Purpose (what again?)
Things are going to get better....
Last week I had to calm down, having intended writing about business, B Corporations, sustainability and the importance of purpose in any organisation you may find yourself embroiled in; but instead, I was side tracked by Taylor Swift and not being in three places at once.
Not this week, I hope you are sitting comfortably, because things are going to get better.
Meeting the team from UK Pet Food at Naturaw HQ last week as well as taking part in a B Corp discussion at The Knowledge Exchange event with Leeds Beckett University and inspiring fellow speakers, really made me focus on our purpose as a business and has given me renewed zest and inspiration to share this week.
I know I sound like a cracked record on purpose, but it really is a disc worth playing, even if I am re-visiting a common theme here on You Can Do Anything
Only back in March, I was writing in B Corp Month about the importance of purpose, having insisted that everyone wins when you do the right thing way back in September 2023 in the early days of the Unconventional Flock; now months rolled forward and with Eurovision behind us and and a 4th of July Election ahead, what more is there to say?
Quite a lot as it turns out…
In fact, there is so much to say that you stop whatever you are doing this fine Friday, and if you are fortunate enough to be part of any sort of organisation that would have you as a member or a worker, an owner, fundraiser, organiser or collaborator; yes all of you; stop and hold that organisation in your thoughts this moment; consider your real purpose; right now.
That’s Purpose with a capital P.
What are you doing?
What is your purpose?
I can’t ask the question enough because, like many workers across the globe, I have spent literally thousands of hours and days, turning into months and years, having no real purpose other than to generate as much money as possible for sometimes myself but mostly others; that is not a purpose, that is just following a process, doing stuff a certain way to fund an enterprise.
It’s not wrong; it pays the bills; it has to be done, but it’s missing something, in fact its missing the point completely, the purpose has to be there beyond the enterprise, the how, the what, the ‘so what’.
If we lead with purpose, then we can change the word, as Gavin Howarth so eloquently summarised last week;
don’t let the process of what you are doing diminish the actual substance and purpose of the task itself
These were very wise words from Professor Adalberto Arrigoni, Senior Lecturer at Leeds Beckett University and Subject Group Research Lead (Leadership, Governance and People Management), as well as Gavin Howarth, Chair of Trustees of the Howarth Foundation, at last weeks’ event; both incredibly impressive individuals who had clear passion and drive for their respective areas of enlightenment.
Thinking about your gang, your organisation, your business or social enterprise; when you have identified your purpose, then let everybody know please - it’s important!
In fact, put it up there in big flashing lights with everything you do; let everybody be clear what your purpose is; because this is your ‘why’
For our business we are asking dog owners to join the rawvolution; because dogs deserve real food; we stick to our knitting in everything we do as a sustainable B Corp business and that has brought awards and commercial success as well as opportunity for growth for all our team; of course that is all great news, but the real reason we are all here is because most dogs don’t get the food they deserve, and that needs to change.
Providing a ‘why’ is what will differentiate you from everyone else clamouring to be noticed in your space; there may be any number of similar products or services and offers around what you do, or how you do it; but your ‘why’ is the one reason you are working your butt off for so much more than just making a living as an individual.
Another inspiring speaker at the Knowledge Exchange was Holly Kragiopoulos, Joint CEO at North Star Coffee Roasters in Leeds, another fantastic young B Corp business that is taking on the world with a clear purpose to build a coffee industry that works for everyone
I will think of Holly the next time I buy a corporate cup of greenwashing from my favourite chain of coffee shops (sadly I can’t always be grinding North Star beans at home or Naturaw HQ) and reflect on the provenance and mathematics behind the supply chain ending in my still-warm americano…
Do they send their team members to Rwanda to talk with local communities and build relationships to develop young people over a number of years; do they actually invest in these people’s real lives, to help their small family businesses to produce a sustainable crop for a fair wage, and then buy, transport, process and roast those coffee beans in a sustainable way to make the brew you are sipping now?
No, I thought not.
Clear and simple, a Leeds based B Corp business that is taking on the world, coffee bean by coffee bean; that is true purpose.
I could go on all day, but it’s Friday afternoon and I guess you have got the picture; just from my ramblings around a couple of Yorkshire’s finest examples; the picture is purpose.
If you do nothing else this weekend, make it your purpose to share this article and sample a B Corp business that resonates with you; there are now over 2,000 in the UK and a fantastic crop of them are in Yorkshire; a full list can be found here.
Enjoy the weekend, purposefully.
I hope you found ‘Purpose (what again?)’ of interest and if you do have the time or inclination, then please share and subscribe to ‘you can do anything’; It really means a lot to me as we broaden our flock of unconventionally driven individuals, welcome to anyone who does not know me - it means a lot to have some of your time.
Thanks for reading; and don’t forget, you can do anything.
Next Week -
Lunch
My favourite William Boyd short story