The Greater Good
SOCIAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP FOR EVERYDAY PEOPLE WHO WANT TO CHANGE THE WORLD
In The Greater Good, award-winning social entrepreneur Madeleine Shaw presents an inspiring look at how a new generation of non-traditional entrepreneurs can use their personal values and vision to launch and grow world-changing ventures. She dispels the myth that you need a business degree or a blockbuster tech idea to start a successful enterprise, arguing that passion, a willingness to step into one’s personal power, and strong relationships are what propel social entrepreneurs forward.
Published by Wonderwell
Release Date: October 5, 2021
Available in hardcover and ebook
280 pages
$30.95 CAD / $22.00 USD
Entrepreneurship can be a powerful force for change
Part memoir and part empowering manifesto and how-to guide, The Greater Good is woven through with Madeleine Shaw’s success story as cofounder of Aisle (formerly Lunapads), a groundbreaking social venture that was one of the first ventures in the world to champion natural menstrual care products.
An invitation to “everyday” people, including women as well as racialized and other underrepresented individuals who may not find themselves in the traditional profile of entrepreneurial scale and success, The Greater Good shows readers how to map and mine their unique experience and values, with creative exercises and prompts to formulate a vision for change.
Using insightful self-discovery methods designed to draw out readers’ strengths, skills, and passions, Shaw also reveals how to work through self-limiting perceptions and self-doubt, and provides a primer on venture development fundamentals.
Sharing inspiring stories from her own journey as well as those of dozens of her peers, the author challenges the notion that social impact can only be enacted through non-profit entities, or that making money while making a difference is somehow contrary to the greater good.
Most existing books on entrepreneurship focus on business strategies, beating back the competition, and achieving “unicorn” status. In contrast, The Greater Good takes a deeply personal look at how people can change the world using business tools, uncovering the emotional drive within each of us to build a better future through vision, courage, and collaboration.
2022 Gold Winner
Nautilus Book Awards
Madeleine Shaw
Madeleine Shaw is a multiple award-winning social entrepreneur with more than twenty-five years of experience launching both for- and non-profit ventures with a social change agenda at their heart. At age twenty-five she founded Aisle (previously Lunapads), a privately held business whose groundbreaking sustainable menstrual care products are sold in more than forty countries worldwide. Shaw went on to establish United Girls of the World Society, a charity, and G Day, a national rite of passage celebration series for adolescent girls, in 2014. In 2017 she launched Nestworks, a family-friendly co-working community that is reimagining work/life balance.
Praise for The Greater Good
“Mandatory reading for changemakers everywhere.”
Chris Guillebeau, author of The Money Tree
“Madeleine is an extraordinary innovator whose ideas have had profound positive influence on so many lives. Her voice is a beacon for these times. Her stories will engage, inspire, and activate.”
Joel Solomon, author of The Clean Money Revolution: Reinventing Power, Purpose, and Capitalism
“Madeleine Shaw is a brilliant innovator, fierce feminist, generous collaborator, and persuasive storyteller—and is all of these things at once in The Greater Good.”
Jennifer Weiss-Wolf, author of Periods Gone Public: Taking a Stand for Menstrual Equity
“Run, don’t walk, to buy The Greater Good. The old business models just give us the same results. Madeleine Shaw knows firsthand how to do good successfully. This is an essential primer for the new business world we need.”
M.J. Ryan, author of Radical Generosity and How to Survive Change … You Didn’t Ask For
“Madeleine Shaw’s book arrives at the perfect time as a gift to future generations of social entrepreneurs who have dreams for a more equitable world. Shaw’s decades of experience, insight, and wisdom are now available to all in a relatable format.”
Vicki Saunders, founder, SheEO
Press, Awards, and More
You Can Be a Social Entrepreneur—Here’s How
Based on the book The Greater Good by Madeleine Shaw, this 8-part “How to Be a Social Entrepreneur” video course offers crucial tools and encouragement for those considering starting their own impact-based projects or ventures.
Wonderwell to Publish Inspirational Book from Social Entrepreneur Madeleine Shaw
We’re pleased to announce that Wonderwell will be publishing social entrepreneur Madeleine Shaw’s first book. The Greater Good is scheduled to be released under Wonderwell’s Best Book program on October 5, 2021.
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