When Business Doesn’t Make Money

Rev. Matthew Smedley is the Executive Director and CEO of Mission Possible. Over the past 10+ years, Matt has helped Mission Possible transition its programming from offering basic street-level care to being a leading community economic development organization in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside. Though his role at Mission Possible is varied and complex, his favourite part about his job has stayed consistent - the people. He loves both the Mission Possible team that works alongside him, as well as the community of amazing people who offer every-day inspiration.

Matt has served as a pastor in the inner city and has over five years of experience working in the trades. He holds a graduate certificate from SFU in Community Economic Development, has done coursework in theology and sociology, and has a B.S. from Cairn University. Outside of his work, Matt spends time walking with his wife, playing games with his daughter and three sons, and tinkering with his motorcycle.

Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn:

• What drew Matthew to Mission Possible

• What Mission Possible provides to the downtown eastside of Vancouver

• The truth about why people experience homelessness and poverty

• The difference between Executive Director and CEO

• What a social enterprise is and how Mission Possible operates theirs

• How a strictly “transactional mentality” in business contributes to people’s challenge and suffering

• Why social profit is of higher value to Matthew than financial profit

• One of the greatest wins Matthew has experienced through Mission Possible

• How business coaching has kept Matthew grounded and is a reference he continues to return to

In this episode….

Matthew Smedley came to Mission Possible after accepting a volunteer opportunity from his friend, the then-Executive Director. When he ventured back into part-time work after staying home with his sons for two years, he went back to Mission Possible and eventually stayed on full-time. Now as the Executive Director and CEO, he explains that the work greatly affected him and how he thought; it challenged assumptions he held about why people are homeless or in poverty. 

Matthew has a real clarity about what a non-profit organization can do in terms of a social enterprise endeavor, which is how Mission Possible functions. He is very clear that financial profit is only a goal in terms of breaking even and that the true goal is social profit. He prides Mission Possible on running high quality and professional social enterprises which in turn elevates a sense of dignity and purpose in the work for the downtown eastside Vancouver community he serves.

In this episode of What CEOs Talk About, host Martin Hunter and Matthew Smedley explore the truths about why people experience challenges in life; the traumas, abuses, addictions, and transactional employment mentalities that drive them to homelessness and poverty. They break down exactly what Mission Possible is about and how they operate positive change in the downtown eastside. Matthew explains the difference between Executive Director and CEO, how non-profit enterprises have a different view of success than a for profit company, and how he loves his job but wishes people could be instilled with a sense of value and worth after setbacks and struggle without its intervention.

Resources mentioned in this episode:

• URGEO

• Contact email: info@urgeo.com

• Martin Hunter on LinkedIn

• Mission Possible

• Matthew Smedley on LinkedIn

• Contact email: matt@mission-possible.ca

• Mission Possible on YouTube

• New Employer Resource - ‘Untapped Talent: B2B Guide to Innovative Hiring and Retention’

• TOMS

• Chop Value

• Buy Social Canada

• ‘Habit 3: Put First Things First’ - Dr. Stephen R Covey

• ‘Fear-Setting: The Most Valuable Exercise I Do Every Month’ - Tim Ferriss

Sponsor for this episode...

This podcast is brought to you by URGEO, Operational excellence in action through the Are you Ready Program!

Are you READY to free up your time?
Optimize your Organization?
Grow revenue and reduce costs?
Build your leadership team?

Partnering with organizations like yours, we work with you to implement our proven  methodology designed to transform your operations, while providing accurate advice and support for real success.

Translating strategy into frontline operations, URGEO helps leaders and the people within their organization excel at safe, on-time, on-budget and on-spec delivery. Let’s touch base so we can learn how we can level up your business. Contact us today.