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 don@fin.dustries.com 

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: Follow on LinkedIn or Instagram (or both if you really LOVE us!) Leave us a rating & review of the podcast on whatever podcast app you use to listen to us (unless you don't love us!) 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

D(g)B welcomes Tony Woods, the Director and Head of Talent for Schmidt Futures - the philanthropic initiative created by former Google CEO Eric Schmidt. He recruits engineers, authors, Ph.D. scientists, program administrators, etc and has helped pilot a program to source talent for critical government roles in the tech space, and created partnerships to elevate the talent of young people around the world. And there's SO much more to Tony, like how he was impacted by "don't ask, don't tell" and his newest endeavor with the Quad Fellowship in the Biden Whitehouse.   Tony's top traits of leaders who do DEI well are curiosity, empathy, and brave conversations - you know we love those! Episodes mentioned: Anthony Hayes Lisa Fain    

Kelly and Lara are back and are fired up about seeing the opportunities in the world of business!  As always, here are some great tidbits & takeaways: Marcus Buckingham on Love + Work Doug Kirkpatrick on love at work  Return on Energy High 5s at work Every 80 years  

Even if your business isn’t a family business, you need to hear from Nike Anani. Nike is a consultant, family business therapist at times, and one of the top 100 Family Business Consultants in the world.  A few of the things we loved: How are you being in your business is a much more important question than what are you doing in your business.  You don’t emerge as a leader, you practice it. You don’t emerge as a visionary, you practice it. We laughed, we had “wow!” moments, and we got off track in all the best ways. We can’t think of a better way to finish up our third season than with this conversation.  Nike shares why she moved back to Nigeria after spending most of her life in London, how working with her dad in the family business changed her in ways she never expected, and what we can all learn from family businesses and how they exist in the world (hint: in Nike’s experience, they’re very rarely focused on profit-over-all.) Key concepts: Clarity Communication Collaboration: Nike’s 3 Cs for success in family businesses (ahem, or any business or team!) Past Present Future: the Past led us to where we are today & it’s important to understand history, we need to work in the Present to guide the future, and we need a vision of the Future to understand what we’re working toward. Learn more about Nike at https://nikeanani.com/ and check out her podcast, The Connected Generation 

Anthony Hayes is the Founder and President of The Hayes Initiative, an LGBTQ+ owned and operated public affairs firm based in NYC, and he joins Kelly and Lara to talk about the intersection of advocacy and leadership, and so much more! We know that inclusivity means different things to different people and Anthony gives us his definition (hint: it all starts with awareness!) and reminds the most well-intentioned leaders to take a breath before you take action.  What are some business practices that work? Kelly’s tracking-loving heart lit up when Anthony shared his experience on this one! Anthony helps Lara question an assumption and she is so glad to be wrong. We talk about transparency, authenticity, trust and the battle against misinformation - in addition to the what happens when the urgent rushes out the important, the perils of the 24 hour news cycle, and Anthony’s #1 tip to people or orgs in a crisis.  What gives someone who does crisis management & communication for a living hope? Stay tuned to the end to hear Anthony’s truly meaningful response.  The Hayes Initiative (THI) is a boutique, certified LGBTQ-owned and operated public affairs and strategic communications firm that helps organizations, leaders, and candidates focus on the issues that will advance their mission and better position them in the broader political, business, entertainment, or philanthropic landscape.

What happens when the CEO of a company has a personal awakening? Turns out, the answer is a whole lot of good business. D(g)B is thrilled to welcome Matt Tinney to the show. Matt is the Founder & Chairman of WME, a Microsoft solutions partner, and on Labor Day 2020, Matt became incredibly ill. A month later when he started coming out of it, everything changed - including his company. Matt did what few Founders would do, and he stepped down as CEO, promoting his then EVP Vickie Moore to CEO, and assuming the role of founder & chairman. He also made WME a culture first organization, wrote an ethics clause into their contract, and implemented 401K matching. What’s the business result? You probably already have a hunch! People can get a paycheck anywhere, but not every company genuinely cares about the employees at a human level. This was one of the most vulnerable conversations we’ve had, and Matt is truly an inspiring leader. Connect with him on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matttinney/ 

If you have ever given or received feedback, listen in! There’s endless advice on giving feedback - how to do it, when to do it, how to coach instead of scold, etc...but there’s not a ton of info out there on receiving feedback - until now! Enter Glade Holman and Generative Feedback. Yes, we talk about giving feedback, and perhaps more importantly, we talk about receiving feedback. Whether you’re a people leader, business owner, spouse or friend, knowing how to receive feedback can truly be life changing. As Glade says, if you can get that one tool, you can get anything.  Glad is the Managing Director of LearningBridge and he knocked our socks off when he shared this, “Changing feedback from measure and assess to grow and improve.” BOOM!  Mic dropped.   Connect with Glade on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/glade-holman-a7548b1/

Can you imagine a workplace without management structure and titles, and that talks about love? Doug Kirkpatrick can, and does, particularly at Morning Star, as well as in other teams & organizations he describes to Kelly & Lara.  It's called Organizational Self-Management and there are 2 simple principles: No Coercion and Keep Commitments.  Try this definition of work: creating value for another human being. If that was your definition, how would that impact your leadership and organization? Our mic drop moment: Bureaucracy is designed to destroy accountability.  Doug shared SO many fantastic resources:  CommitKeeper software Sylvia Garcia of Coca Cola Happiness Institute  Do you have the will to lead? Fast Company article  Shop Class as Soulcraft by Matthew B. Crawford The Winner Effect by Ian Robertson Maverick by Ricardo Semler  The backwards bicycle video on YouTube  The Brave New Work podcast  Find Doug on LinkedIn and check out his books (The No Limits Enterprise, Beyond Empowerment, and more)

From self-awareness to #MeToo, Carol brings it all to this episode and we are here for it! Her first book, Breaking Through Bitch, got our attention, and her second book, Collaboration Code, is unbelievably timely.  Carol shares what her research revealed and a blueprint for men who want to become more collaborative leaders. Thinking about the shifts all leaders and workplaces have encountered in the last year, collaboration has taken a hit. Start getting it back with this episode.  Our biggest takeaway might be this simple statement: Look at people as a leading indicator; finances are a lagging indicator.    Books: Carol Vallone Mitchell, Ph.D.  Company: Talent Strategy Partners  Connect: http://www.linkedin.com/in/carolvallonemitchell Social: https://www.facebook.com/collaborationcode/ & https://www.facebook.com/btbbook/

In honor of Women's History Month, D(g)B welcomes the first of 2 amazing women! Meet Amy Lynn Durham, who takes us one step beyond Emotional Intelligence, into the realm of Spiritual Intelligence (SQ). As a “Corporate Mystic”, she shares how to foster SQ in the workplace through unique and effective strategies she's described in her new book, “Create Magic At Work”.   What in the world is SQ? Amy uses Cindy Wigglesworth's definition, which is, "the ability to maintain inner and outer peace regardless of the situations." It's faith neutral, and helps us to see our interconnectedness, and step more deeply into empathy.  Amy shared some really accessible practices that can be used to increase a team or organization's SQ. Other notes we took: Loneliness in the workplace (HBR) is as dangerous as smoking 15 cigarettes a day "Selectively data driven" executive sticks with what they’re comfortable with, which is why change often doesn't happen Arianna Huffington's recent Tweet: Leaders are paid for their judgment, not their stamina. “Powering through” is not a sustainable quality for leadership – it’s ultimately a recipe for failure. Be a magic maker and learn more about SQ21 at www.CreateMagicAtWork.com

We can all use more play in our lives - especially right now - and our guest today brings just that! Jeff Harry helps companies play more. You read that right! Think play, leadership, and bottom line results aren’t related? Think again! Jeff’s work helps leaders pursue a future where the fun is, that is how they can navigate uncertainty and address problems head-on while creating a psychologically safe work environment.  He combines positive psychology and play to help organizations and individuals address their most challenging issues - like office politics, toxicity in the workplace, and many more.  Jeff has  been recognized as one of the Top 100 HR Influencers of 2020 by Engagedly and BambooHR, and recently had his work featured in the NY Times Article: How To Add More Play To Your Grown-Up Life - Even Now.   We really needed this time with Jeff, and know you’ll walk away feeling lighter and with tangible ways to add more play into your work. Connect with Jeff https://www.rediscoveryourplay.com and click Let’s Play!

Carley Hauck, Founder of Leading from Wholeness has a new book, Shine, coming out in February 2021 on conscious leadership and businesses. Shine highlights the way that anyone who feels called to lead can cultivate the qualities of consciousness on the inside and help to build a workplace and world that works for everyone and is living in greater harmony with the planet. In the book, Carley showcases 9 conscious leaders whom she has served who are really prioritizing people and planet as central to their businesses mission and making quite a positive wave of goodness as a result. Carley shares a sneak peek into 1 of those conscious leader case studies with us, and so much more! Notable leadership moments: Rhea Singhal...Founder and CEO of Ecoware We are part of an integrated system….Mark Benioff, Salesforce  By the Numbers: https://carleyhauck.com/developing-people/  Project ROI, by Campbell’s Soup & Verizon Want more from Carley? Hop onto her newsletter list for info on her free events and grab the book on February 23rd!

Think personal development programs for employees is a “big company” thing or a “fancy startup/West Coast” mentality? Think again!  Erin Jernigan, CEO & Co-founder of Victory Supply Chain Services and team members Brandon George & Mary Anne DeCosta join Kelly & Lara to talk about Group Grow - a personal development program Erin brought into her organization after experiencing the value of working with her own personal coach.  There’s so much goodness in this episode - from how the idea came to Erin (and how she got support to implement it), to Brandon & Mary Anne’s feelings about participating in something like this (which, by the way, happens after work AND during a pandemic), and so much more. We get into what Group Grow is, how it’s going, and how it fit into Victory’s Fly Wheel.  Bottom line? You have to be a leader who cares about their team to make a program like this work - and if you are, it will make the organization even stronger.

Grab a pen and paper for this episode! After the violence at the US Capitol on January 6th, Kelly called Lara with an idea for a bonus episode. Put simply, we want to support you more and share tools to help you get from here (probably feeling like we are, and having a hard time connecting to hope and taking action) to there (more creativity, more compassion, more capacity to show up the way you want to in the world). Think you can’t change the way you respond to things? Don't know how to get from reacting to thoughtful action? We walk you through the steps that you can take (for your organization AND yourself - because the micro is the macro and vice versa), to tap into creativity, look at things differently, and do good business.  What started as an idea for a “quickie” bonus episode became 30+ minutes of actionable content for the leaders, solopreneur, and individual contributor - complete with spoiler alerts about next week’s episode!

Dana Rizer is the executive director of FEAST, a non-profit organization dedicated to helping individuals and families learn how to navigate a broken food environment more healthily by promoting wellness and enriching lives through the power of healthy foods and human connection. Dana shares the ways in which COVID is increasing health risks in high-poverty neighborhoods AND how families living within these inequitable and inadequate food ecosystems can live healthier and more nourishing lives by addressing the individual, social, and environmental factors that contribute to a healthy lifestyle.   What does business have to do with it? We’re so glad you asked. Not only does Dana lead this non-profit, but other businesses can support FEAST’s work AND they reap the benefits. Healthier employees are always good business, and supporting organizations that create healthier communities benefits us all. This goes way beyond food.

Kelly & Lara are big proponents of bringing your whole self to work - and realize that as straight, white, cis-gendered women, it’s a lot easier for us to bring our whole selves to work than it is for those with marginalized identities. Robyn Gigl is a lawyer, author, activist - and she's also a transgender woman. She joins D(g)B to share how she used story in her career as a lawyer, even before she was an author. What it means for her to bring her whole self to work now, and what it looked like before she was free to be fully herself. She’s even got some advice for the folks who want to bring out more of their authenticity at work. What does an organization need to allow people to step into who they are? Inclusion with a capital I and diversity with a little d, because diversity doesn’t matter if we’re not Inclusive. Robyn’s #1 way for leaders to be more open & affirming? Humility. What to avoid? Walking away. What helped her most when she came out? Even if you don’t understand, be understanding. Robyn Gigl, is the author of the upcoming #OwnVoices novel By Way of Sorrow (Kensington Publishing Corp. / March 31st, 2021) and is an attorney, speaker, and activist who has been honored by the ACLU-NJ and the NJ Pride Network for her 40+ years of work on behalf of the LGBTQIA+ community.  Find all the ways to buy By Way for Sorrow (including indie sellers!) at https://robyngigl.com/books/

How do mentoring and DEI intersect? We're glad you asked! Our guest today, Lisa Fain, CEO of Center for Mentoring Excellence, has the answer. If you or your organization provides or wants to provide mentoring, you need to listen to Lisa (and read her book)! HUGE takeaways: Mentors doesn’t have to have the answers! What they do need is good questions - the goal is to move away from the sage on stage model to being a guide on side A recent study shows that mentors have improved leadership skills in self efficacy, cultural competency & more If your organization is talking about a career ladder, it's time to shift that to a career lattice  How to start? Have conversations in relationships to determine what is working and what can be done better - take baby steps to create psychological safety FIRST 3 important inclusive behaviors for mentors & mentees: my normal may not be your normal, name the dynamic, constantly stay in relationship with one another  Check out Lisa's book Bridging Differences for Better Mentoring 

Think marketing and pricing can’t be ethical? Think again - our guest Alice Karolina started a movement, aptly named The Ethical Move, to change that. After a profoundly impactful time in Belize and realizing that the online business space is rampant with manipulation, Alice started a movement.  The Ethical Move helps businesses commit to ethical business practices, including pricing, and as someone who has always been annoyed about $499 or $297 prices (AKA charm prices), Lara’s first question was how Alice turned that annoyance into a movement! Kelly and Alice remind us that if you ask different questions, you get different answers - on everything from sales & marketing, to the mindset needed to take on problems that can seem insurmountable in small businesses. Alice even shares her take on metrics and KPIs that we can follow to truly upend the traditional way of thinking & consumerism.  What we learned: Reach & resonate with your audience instead of convince and convert  This was a great reminder that language matters - and an invitation to consider what you language says about you Maybe personal values and business values shouldn’t be 2 separate things We need to have more mind-bending conversations & we’re capable of burning things down and building them back up!

Paul Birkett, founder and CEO of Automation Finance Automation Finance has saved over 2000 families from foreclosure and we couldn’t be more excited to speak with their Founder & CEO Paul Birkett. Paul’s company, Automation Finance, pools consumer funds to invest in distressed assets and non-performing loans. Or, if you’re not in the financial industry, what that means is that they work with loans going into foreclosure to reformat them and keep the family in their home - all the while paying a nice return to their investors! Automation Finance uses crowdfunding, and investing starts at $250, so if you’re looking to support a D(g)B guest, check them out! Thank you to Paul, for joining us (from Ireland!) and proving that doing good business is not only possible, it’s profitable.   Our favorite takeaways: You can pursue “hard nose commercial business” (that generates an 8% target return for its investors) while also helping people Serving disadvantaged communities can still provide a profit/ROI Ordinary people want to invest money to help other ordinary people - and Automation Finance makes that possible - and pays dividends to those ordinary people, not to Wall Street  Over time, their results have been BETTER than the competitors who aren’t focused on helping people 

D(g)B welcomes Heather DeSantis, Founder & CEO of Publicity for good! Heather joined us from Branson, MO, where she and her fiancé live & work in a 23-foot Airstream - more on that at the end of the episode! Heather shares what good business and good PR means to her and her clients. You’ll learn why having a purpose-driven business is in Heather’s DNA, how this clear mission makes finding clients magnetic, and how she leads an international team and trusts them to deliver results - while trying to make the world better.  Note: We had a little bit of wind noise at a few points in this episode.   Find Heather here: https://publicityforgood.com/  www.Goodsidenews.com 

Kelly & Lara could not be more thrilled to welcome Bigelow Tea’s President and CEO Cindi Bigelow to D(g)B. If you haven’t heard of Bigelow Tea, you may have been living under a rock for the past several decades! Bigelow is the #1 specialty tea company in America producing 2 billion tea bags a year - and they are a Certified B Corporation! Cindi is the 3rd generation President and CEO of Bigelow, which was started by her grandmother over 75 years ago, at a time when women rarely worked outside the home, let alone founded companies! Cindi is a leader who truly walks her talk. She runs her company in a way that reflects the family’s values and beliefs, and you can just feel the authenticity.  Bigelow is 100% family owned, has 400 employees, and manufacturing, packaging, & blending are all done in the US. In this episode, we talk about resilience, Cindi’s leadership, becoming zero waste, BLM & diversity. We learn how COVID impacted Bigelow and the good that’s come from this experience plus their programs for supporting the troops, sustainability, giving back, and even more in this fantastic episode. It didn’t even take 5 minutes to get to the first of many mic drops from Cindi in this episode.  Did you know? Bigelow Tea is headquartered in Fairfield, CT (which is attached to one of their three plants) and has a community garden that feeds hundreds in their area through donations to a local homeless shelter - and Cindi had to negotiate to get 1 tomato per year! Cindi visits the places where the tea and other ingredients are sourced - AND she takes her sales & marketing folks, so they can be a part of the product in all ways possible You can learn some cool Bigelow tea tricks like Kelly did! Check out Tea Time with Cindi Two, of several, mic drop moments: “You’re not going to be great unless you have other people who are pushing you forward.”  “If everyone thought about the greater good every day, the world would be a much better place.” We couldn’t agree more, Cindi. 

Can you believe it's September already?! Kelly & Lara feel partially stuck back in March and partially like it's been 100 years since our last episode! Thanks, COVID... One thing the hosts know for sure, is that there are so many opportunities to do good business right now, and we plan to feature as many as possible! Season 3 will have more guests, more talk on equity & inclusion, more sustainability, and so many other amazing topics that you're going to love! The only constant is change, and that feels more true than ever right now. Join us this season to continue hearing from leaders who believe in changing the world (for good!) through business.

When your season 2 finale episode starts with the dulcet tones of the ice cream truck in the background, you know it's gonna be good! Kelly & Lara reflect on the guests and topics from their second season, and walk their talk by continuing to refine the podcast format. You can expect to hear more guests in season 3, more overt conversations around DEI, and more attention on the good business that's happening - because it really is possible. In the powerful words of Kelly Stewart (wholeheartedly supported by Lara Heacock): If your company already values diversity, provides equity, and fosters inclusion – this is time to double down on what’s working and use that as a springboard to surface new ideas and expand your presence. If your company aspires to value diversity, provide equity, and foster inclusion – then it’s time for an organizational self-reflection – to exam your values and practices, to ask “What do we care deeply about? What do we want to be known for going forward?” and understanding that the planning for “what you do” will look very different If your company is comfortable with the status quo, then this is not really the podcast for you. RESOURCES: DEI individual and organizational training: The Adaway Group Equality vs. Equity Cartoon - this is the simplest we've seen to help folks understand this conversation.  In the words of The Tempos, we'll see you in September! 

D(g)B episodes are recorded weeks in advance, and this episode is no exception. Kelly & Lara preempt the interview with Hailey to share important thoughts on US events from late May to early June 2020.  Taking action to solve social problems and communicate what you’re doing should always be top of mind in business, according to Hailey-Cavill Jaspers, Australian DoGoodologist.  Hailey’s talking with Lara and Kelly, as the June theme of Altruism continues, about why CSR & Social Good is a robust, potent strategy for both boom and tough times is and why it’s important to increase investment in the coming months and years. Hailey Cavill-Jaspers, DoGoodologist Hailey has advised blue-chip companies and brands on CSR & Social Good for over 25 years through her company Cavill + Co in Australia. She’s built over 50 cause partnerships for clients including Disney Australia, Vodafone Foundation, Mondelez Australia and SEEK. She also teaches non-profits how to partner with corporations through online training program, BePartnerReady.com™ . Free books for listeners       DoGoodology – the science of doing good Money CAN buy you happiness – if you give it away!  This is the science and neuroscience that explains the giving high. Free download – not even data capture!       Talking the Walk®2 – How to tell your social good story and resonate with Millennials Why and how companies must communicate CSR & Social Good to cut through skepticism and the noise. Free download to Doing (good) Business listeners until June 30, 2020. Follow prompts to purchase the e-book, and when at shop put in DOINGGBUSINESS on the e-book and it will revert to $0   Notable stories mentioned: Twiggy Forrest securing 10m covid tests Atlassian  

Altruism and business? Yup -it’s a thing!  While altruistic leadership hasn’t been well researched, it is defined as the guiding of others with the goal of improving their well-being or emotional state...and that’s definitely doing good business!  Kelly and Lara discuss past guests (we’re looking at you, Dr. Kristen Donnelly of Abbey Color in Philadelphia!) who demonstrate this, and recognizing companies who clearly have altruism as part of their culture. Examples include:  Greyston Bakery, whose CEO said “we don’t hire people to bake brownies, we bake brownies to hire people” and the many publicly traded companies (like DaVita & Shake Shack) who are returning the PPP/Federal relief funds to the US government.  Kelly shares 3 aspirational questions to ask your team when discussing how to bring more altruistic practices in your organization: What attracted you to this conversation? What drew you here to talk about what possibilities exist for the company to demonstrate a selfless concern for others?  What’s deeply important to us as a company (beyond making money) and why do we care about it? When have you been involved in an altruistic act or an otherwise self-less project (no company ego) when you felt highly engaged? What made that possible? This Seth Godin quote & a company called Eisai inspired Kelly:  “All of us, whichever job or project we choose to take on, do something to change the culture. That social impact, positive or negative is our choice. It turns out that all of us are social entrepreneurs. It's just that some people are choosing to make a bigger (and better) impact than others. It's a spectrum, not a label.”  Lara offers a practice to help leaders get clear on how to plan for whatever comes next.

Happy National Sleep Day (a little late)! Sleep is a big deal when it comes to energetic sustainability, and when you combine that with the CEO of a company that makes sheets from sustainable materials, you’ve got Colin McIntosh from Sheets & Giggles! Kelly & Lara are thrilled to welcome Colin to D(g)B.  Colin quickly became a favorite guest, and it’s easy to understand why. In his own words, "I'm a millennial, a CEO, a progressive, and a free-market capitalist, and I don't think any of those things are mutually exclusive." This CEO really does give a sheet! Join us to learn: Why sheets?  What’s the most important role in the entire company? The answer might surprise you. How do they help their employees sustain themselves - these are some of the most unique ideas we’ve heard in our 50+ episodes!  The public pledge Colin made in March at the start of COVID-19 What Sustainability looks like at a corporate level, with program participation in things such as One Tree Planted and their own Give Two Sheets How in a pandemic they’re not scaling back - instead they donated 200 sets of sheets to a pop-up COVID shelter in Denver, CO, where they’re headquartered How does Colin sustain his energy during this time? As an admitted workaholic, it’s harder than you might think Meet their VP of Barketing: https://sheetsgiggles.com/pages/harvey  No, that’s not a typo! If you give a sheet about sustainability and the way Sheets & Giggles is walking their talk, follow them on Instagram or LinkedIn.  Episodes mentioned:Casa Homes Nolan Painting

Kelly and Lara are coming to you during what’s now being referred to as the Great Pause, AKA the global Coronavirus pandemic. Sustainability is a hot topic, and it’s the D(g)B topic for the month of May. Join us to learn about energetic sustainability, how the personal impacts the global, and how sustainable business is (obviously) good business, but why it’s so critical in the midst of a changing world.  Sustainable takeaways: What is energetic sustainability & why is it important as a leader Return On Energy (hat tip Jen Pavich)  Sustainable energy is the practice of using energy in a way that "meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs." Wikipedia Effects of a lack of biodiversity  This HBR article talks about how the traditional food business is thinking about regenerative agriculture UN Sustainable Development Goals Episodes mentioned: Back to Earth Compost Crew Disruption Values

Humor might seem like the furthest thing from your mind right now, but the truth is, it’s times like this that we need it most - especially when we’re trying so hard to maintain connection! What’s the point of humor in the workplace? Mary Fran Bontempo to the rescue! She takes the points Kelly & Lara made in episode 51 and expands beautifully. Yes, there are downsides of not having/allowing in the workplace! Humor humanizes and relaxes us and it’s a great tool in business.  What happens when there’s resistance to humor and how do you incorporate it into even the most serious of roles and situations?  Where do you even start? Hint: you may have noticed a trend in that everything starts with you! What are some best practices for humor in the workplace?  Kelly’s nervous giggle is explained ...and we learn how her father (our unofficial 3rd host) used humor as a helicopter pilot trainer!  Learn more about Mary Fran Check out Brilliantly Resilient

Need a laugh? April’s episodes were recorded before all of our lives changed dramatically, and we wanted to offer them as a break from all-things-difficult. Tune in to hear Kelly & Lara’s funniest workplace stories, Kelly’s Scottish brogue (because April 6th, when this episode was released, is Tartan Day in the US!), and why it really is good business to use (appropriate) humor at work.  Check out: Forbes on Why humor is a key to success at work HBR on Leading with humor  D(g)B’s Fear episode  We’re talking about humor as an active ingredient in making work enjoyable, a break from the intellectual and emotional challenges we face at work. Be aware of what the experts call “divergent conceptualizations of humor.” It can bring people together or push them apart depending on what you think is funny. We’re talking about humor that brings us together. Why? -          The research indicates that “people who express positive emotions at work, including humor, are more likely to receive assistance and support.” Humor gets people in a good mood, which is why even comedians have warm-up acts. -          When people are feeling good and laughing, they are actually filling their own coffers with the social resources that are essential for cooperation because feeling good means we’re not feeling fear. When we’re not feeling fear, we’re more primed, as humans, to be part of a tribe. Other ways reasons to integrate humor into your business – to improve cooperation which aids negotiations and customer relations. Our key take-away? Intentionally integrating humor helps people connect, and when they connect, they're better able to collaborate and create solutions.

It’s our 50th episode and we’re taking you behind the scenes of Doing (good) Business! Get the scoop on the weird things Lara & Kelly have in common  What’s new with Kelly and Lara and why we do the podcast together  HOW YOU CAN HELP US grow (hint - spread the word, follow and share on LinkedIn or Instagram, rate and review us on iTunes or wherever you listen!) Did you know that over 77% of the economy are service-based businesses, which makes finding ways to help teams flourish a necessary aspect of achieving success. Kelly and Lara share favorite quotes: From Kelly “Yet the gross national product does not allow for the health of our children, the quality of their education or the joy of their play.  It does not include the beauty of our poetry or the strength of our marriages, the intelligence of our public debate or the integrity of our public officials.  It measures neither our wit nor our courage, neither our wisdom nor our learning, neither our compassion nor our devotion to our country, it measures everything in short, except that which makes life worthwhile.” -Robert F. Kennedy From Lara “Compassion for others begins with kindness to ourselves” -Pema Chodron Fun new things are coming starting in April, and we’re already lining up AMAZING guests for season 3, which will launch in Fall 2020. What would you like to see more of? Message us on LinkedIn or Instagram or fill out our form at www.DoingGoodBusiness.com

Ever made a great connection in line for the restroom? Well, that’s how Lara met today’s guest, Lisa Sordilla, VP of HR for Energage, a company that exists to help organizations have great energy!  Lisa drops some seriously good energy including: Why you need to align purpose + performance  How to make culture a priority (and what happens if you don’t) As a leader, how she walks her talk so that she can create positive organizational energy for her team. Did you know: Lara listens to other podcasts?  LOL! Specifically, the example of the impressive culture shift that happened at WD40 (oh, and it’s majorly positive bottom line impact) came from this episode of the Culture First podcast  If you see you company in resigned or corrosive, you can tune in to learn how to turn that around Learn more about Energage and Lisa!

Sure, you probably understand that your energy impacts the people around you, but have you ever thought about the energy of your organization? Kelly and Lara explain what organizational energy even is, and lead you through an exercise showing you how to impact 6 toxic workplace energies! Join us for a little bit of geeking out and some real time expertise. While we hope you’re not experiencing all of these, our bet is that at least 1 or 2 of these scenarios will resonate.  Most important? Lara believes that Self leadership has to come first - managing your own energy as a leader is the most impactful thing you can do to manage or shift your organization’s energy. Get an organizational energy boost with: Kelly recommends the book: Fully Charged: How Great Leaders Boost Their Organization's Energy and Ignite High Performance (2011) by by Heike Bruch and Bernd Vogel - In the book the authors have provided a diagnostic questionnaire you can use to assess the current level of energy. (You can you can get a glimpse of it here.) Ideas for Leaders article on Organizational Energy (including the 4 types of Organizational Energy mentioned at the start of the episode) Companies mentioned in this episode: Workzone, Push10 Check out our next episode featuring our March guest is Lisa Sordilla, VP HR at Energage - a company that exists to measure and impact organization energy! 

Empathy - in action! Kelly & Lara welcome HoneyBee President and CEO Ennie Lim to the podcast, because when the first word in a company’s About page is Empathy, you know they’re doing good business.  Join us to hear how empathy not only is the reason Ennie started HoneyBee, but how she applies it to being a leader and operationalizes empathy (and audacity!) as a value in her organization. Started when Ennie realized the awful industry that is payday loans, this company gives organizations a chance to help their employees break the cycle of paycheck to paycheck living.  We had no idea that: 52% Americans are tapping into retirement early and tapping into savings to make ends meet 78% Americans live paycheck to paycheck and have less than $500 in reserves for an emergency  HoneyBee provides financial wellness tools and makes them accessible to the whole workforce, not only those who would traditionally fit into a 401K program.  Ennie believes in the Transformational power of economic empathy and shares how she starts with empathy in her hiring process.  Check out: The 2 books Ennie gives to every new hire: Emotional Intelligence 2.0 & What To Do With an Idea  Trends inspiring Ennie: the shift from tuition reimbursement to student loan repayment as benefit offering from companies  Connect with HoneyBee: LinkedIn | Facebook | Instagram | Website

Why the heck are Kelly and Lara talking about examples of empathy on a business podcast? Well, for starters, empathy has been called an essential leadership skill. It’s even been called the most important leadership skill and the newest CEO status symbol. More of what CEOs think can be found in the State of Workplace Empathy study and this whitepaper on Empathy in the Workplace from the Center for Creative Leadership. There are 4 types of empathy (cognitive, affective, compassionate, and somatic), and they all fall under the umbrella of Emotional Intelligence, which is critical in the age of Artificial Intelligence.  Why would organizations want to cultivate empathy as a strength? To build a better culture:  Making Empathy Central to Your Company Culture  To create new services or products: Check out the first phase of Design Thinking And yes, you can become more strategically empathetic, and we wouldn’t be Doing (good) Business if we didn’t give you tools to help you start! Tips from relationship builder expert Andrew Sobel Three questions to ask from: Behavioral Essentials Even more questions from MindTools In our next episode, you’ll hear empathy in action from Ennie Lim, CEO of HoneyBee, who created an entire service based on empathy.

When you look up the word disruptor in the dictionary, you should see Mary Alice’s picture! Continuing our January theme of disruption, we are SO excited to introduce you to Mary Alice Duff.  Mary Alice is the founder of Alice Alexander Co., an international size inclusive brand that is ethically sourced, created, and manufactured, in Philadelphia, PA. We talk about everything from pricing strategy to leadership style, to why knowing your mission is so important - especially when you’re a disruptor and hear no a lot! Learn: How the quest for a wool pencil skirt started her international, direct to consumer, fashion company  Her list of disruptions is seemingly endless...and that list is also what has made her company a success  How disrupting manufacturing by giving her employees flex schedules, even for shift work and manual labor yields 100% retention When employees ask her why she’s not yelling at them...you know you’re talking to a leader who is disrupting in a positive way “If you’re not kind to your team members...when sh1t gets hard, they’re not going to show up” Hashtag #ethicalfashion on instagram - inspires her to disrupt that sameness with size, ethnicity, and body diversity in marketing and branding  - and why Mary Alice still feels like there’s more she needs to do  Check out the beautiful video on her site and connect with Alice Alexander on Instagram, Facebook, or Pinterest.

As promised last week, we’re kicking off 2020 with a bang! Disruption is our January theme, and wowie do we have a lot to say on this! As Kelly and Lara reflected on past D(g)B episodes, they realized that most of their guests are disruptors for good. D(g)B has featured: Nolan Painting, Back to Earth Compost Crew, Dr. Kristen Donnelly  as well as consultants helping business leaders transform: LaKita Williams, Katie Wright, Jennifer Brown, Jamila Medley, Mory Fontanez  This episode notes some other disruptors you may have heard of: Interface Carpet, Cascade Engineering, Seventh Generation as Kelly & Lara realize more and more, that companies not doing good business are being left behind. Other worthy disruptions: Kindness as a disruptor  Responding versus reacting as a leader  - power of the Pause, Tara Brach Radical Acceptance  Inc. article on innovation with quotes from Jerry Seinfeld (“What am I sick of?”)  Maddock Douglas (“Embrace the hate to innovate) Defining a New Leadership Model – Leith Sharp

Kelly & Lara share their end of year reflections and wishes for 2020 - both personal and professional, because the two always overlap.  End of year reminders: Lara Coaching Services help your leaders lead with kindness, and without burning out  Kelly’s Strategic Planning tools can help you reframe challenges of the past into positive opportunities for the future.  Kelly & Lara love hearing from you! Contact us with podcast thoughts, questions for D(g)B, or to reach Kelly or Lara individually.  We can't wait to share our amazing 2020 content with you! Topics from disruption to empathy to organizational energy are already being recorded to start your year off with a bang. 

Kelly and Lara welcome Jackie Stavros to D(g)B! Jackie is an expert in appreciation as it relates to business, and spends her life integrating strengths-based, whole system, and sustainability concepts and practices such as Appreciative Inquiry (AI), SOAR, and Blue Ocean Strategy (BOS) into her research, teaching, training, and consulting work. Appreciative Inquiry (AI) is the art and practice of asking questions that strengthen a person’s or system’s capacity to apprehend, anticipate, and heighten positive potential. Now, if that’s not doing good business, we don’t know what is! Follow Jackie on Twitter or check her out on LinkedIn.  We hope you appreciate this info! The 5 Classic Principles of Appreciative Inquiry  Forbes Article on Conversations Worth Having  Jackie’s free download: Conversations Worth Having Today

Can you even believe it’s December??? We SO appreciate you being here with us this year. You might even say we’re grateful. Is there a difference? We think so, and that’s what we’re digging into today. Appreciation is the D(g)B theme for December, and as always, Kelly & Lara are starting by dissecting the term. What does it even mean when it comes to work, and why is it part of doing good business?  What are you appreciating right now? We’d love to hear from you at www.DoingGoodBusiness.com or on Instagram or Twitter! Some things to appreciate: This Adam Grant post on social media caught Lara’s eye: “Dear Managers: pay isn’t a carrot you dangle to motivate people. It’s a symbol of how much you value them. Motivate by designing meaningful jobs where people have freedom, mastery, connection, and impact. Appreciate by paying well.” Why Appreciation Matters So Much The Gottman’s research on 5:1 appreciation ratio  The 5 Languages of Appreciation in the Workplace (for those of you who want to apply Love Languages to work!) The Carrot Principle 7 Ways to Show Your Appreciation to Employees 

Kelly & Lara are thrilled to welcome Mory Fontanez to D(g)B, Founder & CEO of 822 Group, a transformational group focused on healing organizational chaos. Talk about leading with values...which include Real, Connected & Courageous! Have you taken one of the values assessments we linked to in our last episode? We’d love to hear what you learned - drop us a note at www.DoingGoodBusiness.com  Mory’s personal values include self-awareness, accountability, empathy, love, deep connections, gratitude - and we can clearly see how she lives by them. What caught our attention: “Healing organizational chaos” “Root of chaos is the lack of accountability” “Purpose equals profit...and there’s got to be authenticity in there” Mory uses the value of empathy to have hard conversations & listen without judgment  How does social media impact values and how do the two go together? Ways to tell if your organization is living its values, or if they’re just a sign on the wall. Yes, anyone can do this work, and hearkening back to the October theme of Openness, that’s the key to being a values based organization  Learn from Mory on LinkedIn Learning (her first course is on values!) & follow @822group on Instagram

Values is the November theme on D(g)B, and while we love the usual November topics of gratitude and being thankful, we’re going against the grain a bit and diving into values! Are your company’s values more than just a page on your website? Do you know your personal values? Why are values important in terms of organizational/company benefits and how do you live the company's values to realize the benefits? How the heck do you even get started with this values stuff? Kelly & Lara talk about all that and more. Topics we value: Values from your hiring process to the full life cycle of an organization  Values as a competitive advantage Traditional values, e.g. integrity, trust, accountability and the emerging values, e.g. humility, ownership, simplicity These are our corporate values vs. This is what we value as a company Resources to find your personal values: TruValues & PVA   WE VALUE FEEDBACK! How are you liking Season 2? Drop us a line on Instagram, Twitter, or LinkedIn, or fill out the handy form at www.DoingGoodBusiness.com! We’d love to hear how you like the new format and any show ideas you have. 

Kevin Nolan, founder and president of Nolan Painting, is a leader who truly exemplifies our October theme of Openness. From open book accounting, to how he establishes goals for his team, Kevin has been in business since the 1970s and runs what has become the largest residential painting company in the US! If Kevin sounds familiar, that’s because he was a guest on the Doing (good) Business live podcast panel, in Season 1 and we’re thrilled to have him back for a deep dive into Openness.  Follow their painting adventures on Facebook and check out Nolan in the Neighborhood to see all of the community causes and outreach they support, like December 14th’s Reindeer Romp 5K in Havertown, PA with pizza & pub crawl right after - they’ve raised $500K for American Cancer Society over the years! Powerful takeaways from Kevin: “Good leaders have to cultivate the things they want in their business” Open Book Management - what it is, how Nolan Painting practices it, and why “I open myself up to them, and they do the same - I know about my people” Pay for performance system built around the company’s monthly KPIs - that are posted on a white wall in the building! Focus on the values (theirs include friendliness and accountability) The 2 books Kevin used to create the Nolan Painting culture: Ownership Thinking & The Great Game of Business  Kevin’s advice to other business owners and leaders who want to adopt similar philosophies? Be a student. Cultivate it.