How we’ve been escaping normal since 2016

After spending time travelling together in some of the poorest countries in the world, and after endless conversations, we realised that helping others would create the most fulfilling lives for ourselves. When we founded Humanitix, we didn’t just want to create another business – we wanted to escape the normal business paradigm and to challenge the foundation of the traditional business model.

The conventional approach typically focuses on maximising profit for the benefit of shareholders, but we envisioned something radically different. We set out to build a social enterprise where 100% of the profits from ticket booking fees would go directly to charity, not to us or any shareholders.

And so, Humanitix was born – an abnormal business model designed to turn an everyday activity, like booking event tickets, into a force for good. Instead of funnelling profits into our own pockets, we dedicate them to the world’s most effective nonprofits.

Adam and Josh in their university years

With the ongoing help of The Life You Can Save, whom we help support, we choose amazing nonprofits that are both cost-effective and impactful in saving or transforming the lives of children, women and men living in poverty.

This does not at all feel like a sacrifice to us. Why? Because we embrace “effective hedonism,” which is a concept that our friend and co-founder of The Life You Can Save, Charlie Bresler, has developed to explain how to include doing good for others as an important aspect of living a pleasurable life.

What does normal mean?

Normal means different things, depending on the context in which it is used. One common usage of the term "normal" is as a statistical term — meaning what most people do. In a normally distributed curve, 66% of people behave similarly. 

Normal can also mean not pathological — as in the medical test was normal with no indication of disease. When it is used in reference to human behaviour or feelings, normal is generally equated with the behaviour or feelings being positive (i.e., not abnormal).

In the business world, “normal” typically means prioritising shareholder returns, minimising costs, and maximising profits.

But what if this "normal" isn't good enough? What if we could redefine success not just in terms of profit margins, but in terms of the positive impact we have on the world?

This is precisely what Humanitix aims to do by disrupting the ticketing industry and escaping the normal business paradigm.

Is “normal” necessarily good?

Sometimes normal is good.

For example, when I am ill and my temperature is 37 degrees C (98.6 F), which is normal, that is good — I don’t seem to have an infection. But if my diet is normal (i.e. similar to most other people’s) that is not good, as the typical diet in many countries is high in processed foods and refined carbohydrates.

Although this diet is "normal", it is associated with chronic diseases like heart disease, cancer, and diabetes. So again, the word normal has many meanings depending upon the context in which it is used.

Being normal is too often just assumed to be a good thing, because normal conforms to what society expects of people. But cultural norms don’t always allow us to improve on typical behaviour.

One example of where normal behaviour interferes with improvement is how many people get on the “hedonic treadmill.”

They assume that more and more expensive material possessions will bring them additional happiness. The more they get the more they need — hence, the idea of a treadmill. This treadmill can lead to unsatisfying and even unethical career choices and lifestyles.

It is also normal to believe that “charity begins at home.” We challenge that belief.

While there are many excellent nonprofits across Australia (and the US and NZ where Humanitix operates), some of which we give to, we acknowledge that the most impactful charitable contributions can often be made in the developing world, where a dollar can go much further. 

The pandemic, the internet, and global warming all teach us that we live in one global community and, in effect, we are all neighbours. For these reasons, much of the profits Humanitix donates goes to overseas organisations, even though that is not the "normal" choice for Australians when it comes to giving.

How have we escaped being normal?

Our decision to create a business that dedicates 100% of its profits to charity was not a difficult one, especially after witnessing the devastating impact of extreme poverty during our travels.

While it may be "normal" to turn a blind eye to the massive suffering caused by economic inequality, these experiences kept us focused on finding a way to make a real difference, and ultimately led to the creation of Humanitix.

By opting out of the traditional profit-driven model, we have been lucky enough to avoid the hedonic treadmill, which is too often the norm for people fortunate enough to be able to pursue careers that can bring material success.

Adam and Josh interviewing Professor Muhammad Yunus in 2018, founder of Grameen Bank

Not getting on that treadmill has allowed us to build Humanitix into a social enterprise that uses its profits to help others, rather than using the profits to benefit shareholders, ourselves or our families.

Don’t get us wrong, we live nice lives with comfortable homes and fun holidays. But we have decided that helping people living in extreme poverty is more satisfying than having fancier homes, extravagant holidays, and more expensive cars.

We do not experience getting off the “hedonic treadmill” as a sacrifice at all. The success of Humanitix has brought us a sense of satisfaction far greater than what more material possessions could have ever provided.

How can we and others be less normal?

There is frequently a contradiction between our values and how we live. This contradiction between what we value and our behaviour is normal, but it is not ideal. Our travels and our relationship with each other have enabled us to explore our values and better align our behaviour with those values.

We are far from perfect — our lifestyles are not exemplary — but we are working hard to align what we care about with how we live.

People are socialised to fit into society — to behave normally. But as we just discussed, normal behaviour is often not ideal. Our highest values may conflict with behaving normally. Jesus, Buddha, Moses, and many secular leaders represent ideals that normal people say they aspire to, but do not strive to achieve.

We believe that clarifying one’s values and examining how those values fit with how we are living is essential for anyone looking to "escape normal."

This values clarification is best done with those people you are closest to; and who will be impacted the most by any decisions that might alter aspects of your lifestyle.

Josh and Adam with Peter Singer and Andrea La Mesa, co-founder & co-CEO of The Life You Can Save respectively

Using the Humanitix platform to buy and sell tickets is one way to escape normal, and, of course, we’re hopeful that others will consider adopting the Humanitix “abnormal” business model of donating 100% - or indeed any percentage of profits - to make a tangible difference in the world.

We hope you’re feeling encouraged to embrace other abnormal ways of living that help sustain our planet, support the less fortunate, and align your values with how you live.

Do Good. Feel Good.
- Josh & Adam, Humanitix co-founders

Want to dig deeper?

You can hear more on this philosophy in our conversation with Charlie Bresler - co-founder of The Life You Can Save - on this episode of the Musings podcast. Listen now!