Purpose Before Profit: Rikki Harris Of TN Voices On The Benefits Of Running A Purpose-Driven Business
An Interview With Chad Silverstein
Invest in what is next — Think about the future of the business at all times and invest in it. Grow your leaders’ skills, think about succession, and plan like your business is going to double. Don’t be shy about dreaming really big!
In today’s competitive business landscape, the race for profits often takes center stage. However, there are some leaders who also prioritize a mission-driven purpose. They use their business to make a positive social impact and recognize that success isn’t only about making money. In this interview series, we are talking with some of these distinct leaders and I had the pleasure of interviewing Rikki Harris.
Rikki Harris is the CEO of TN Voices, a mental health nonprofit agency with a 30-year history of providing support and advocacy to transform mental health in Tennessee. In her 10 years as CEO, Rikki has proven her leadership success by growing the organization over 1000% in less than ten years and helping thousands more people with their mental health and support needs. She is a speaker, writer, and mental health expert who was appointed by the current TN governor to chair the Policy and Planning Council for the TN Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services.
Thank you so much for doing this with us! Our readers would love to get to know you a bit better. Can you tell us your “Origin Story”? Can you tell us the story of how you grew up?
I chose this field because my grandpa died by suicide when I was seven, and I had a brother who suffered from Bipolar Disorder. I knew at 15 that I would go into mental health to help families like mine. I was born dead, and miraculously, CPR saved my life. Doctors expected me to be developmentally delayed due to a lack of oxygen to my brain in the early minutes of my life. However, I surpassed all my milestones and went on to be very healthy, graduating high school and starting college at age 16, where I received my bachelor’s and master’s as a 4.0 scholar and National Honor Society member.
This story is important because it is part of knowing my purpose and not taking a day for granted in pursuing it. I have two Masters — Marriage and Family Therapy and Christian Education. I completed all of my PhD coursework in Psychology but was unable to complete my dissertation because the school shut down the program, so I did not get my doctorate. This felt like a failure point in my career path, and I suffered some anxiety and depression going through it, but it ultimately led me away from a professor track and onto the management and leadership path I was meant to be on.
I have worked in mental health companies since starting my master’s at 20. I have worked in non-profits throughout my career and really believe in mission-focused work.
Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you began leading your company or organization?
I really hated everything to do with politics, and to be honest, right off the bat, it scared me to think about navigating the messiness of politics when my heart was to help people. My first visit with a lawmaker was awful. The senator would not look at me the entire meeting, and at the end, he said he didn’t look at me because he would be distracted by my beauty. I was so taken aback, and I avoided any further meetings that I could. I basically wrote off getting into that space, but I knew I had to figure it out because advocacy was part of the mission of the organization.
Over time, I was fortunate to build relationships with decision-makers in the state and was later appointed by Governor Lee to chair the state’s Policy and Planning Council for mental health and substance abuse services. In that role, I have had the opportunity to influence and guide policy and funding for mental health and substance abuse services. I had never imagined having such a big role in state policy and planning, and it turns out I love this side of state government. I have grown and learned and now enter a room with senators and lawmakers with more ease. Luckily, I have met some really great lawmakers since that first encounter.
We often learn the most from our mistakes. Can you share one that you made that turned out to be one of the most valuable lessons you’ve learned?
One of the biggest mistakes I made early in my tenure as CEO was that too many changes were made too fast. I felt ready and knew what I was doing strategically, but I missed a BIG step: communication and building trust first. I didn’t have full buy-in, and it caused me some turnover that I did not see coming. Since then, I have learned to slow down, communicate, and build a longer runway to change. I have also learned the value of retention and support over the bottom line because, in the end, turnover impacts the bottom line more than you think!
As a successful leader, it’s clear that you uphold strong core values. I’m curious what are the most important principles you firmly stand by and refuse to compromise on. Can you share a few of them and explain why they hold such significance for you in your work and life?
Leaders must live authentically for their own purposes before they can guide others. Then, the leader can curate a culture that will lead to better productivity, healthier work environments, and a psychologically safe space for people to live out their unique purpose.
What inspired you to work at a purpose-driven business rather than a traditional for-profit enterprise? Can you share a personal story or experience that led you to prioritize social impact in your business?
I was born dead. I wasn’t supposed to be here, and when I did start breathing, no one expected me to be neurotypical. The lack of oxygen to my brain should have left me intellectually disabled, but I am not. I never even showed a sign of it. In fact, I was advanced in my development from day one. Because of this miraculous life I was given, I have never wasted a moment in pursuing my purpose on this earth. I have been in tune and in touch since I was a kid-focused, responsible, ready to lead, and always certain that I would make a difference in people’s mental health. Why mental health? When I was seven, my grandpa died by suicide, and my brother narrowly missed the same path. It’s been a part of my family my whole life.
Can you help articulate a few of the benefits of leading a purpose-driven business rather than a standard “plain vanilla” business?
I believe in a collaborative approach to work. TN Voices embodies transformation through collaboration. I also believe in filling gaps for people in mental healthcare. We do that at TN Voices. I also want to see families be cared for when a loved one suffers from mental illness. The approaches I experienced when I was a kid were focused on the person in the family who needed help and never the WHOLE family. As a seven-year-old who didn’t understand suicide and mental illness, I needed a little support, too.
How has your company’s mission or purpose affected its overall success? Can you explain the methods or metrics you use to evaluate the impact of this purpose-driven strategy on your organization?
By addressing mental health in the workplace, organizations can create a more positive and supportive atmosphere, leading to increased employee satisfaction, productivity, and retention. More importantly, it can mitigate a decline in individuals’ mental health concerns and make it possible for adults to feel they can address their mental health without stigma, fear, or repercussions from their employer. It’s an ongoing process that requires commitment from leadership and the active involvement of all team members.
Can you share a pivotal moment when you realized that leading your purpose-driven company was actually making a significant impact? Can you share a specific example or story that deeply resonated with you personally?
I have mothers and fathers reach out to me weekly with their story and their need for help, and I know that we are helping reset the trajectory of families every day. I believe so much in our work that I utilized support from the organization for my own daughter when she was preschool age over 10 years ago. She had trouble transitioning each day to, from, and during her day at preschool. Our early childhood department helped me create a plan for writing and printing a personalized book using a simple Walgreens print order to help her make a new narrative for her daily life. It was the most unique and impactful intervention to help her with her anxiety we ever utilized in parenting her through her struggles with anxiety.
Have you ever faced a situation where your commitment to your purpose and creating a positive social impact clashed with the profitability in your business? Have you ever been challenged by anyone on your team or have to make a tough decision that had a significant impact on finances? If so, how did you address and reconcile this conflict?
There are many times when what is good for the clients we serve is more costly and less productive financially. We have to hang on to our values and mission; we exist to serve individuals and families with mental health needs and transform the system. With that said, we decided to take on housing services, and in order to do so, we purchased houses and renovated them to suit the needs of our clients who would live with us and receive services. We took on seven homes, and over time, this had a hard impact on finances and cash flow, as many surprises arose when doing major renovations to old structures. There were times when we had to invest in a problem in order to resolve it and keep moving forward.
You have to evaluate whether the problem is worth it once it is resolved and then help get buy-in from the team (especially finance) on making the investment for the future. As a CEO, you should be a visionary who sees well into the future of the business and also be a great communicator so you can articulate how you see the future. IF you cannot see AND articulate it well, this type of conflict (money vs. mission) could disrupt your long-term plans.
What advice would you give to budding entrepreneurs who wish to start a purpose-driven business?
In 2018, I took a journey into self-care and its role in my life as a CEO, mom and wife, volunteer, and growing leader. The truth is that after two months of focused effort on organizing my self-care into four parts, our company started growing significantly and hasn’t slowed down since. So, I would definitely recommend self-care as a priority for entrepreneurs.
What are your “5 Things You Need To Create A Highly Successful Purpose-Driven Business.” If you can, please share a story or example for each.
1 . Invest in ideas — Innovate, escalate, and fill gaps no one else wants to fill. When you can figure out how to solve big problems that no one else wants to work on because they are hard, you separate yourself from the herd. Try, fail fast, and try another solution, but don’t just do what everyone else does — innovate.
2 . Invest in what is next — Think about the future of the business at all times and invest in it. Grow your leaders’ skills, think about succession, and plan like your business is going to double. Don’t be shy about dreaming really big!
3 . Invest in Support — Take care of your people. You are expecting them to give their all for the business, so give them your all by supporting them, providing opportunities, and encouraging self-care. Teach them to think well, and don’t let conflicts and disagreements rule your thinking. Let them be navigators who teach you to hear and understand each other in a supportive way.
4 . Invest in Experience — Hire experience; it is a faster track to your goals. I spent a lot of years trying to pay for less experience to save money, and the bottom line is that it just takes you longer to get where you want to be. Put smarter, more experienced people around you, including on your board, and see how fast you grow.
5 . Invest in Tools — Do not skimp on efficiency. This is important. Antiquated processes and “how we have always done it” mentalities slow you way down. So, any process that can be automated, activated, or sped up is worth every penny!
I’m interested in how you instill a strong sense of connection with your team. How do you nurture a culture where everyone feels connected to your mission? Could you share an example or story that showcases how your purpose has positively influenced or motivated people on your team to contribute?
As a CEO and a mental health professional, I have used my knowledge and understanding of human behavior to lead through growth, change, and traumatic events that have impacted our world. Having grown an organization over 1000% in less than ten years, I have employed many techniques to create a strong culture focused on self-care and psychological safety while impacting a person’s intrinsic values and purpose to be successful and productive in our work and our growth.
Imagine we’re sitting down together two years from now, looking back at your company’s last 24 months. What specific accomplishments would have to happen for you to be happy with your progress?
I am proud of my ability to grow the leadership of TN Voices. I have an executive team with tenure and progressive growth in their respective roles, and I believe this is the true sign of good leadership. I became a CEO at age 33 in 2014, leading TN Voices. At the time, we had 22 employees. Today, we have 160 and are still hiring. We have grown from a 2MM budget to a 20+MM budget and have services across the state, even working with other states to help them grow their peer support services. I am currently authoring a book on leadership that supports workforce mental health and look to finish it by year-end. The journey is anchored on collaboration, determination, grit, and caring for people.
You are a person of enormous influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. 🙂
“My idea worth spreading is…”
Leaders can have a BIG impact on workforce mental health and help solve this societal crisis.
How can our readers further follow your work or your company online?
You can find us at tnvoices.org and across social media channels on Instagram, LinkedIn, and Facebook.
This was great. Thanks for taking time for us to learn more about you and your business. We wish you continued success!
About the Interviewer: Chad Silverstein is an accomplished entrepreneur and visionary leader. He started his first company, Choice Recovery, Inc., while attending Ohio State University and grew it to become an industry outlier before selling the business after 25 successful years. With the launch of his second venture, [re]start, a career development platform, Chad aimed to help people find meaningful career opportunities. Under his leadership, his team was recognized as a “Top Workplace” award winner for over a decade, twice being ranked the #1 small and medium-sized business to work for in Central Ohio. Chad sold [re]start in 2023, enabling him to focus on building an online community of high-performing leaders and continuing to make a positive impact in people’s lives.
Purpose Before Profit: Rikki Harris Of TN Voices On The Benefits Of Running A Purpose-Driven… was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.