conscious business

Conscious Content: CC Euro conference, Circular Economy jobs, selling your biz

November 15, 2019

Hello CCSD Community

Here is our bi-weekly Conscious Capitalism content share. We hope you find it informative and inspirational.

In the news

According to GreenBiz, “the circular economy is celebrated as a trillion-dollar opportunity beginning to penetrate industries around the world.” With new business opportunities usually comes new needs. New needs need new jobs. Here are 5 emerging jobs that companies are hiring for to support the circular economy.

Impact

The 2nd Conscious Capitalism European Conference took place this past September 23rd. The theme was: Conscious Capitalism – A New Paradigm for Doing Business. The sessions were recorded and they are offering the playbacks to everyone.

By registering HERE, you get access to the inspiring stories, shared experiences and interactive sessions. Including a session with David Gardner, Co-founder and Cheif Rule Breaker at The Motley Fool.

Informative Read

Are you thinking of selling your business or might do so in the future? Or interested in taking on a capital partner. Sunny Vanderbeck’s new book, “Selling Without Selling Out”, will help you navigate this complex process without compromising on what matters to you. Using lessons learned from his own hard-won experiences as well as insights from a variety of experts, Sunny outlines what to look for and what to avoid to feel good on the day after the transaction closes.

Inspiration

Share your thoughts

Let us know what you think about this content.

Or share content you would like to see.

Tweet us @ConsciousSD and use #ConsciousContentFriday

Conscious Content: a pivotal year for CC, Goal Solutions highlight, Healing Organization book.

November 1, 2019

Hello CCSD Community

Here is our bi-weekly Conscious Capitalism content share. We hope you find it informative and inspirational.

In the news

San Diego Life. Changing., a campaign by the San Diego EDC, recently shared an article on Goal Solutions. Goal is an award-winning consumer finance company led by CEO Ken Ruggiero. After the 2008 recession, Ruggiero led a team of 20 to reconfigure the company and revolutionize the financial services industry. It’s committed to solving financial challenges and opening doors to new opportunities by leveraging data and technology to deliver strategic solutions for asset management, lending, and investments. CCSD is proud to call them a friend and business member as Goal is a great model of Stakeholder Orientation and the Conscious Capitalism philosophy.

Impact

Is 2019 a pivotal year for Conscious Capitalism? Our friend and member, DeLinda Forsythe, believes so. DeLinda also believes in practicing Conscious Capitalism in her company, ICE (Innovative Commercial Environments). ICE started off as an independent furniture dealership from a spare bedroom in 2006. Over the past 13 years, ICE developed a reputation of being San Diego’s most community-engaged and creative office and hospitality furniture dealership. In an industry that averages single-digit growth, ICE continues to grow between 40-80% every year, landing them on the Inc. 5000 for 6 years in a row. Now that’s some impact!

Informative Read

Conscious Capitalism pioneer, Raj Sisodia, and organizational innovation expert, Michael J. Gelb, share how to heal the word through Healing Organizations in their new book, The Healing Organization: Awakening the Conscience of Business to Help Save the World. They believe that “the image of modern corporations has been shaped by a focus on profits over people and the environment, but this approach to capitalism is no longer viable. We are at an inflection point where business must take the lead in healing the crises of our time.” Learn more HERE.

Inspiration

Our San Diego community of leaders, doers, and believers are always our main source of inspiration at CCSD. Your engagement, dialogue, and contribution continue to motivate us to be better and better in service to you and our community. We also had lots of fun at our 9/26 social and 10/8 learning lunch hosted by our partners TGG. Thank you for being part of this journey!

Share your thoughts

Let us know what you think about this content.

Or share content you would like to see.

Tweet us @ConsciousSD and use #ConsciousContentFriday

Conscious Content: San Diego Life Changing post, Steve Farber new book launch, and more!

September 27, 2019

Hello CCSD Community

Here is our bi-weekly Conscious Capitalism content share. We hope you find it informative and inspirational.

In the news

In case you missed it 181 of America’s largest businesses agreed that the purpose of business is to create value for ALL Stakeholders. Yes, consumers and younger workforce are calling for business to be better. But the notion that companies are meant to serve more than just the interests of the almighty shareholder is not, in fact, new at all. If curious, this Quartz article gives a good, short summary of the history of business, how we got to where we are today, and some hope for the future.

Impact

Conscious Capitalism San Diego is proud to be a guest contributor to the San Diego Life. Changing. blog. San Diego Life. Changing. is a campaign by the San Diego Regional EDC to highlight San Diego’s growing innovation economy and startup opportunities as a way to drive economic growth in the region. Our first post shares an intro to Conscious Capitalism, Conscious Capitalism San Diego, and one of our local Conscious Capitalist Companies here in San Diego, WD-40 Company. Keep a lookout for a few more guest posts from us as we highlight other Conscious San Diego businesses.

Informative Read

Steve Farber, author of The Radical Leap, The Radical Edge, and Greater Than Yourself, has just released his latest book. It’s called Love Is Just Damn Good Business. The book tosses aside the touchy-feely notions of love in business and recognizes the real power it holds. Love is not only appropriate in the context of business, it’s the foundation of great leadership, and, therefore, the very foundation of a thriving, competitive enterprise. When love is part of an organization’s framework and operationalized in its culture, employees and customers feel genuinely valued.

And in that spirit, you’re invited to the official San Diego book launch party sponsored by the Chamber of Purpose. Join us on Friday, September 27 from 7 – 10 PM at Corporate Alliance of San Diego. There’ll be food and mingling and great company. And, of course, Steve will read selections from the book. Please RSVP HERE.

Inspiration

Share your thoughts

Let us know what you think about this content.

Or share content you would like to see.

Tweet us @ConsciousSD and use #ConsciousContentFriday

Conscious Content: 181 businesses shift to valuing all stakeholders

August 31, 2019

Hello CCSD Community

Here is our bi-weekly Conscious Capitalism content share. We hope you find it informative and inspirational.

In the news

Did you hear? 181 of America’s largest businesses agreed that the purpose of business is to create value for ALL Stakeholders. The Shareholder model is not working. The majority of the members of the Business Round Table signed and released this updated Purpose of a Corporation statement this week. This statement ends with “Each of our stakeholders is essential. We commit to deliver value to all of them, for the future success of our companies, our communities and our country.” Conscious Capitalism Stakeholder Orientation tenet couldn’t agree more.

Impact

Ideas, beliefs, philosophies, culture tend to shift over time. Sometimes for the better, sometimes not. Sometimes it’s what is needed at the time, but that time is limited. This 2013 Washington Post article shares how the impact of believing in Maximizing Shareholder value influenced IBM and how it wasn’t always like that. It also touches on how the Business Roundtable (mentioned above) previously believed and stated the importance of all stakeholders. But from 1997 until this week, the focus was on shareholders. It appears we are in the middle of another shift. Hopefully, this one is for the better.

Informative Read

The Fetzer Memorial Trust would like to gift you the new biography of its founder, “John E. Fetzer and the Quest for the New Age” as a way of sharing his inspiring journey.

As a pioneer in the broadcast industry, owner of the World Series Detroit Tigers, advisor to two presidents and one of the 400 wealthiest individuals in America, John E. Fetzer was an example of the principles of Conscious Capitalism long before the term gained popularity.

Underneath these worldly achievements, he was a significant figure in the consciousness movement and was driven by living a life inspired by higher purpose and meaning. This biography reveals how his lifelong spiritual and scientific search contributed to his success both personally and in the practical world of business.

Conscious Capitalism San Diego is happy share this book with you, our community. To receive your copy, CLICK HERE and fill out the short form. We hope it inspires you on your own journey of conscious unfoldment.

Inspiration

Share your thoughts

Let us know what you think about this content.

Or share content you would like to see.

Tweet us @ConsciousSD and use #ConsciousContentFriday

Conscious Content: Simon Sinek’s new book, CC + B Corps, Farmer’s Footprint

August 23, 2019

Hello CCSD Community

Here is our bi-weekly Conscious Capitalism content share. We hope you find it informative and inspirational.

In the news

Conscious Capitalism? B Corps? CSR? You might be wondering what these have in common, or not. This Medium article by B the Change might help clarify some of this for you. You will learn how Conscious Capitalism and B Corps support each other and how they both go beyond CSR.

Impact

Several of you attended our May event in which we hosted a screening of Farmer’s Footprint film. Thank you for being there with us! Farmer’s Footprint mission is to regenerate 5 million acres of farmland by 2025. To do so, they believe “Every successful revolution must be founded on education and shared values. Your participation will serve as a template and catalyst for many more grassroots leaders to follow. Without your participation, our reach as a non-profit would be limited.”

To help their reach be limitless, they created a simple Farmer’s Footprint film screening toolkit and guide to support change in your community. Take a look and get started HERE.

Informative Read

Simon Sinek’s newest book, The Infinite Game, challenges our current model of Capitalism. In his interview with Conscious Company Media, Sinek says ” The form of capitalism that we have now is not the capitalism that Adam Smith envisioned. It’s bastardized. Milton Friedman theorized that the responsibility of business is to maximize profit within the bounds of the law. But what about ethics? Milton Friedman clearly never ran a business, because if all you focus on is money, your business will break. Even Henry Ford said that business that’s made only to make money is a weak kind of business. There’s only one thing on the planet that is obsessed with growth for growth’s sake — and that is cancer.” The Infinite Game is out in October but you, of course, can pre-order your copy today.

Inspiration

Share your thoughts

Let us know what you think about this content.

Or share content you would like to see.

Tweet us @ConsciousSD and use #ConsciousContentFriday

Conscious Content: Interface’s Mission Zero, green jet fuel, and how to make waves at work

August 9, 2019

Hello CCSD Community

Here is our bi-weekly Conscious Capitalism content share. We hope you find it informative and inspirational.

In the news

Aviation currently accounts for approximately 2 percent of global emissions and is projected to grow. Finding a way to replace fossil-based jet fuel with a renewable alternative will be key for the future of the aviation industry and our planet. Luckily some companies are seeing the importance of this and are investing in our future. Velocys is a renewable fuels firm which created a method of transforming household waste into sustainable transport fuels. Shell and British Airways are funding $3.5 million to build a U.K. refinery plant to make green jet fuels out of household waste. Learn more about their initiatives here.

Impact

What happens when a global public company in one of the world’s dirtiest industries decides to become a leader in environmental stewardship? Well, a lot. Interface, Inc. sells high-quality carpets. They are also committed to what they call “Mission Zero” – their promise to eliminate any negative impact the company may have on the environment by the year 2020. And they are well on their way to doing so. Interface not only disrupted their industry but have proven to other large, international organizations, that they too can do business better.

Informative Read + Worksheet

You might not have an official “leadership” title at work. But you can still make waves, according to Bethany Hilton. Check out her blog and go through her worksheet. You will learn how to respect the existing boundaries of your company while still testing the limits. Don’t let a title, or lack thereof, hold you back.

Inspiration

Share your thoughts

Let us know what you think about this content.

Or share content you would like to see.

Tweet us @ConsciousSD and use #ConsciousContentFriday

Conscious content: social accounting, cure for stupidity, LAZ Parking, plus more!

July 19, 2019

Hello CCSD Community

Here is our bi-weekly Conscious Capitalism content share. We hope you find it informative and inspirational.

In the news

Have you heard of Social Accounting? If not, no worries. You can learn about it here in this June ASU article. According to ASU’s Elizabeth Castillo, “social accounting is a holistic way for the firm to strategize and communicate how it creates value for its stakeholders and society.” Sounds like a powerful tool to us! Several countries and companies are starting to practice and see the benefits of Social Accounting as well (see the last paragraph in the linked article above).

Impact

Purpose is a hot topic these days. You’ve probably talked about (or wondered about) your org’s Purpose within the last few months. Higher Purpose is one of Conscious Capitalism’s four tenets. But what really is corporate Purpose? Or better yet, Dane Smith over at FSG challenges, what is a corporate purpose worth having? He shares that companies typically fall short in 4 main ways:

1. It lacks significance
2. It lacks authenticity
3. It isn’t profitable
4. It isn’t implemented seriously

Informative Read

Most people aren’t intentionally stupid. But we all have our stupid moments, whether we are conscious of it or not. Eric M. Baily may have the cure in his new book, The Cure for Stupidity: Using Brain Science to Explain Irrational Behavior at Work. It’s the #1 New Release on Amazon right now, so maybe people are channeling their smarts when deciding to read this.

In Practice

If you ever parked in a public parking lot, you’ve likely parked at one time or another in a LAZ parking lot. We are proud to have them as part of our CCSD community and to share that they are Conscious Capitalism, Inc.’s Featured Partner of the Month.

LAZ Parking is a parking management, transportation, and mobility company founded in 1981 by three childhood friends. Today, LAZ operates over one million spaces in thousands of locations and provides parking management services in several different industries.

You can read more about LAZ and how they practice Conscious Capitalism in their CCI business profile page. AND watch a video on their partnership with Ten By Three, a charity that reduces poverty in developing countries by using a unique Prosperity Wages model. You will for sure get the warm fuzzies.

Inspiration

Forty-one student teams came away with a total of $57,000 at this year’s Fowler Global Social Innovation Challenge hosted in San Diego. Team’s social innovation ideas included solutions in wireless technology impact, the diversity of female voices, leadership in sustainable business ventures, and new ways to use recycled tires. Winning teams will be posted on the link above soon.

CCSD was a proud sponsor and is excited to welcome 17 new student members to our local chapter.

Help us WELCOME: Momo Bertrand, Charles Bullard, Kyle Duffy, Grace Obrien, Tyler Schiller, Nisreen Al Sabie, Robbie Beyer, Ana Dominguez, Blake Dunkleberger, Matteo Hernandez, Austin Hirsh, Amy Kame, Camille Morales, Julia Stewart, Ian Western, Casey Myers, Patricia Cosulich

photo cred: USD Center for Peace and Commerce Fowler GSIC facebook photos)

Share your thoughts

Let us know what you think about this content.

Or share content you would like to see.

Tweet us @ConsciousSD and use #ConsciousContentFriday

Conscious Content: Chobani Founder’s anti-CEO Playbook, A&W Winning Business, Regenerative Farming, Plus More

June 21, 2019

Hello CCSD Community

Here is our bi-weekly Conscious Capitalism content share. We hope you find it informative and inspirational.

In the news

The annual Milken Institute’s Global Conference was held earlier this month. A theme that emerged during the conference was around the need to reform capitalism. If not, the consequences will be dire. You can get a short summary here in this LA Times article with the more racy title, Reform capitalism or face revolution, billionaires are told at Milken Conference.

Impact

How and where you choose to spend your money matters. Organizations that have a higher purpose and live it through the actions they take are winning a lot more business than those that are not. Read how A&W won this CEO and father’s business by living its higher purpose in this Forbes article.

Informative Watch

“In an appeal to corporate leaders worldwide, Chobani founder Hamdi Ulukaya calls for an end to the business playbook of the past — and shares his vision for a new, “anti-CEO playbook” that prioritizes people over profits. “This is the difference between profit and true wealth,” he says.”

Inspiration

We had the pleasure of being with Dr. Zach Bush, MD at our May 28th event. His research, science, and stories around our biggest health crisis were both worrisome and inspirational. Check out what he and his team are up to at Farmers Footprint and learn how they plan to regenerate 5 million acres of farmland by 2025. You can also watch their 20-minute documentary here.

Share your thoughts

Let us know what you think about this content.

Or share content you would like to see.

Tweet us @ConsciousSD and use #ConsciousContentFriday

5-10-19 Conscious Content Friday

May 31, 2019

Hello CCSD Community

Here is our bi-weekly Conscious Capitalism content share. We hope you find it informative and inspirational.

In the news

Have businesses contributed to some of our modern health and well-being issues? To simply put it, yes. Could businesses also be the solution and betterment of our health and well-being? According to this HBR article, the answer is yes AND could also be a competitive advantage for organizations.

Impact

San Diego is 1 of 5 cities out of 143 to win a $3 million grant from the AdvancingCities Challenge supported by JPMorgan Chase. This is a 5-year initiative focused on inclusive growth and greater economic opportunity. San Diego will use this grant to fund a new collaborative program called Advancing San Diego.

“The Advancing San Diego program is going to be a game-changer and will provide resources to underserved communities that need it most,” said Mayor Kevin L. Faulconer. “It’s going to lift up our small businesses, prepare San Diegans for skilled jobs and make a real difference in people’s lives. It’s also going to level the playing field so that no matter where you grow up in San Diego, you have access to opportunity.”

If you are a business or educator interested in participating in the Advancing San Diego initiative, fill out the quick form HERE.

Informative Listen

Check out episode nine of the World Changing Women Podcast and hear Eileen Fisher share how she turned her hand made garments to a $300 million dollar brand. And continues to challenge her industry by working toward becoming one of the most sustainable clothing brands in the world, becoming an ESOP, and practicing a collaborative leadership structure.

In Practice

This week we are excited to highlight local San Diego Conscious Capitalism start-up, reVessel.

reVessel’s purpose is to change the course of human and environmental health by shaping a sustainable future for generations to come. The company was born out of a need for thoughtful alternatives to safely travel with food. To kick the dependence on convenience food, single-use packaging, and chemicals, they developed their flagship product known as the Adventure Kit.

In addition to climate neutrality within their first year of operations, they are committed to global impact with a portion of proceeds going back to funding the conversion of chemically-dependent farmland to regenerative organic practices and ocean rehabilitation and preservation. A portion of proceeds of their “Spring into Action” pre-sales campaign will go back to local organizations moving these missions forward. So Spring into Action HERE and pre-order your Adventure Kit before the end of May!

Inspiration

Share your thoughts

Let us know what you think about this content.

Or share content you would like to see.

Tweet us @ConsciousSD and use #ConsciousContentFriday.

4-26-19 Conscious Content Friday

May 10, 2019

Hello CCSD Community

Here is our bi-weekly Conscious Capitalism content share. We hope you find it informative and inspirational.

In the news

Ray Dalio, Founder of Bridgewater Associates, has been trending in the news lately. He has joined the likes of other heavy hitters in the financial world, like Larry Fink of Blackrock, calling for a need to reform capitalism. You can read about it directly from him in his Linkedin articles. These are quite long and technical but are direct from him. A shorter summary could be found here.

Impact

The Conscious Company Leaders Forum took place earlier this week in Northern California. If you were no there, that’s ok. You can get a sense of all the highlights and experience people had here. There are some good links to leaders and organizations that shared their stories throughout the forum. And great images of people connecting. Enjoy!

Informative Listen

Last week Raj Sisodia talked to The Work Hard Play Hard podcast on the power of Conscious Capitalism in business and life. Take a listen here.