My WHY: I will have the greatest positive impact on as many individuals as I humanly can in my lifetime.
It's what gives me life. It gets me out of bed in the morning and drives me in my lowest of times. It is my vision, my mission, and my modus operandi.
So what does this mean to you?
It might mean nothing. And that's ok. But here's what I mean when I say this. First, it's important to understand this is not some flippant phrase I came up with after a focus group with my advisory board on how best to manipulate you into thinking I'm a selfless person.
My WHY was truly forged in fire. And the statement you see above is the short version. Here's the extended cut:
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My WHY — the extended cut
Why, how, what. This is the story behind why I take action, how I came to realize my value, and what I'm willing to do to achieve it.
My WHY: I will have the greatest positive impact on as many individuals as I humanly can in my lifetime.
My belief is simple: people are the most valuable resource.
In business, people are your only stakeholders—employees, customers, partners, and more. Outside of business, nothing changes:
- Family and friends
- Brother, sister, mother, father, child
- Pastor, cousin, lover—your people
I combine enterprise thinking with impact thinking and wealth generation—making clear distinctions between assets and liabilities in service of delivering value to both internal and external stakeholders by solving real market problems, while also capturing a fair share of that value as profit.
I believe every person on this planet is capable of generating life-changing wealth and increasing “gross domestic happiness” for themselves and their families within their active lifetime.
By “active,” I mean: if you're alive and pursuing this, you're active. If you're only surviving—stuck chasing the next dollar—it's time to wake up. Life is more than handbags and Ferraris.
Not only do I believe this is true for everyone, I believe it's your right to pursue it. But not everyone has access to the resources to make it possible—and I'm going to change that.
I wrote the first version of this years ago while navigating Bipolar I. The conviction still stands; the clarity is real.
I intend to do this in my active lifetime. And if I teach you how to fish, I hope you'll share part of the catch—it's only fair.
For fun: I once joked I'd live as the first hyper-super-centenarian, pushing 200. More likely, the impact outlives me—and that's the point.
My name is David Lewis Gagne. I go by BuildPax online. My mission is exactly what I've said above. In short: if you're listening to this, know that I care about you—even if we never meet.
“The purest form of giving is anonymous to anonymous.” — Jay-Z
Whether or not you know me is irrelevant. If I can make even a small change that creates a lasting, positive impact in your life, then why wouldn't I?
Stay tuned.
My photobook: A living & growing small sampling of pictures from my life.
Me with the VWAG crew for Dick's Sporting Goods, circa 2016The Antibroke Playlist
For my rap fans out there.