It’s not just about the passion. It’s also about the purpose.

At King Price, we often talk about the importance of having a purpose. That bigger ‘why’ that makes us bounce out of bed every morning. It’s one of the first things I talk about to every new person who joins the company. In fact, our entire company is built around our purpose of making a difference and changing people’s lives.

But sometimes we get so caught up in our lives, and the non-stop pressure of keeping our businesses running and navigating these wild times, that we forget why we’re doing what we’re doing. And at times like that, you need someone who taps you on the shoulder, and gives you a gentle reminder to focus on what’s really important in life.

For me, one of those people is Rory Dyer, the inspirational pastor at the 3Ci church in Pretoria. I bumped into him at the office a while ago, and out of the blue, he gave me a watch. Why, you ask? Quite simply, God had told him to give me a reminder to make time for my family. I’d been caught up in work at the time, and Rory’s message was exactly what I needed to hear at that moment. It was goose-bump stuff.

So, last month we invited Rory to come and talk to the King Price management team at our regular monthly meeting. He talked powerfully about the need to remain humble as you grow successful. To stay true to your values. To remember why we started the company in the first place. To focus on the important things in life. Again, it was as though the man had been sent. It was a wake-up call for many of us in the room.

A lot of people think passion and purpose are the same thing. They’re not. I’ve always had passion. As a young man, I firmly believed I could change the world. I knew that one day I would be part of a business that would create jobs, make lots of money, and use it to make a real difference. Problem was, I didn’t know how. I didn’t have a purpose.

Once I found that purpose, of starting a company that would make a difference in the world by giving back, I knocked on 43 doors looking for people to buy into my vision and my dream. I sold everything I had, including my car and house. Finally, I met Mergon, who listened to my passionate pitch - and bought the vision.

9 years, and lots of sweat, tears and learnings, later, we have a company valued at R6.7 billion, and this is just the start. We’ve helped Mergon to donate more than R500 million to those in need. And we continue to pursue our WHY of making a difference to our clients, our employees and our communities.

We hope to keep doing so every day, without ever losing focus on our mission: Lower premiums: Higher purpose. Let’s all never forget our ‘why’.