Chapter One – by Daniel Flynn

Three 19-year-old kids dreamt big. They realized that 1 billion were living in poverty and decided to do something about it. It’s only the beginning of their mission, it’s only ‘chapter one’, but they are on their way to changing the world.

Thank you Water took on the big corporates like Coca-Cola and worked their way into big retailers like 7/11, Coles and Woolworths. The beauty is that 100% of all profits go to causes like providing fresh drinking water for developing countries.

Have a read, buy some Thankyou Water, and then go out and change the world.

“You have the power to change stuff”

Chapter One (dot point) Summary

Synopsis – ‘Right Way or Wrong Way Up’?

The story begins with Daniel Flynn his best mate and then GF now wife started something to challenge the fabric of the capitalist global business model.

Landscape Book

Why aren’t books landscape? The purpose is to challenge your thinking. If you move past the mental boundaries you might realize it’s easier to hold by freeing up one hand,

‘Once you get out of your comfort zone you begin to ask questions

Chapter 1

He was going to be a property developer but started looking into dire situations in developing countries.

He once had this dream to own a big yacht. He got his calculator out and started dividing cost of the apartment to the cost to give someone water. One 3.5 million dollar yacht could impact 175,000 peoples lives with water.

He asked himself, what if that were me??

Could we launch a brand of water to help the crisis?

The idea was to 100% empower Australians to fund water projects in developing countries. 100% for the cause.

They started with no idea at all how to go about it but dove in anyway. Ali “impossibility is a fact not an opinion’

They started driving in with their P plate cars borrowing their parent’s suits. In each meeting, they explained they were opening a huge brand and that their plant doesn’t have the capacity for their brand.

Finally, they dropped the façade and shared their vision and some caught on

They needed 20K to start the company at some stage and they got a gift from someone for 20K. They believed in their cause.

Questions

What if it were me? What if it works?

Chapter 2 Turning Stumbling Blocks into Stepping Stones

After finally getting some bottles into production they thought they were in. But there were some sediments in the water. Then label wasn’t sticking to the bottle either which read ‘ 100% of profits to water projects’

12months in they were in 350 cafes

They got into stores around AUS then they took it away.

Questions

“What can I learn from this” Proactivity vs Reactivity

“Hardships prepare ordinary people for an extraordinary destiny”

“Small wins make the difference”

Chapter 1.4 The Way Behind What You DO

When you chase big dreams and get challenged, the romance wears off and you have to find the internal drive

Daniel worked night shifts most nights, traffic police, call centers, put uni on hold for his why

Bruce Almighty inspired him to ask the question “God if it will work then give me a sign”

“Wrong way, go back, stop, bridge closed then crashes his car”

He asked the same thing opened the bible and the first thing he found was “the poor and needy search for water yet find none, their tongues are parched with thirst but I the Lord have heard their cry”

Having no fallback is enough motivation to invest your all

Your sacrifices look different but they do exist

Questions

What gets your emotions going?

1.5 High five status quo with a chair in the face

In preparation for meeting with 7-Eleven they posted “tomorrow we are meeting with 7-Eleven, we want to know people will buy it from their stores”

There facebook page got smashed

Questions

“People don’t see what you see in your idea, it is your job to prove it.

Your lack of experience can be the best weapon challenging the status quo.

1.6 Build a team to create a dream

The only way to time travel, catch up for a coffee with a mentor and if you can learn one piece of wisdom that might have taken him or her 20 years to discover

Getting comfortable with discomfort

As you grow there will be weaknesses build great partnerships

1.7 Facing the Giants

“If an idea is good enough the money will come

1.8 Campaign that changed it all

Got a helicopter in front of woolworths and coles before their meeting, “dear coles thank you for changing the world if you say yes”, “Hi woolworths together we can change the world if you say yes”

1.9 Money doesn’t change anything

“Advertising is the tax you pay for not being unremarkable”

“A horse pulling the cart would be find your 20K register business then find the deal… They believe cart pulling the horse is land the deal, find a way to get 20K and then register the business”

1.10 Fear

“The fear of failure has killed more dreams than failure itself. Greatest lessons in ashes of failure. If failure leads to learning, which leads to success, you’d think the culture of failure would be embraced.”

“You can’t live in fear of what others think to get anywhere”

He used to shit himself public speaking.

How would you live your life without fear? What would you say? What would you do?

What if the world needs your dream? Don’t let fear fuck ya

1.11 Partnering with dreamers

Critics are important to refine your dream.

1.12 “there will always be more to do, enjoy the win

“When 10 out of 10 people think you’ve got it wrong, you probably do. Or there’s a chance you are about to go on to do something the world hasn’t seen before”

1.13 Choose Remarkable

Kids believe in it then we grow up.

“You have a choice to exist or be remarkable

1. Idea
2. Seek council
3. Take action
4. Fail
5. Learn
6. Refine
7. Action
8. Repeat
9. Succeed
10. Enjoy and repeat

Ending

“life can be broader once you discover the simple fact that everything around you was made by people no smarter than you. You can change it, influence it and you can build your own things that people can use”