Book Review: Purpose to Profit by Lawrence Namale

I believe that a week or so before Lawrence Namale put this book up for online consumption, there had been a debate on passion, work, and livelihood. I had intimated to one of the participants in that cyber palaver that it was about time to discuss how folks can be helped to turn their passions into money-making ventures. So when I saw Namale’s title, I was elated and wolfed it down—in one night. I must say I wasn’t disappointed.

Namale shares his unemployment plight, which I believe many resonate with. He describes how he struggled for a long time to find work. When he finally did, it wasn’t that fulfilling. Out of frustration, he took an introspective trip and found what really gives him the kicks—coaching and writing.

Over the next years, he honed his craft in coaching people in leadership, business, and personal development. Coupled with his passion for writing, he found a worthwhile and fulfilling vocation.

In Purpose to Profit, a product of the lessons along his Purpose pursuit, he lays out ten strategies that provide a practical way one can turn whatever passion he has into a cash cow. Namale advises to, first of all, clarify your purpose. This can be extrapolated from the gifts and talents one is endowed with. And ‘from every purpose that is carried out, there’s a profit that can and should be made.’ He further writes ‘The reason why many people are unemployed is that we have been conditioned to think linearly.’ He makes a case for the Gig economy which he says is here to stay as ‘companies are more and more hiring freelancers and contractors than full-time staff.’ This doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t pursue a regular nine-to-five but it should be a ‘reprieve for your circumstances.’

There are other nine strategies to learn from and the one which stayed with me was strategy four — create products — because you will never profit from your purpose without a product.

In a world faced with skyrocketing unemployment rates, turning people’s passions into business proves a solution worthy to reckon with. And Purpose to Profit shows you exactly how.