The Trip of A Lifetime Part 2 - Uncovering the Evolution of Business
Have you had a longtime dream and waited for the perfect moment when you can chase it and live life to its fullest? For some of you, there might be many - I know I’ve had a lot of those moments. After spending more than a year stressed out by the COVID-19 pandemic, my family and I fulfilled a lifelong dream - a trip to the Galápagos Islands.
We had planned the trip with extended family prior to COVID and were grateful we made the decision to go. The trip enabled me to re-center and reminded me of why I do what I do. I started Aperture - to be able to help early to mid-stage businesses break into new markets and strategically take their business to the next level.
A Trip of Inspiration
My trip to the Galápagos was nothing short of awe-inspiring. Each day was filled with history, adventure, and animals galore (read more about the specifics of my trip at the previous blog linked here). If you were to ask me to attempt to describe what the Islands are like, I’d say they are majestic, but my words can never do them justice.. It was like being encapsulated in a colorful world of nature and peace, where nothing matters except being present in the moment.
The Islands are breathtaking - offering fantastic views, experiences, and activities. One of my favorite parts was the daily lectures given by the naturalists who were onboard our boat. We learned about the history of the islands, Charles Darwin’s discoveries, and the various creatures we saw each day. While all lectures were enjoyable and intriguing, the topic I found to be particularly striking was the background of Charles Darwin.
The Evolution of Business
Darwin took a trip to the Galápagos Islands in 1831, where he developed most of the work for his theories of Evolution and Natural Selection. At that time, Darwin accompanied Captain Robert FitzRoy as a naturalist on FitzRoy’s boat, the H.M.S. Beagle.
Ironically, our boat was named Evolution - fitting for the history and environment of the Galápagos. As I learned more about Darwin and his studies, I found a consistent connection between Darwin and the world of business. If Darwin were to relate to business in this day and age, he would focus on his three key elements of natural selection - variation, reproduction, and heritability.
According to Darwin, variation refers to the differences within organisms in a population. Translated to business, what often makes business ventures successful is the diverse backgrounds and perspectives of their people, which leads to innovation and creativity, both cornerstones of growth.
Reproduction refers to the concept of having offspring with desirable traits that will help them survive. When I think about how this relates to business, I believe that having replicable, repeatable processes and training a team to function at their highest level are both frequently reproduced by great organizations, thus enabling them to develop and launch new products, to integrate innovative ideas, and to attain stretch goals.
While the correlations between science and business are important, we learn from history and better understand and improve our present and future - the evolution from surviving to growing to thriving. What we can draw from Darwin’s experience is the importance of building a business that is unique and resilient. Businesses should stand out not for their name, but for the character of their employees, the satisfaction of their customers resulting from the work that they do, and the things that they do uniquely that provide value to those that they serve. These are the companies that will survive via natural selection.
The Power of a Fresh Lens
Some may have seen this trip as simply a getaway, but for me, it was more than that. One of my passions is finding value in the small details that may initially be ignored, but instead make a lasting impact once they are given the light of day to be seen, heard, and analyzed. The lessons I learned, the deep connection with nature I experienced, and the quality time spent with family instilled in me the same drive to pursue my dreams that I had when I first started Aperture CPG.
My visit to the Galápagos was a great reminder of why I love what I do. As an avid photographer, I admire the power of connection, and I aim to replicate that by building customer relationships and creating a brand with impact. No matter what I do, I look at life through a lens, capturing the beauty in the subject and the details.
Taking photographs is not just the snap of a button. There is a lot of preparation, planning, creativity, and technical expertise that goes into that photo. The same is true with business. I’d love to help you and your organization grow by looking at your business venture through a fresh lens.