Purpose changes everything.

It shifts how you show up, how you speak, how you lead—and most importantly, how others experience what you're building. When your story is grounded in something bigger than profits or features, it moves people. This week, we unpack the classic parable of the Three Bricklayers to explore what happens when a founder stops laying bricks and starts building a cathedral.

Inside you’ll:

Enjoy laying bricks with meaning ~ LG

In September 1666, London burned for four straight days. The Great Fire consumed 13,200 houses, 87 churches, and the magnificent St. Paul’s Cathedral, a structure that had stood for over 600 years.

When the smoke cleared, famed architect Christopher Wren was handed what seemed like an impossible task: to rebuild what felt irreplaceable.

For five years, Wren watched as a new cathedral rose brick by brick from the ashes of the old. One day, as workers hauled limestone and timber through the dust-covered streets, he walked the site and paused to speak with three bricklayers.

Wren loved connecting with those doing the work. He approached each man and asked the same question

“What are you doing?”

After filming, interviewing, and working with thousands of founders over the years, I’ve seen one transcendent force that changes everything in a startup: purpose.

When a founder knows their purpose, not just intellectually, but deep in their bones, it infuses every part of how they show up.

The words they use.
The energy they bring into a room.
The decisions they make.
The way they carry themselves when things get hard.

Those three bricklayers weren’t just stacking stones. They were operating from entirely different universes of meaning.

And that changed everything about who they were and what they created.

When you find your founder's cathedral, your deeper purpose beyond profit, something fundamental shifts in your entrepreneurial DNA.

The words you use to describe your venture carry weight because they come from conviction, not calculation.

Your energy becomes magnetic because it’s drawn from something larger than yourself.

Your daily attitude shifts from grinding through tasks to building something sacred.

What’s more, people feel it.

When your purpose is clear and your “why” runs deep, every interaction becomes an invitation for others to help build something beautiful.

And in their own way, they all become cathedral builders.

The founder who knows their why tells a different kind of story. One that doesn’t just explain what they do, but reveals what they believe.

And that kind of story? It doesn’t sell. It inspires.

The marketplace is full of bricklayers. What the world needs, what we need, are more cathedral builders.

Your startup might still be in its early days, just laying the foundation. But if you’ve found your cathedral, your purpose, you’re not just building a company. You’re building something that could outlast you.

Something that could shift lives, industries, maybe even generations.And that story?

That’s the one worth telling.

The parable of the three bricklayers reveals what separates a task from a mission, and a job from a calling. Each man was doing the same work and doing, but only one was building something bigger than himself.

That’s what great storytelling does. It elevates what’s ordinary into something extraordinary by connecting it to meaning, vision, and impact.

Here are 3-key lessons founders can draw from the parable to craft a story that doesn’t just explain but inspires:

1. Build With Purpose

The third bricklayer wasn’t just stacking stones; he was creating a sacred space for people to gather, connect, and be transformed. He knew why he was building, and that clarity gave his work and life meaning.

Ground your story in purpose. Go beyond features, goals, or traction. Connect your venture to a larger mission. When your story stems from conviction, not just ambition, it resonates deeper, travels further, and becomes magnetic to the right people.

2. Frame It Like a Founder

Each bricklayer had the same job, but their perspectives created completely different stories: a job story, a craft story, and a purpose story. It wasn’t about the work; it was about how they saw the work.

As a founder, your perspective is the lens through which you frame your story. Frame your startup as more than a business. Speak about it as a vision unfolding. Use storytelling to elevate your role from executor to creator. The more expansive your lens, the more inspiring your message.

3. Go Deeper to Resonate Stronger

The third bricklayer’s words weren’t impressive; they were inspiring. Why? Because they came from a place of meaning. His story wasn’t about function. It was about feeling.

Lead with the emotional truth behind your brand. Share what drives you, what you believe, and what’s at stake. Surface stories might get attention, but deep stories earn trust, and that’s what turns listeners into loyal believers.

The parable of the three bricklayers reminds us: the same task becomes transformational when fueled by purpose. Science backs this up. A 2023 study by Jump Associates found that companies with a clearly articulated purpose (scoring 65+ on their Purpose‑Driven Scorecard) delivered 13.6% annual returns over 20 years, triple their peers and 5x the S&P 500.

Why? Purpose drives clarity, engagement, and belief, key ingredients in storytelling that resonate. When founders lead with their “why,” they don’t just build startups, they build momentum, meaning, and long-term success

In this powerful clip, “JIM ROHN: The Power Of Purpose | Jim Rohn Discipline | Best Motivational Speech” Jim Rohn explains why purpose isn't just a motivator, it's a magnetic force that pulls you through obstacles and into the future you're meant to create. He shows how having a clear, compelling vision fuels resilience, discipline, and direction.

As a founder, the higher your purpose, the stronger the pull. This is about painting a future that doesn’t exist yet, and waking up every day inspired to build it that is contagious to all those around you.

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