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Karmic Capitalist - businesses with purpose
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Karmic Capitalist - businesses with purpose

Author: iyas alqasem

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Business done right - Purpose, Values AND Profit.

In the Karmic Capitalist conversations, we talk to CEOs and founders of organisations with purpose and values at their heart. We dive into their journeys, and into the nitty gritty of what it takes to build organisations that make good and make money. Some are starting the journey, others are a long way down it, and still others still are changing direction.

But all are business leaders who believe that a successful businesses is defined by profit, purpose and values. And, oftentimes, fun.

54 Episodes
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The rise in demand for local working spaces is very visible. It's unfortunate that the category was tarnished by WeWork founder Adam Neumann, whose fortune is dwarfed only by the lack of ethics displayed in building it. But it doesn't need to be so.An alternative would be to start to consciously build workspaces not only based on a pound per square foot and the distance to the nearest Waitrose, but rather on the basis of the communities in which they're located, and how they can best serve and integrate with those communities.That's very much the ethos behind Patch, a company building working spaces founded by my guest today, Freddie Fforde.Patch locations are designed and built on a foundation of community contribution, local and ethical sourcing, a local scholarship programme (early days), in-kind charity donations, 100 year thinking, equality of opportunity, sustainable design, and values which have been very clearly thought through and implemented.Three simple values:- Near, reflecting the desire to allow people to work in their local community;- Balanced, reflecting the flexibility to allow everyone to balance their lives appropriately without having work location be the key driver;- Build to last, reflecting Freddie's intent that the decisions the company and its team makes should be ones for a company that will last over 100 years.It's a wonderful set of values. We discuss how Freddie came to them, how they come alive in the company, and his vision for bringing Patch not only to the obvious affluent locations, but to all high streets in the UK's towns.As one of his investors with a background in the area says, " I'm only investing if you agree with me. We're not done until we're in Wigan."(I discuss with Freddie after the recording that they shouldn't be done even when they're in Wigan. I'd like to see one open up in Gaza!)This is a rich episode where we also discuss topics of privilege and the fact that although you can't change your background if it is privileged (which in the UK the vast majority of us have), you can become aware of that privilege and use it to help.Freddie's a thoughtful founder. Enjoy this episode._______________I host a weekly online workshop with CEOs of SMEs (10 to 100 employees approx) about scaling up, allowing them to step back and do more strategic work, and doing it in line with their values. Max 6 per session so we can have a real conversation.If you'd like to join me, find a date that works for you here. They aren't charged for - you and I will both get value from the conversation.Only CEOs / MDs apply - strictly peer-level conversation.
A company that makes lawyers wealthier? On the Karmic Capitalist podcast?Have I sold out?Stay with me. This law company,  Aria Grace, intentionally does the following:It offers a legal service on a par with the large law partnerships for less cost to its clientsIt pays the lawyers nearly treble the portion of the fees than in traditional firmsIt donates ALL of its profit to charityIt tackles the lack of diversity in the legal professionLindsay Healy has created a truly disruptive model for law firms with Aria Grace. He does away with the traditional model's payment of 1/3 of fees to partners, 1/3 to the company and 1/3 to the lawyers, and instead gives 90% of the fees to the lawyers, with the remaining 10% paying for the running of the company, and all profit going to charity.As a result of its work, Aria Grace won The Lawyer Awards' "Law Firm of the Year 2023" award.This is the legal equivalent of Best Movie at the Oscars. Which I guess makes Lindsay law's Leonardo di Caprio. Without the sleaze.(Allegedly, Lindsay, allegedly!)Lindsay has a real issue with the existing model for law firms.--- Feudal and the worst of capitalism. Inflated fees paying for the "Porsches and divorces" of the partners.--- Hugely unequal distribution of wealth. He talks a lot about Aria Grace's core concept of "wealthshare".--- Elitist and exclusionary. "What we don't want is a law firm that looks like me full of people like me because that's what your typical city law firms look like. We want a law firm that looks like the UK, reflective of all the cultures and the creeds and the denominations... We have pretty much every type of culture you can wave a stick at, and that's pretty cool."What he's building with Aria Grace is challenging all of these precepts and creating a new, and rapidly growing model.He talks me through this in this fascinating episode, punctuated with many a pot-shot at billionaires and partners, which makes it as fun as it is stimulating._______________I host a weekly online workshop with CEOs of SMEs (10 to 100 employees approx) about scaling up, allowing them to step back and do more strategic work, and doing it in line with their values. Max 6 per session so we can have a real conversation.If you'd like to join me, find a date that works for you here. They aren't charged for - you and I will both get value from the conversation.Only CEOs / MDs apply - strictly peer-level conversation.
"Move Fast and Break Things" is a terrible way to be anti-racist.This Karmic Capitalist podcast episode is FULL of gold.I talk to Javaughn and Jamey, VP of culture and CEO respectively of Agilian.com, a technology consulting firm that has absolutely nailed anti-racism and diversity to its mast.When, to his enormous shame, Jamey was shown data that the black female execs on his team were paid significantly less than the white male ones, and it was not attributable to performance, he raised the pay of all those underpaid execs in one fell swoop............ and hit the commercial reality that follows those kinds of easy but hard decisions (my words, not his).That profitability took a dive.Which in turn shone the light on the fact that Agilian's rates were also too low. Efficiency and rate alignments took care of the short-term hit to profits. While employee retention rose as the team saw how the leadership was prepared quite literally to put its money where its mouth is with its commitment to equality.Javaughn's perspectives are ones that everyone who cares about diversity, and especially white male CEOs, should make the time to listen to. It reminds me of this wonderful story:There are these two young fish swimming along, and they happen to meet an older fish swimming the other way, who nods at them and says, “Morning, boys. How’s the water?” And the two young fish swim on for a bit, and then eventually one of them looks over at the other and goes, “What the hell is water?”The water in many workplaces is a systemic bias that's so built in that its beneficiaries don't even notice its existence. It's fascinating that even Jamey, who is as present and sensitive to racism as you could ask for, is continually learning.As was I.Javaughn's truth-bombs alone make this episode worth listening to. Add to that their combined perspective of the very real and practical journey that Agilian is on, how that shows up in sales, in recruitment, in ops and in delivery.Because it's not in the PR where anti-racism is made - it's in the work itself, how it's carried out, who does it, and the opportunities that are created.This is an amazingly insightful episode. Do give it a listen. Wherever you get your podcasts._______________I host a weekly online workshop with CEOs of SMEs (10 to 100 employees approx) about scaling up, allowing them to step back and do more strategic work, and doing it in line with their values. Max 6 per session so we can have a real conversation.If you'd like to join me, find a date that works for you here. They aren't charged for - you and I will both get value from the conversation.Only CEOs / MDs apply - strictly peer-level conversation.
Helping big companies be good, and good companies get bigger.Not quite EdenLab's motto, but not far off it.In this episode of the Karmic Capitalist podcast, I talk to Leo Rayman, founder and CEO, about his journey from agencyland to EdenLab - accelerating positive and sustainable ideas and the people who come up with them.Leo's premise, and the underlying one of EdenLab, is that with over 3 billion people working for companies worldwide, we should be harnessing the power of companies to help solve the climate crisis rather than throwing stones at them.Which leads us neatly to...Ecocapitalism...An oxymoron? Doesn't capitalism - predicated as it is on ever-increasing consumerism - have a fundamental design flaw at its very core which means we are destined to overuse and degenerate the planet?After agonising a bit over whether there can be a better model, we arrive to a conclusion that it's a hard question to answer.AND, that regardless of the answer, we need action.For Leo and EdenLab, that action includes engaging with big companies, because they're best positioned to quickly fix things at scale.It also means engaging with disruptive small companies that have the potential to scale rapidly. Which is where EdenLab plays a role in amplifying their voicesThis is an interesting conversation that goes system-wide, as well as looking at the actionable response that EdenLab has taken to deal with those system-wide issues.We settle on the fact that we need a positive vision of what business could look like if we're to build better.Enjoy._______________I host a weekly online workshop with CEOs of SMEs (10 to 100 employees approx) about scaling up, allowing them to step back and do more strategic work, and doing it in line with their values. Max 6 per session so we can have a real conversation.If you'd like to join me, find a date that works for you here. They aren't charged for - you and I will both get value from the conversation.Only CEOs / MDs apply - strictly peer-level conversation.
A founder who doesn’t see himself as a salesman, targeting purpose-led companies that don't identify that way, to tackle a problem that people don't think exist.Recipe for success...And exactly what Tom Greenwood did with Wholegrain Digital, the company he founded and which, in sustainability stakes, was a way ahead of the curve.Tom's concern for the environment started when it was still very much a minority sport. Certainly long before it became mainstream to talk about it, let alone make it the default business model.When he turned that concern to the business he founded, he did so with three goals in mind.First, to push making digital sustainable. The received wisdom at the time was that the internet and digital were benign actors in terms of environmental impact. Very early on, from his own research, Tom was aware that its environmental impact was anything but minimal.Second, to work with purpose-led companies to create a positive impact - to do good things with good companies.And finally, to do it all in a way that creates a sustainable business.What could go wrong!16 years on, he's only gone and done it!Wholegrain is thriving. Tom's authored and published a widely read book about the decisions technologists and designers can make to minimise the environmental impact of their web sites. And awareness of sustainability is rising.Tom is one of humanity's genuinely lovely people. He's making a difference in his own unassuming, determined and impactful way.And it was a real pleasure to hear his story on this episode of the Karmic Capitalist.Listen in._______________I host a weekly online workshop with CEOs of SMEs (10 to 100 employees approx) about scaling up, allowing them to step back and do more strategic work, and doing it in line with their values. Max 6 per session so we can have a real conversation.If you'd like to join me, find a date that works for you here. They aren't charged for - you and I will both get value from the conversation.Only CEOs / MDs apply - strictly peer-level conversation.
Very few businesses have the level or resonance and commitment from founders more than those whose origins came from personal tragedy.MyBabble was born after founder Faisal Shaikh's father sadly left home and didn't return. It transpired later that unknown to anyone, his dad had been dealing with loneliness.Faisal is a trained and practising psychiatrist, and was aware that this is a huge problem that needs a variety of different and complimentary approaches.Hi approach through the company he founded, MyBabble, is to build a community of those suffering loneliness, and those willing to support them by engaging in anonymous, structured 17 minute calls through the MyBabble app.In this episode of the Karmic Capitalist,Faisal details the issues surrounding loneliness, and the many ways it is being addressed and not. We then also go into the detail of being a highly motivated, values minded person setting up a company without prior experience, and Faisal is refreshingly open about the journey he's on.After a couple of development hiccups, the app itself has completed its MVP. While Faisal is recruiting into the community, it is now being developed for release.MyBabble is also hosting a conference in a week bringing together mental health practitioners, psychiatrists, supporters and those suffering loneliness. Attendance is open for those interested.This is a story rooted in tragedy, but which is turning that tragedy into a force for good.Listen in._______________I host a weekly online workshop with CEOs of SMEs (10 to 100 employees approx) about scaling up, allowing them to step back and do more strategic work, and doing it in line with their values. Max 6 per session so we can have a real conversation.If you'd like to join me, find a date that works for you here. They aren't charged for - you and I will both get value from the conversation.Only CEOs / MDs apply - strictly peer-level conversation.
"How can we collectively increase the quantity and quality of giving to nonprofits, to charities, so that they can raise more awareness, raise more funds, deliver more impact in their communities?"If there's a question that defines Lightful's work, I think Vinay shares it in this.My guest on the Karmic Capitalist podcast this week is Vinay Nair, co-founder and CEO of Lightful. Lightful uses technology to accelerate impact in the social impact sector.He'd just returned from an uplifting conference with the Gates Foundation (took some prodding to get this out - no easy namedrop from Nair!), and he shares with us how that works, and the amplification of good that comes from it.Having a for-profit organisation whose clients are mostly nonprofit can be quite a tightrope to walk, and Vinay shares how Lightful "positively correlate ours income and impact" and the importance of that positive correlation being structural to avoid conflict of interest.Vinay is also Resident Expert at the Skoll Centre for Social Entrepreneurship at the Saïd Business School (that's some mouthful!), and I probe into what he's seeing in the generation that is coming through Saïd.His shares an uplifting observation. When he's doing a session with students on impact investing or tech for good, they'll pretty much retort "of course, what else - Tech for bad? Non impactful investing?".For them, the default language is "as if it were ever thus or certainly how it must be from today going forward. And I find that powerful inspirational.Vinay is a thoughtful advocate. We run the gamut of business doing good and being profitable, of being a for-profit serving the nonprofit sector, the role of values, and much more.He's an engaging conversationalist. Listen in to this episode of the Karmic Capitalist._______________I host a weekly online workshop with CEOs of SMEs (10 to 100 employees approx) about scaling up, allowing them to step back and do more strategic work, and doing it in line with their values. Max 6 per session so we can have a real conversation.If you'd like to join me, find a date that works for you here. They aren't charged for - you and I will both get value from the conversation.Only CEOs / MDs apply - strictly peer-level conversation.
From the high-stakes financial environment of the now defunct Lehman Brothers ("buy-and-sell in its most aggressive manner") to putting on an exhibition of some of the most ethical and long-term thinking brands.That’s the varied journey which my guest, Hussein Allawi, has been on. He took plenty of lessons from those early days, days which he found very lacking in purpose, but which have informed how he's now actively pushing a sustainability agenda.Hussein is the co-founder and CEO of Frontier Events, the company behind the Sustainability Show where lifestyle, food, travel and finance brands with a perspective on sustainability come together to promote an alternative and more ethical way of living. And one that is accessible to people at all income levels.It's not how the company started. Like many in their early stages, the company's gone through a couple of pivots before finding its sweet spot as an events-driven hub for the many stakeholders involved in building a more sustainable future.This is a really broad conversation. We talk about those pivots...about the Middle East's not straightforward ESG story...about the ethical roots of Islamic finance and investing...about the regional drives for sustainability in the North of England...about how and if consumption can ever be sustainable...about running an events business during lockdown....... and obviously about the show itself which is Frontier's main offering today, with a roster of speakers including previous Karmic Capitalist guest Jarvis Smith.Hussein is a very eloquent and grounded advocate for sustainability. This was a really enjoyable conversation._______________I host a weekly online workshop with CEOs of SMEs (10 to 100 employees approx) about scaling up, allowing them to step back and do more strategic work, and doing it in line with their values. Max 6 per session so we can have a real conversation.If you'd like to join me, find a date that works for you here. They aren't charged for - you and I will both get value from the conversation.Only CEOs / MDs apply - strictly peer-level conversation.
"If going to a TGO gym can help unlock your potential not only for your life, but for your community, for your planet, that's the end game."Georgie Delaney MBE isn't short on a big vision. But critically - she's also not short on taking action.It was wonderful to talk to her about setting up and growing The Great Outdoor Gym Company (TGO). From a seed of inspiration seeing outdoor gyms in China after the Beijing Olympics, to high level backing in the London 2012 Olympics, to now having more than 2000 outdoor gyms globally. It's been a heck of a journey so far.Oh, and on the way, invites to exhibit at COP21 and COP22.And then there was the MBE...To be fair, a TGO gym is no ordinary gym. It generates power. It charges phones. It supports tree planting. It fosters community.And all while staying true to its mission and promoting inclusivity, unity and charity.This is quite a different episode. Of course, we talk about the specifics of the business journey Georgie's been on - the challenges and victories of going from startup to success and international scale.We talk about the role of luck, and how luck often has 2 bookends which are under your control. The first is continually taking action, which invariably creates more opportunities for luck to find you. And the second is what you do with the luck that's made its way to you.But we also talk about religion. Georgie is very much a Christian, and guided by Christian values which manifest in how she runs her business.Most visibly in love, and in community.Love sits at the heart of how she started and grew the Great Outdoor Gym Company. She founded it with people she loved, to serve a humanity she loves while serving a planet we all should love more.And that translates to community. The gyms often give opportunities for communities to form. She talks movingly about the interfaith community that's sprung up around one of her gyms in East London.Georgie's is a business with purpose and values very much at its heart. And it's a business that wears that heart on its sleeve.A deeper dive. And I think for both of us, a bit of therapy!Enjoy._______________I host a weekly online workshop with CEOs of SMEs (10 to 100 employees approx) about scaling up, allowing them to step back and do more strategic work, and doing it in line with their values. Max 6 per session so we can have a real conversation.If you'd like to join me, find a date that works for you here. They aren't charged for - you and I will both get value from the conversation.Only CEOs / MDs apply - strictly peer-level conversation.
So you're running an ethical agency. A criminal organisation posing as a listed company - let's call them Belgian Australian Tobacco - approaches you."We fund an 'anti-smoking education programme' along with some of our other friends. But the challenge is that it's not as easy to find us on the web as it is lung cancer charities. We need your help to rank better."The programme, as it says on the tin, is to educate people against smoking.Do you take the business? Critically, *how* do you decide?I paint it cynically, but there are many companies who are net detractors from society and environment, but who nonetheless undertake some positive initiatives.Would you work with them on their greenwashing / socialwashing projects which do deliver some good? Surely those anti-smoking charities are doing some good? Like the betting-control charities funded by the bookies?I thought it would be interesting to dive into the nuance in this detailed conversation of the Karmic Capitalist podcast with the founder of "Positive Digital Marketing Agency" Climbing Trees.Climbing Trees do NOT work with tobacco companies. In fact, they list the sectors they won't engage with.This was a really down to earth nuts-and-bolts chat with founder and CEO Alex Holliman. In his words, which I love, Climbing Trees is focussing on working with "companies that the world of tomorrow needs".And that's a virtuous cycle by definition if you do it well. You work in industries and with companies who you believe have a positive role to play in creating a better tomorrow. And if you're right, not only will they grow, but you'll play a part in that growth, and create more successful businesses that you can work with tomorrow.He's been on a journey of building purpose and values into the core of his agency, and that's surfaced a number of areas which they've explicitly tackled to continually make a better company. For their team, for their customers and for society and environment.It's a really interesting journey and discussion. We dive into intent and mechanics - how he's been addressing diversity, client selection, strategy. And the impact it's been having on culture as well as business model.And the ultimate question for client work..."Does it feel good?"Listen in - it's a great story, and Alex shares some very tangible learnings they've had along the way._______________I host a weekly online workshop with CEOs of SMEs (10 to 100 employees approx) about scaling up, allowing them to step back and do more strategic work, and doing it in line with their values. Max 6 per session so we can have a real conversation.If you'd like to join me, find a date that works for you here. They aren't charged for - you and I will both get value from the conversation.Only CEOs / MDs apply - strictly peer-level conversation.
This episode of the Karmic Capitalist tells the story of a company that stayed true to its mission while undergoing a substantial pivot, and a founder who left his own comfortable path in pursuit of his passion.For sanitation!Thomas Fudge was so incensed by our misuse and abuse of water that left his job in product design and marketing and went back to uni to complete a masters and doctorate in sustainability.He then combined his newfound expertise with his passion for engaging with the water crisis and founded Wase.Wase started life as a company tackling sanitisation challenges in the global South. They provided micro-sanitation facilities that could be distributed rather than depending on some massive centralised infrastructure.But along the way, they discovered that a better fit for the capabilities they'd built up would be to address waste issues for companies in the food and drink industry. These companies were tankering their waste to send off-site at huge financial and environmental cost.Wase now provides the capability to treat that waste on site, not only reducing the environmental impact of its transport, extracting valuable nutrients and allowing them to sell on the water, but also improving each company's energy resilience at the same time by turning the waste to fuel.In this episode, Thomas talks us through the journey so far, including the details of the investments they've secured; the importance of focus especially when you have a very multi-faceted solution; the pivot and the importance of maintaining alignment with purpose while doing it; and the future he sees for the company.Brilliant insight into a company tackling one of the world’s most pressing issues.Enjoy._______________I host a weekly online workshop with CEOs of SMEs (10 to 100 employees approx) about scaling up, allowing them to step back and do more strategic work, and doing it in line with their values. Max 6 per session so we can have a real conversation.If you'd like to join me, find a date that works for you here. They aren't charged for - you and I will both get value from the conversation.Only CEOs / MDs apply - strictly peer-level conversation.
From Chris Froome to wellness in your office.That's the journey that Phill Bell and Paul Smith undertook to co-founding ART Health, a company that helps employees and employers to improve workplace wellbeing using evidence-based techniques.It was fascinating to have Phill join me on this edition of the Karmic Capitalist podcast to share the story.Phill is a sports scientist. He earned his PhD in Exercise Physiology, and landed what would be a bit of a dream job working with international athletes the likes of Chris Froome, Jenson Button, and members of the national rugby team in the GSK Human Performance lab. (They also worked with extreme sportspeople - like the nutters who would do the marathon de sables. But that's another class of human entirely!)The lab conducted exploratory research on how to improve their performance (ethically - exercise and physiology, not drugs!), with probably all the kit that a sports-scientist could dream of.GSK eventually dropped that business, and Phill and Paul went on to co-found ART Health. Passionate about improving performance alongside health and happiness, they felt that workplace wellbeing  had become a bit of a tick-box exercise, and one that was more informed by fashionable trends rather than by fact and evidence.By capturing and injecting data from 4 areas - physical health such as activity and sleep; cognitive performance and brain health; mood information through surveys; and environmental data such as lighting, acoustics and air quality - the co-founders knew that they could make evidence and research-based recommendations and interventions scientifically proven to improve wellbeing.The company is evolving on a fairly well-worn path of going from primarily being consulting-based to one that is more heavily product-based. Phill talks candidly through what that's looked like, with investment along the way to allow them to develop product, rather than the bootstrapping involved in a consulting-based model.He also discusses his own route to CEO, which wasn't their original plan. Sadly, Phill's co-founder and close friend Paul was recently diagnosed with motor neurone disease, and Phill has transitioned into the CEO role. The way Paul has continued his dedication and stoicism has been an inspiration to Phill and the team - but it remains a tough succession when you're also coping with the emotions of having your friend and co-founder dealing with the challenges of the disease.ART Health is very values and mission based.  Their vision is of a happier, healthier, higher performing workforce. And they set about it in a scientific manner.This is a real warts-and-all story, and Phill's story is fascinating._______________I host a weekly online workshop with CEOs of SMEs (10 to 100 employees approx) about scaling up, allowing them to step back and do more strategic work, and doing it in line with their values. Max 6 per session so we can have a real conversation.If you'd like to join me, find a date that works for you here. They aren't charged for - you and I will both get value from the conversation.Only CEOs / MDs apply - strictly peer-level conversation.
There’s a moral case for your company to give equal opportunities for your team regardless of gender (or background, or sexual orientation, or ethnicity, etc). And there’s a business-performance one in terms of the improved decision-making that results from cognitive diversity.But although we are without a doubt making progress, it can feel slow.Recruiting women into senior roles is welcome. But we need to go much deeper if we're to systematically right the balance.For me, one of the key actions is to grow paths for women right from when they are young through into junior, mid and senior roles in business. So rather than recruiting at a senior level, companies create more opportunities for women to rise through the ranks, grow their own talent, and promote from within rather than having to look outside.My guest as we launch Series 3 of the Karmic Capitalist podcast is The Girls'​ Network founder, Charly Young MBE.Charly set up the Girls' Network because she saw how many talented girls were not seeing or given opportunities because of what she terms the "double disadvantage" of being girls and coming from less privileged backgrounds. The Girls' Network matches those girls with women mentors and organisations to give them support, guidance and critically, role models to grow their self-belief and open up their opportunities.Charly’s an engaging and passionate speaker and advocate, and it is insightful to see the entrepreneurial way she started the organisation (think MVP), the trajectory it’s been on, the impact it’s making and the opportunities to work with them.(Disclosure - I loved this so much, I've been asking many of the super-talented and successful women I know if they'd get involved. The first one, a CEO of a consultancy I work with, has just completed training, and her mentee will be in for a real treat!)Enjoy._______________I host a weekly online workshop with CEOs of SMEs (10 to 100 employees approx) about scaling up, allowing them to step back and do more strategic work, and doing it in line with their values. Max 6 per session so we can have a real conversation.If you'd like to join me, find a date that works for you here. They aren't charged for - you and I will both get value from the conversation.Only CEOs / MDs apply - strictly peer-level conversation.
Giving to charity is one of the easiest ways to do good. But have you ever wondered what impact your donation actually has?Enter my guest on the Karmic Capitalist podcast, Rachael Murray, founder of a company appropriately called Making Impact Matter (MiM).Making Impact Matter helps charities figure out how to measure impact. But doing the work has more outcomes than just measurement.Figuring out how to measure impact is essential to secure funding. So MiM's work helps charities get more funding.The process of working through how to measure impact itself can focus how the work is delivered. So MiM's work helps charities focus their efforts even harder - i.e. deliver more bang for the buck.There have been occasions when the measurement process itself has increased impact, such as when Rachel talks through the beautiful projects they've supported for kids who loved the engagement in the measurement cycle.And obviously, the measurement also allows charities to learn and continually improve their delivery.MiM also intentionally serves as a mechanism for analysts with a passion to engage with causes they care about. She and her network of associates engage with causes ranging from domestic violence to diversity to youth engagement to local communities.We talk through some of the work that MiM has done, and you can see Rachael's passion for making a difference through the company and with her life.Rachael’s actively evaluating next steps for the company, and we talk through some of the thinking for what that might look like. This is a fascinating insight into a very heart-driven business and its founder. And as a key enabler for charities to secure funding, Making Impact Matter is about as Karmic a business as you can get._______________I host a weekly online workshop with CEOs of SMEs (10 to 100 employees approx) about scaling up, allowing them to step back and do more strategic work, and doing it in line with their values. Max 6 per session so we can have a real conversation.If you'd like to join me, find a date that works for you here. They aren't charged for - you and I will both get value from the conversation.Only CEOs / MDs apply - strictly peer-level conversation.
I remember in the early 90s being told to staple my photograph to any CVs I sent out applying for work. I'm no George Clooney, so I wondered why. I later found out it was so that people who only had my name to go on would see that I wasn't Pakistani!So offensive at so many levels. If I were Pakistani, why would that be a problem? What if I were a white Pakistani? How about that I'm not Pakistani, but my name is still a Muslim name?We've come a LONG way since. But we're still in the foothills.And companies like Unleashed, founded by Martin Mason, are taking firm aim at equalising the playing field.Martin is my guest on this episode of the Karmic Capitalist podcast, and he tells his own story of how he came to set the company up. His shock at finding the change in attitudes around him within the workplace to his coming out as gay, and his questioning as to why that should matter.His trajectory on helping companies genuinely grow their talent, regardless of background, led to his being prompted to set up his own company focussed explicitly on this issue.This is a fascinating episode, as we discuss what was happening in parallel in society at large which has increased realisation and response to the various bit of explicit and implicit discrimination that sit in companies.We touch on the moral case and the business case for diversity, and the importance of where the motivation comes from.And on how if you have the courage to embrace diversity, it adds beauty to the workplace.We talk about the actual steps to look at in order to create a more diverse workplace, and critically a more diverse talent pipeline. And obviously, about how Unleashed helps by making it easier to do the right thing and support companies to become fairer and more accessible.This is a fantastic episode, touching on the personal, the corporate and the societal in the evolution of a company that's aiming to "change the talent profile in organisations across the globe”._______________I host a weekly online workshop with CEOs of SMEs (10 to 100 employees approx) about scaling up, allowing them to step back and do more strategic work, and doing it in line with their values. Max 6 per session so we can have a real conversation.If you'd like to join me, find a date that works for you here. They aren't charged for - you and I will both get value from the conversation.Only CEOs / MDs apply - strictly peer-level conversation.
When it comes to sustainability and human rights, Fashion has earned a terrible reputation. And mostly for very good reason.But there are some shining examples who are showing what good can look like in the industry.One of these is pre-owned luxury fashion retailer Sign of the times.The original Chelsea shop was founded to media buzz in the 1970s. Antonia Johnstone trained there before founding her own shop in Berkshire.And in a wonderfully circular story, some years later she went on to buy the Chelsea business and integrate the two together, keeping the feeling of high street chic while updating the business with a strong online presence.It’s wonderful to talk in this episode of the Karmic Capitalist to Antonia. There's a strong values basis to her business, which originated Antonia's own beliefs on how people should be treated, then extended to her intent to democratise high-end fashion, and as she dived deeper, also became increasingly about minimising environmental impact not just through the reuse of fashion, but also in Sign of The Times's own supply and demand chain.We discuss how her business has adopted a circular economy and human-centric approach to doing things. We also discuss where the values that drive the business come from, and how they surface in how Sign of the Times works.And, for the geeks amongst us, there’s also an insight into how machine learning is used to prove a fashion item’s authenticity! I didn't know that!Enjoy the episode. It's a wonderful journey that Antonia and Sign of the Times are on._______________I host a weekly online workshop with CEOs of SMEs (10 to 100 employees approx) about scaling up, allowing them to step back and do more strategic work, and doing it in line with their values. Max 6 per session so we can have a real conversation.If you'd like to join me, find a date that works for you here. They aren't charged for - you and I will both get value from the conversation.Only CEOs / MDs apply - strictly peer-level conversation.
You’ve just moved from one end of the planet to the other. You’re pregnant. And you want to be working. What do you do?It’s a sad indictment on how the workplace still treats pregnancy that for my guest on this #KarmicCapitalist podcast episode, starting a company seemed a more plausible route than finding employment.But start a company while pregnant is what Steph did. She started marketing agency, Hello Earth, and early on set about specialising on companies with a focus on purpose and sustainability. Hello Earth works with them to identify how digital marketing can impact their ESG goals, then sets about helping them make that happen.I found it wonderful that for such a relatively small company, they’d had the confidence to build this into their client qualification process. They’ve developed their own 7 pillar model that all prospects must pass before Hello Earth will work with them. It’s a structured approach, which also allows for direction of travel - meaning demonstrated serious intent to improve in ESG areas, as well as where the prospective client is at today.Lovely episode, and with a lot to take away in terms of what you can do even if you’re not yet (and never intend to be) the size of a WPP.I love the trajectory that Steph and Hello Earth are on. I suspect we’ll hear a lot more from them in the coming few years._______________I host a weekly online workshop with CEOs of SMEs (10 to 100 employees approx) about scaling up, allowing them to step back and do more strategic work, and doing it in line with their values. Max 6 per session so we can have a real conversation.If you'd like to join me, find a date that works for you here. They aren't charged for - you and I will both get value from the conversation.Only CEOs / MDs apply - strictly peer-level conversation.
"Create wealth like a Capitalist, distribute it like a Marxist." Here's what that looks like...Simon Biltcliffe believes that Capitalism is a great way to create wealth, but is terrible at distributing it. And Marxism can't create wealth for toffee, but has great principles for distributing it.Adjust for externalities, and there you have the principles on which Webmart was founded and operates. Webmart delivers marketing solutions. It competes not only on quality, but by identifying ways to be as efficient as it can be in creating customer value. Automation where possible, education for the team, methodologies, and so on.But...It also calculates the carbon footprint of its work and solutions. It adopts a circular economy approach to its offices. It has an innovative profit distribution model, clear and transparent to all. It ensures it doesn't engage in ruses to reduce tax - because to pay tax is to pay into the community that supports us all. It pays interest it earns to charity; it pays suppliers within 7 days.And it is very profitable.But probably the least expected part for me was that this marketing company owns a farm.A farm.Obviously! What marketing agency doesn't own a farm?!?!Well, the farm is a haven of peace that all employees are entitled to use. And in case you thought this would be a way to guilt-trip them into working on holiday, the farm has no internet access.(Which, by the way, is the ultimate digital-native challenge. Webmart will put you in the most beautiful spot, but make it hard for you to get your shots onto Instagram.)Add the farm into Webmart's sustainability strategy, and it makes the company carbon-negative.Simon isn't just an entrepreneur - he is an evangelist. That comes through loud and clear in this interview, and he generously offers to share any of their learnings with anyone interested enough to ask.This episode was packed full of little and big gems in what it can look like to run a Good company. The various initiatives, all aligned, and all of which build up to a company, a B Corp, which is hell bent on doing good with the way it does business._______________I host a weekly online workshop with CEOs of SMEs (10 to 100 employees approx) about scaling up, allowing them to step back and do more strategic work, and doing it in line with their values. Max 6 per session so we can have a real conversation.If you'd like to join me, find a date that works for you here. They aren't charged for - you and I will both get value from the conversation.Only CEOs / MDs apply - strictly peer-level conversation.
We have a bit of an employment paradox in the UK. As Matt Powell, the founder and CEO of Breaking Barriers, puts it "We have a government that is anti-immigration, and an economy that needs immigration to function at its capacity."That's the gap, the gap between refugees that have made it to the UK and the unfilled jobs in the UK, that Breaking Barriers helps to fill.Matt was always an entrepreneurial spirit. It was when that entrepreneurialism met his passion to help those at the receiving end of forced migration that he birthed the idea of Breaking Barriers.In this episode of the Karmic Capitalist podcast, Matt talks through the journey from idea to creation to fruition and to future plans.We talk through areas common to businesses, charities and frankly most organisations trying to get things done, and how Breaking Barriers addressed them. For instance:The differences between being entrepreneurially-minded and the reality of running an organisation.Shifting positioning to prospective clients (the prospective employees in this case) from "how can you help" to "this is how what we're doing helps your business". And identifying those wins (did you know for example that refugees tend to have a measurably higher retention rate when they find employment? How important is that especially in high churn industries?).Creating a genuine win-win for those involved (I hate that phrase it's so overused - but so accurate here).How creating a community of your customers helps them and you.Trialling before diving full in.The difference between companies (and leaders) who want to "do the right thing" because it helps profitability, and those for whom doing the right thing is a non-negotiable, and then making the business work accordingly.I love what Breaking Barriers is doing. This podcast episode with its founder and CEO Matt sheds light not just on their entrepreneurial journey to scale, but on a practical approach to address an issue of social injustice.And if you are looking to both help those who've come from challenging backgrounds, improve your diversity *and* fill vacancies in your company, get in touch with Breaking Barriers.Enjoy the episode!_______________I host a weekly online workshop with CEOs of SMEs (10 to 100 employees approx) about scaling up, allowing them to step back and do more strategic work, and doing it in line with their values. Max 6 per session so we can have a real conversation.If you'd like to join me, find a date that works for you here. They aren't charged for - you and I will both get value from the conversation.Only CEOs / MDs apply - strictly peer-level conversation.
What do you do if the prevailing business model is very clearly saying one thing, yet your values and what the world needs are in diametric opposition to this?That's the dilemma that faced my Karmic Capitalist guest on this week's podcast, Seán Wood CEO of Positive News."Bad news sells".We hear this mantra because it's commercially true.But as Seán says, we've reached peak negativity. And negativity can be disempowering. It leaves people feeling impotent, that it's too late, there's nothing you can do.Which is not only a shame, but patently untrue. There's a lot going on in the world addressing the issues that we face which doesn't get a look in.Enter Positive News. Founded by a 70 year old whirlwind of a lady from her kitchen table, who thought people should know about the good in the world, Positive News is now a high quality magazine with a significant online presence and a reach of over 2 1/2 million. It ’s led by my guest, CEO Seán Wood and is a case study of what you can do in a world where the prevailing business advice says you shouldn't be doing what you're doing, but the reality of what the world needs says the opposite.There's a vast amount of goodness in this episode. Aside from the key topic above, we discuss a wide variety of issues relating to growing and pivoting a business. Such as...Having your 1000 raving fans, but needing to pivot from how they've loved doing things in the past. And doing it while trying to keep as many of them engaged in your bigger purpose as you transition.And in that vein, the importance of consistency of purpose as the business evolves.Why the "and finally" segment that always used to grace the news with feelgood at the end was actually part of the problem.What if succeeding in your mission means you'd be out of business?The state of journalism, and the need for more solutions journalism. The shift away from a commercial model based on "hook them with a bad news headline, then sell them advertising".And obviously, the importance of reporting what works to inspire or prompt others to do the same. Music to my ears as that is what we're doing with Karmic Capitalist.This is one of my favourite episodes to date. Enjoy._______________I host a weekly online workshop with CEOs of SMEs (10 to 100 employees approx) about scaling up, allowing them to step back and do more strategic work, and doing it in line with their values. Max 6 per session so we can have a real conversation.If you'd like to join me, find a date that works for you here. They aren't charged for - you and I will both get value from the conversation.Only CEOs / MDs apply - strictly peer-level conversation.
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