Why Your Business (Not the Government) Holds the Key to the Future
If you think the government’s going to save us, I’ve got a bridge to sell you. But here’s the good news: your business has everything it needs to lead the way. First and foremost, it has you, the business owner or leader dedicated to using your business to serve all your stakeholders. Then there is your leadership team, a posse of superheroes who share your commitment to radiating bold, difference-making impact throughout your growing organization.
Finally, there is the exponential impact you achieve through your entire team, partnerships, and broader community who see your business not only as a value proposition but also a set of core values that separate you from the pack. Think of it this way: politics is the bandage that covers the cut but doesn’t heal the wound. Your business is the deep-healing medicine that solves the problem.
Solve the problem.
Why do I put so much stock in business leaders’ power to shape the future, from sustainable practices to social impact initiatives? I’ve seen it happen again and again—and not in a flash-in-the-pan way. Everyone has heard Patagonia’s inspirational story: how founder Yvon Chouinard turned his passion for outdoor adventure into a company that makes the outdoors the company’s sole shareholder. Patagonia’s journey is the stuff of legend, but you can apply the same practices in your own neck of the woods.
Do you want to start on the journey of ensuring your business’s legacy? Here’s what you do:
Integrate purpose into your business model: Close the gap between your product and your purpose. At BLK & Bold Speciality Beverages, a Black-owned brand, you cannot buy coffee or tea and not support the company’s mission of impacting youth. Impact is brewed right into the price of every pound of product it sells. As founders Pernell and Rod say, “Shop your values.”
Invest in sustainable practices: Vital Farms founder Matt O’Hayer turned a 27-acre chicken farm into the country’s largest producer of eggs not by inventing ways to cram chickens into ever-tighter spaces but by investing in more room for them to roam. Customers the country over rewarded him for his far-thinking investment.
Amplify your impact: As we’ve written before, don’t try to go it alone. Create partnerships with your team, your customers, your investors, and your community to radiate impact far beyond the four walls of your business.
Bottom line: the future isn’t in the hands of politicians—it’s in yours. Let’s make sure it’s a future worth fighting for.