning and making new connections. I’m looking forward to learning how others are making change in their work and addressing similar challenges that I face.
Editor’s Note:
Thank you to Maggie De Pree for taking the time to do this interview.
We’re always looking out for members to feature. Help us by taking two-minutes to update your profile, or by nominating someone for Business Fights Poverty Member of the Week.
Read previous Member of the Week interviews here.
