Doing (good) Business

42 million Americans are food insecure (1 in 8 Americans, 1 in 6 kids in America). Kirsten Tobey co-founded Revolution Foods to impact that. 

Food security is a driver for the economy, as well as a force for good for community wellness, and it’s clear that Revolution Foods (a B Corp and Public Benefit Corp) is doing good business - in 15 states and counting!

Hear about their Impact metrics, both internal and external: 

-internal - diversity, employment factors, job creation 

-external - % kids served qualify for free lunch, etc.

When your team has values alignment + diverse leadership & diversity of thought, you get one powerful combination from a company making big impact in the world

Plastic is a huge problem in every market, and Shannon Goldberg is taking it on in the cosmetics market. Founded after being laid off during the pandemic, IZZY is a beauty company whose products are 100% reusable, 100% recyclable, 100% certified carbon neutral, and 100% gorgeous! We talk with the founder, who refers to herself as the Chief Zero Waste Officer, about how IZZY is not only disrupting the beauty industry, but is using business to make the world better. 

At a time when we’re rapidly approaching plastic and fish being at a 1:1 ratio in the ocean, everyone has a part - and how you show is a bit part of helping the environment. 

Some advice that resonated: “We’re all like salmon swimming upstream…hold onto what’s true.”

Shannon graciously offered our listeners a discount! Use code IzzyFF20 at checkout for 20% off!

Don Finley is an entrepreneur who, through his own journey (which includes climbing Kilimanjaro and an impromptu trip to Peru), has blended spirituality and business. Founder of FINdustries and now sooTH seekers, Don explains complicated concepts like DAOs (decentralized autonomous organizations) to us, with his wonderful storytelling ability. 

Our favorite moments include:

• “Building a business is one of the best exercises in self development”
• “Things were looking great on paper and I was somewhat miserable…this is everything I have ever asked for …and at the same time I really want off this train”
• “When team members needed to take time for their family…it wasn’t about swallowing your tongue and getting the job done”
• “It pays dividends every day to take care of yourself and then come into the business” 

Oh, and he totally debunks the old adage of “never working with friends”

Want to connect with Don? Reach him at [email protected] 

Life insurance can be good business? It sure can! Meet Carey Earle, President of Bluestone Life - not your grandparents’ life insurance company. Learn about Bluestone - they’re a B Corp, Public Benefit Corporation, AND 1% for the Planet member (!); how Carey’s personal values overlap with Bluestone’s, and how she prioritized those values when finding her next career move (and ended up at a company whose mission includes protecting community and planet). 

Throw in a couple of great quotes:

“Education is expensive, no matter how you get it.”  – Ernest Leigh Earle, Carey’s grandfather, a Vermont dairy farmer and sage 

“Mistakes are gemstones that help us become better people” -Carey Earle

…and you’ve got another powerful example of doing (good) business!

Did you know that service hours, either in companies, or in the community (think about HS and college folks) are not tracked in any standardized way? Today’s guest knew that, and created an App to solve that problem! In honor of National Volunteer Month (thanks, Kelly!), we’re happy to introduce you to Nicole, Sdao, the founder of Altruize - the FitBit for altruism!

Things we loved:

• Employees who participate in their own volunteering, are more engaged at work
• A 100% no is better than a 50% yes
• Standardizing the service hours folks complete help make college admissions more equitable than the current self-reporting system

Thanks so much to Mohammad Anwar and Frank Danna for sending us autographed copies of Love as a Business Strategy, to gift to 2 lucky listeners!

To enter, do these 3 easy things:

1. Follow on LinkedIn or Instagram (or both if you really LOVE us!)
2. Leave us a rating & review of the podcast on whatever podcast app you use to listen to us (unless you don't love us!)
3. A message to us through the website with your name & email address to confirm your entry

We will accept entries until the end of April, and then select a winner and announce in early May!  You'll be notified via email and announced in our early May podcast episode.

Grab a pen and paper to get started on making love your business strategy before you even get the book!

Missed the first interview? We've got you covered: LAABS episode - interview with Mohammad & Frank

And, in a fun surprise, Kelly celebrates International Louie Louie day  :-)

The beautiful Lotus flowers are grown in the dirtiest of waters.  

What if the most beautiful businesses come from the most challenging times?  The folks at Softway certainly exemplified that.

Lotus flowers are a spiritual symbol of resilience, and Kelly reminds us of the 4Cs of resilence: be curious, creative, compassionate, confident. 

Hat tip to Matt Tinney for the idea for this episode!

Curious about some more businesses who found the beauty after the mud? Listen in as we share stories from:

• Play-doh
• Starbucks
• YouTube

And others who are designed to give back:

• Bombas
• Danone NA
• Greyston Bakery 
• Athleta
• Tentree

What happens when your company is in financial trouble, needs to do a significant layoff, and everyone is struggling? You put love at the center, of course! Sound crazy? Not to us.

D(g)B welcomes Mohammad Anwar & Frank Danna of Softway, and now Culture+. Oh, and they also wrote a book about Love as a Business Strategy. 

Listen to hear:

• How love took the company from the brink of financial failure to thriving, and launched a 2nd company, and a book!
• How sports, and 1 football game in particular, lead Mohammad to completely change into a culture of love
• The changes with the biggest impact were the smallest things like bringing a coffee for someone or writing a thank you note.
• Culture isn’t the perks & benefits, it’s the way we behave with each other 
• How Mohammad learned that react and respond aren’t synonyms but that they’re actually worlds apart

And yes, they built a tool to measure it! The Culture Counter tool measures the experience people are having around the 6 pillars of a culture of love (inclusion, empowerment, forgiveness, vulnerability, trust, empathy) and ties those metrics to KPIs.

...because "behaviors are the bottom line” - Mohammad Anwar

Welcome to a very special episode of Doing (good) Business! In honor of Kelly's love of the Deathbed Confessions podcast, we bring you Doing (good) Business ala true crime! We've got a great story, a juicy plot, a heroine, and a whole lot of good business. Join us and have some fun!

Links mentioned:

Gartner article - 9 Future of Work Trends Post COVID-19

Lillian Moller Gilbreth

Brave New Work episode

“Stakeholder capitalism is not about politics. It is not a social or ideological agenda. It is not ‘woke,’” Fink said.

“It is capitalism, driven by mutually beneficial relationships between you and the employees, customers, suppliers, and communities your company relies on to prosper. This is the power of capitalism.”

"Employees need to understand and connect with your purpose; and when they do, they can be your staunchest advocates."

Kelly and Lara dive into Larry Fink, CEO of Blackrock's annual letter.

We talk shareholders versus stakeholders - Lara gets them confused, and then we do what we do on D(g)B, and we dig in and make them good!

We’ve got a challenge for everyone, to bring love and make the world better through business, this week, and we hope you LOVE our new look! 

Episodes mentioned:

• Ennie Lim 
• Doug Kirkpatrick
• Collin McIntosh
• Mary Alice Duff
• Colleen Falicki 
• Kristin Donnelly