New entrepreneurs tend to focus only on getting the product right, and assume that the right culture and ethics will come later simply by hiring good people. In fact, they need an early focus on developing their moral compass, as well as setting the right ethical tone. Building an ethical business is more than just […]
Values
CEOs Change the Deeper Meaning of the Ultimate Bottom Line
As I read this morning about the Business Roundtable changing this fundamental principle, I was really glad to see it. It’s about time. Several hundred influential CEOs got together and agreed to revise priorities. The next quarter’s profits—which maximizes short-term share price—are no longer the supreme goal and top priority. Here’s the story: AMERICA’S CEOS JUST […]
Take a Stand
How consumers interact with the companies they do business with, and their expectations of us evolve and are a direct reflection of our culture and core beliefs as human beings. That could not be more evident than today. A study (it’s done every year) called the Edelman Earned Brand Study is one of the most comprehensive pieces […]
Should Your Brand Take a Stand?
Almost a year ago, Nike released a “just do it” ad campaign for their 30th anniversary featuring Colin Kaepernick, the football player at the center of the “taking a knee” controversy in the NFL. The reaction to the campaign was immediate and loud. The media exploded, social media couldn’t get enough of it, politicians tweeted […]
4 Critical Steps to Create a Small Business Brand Identity
In any type of business, building a strong brand identity is a key part of creating a thriving company. That goes double for small businesses, who rely even more on their reputation and the goodwill of their customers than their larger competitors do. Still, building a brand’s identity from the ground up is no easy […]
How to Build a Purpose-Driven Organization
As we learned in How to Inspire Brand Loyalty with Purpose, “People want to buy from companies that stand for a purpose with which they personally identify and reflect their values and beliefs.” A recent research paper by Quartz Insights and WE entitled, Leading with Purpose in an Age Defined by It, gives us additional statistics and reasons […]
Paw Bumps and High Fours to Chewy.com
In our Go-Giver series John David Mann and I often discuss the importance of empathy and how it is one of the five—what we call—Elements of Value. I recently discussed one amazing example of such in a recent episode of The Go-Giver Podcast, and the following is another one that I believe is so worth sharing. My […]
Can a “Good-Hearted” Entrepreneur Succeed in Business?
People argue over whether an entrepreneur with a sense of fairness, a desire for collegiality, a want to share the profits can succeed in the long run within a business world full of lions and tigers that eat timid entrepreneurs for lunch. Does a “good heart” diminish the chances of success? First, let’s separate the […]
6 Ways to Promote Transparency in a Startup (and Why You Should)
Transparency in the workplace is both a mantra and a model. While it’s true that transparency has become a bit of a buzzword, when actually put into practice it can have a real impact on your business’s bottom line. Namely better communication, ideation, engagement, and loyalty. We’re talking about real transparency here—not just being open […]
How to Build a Strong and Supportive HR Department
It’s a fact of business life that people are an organization’s greatest asset. The whole cycle of recruiting the right personnel and creating an environment where they can give of their best for the benefit of the business and themselves depends largely on effective HR (Human Resources). A strong and supportive HR department will help […]
