Stories

Real Talk: B Corp Certification, Self-Care, & Driving Change Liz Tracy, NC B Corp Champion & PhD student at NC State

"I think sometimes we underestimate how much time it takes to make change and that it doesn’t happen overnight. Small steps and small processes can go a long way. And so, I think sometimes we see ‘this needs to happen.’ For example, I remember with HQ with the B Corp Certification, I was like “Oh yea, we just need to do this, this, this, and this… and then we’ll be done” and that took 2 and a half years. At first, I was getting really frustrated. I felt like we needed to push this along and I really wanted this to happen. I started to embrace bringing people in to support us. We started bringing in interns to help us with the documentation process along the way... You really have to bring in a team around you and trust in that team of people."

Translating insights from business and entrepreneurship to drive change Nell Derick Debevoise - Founder & CEO of Inspiring Capital (IC)

"Changing the world really can and should be done in almost every single seat in our workforce. I can’t think of an industry that doesn’t need this kind of change, and so doesn’t offer an opportunity for someone to be a change-maker. That includes PR & Marketing as much as Finance, or Insurance. All of these industries have such a great opportunity for making change and we need people to bend the arc."

What’s it really like to “take the leap” and become a full time social entrepreneur? Our founder, Christina Noel, is sharing her journey

Christina created this video blog series to share her story of becoming a social entrepreneur. She hopes that it will be a helpful resource to people that are considering social entrepreneurship.

Building Unity: One B Corp Champion’s Path to Becoming a Successful Tech CEO Alisa Herr - CEO & Digital Strategist, Unity Digital Agency

"Be true to yourself. Don’t try to be someone you’re not. Sometimes I will watch someone doing something really amazing and I think ‘I wish I could be like them…’ and then I’ll feel like I’m not as good or as worthy. Have confidence in yourself and know that you’re doing amazing things in your own way."

Flipping the Switch: How an Entrepreneurial Mindset Can Spark Innovation in Public Health Ramon Llamas - Founder, Switch/Health, LLC

"Everything around you will point to staying put and resisting change, so you have to pick something that you’re willing to commit to. That’s the biggest thing: the commitment to fight for the long haul."

Building the Future of Leadership & +1 for Destroying the Patriarchy Kristine Sloan - CEO, StartingBloc

"What is the future of work? Are we going to work 40-50 hours a week? Are we going to continue to operate in business models and org charts that are failing us and reducing our innovation, productivity, and satisfaction? I do think we now have more and more people with access to leadership (though it’s obviously still incredibly inequitable), but when many folks get access, they end up acting like traditional white men in power (or being asked to act like that). That’s because we don’t have a clearly defined paradigm of leadership to match the new paradigm of work. The values are not aligned. StartingBloc is really centered on that – how do we develop leaders to walk into that new paradigm with grace? That, to me, is really really exciting."

Doing the Dirt(y) work to Tackle Food Waste & Create Great Jobs Sarah & Noah Marsh - Co-Founders, FoodFWD

"Identify what it is that you’re passionate about and start talking to a lot of people about it.  What Noah and I learned when we were first starting our business was the importance of networking.  When we shared our ideas, people would connect us to so many great contacts. We asked our business mentor early on whether we should share our idea with others.  We feared that someone might hear our idea and a competitor might come into the space first.  He said, if there is a competitor that could come in that easily, then it is too simple of an idea. Ideas are easy, implementation is always hard."

Building a Top Luxury Brand that Gives Away 50% of Profits while Diverting 10 Tons of Waste per Year Kresse Wesling - co-founder, Elvis & Kresse

"If you are running a business that is successful, you have the freedom to be as altruistic as you want. We give away 50% of our profits and that’s up to us. If you don’t like it, then you aren’t our shareholder, investor or potential new colleague. Knowing that we have this freedom, that we can live our values through our business, that we don’t have to wait or compromise, this is why business is the best spot for me."

Solopreneur living a meaningful life in Oaxaca, Mexico 4+ months a year Mary Stelletello, CEO of Vista Global Coaching & Consulting

“When you have clarity about what are the principles that help you feel like you are doing your life’s work, you are on your way. It is then a matter of clearing out the clutter, the fears, the gremlins in your head that send you all the limiting beliefs to block your path forward. You can’t do this alone, the power of community, support and accountability are what make transformation happen."

Traveling the world to connect younger generations with global issues through adventure and education Brad Frankel, Co-Founder of Flooglebinder

“Some of the clients that we've tried to work with don't take the time to understand what we really do, and see us a just a trip provider as opposed to an educator. It can be quite disheartening at times. So I would say, don’t worry about those people. Focus on the people that do care as there are many of them out there, rather than waste your energy on trying to convert the others. Work on the ones that do want to be a part of that community."