A 3-part framework for treating community involvement as an exchange, not a sacrifice.
Most people treat "getting involved" as something they give away: time, energy, effort, with nothing coming back. Mark Watt, CEO of Big Brothers Big Sisters Australia, has spent almost thirty years building organisations on the opposite premise. Here's the framework he actually uses, in his own words.
Step 1: Notice and Offer. No Program Required
The most consequential intervention doesn't need infrastructure behind it. Mark's own turning point was one person noticing he was failing Year 12 English and saying, unprompted, "Mark, I'm willing to tutor you and help you." No referral, no case file. "My English went from a fail to a pass, and I ended up passing Year 12," he says, "which was one of those sliding door moments. If I hadn't met him, if he hadn't offered to help, then I wouldn't be talking to you today."
Step 2: Replicate the Mechanism That Worked
Once you know what actually helped you, the job is to reproduce it, not reinvent it. Mark's organisations are built around the same single mechanism that changed his own trajectory: one consistent person, showing up. He points to a 14-year-old boy he met in detention, paired with a mentor for the length of his six-month sentence, visited every week, followed up afterwards. "That young boy's life, he's never been locked up again. His whole life changed." Same intervention, different setting, same result.
Step 3: Treat It as Reciprocal, Not Charity
The reframe that makes this sustainable, according to Mark, is dropping the idea that helping others costs you something. "A lot of people say, 'Oh Mark, you didn't tell me that being a mentor, or helping young people, or being involved in community work would be so good for me,'" he says. "We all talk about helping others, but it actually does help yourself — it's a good two-way thing."
Key Takeaway
"We all talk about helping others, but it actually does help yourself. It's a good two-way thing." - Mark Watt AM
About the Host - Imran Abul Kashem
Imran Abul Kashem is the founder of Westend Business Hub, Westend Photography, Westend Digital, Westend Podcast, and Wyndham Entrepreneur Connect. An award-winning photographer and serial entrepreneur, Imran brings ideas to life at the intersection of creativity and business. As an author, investor, business advocate, and cultural ambassador, he is passionate about building platforms that empower communities and spark meaningful conversations.
About the Guest - Mark Watt AM
Mark Watt AM is CEO of Big Brothers Big Sisters Australia, a not-for-profit organisation whose mentoring programs create life-changing connections between positive role models and young people. He is also CEO of Stride Education and a Director of Social Engine, a social enterprise for young people. In 1999, Mark co-founded Whitelion, leading the organisation until 2018. That same year, he was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) for significant service to the community, particularly to disadvantaged and at-risk youth, through social welfare support organisations. Mark has a deep and lasting commitment to supporting at-risk young people, and is a strong believer in the power of youth mentoring to reduce loneliness, isolation, and disconnection.
If this story resonated with you, share it with someone who needs the reminder: Helping someone else out isn't charity. It comes back around.
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