As a designer, I’m constantly reminded how important it is to stay inspired, which can sometimes be much easier said than done. Sure, you can check out the local art museum or go on a hike, but for me, I’ve found the most valuable inspiration comes from simply listening. Listening to other people’s stories of the battles they’ve endured throughout their careers — triumphs and failures, struggles and victories, the pretty and the ugly.
Recently, I was lucky enough to attend [Bold Fusion](http://hypecincinnati.com/bold-fusion/), Cincinnati’s largest [young professionals summit](https://www.facebook.com/HYPECincinnati/photos/?tab=album&album_id=10154660712435827), where I was able to do exactly that — listen. I was excited to surround myself with the most inspiring and talented professionals in the city and hear their stories of growth and development throughout their careers. While I was excited, I have to admit I wasn’t totally sure what the theme of this year’s event — [“Intrapreneurship”](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intrapreneurship) — truly meant. I quickly learned not only what it meant, but also how it directly applied to me.
I learned that being an “intrapreneur” is synonymous with what I feel it means to be a creative: to be disruptive for the common good, to listen more and talk less, to cultivate ideas and mobilize them within an organization, and to be driven with a purpose. To summarize, intrapreneurs create change.
Once I absorbed the word and all it entailed, I realized that I not only want to act as an intrapreneur at Intrinzic, but I also want to bring this approach to the work I create for clients and their brands. After all, it is my job as a creative to push others and myself outside the norm in order to find truly unique and — even more importantly — effective results. However, to do this successfully, we must not only be individual intrapreneurs, but we also must create a culture of intrapreneurship within our workplaces.
The event’s keynote speaker, [Chitra Anand](http://chitraanand.com/), had wonderful examples of how to create this culture. She mentioned things that businesses have quickly figured out with the rise of millennial employees, like having mobile workspaces and flexible schedules that allow for work-life balance, and she also mentioned points that I’ve rarely heard said with such confidence and certainty:
### 1. We must have transparent leaders.
Our leaders should value the important of openness and communication within the group. Only when employees are aware of problems are they able to contribute change for the better.
### 2. We must define our purpose and then master it.
Both individually and as a company, knowing your purpose is sustainable to happiness. It’s crucial to know what drives you and your team to push forward. What is the reason you do or create something?
### 3. We must allow for (dare I say it) failure.
That’s right. We need to embrace failure with open arms and truly understand the benefit of experimentation and it’s full potential, for that is how we truly learn and gain experience. At the end of the day, it’s brands that take risks that set the bar for what others strive to reach.
At the end of Bold Fusion, I felt truly inspired and believed in the idea that when individuals set themselves up to be intrapreneurs and have a work culture that supports them, groundbreaking things can happen. So ask yourself, are you letting rejection propel you and your brand forward? Have you and/or your brand defined your purpose and mastered it? How can you contribute to an intrapreneurial culture in your workplace?
(Image Source: [HYPE Cincinnati](https://www.facebook.com/HYPECincinnati/photos/?tab=album&album_id=10154660712435827))
