Meet Anna Hall | Founder, Chief Purpose Officer & Purpose Activation Guide

We had the good fortune of connecting with Anna Hall and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Anna, how does your business help the community?
In times of uncertainty – which is all the time – purpose serves as a solid foundation we can count on to take the next step, and then the next one – in life and in work. When you are connected with your purpose, you know it and can feel it because you are naturally compelled to engage in life in positive ways that impact your own wellness while helping others. There’s a lot of uncertainty in our world right now, so people need their purpose more than ever.

I define purpose as the unique ways (big and little) that each of us exchange meaning and joy in the world – through relationships, work, hobbies and even how we interact with strangers at the grocery store. Purpose is an innate energy that fuels motivation, excitement and joy. It helps us make meaning to navigate change and answer questions about why we are here. Purpose shows us that we each have special contributions to make to society, or our neighborhood, or our family and friends, because of who we are naturally and how we operate in the world without trying. Our own experience living with awareness of our purpose provides us with incontrovertible evidence that others – who are different from us in a variety of ways – also share this commonality, a life life force that creates an exchange of goodness. Every person who defines their purpose can’t help but to make our world incrementally better. For example, when Judith activated her purpose, she started volunteering at her local library. Something had been missing in life and she couldn’t pinpoint it. Then she realized that she loves learning and talking about ideas, but didn’t want to tale formal classes. When she ignited her purpose, she also gained confidence and it opened doors to new possibilities in her life that she had overlooked before.

When I work with businesses, leaders learn how to activate their own purpose to show up more authentically with confidence and a greater desire to learn what makes each employee special and happy at work. Managers learn to detect purpose and connect teams in this realm of human mattering and meaning. People who feel seen, heard, understood and recognized for their gifts, talents, strengths and lived experiences want to go above and beyond because they feel cared about. In turn, they care. They want to stay. This is human nature. This makes work feel better and generates more consistent business outcomes. When the CEO of a not for profit organization defined her purpose, she began noticing elements of purpose, like strengths, in her team and changed her approach to assigning special projects. This resulted in a highly engaged team that thrived on a growth mindset and closer collaboration.

When I work with individuals of all ages and stages in life to guide them through purpose discovery and activation, especially when they are changing jobs and navigating other major life transitions, I see them light up from their inner joy and excitement about getting to be born with THIS purpose. They grow eager to share it every day, seeing in real time how they are intentionally improving lives simply by being themselves – but with more awareness and intention related to tiny habits that make an impact every day.

Here are some specific examples of how purpose makes an impact. Clients have:
Gained the confidence to start a small business
Started volunteering in their community
Improved relationships, friendships, marriages through clearer communication about their wants, needs and intentions
Removed themselves from environments or circumstances that were not serving them and gained confidence to explore new spaces and places
Created art, music, books that helps and inspire others
Become more tolerant and forgiving
Experienced and shared more joy with others in every day life

What should our readers know about your business?
The Purpose Equation is an evidence-informed framework that guides people of all ages and stages in life to define and activate their innate, unique purpose. Purpose is a combination of values, character strengths, personality and is different for everyone based on genetics, physiology, etc. Purpose matters because it is the foundation for good health and healthy longevity. People who are connected with their purpose live longer, are more resilient and less prone to stroke and developing dementia. It’s also a matter of quality of life – purposeful people are happier, more satisfied with their jobs and better at adapting to change. The Equation is the basis for workshops, leadership development, keynotes and consulting with organizations to improve the employee experience.

I saw the power of purpose at an early age, when I began my career in assisted living, working with older adults living into their 80’s, 90’s and better. I wondered – why is it that some people are rising every day and engaging in life when they are faced with multiple chronic conditions or Alzheimer’s disease or constant changes in health, when others in the same condition are struggling to leave their room? A major factor was purpose – those who were in touch with meaning in life, those who found joy in the smallest gestures, those who felt awe from the birds singing–were more likely to flourish and engage in every day life.

I’ve learned that our society often gets the concept of purpose wrong. We are trained in school to think that purpose is something we will one day achieve when we are good enough. Or that our purpose fulfillment is tied up in reaching a goal or achieving a big win, or in a job we will perform at some point in the future. These concepts make purpose feel stressful and unattainable in the present moment. It’s easy to give up, to think it’s out of reach. When in fact, searching these external factors points us in the wrong direction! Purpose is found inside. You always have it – it belongs to you. No one and nothing can take it from you. It is up to you to activate it and bring it to daily life. The results of living this way, with this intention and mindset, is reaching goals and achieving greatness as each of us define it.

I got to where I am business-wise by being open and willing to fail and take risks and try new things constantly. I learn faster that way, although it can be painful. The mission is bigger than my temporary suffering. The first version of the equation looks nothing like the current framework. I took feedback, made changes and constantly refined the framework and the experience for clients. Today, nothing brings me greater joy and fulfillment than seeing a person discover their ‘why’ and share it effortlessly with their family, friends and colleagues.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
My purpose guides in life, for the most part, have been older adults. Their combination of life experience, knowledge and self-awareness is time-tested and often consolidates into wisdom. Wisdom is spiritual, energetic, exciting and loving – I love to bask in it! I encourage readers to visit your local senior center or volunteer at a retirement community. Seek out meaningful connection with people who are both older and younger than you to enrich your life and theirs!

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I’m honored to give a shoutout to Anita Holt. She is the CEO of the retirement life plan community called The Forest at Duke located in North Carolina. She believed in me and The Purpose Equation when I was first getting started. Our partnership to infuse purpose throughout her community has been an incredible learning opportunity and has improved lives! Anita, thank you for your leadership and creativity!

Shoutout to Gary Solomonson, who is my co-mentor for business and life. He lifts my spirits when I need a boost and gives me advice that sometimes I don’t want to hear but that I need at the time and place it arrives. Gary, thank you for your kindness and spiritual guidance.

Website: https://www.ThePurposeEquation.com

Instagram: @annahall_livinpurpose

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/annakhall1/