The New Victorians - how millennials are redefining "good business"

Throughout my short professional life, I’ve had a few career changes and changed jobs every couple years as I build my skill set. And whenever I switch jobs I always have to think about what type of company I want to work for. Obviously I want it to be a company that does its part to care for the environment, treats its employees like valuable human beings and is generally socially responsible. No business is perfect, but in my mind if a business is at least trying, that's a good place to start.

And apparently I'm not alone in my efforts to find a job in a "good" company. There is a TEDx talk about millennials as inventors and innovators by a man named Ernesto Sirolli, who has noticed that millennials love quality and, more than other generations, refuse to work for greedy, hording corporations. He calls us "the new Victorians." Victorians, according to Ernesto, invented everything. Millennials, according to Ernesto, will reinvent everything. We are moving away from the "more, more, more," mentality, and back to the "better, and in moderation," mentality.

We love small batch goods, craft beer, fair trade clothing, hand-made goods, and artisan-made items that honor tradition.

"Good business" doesn't mean every man and women for themselves anymore. It means we help each other out and try, together, to make the world a better place.

We are becoming essentialists. We are becoming minimalists. We don't want more stuff, we want more meaning.

It's fascinating to me that an entire generation is starting to make this shift, and that together we are beginning to reject the idea of living only for ourselves. I think we are starting to realize that it's actually very hollow and depressing to live simply for oneself, and that it's a much more meaningful endeavor to share and search out the value in people and goods, and to care for the world we live in.

I find this TEDx talk so encouraging. I mean, when I started this blog, I honestly didn't think anyone would read it. Maybe a few people from Vancouver and Portland would stop by once in a while, but other than that, I figured the response would consist of my friends and family going, "you're insane, quit spamming us with this hippie shit."

Instead, you all have been so encouraging and engaging, and have often taken time to ask about how you all can start simplifying your lives and being more conscious consumers. I love it! I appreciate you all so much! It's amazing that our generation is picking up this cause and running with it.

So let us all continue with this. We'll keep pushing for responsible consumerism and trade. We will continue to value people over stuff. I believe it's possible within our lifetime to seriously alter the way the world does business!