Podcasts | 09/30/2024

REISSUE: PE leading the way on employee ownership!?! You heard that right!

Check out an old episode from our vault with Pete Stravos, who will be speaking at the CEO Summit (October 22-24) in Austin, Texas. Click here to register and learn more about it.

Pete Stravos at KKR is leading the way in driving outstanding returns through a focus on employee ownership and building great cultures. Simple formula- challenging to implement! Drive engagement and align incentives for success— make front line workers care about the outcome and give them life changing opportunities to build financial wealth. The opportunity is huge! Only 20% of employees are actively engaged at work, the average turnover rate in the US is 40 % per year, and the Treasury Department estimates 70% of American workers are financially illiterate. Into this world comes Stravos with a plan to address these ills and make great returns for his investors. As he says, hard core capitalist love this because of the returns- they don’t have to buy into the philosophy. But those that understand the benefits of doing business this way love it!

Peter summarizes, “We will exit 8-10 straight 3x deals, which I think in the history of private equity has never been done. I don’t think any industry vertical at any firm ever will say, you know, 10, straight triples! And so I think it’s going to be hard for people to say that this is hurting investors, that its’ doing anything other than driving great returns.
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Please subscribe on Apple Podcasts / Spotify / Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts.

For transcripts and show notes, please go to: https://www.theconsciouscapitalists.com

This show is presented by Conscious Capitalism, Inc. (https://www.consciouscapitalism.org/) and is produced by Rainbow Creative (https://www.rainbowcreative.co/) with Matthew Jones as Executive Producer, Rithu Jagannath as Lead Producer, and Nathan Wheatley as Editor.

Thank you for your support!

– Timothy & Raj

Time Stamps

00:00 Welcome to The Conscious Capitalists

00:36 Introducing Pete Stavros

01:44 The Importance of Employee Ownership

04:33 Challenges and Misconceptions

06:12 Personal Journey and Influences

09:14 Implementing Employee Ownership

13:25 Success Stories and Examples

21:48 Ownership Works Initiative

24:17 Documenting the Journey

28:23 Sponsor Message: 2024 Conscious Capitalism CEO Summit

29:14 Balancing Long-Term Investments in Private Equity

30:31 Success Stories: Ingersoll Rand and Employee Engagement

32:04 The Importance of Purpose and Mission in Business

35:18 Due Diligence and Leadership in Private Equity

39:15 Employee Ownership and Its Impact

50:09 Challenges and Opportunities in Public Markets

52:03 Recruitment and Retention at KKR

56:40 Final Thoughts and Future Directions

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Monika Mantilla on Impact Investing, Patient Capital, and the $590 Billion Opportunity in Overlooked Markets

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1 2 … 62

Podcasts | 09/16/2024

Patagonia’s Vincent Stanley on Responsible and Regenerative Business Practices

Have you ever considered the reality of what it means to be sustainable? Vincent Stanley of Patagonia has always had that as his main mission.

He discusses the company’s journey, from innovative initiatives like the Footprint Chronicles to adopting organic cotton, and the impact of the mission statement ‘We’re in business to save our home planet.’

In this exclusive conversation, we touch on the importance of company culture, storytelling, and the need to integrate human and environmental values into business practice. Through examples and philosophical discussions, Vincent highlights the potential for businesses to create positive social and environmental change.

If you enjoy this podcast, would you consider leaving a review on Apple Podcasts/iTunes? It takes only a few seconds and greatly helps us get our podcast out to a wider audience.

Please subscribe on Apple Podcasts / Spotify / Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts.

For transcripts and show notes, please go to: https://www.theconsciouscapitalists.com

Thank you for your support!

– Timothy & Raj

Time Stamps

00:00 Introduction to Conscious Capitalism
00:40 Meet Vincent Stanley of Patagonia
02:02 Defining a Responsible Company
05:20 Challenges and Innovations in Sustainability
10:27 Patagonia’s Commitment to Truth and Integrity
14:30 Influencing Other Companies
21:30 Patagonia’s Mission and Ownership Changes
25:39 Balancing Business and Environmental Goals
29:47 The Role of Philosophy and Storytelling
37:34 Advice for Conscious Business Leaders
46:34 Engaging the Next Generation
56:31 Closing Thoughts and Call to Action

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Leading in Radical Uncertainty: Can Conscious Capitalism Survive AI, Chaos, and Financial Gravity?

Monika Mantilla on Impact Investing, Patient Capital, and the $590 Billion Opportunity in Overlooked Markets

How Employee Ownership Can Close America’s Wealth Gap | Featuring Loren Rodgers

1 2 … 62

Podcasts | 09/02/2024

Why Victor Cho Believes AI-Driven Companies Need a Human Touch

Do you think about how AI is going to shape our future in business?

Victor Cho might have the answer! As a longtime member of the Conscious Capitalist community, he is a CEO/Advisor and Board Member (best known for his work with Emovid) with a deep passion for building online customers experiences that truly delight (Net Promoter 80+) and define markets.

Victor’s philosophy of considering society as a crucial fourth stakeholder in business, alongside employees, customers, and shareholder is grounded in his emphasis on transperancy, empathy, diversity and integrity.

In this episode, he explains his operational framework for maximizing positive societal impacts, minimizing negative ones, and fostering transparency as well as the transformative potential of AI in business.

If you enjoy this podcast, would you consider leaving a review on Apple Podcasts/iTunes? It takes only a few seconds and greatly helps us get our podcast out to a wider audience.

Please subscribe on Apple Podcasts / Spotify / Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts.

For transcripts and show notes, please go to: https://www.theconsciouscapitalists.com

Thank you for your support!

– Timothy & Raj

Time Stamps

00:00 Welcome to The Conscious Capitalists

00:23 Introducing Victor Cho

01:44 Victor’s Journey to the Fourth Stakeholder Philosophy

04:05 Operationalizing Societal Impact

06:09 Frameworks for Positive Business Impact

14:15 The Role of Data and Collaboration

19:29 AI and Social Responsibility

22:42 AI’s Impact on Business Models

23:16 Cost Reduction and Efficiency

24:15 Intelligence as a Service

25:20 AI in Asynchronous Video Communication

27:23 AI’s Role in Conscious Capitalism

31:15 The Future of Work with AI

36:54 Leadership in the Age of AI

38:14 The Importance of Suppliers and Authenticity

42:03 Conclusion and Further Resources

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Leading in Radical Uncertainty: Can Conscious Capitalism Survive AI, Chaos, and Financial Gravity?

Monika Mantilla on Impact Investing, Patient Capital, and the $590 Billion Opportunity in Overlooked Markets

How Employee Ownership Can Close America’s Wealth Gap | Featuring Loren Rodgers

1 2 … 62

Podcasts | 08/19/2024

Can Business Be a Force for Good? with Dr. Jay Jakub

Have you ever thought about how you can solve the world’s problems with your ideas? Dr. Jay Jakub believes that businesses can better position itself to solve the bigger problem; whether it be social, or environmental.

He recounts the origins of the Economics of Mutuality (EOM) from his time as Senior Director for External Research at Mars, Inc., and how he learned first-hand that businesses can shift from profit-centric models to purpose-driven practices that leverage social, human, and natural capitals.

Join us as we explore the evolving landscape of stakeholder vs. shareholder capitalism, the challenges and opportunities of artificial intelligence (AI) and the vital role of business schools in fostering a broader, purpose-driven curriculum to drive folks to embrace a more conscious approach to business.

If you enjoy this podcast, would you consider leaving a review on Apple Podcasts/iTunes? It takes only a few seconds and greatly helps us get our podcast out to a wider audience.

Please subscribe on Apple Podcasts / Spotify / Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts.

For transcripts and show notes, please go to: https://www.theconsciouscapitalists.com

Thank you for your support!

– Timothy & Raj

Time Stamps

00:00 Merging Companies for Mutual Transformation

01:12 Meet Dr. Jay Jakub: A Leader in Economics of Mutuality

02:40 Understanding Economics of Mutuality

04:07 Core Elements of Economics of Mutuality

07:59 The Origins of Economics of Mutuality at Mars

10:50 Implementing Stakeholder Capitalism

18:55 Case Study: Novo Nordisk’s Purpose Transformation

23:08 Mars’ Application of Economics of Mutuality

26:29 Purpose-Driven Business Strategies

29:48 Healing Business Through Mutual Value Creation

32:12 Sponsor Message: 2024 Conscious Capitalism CEO Summit

33:02 Personal Journeys and Faith

34:32 Transition from Government to Business

35:35 Advice for CEOs on Conscious Capitalism

38:10 Challenges of Short-Term Market Focus

43:04 Private Equity and Purpose-Driven Investments

46:16 Navigating ESG and Compliance

49:48 Stakeholder Orientation and Decision-Making

52:33 Business Education and Conscious Capitalism

01:02:29 Impact of AI on Economics of Mutuality

01:05:24 Conclusion and Final Thoughts

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Leading in Radical Uncertainty: Can Conscious Capitalism Survive AI, Chaos, and Financial Gravity?

Monika Mantilla on Impact Investing, Patient Capital, and the $590 Billion Opportunity in Overlooked Markets

How Employee Ownership Can Close America’s Wealth Gap | Featuring Loren Rodgers

1 2 … 62

Podcasts | 08/05/2024

Episode #86: Ryan Heckman: The Blue-Collar PE guy

From Olympian to a backdoor entry into private equity, Ryan Heckman shares his story as a blue-collar PE executive aiming to elevate the industry. He began his career in private equity and, after nearly 20 years, transitioned to leading a successful startup. He later sold this business to a private equity firm.

Now, as a co-founder of the groundbreaking private equity firm Rallyday, Ryan describes how they began by identifying everything wrong with the private equity world and then developing innovative approaches to address these issues. At Rallyday, they focus on being business builders rather than just investors. They view founders as their core customers, providing them with the love and support they need to build thriving businesses for the long term.

Meet Ryan Heckman, a conscious leader who advocates for “Monster” leaders who are aggressively humble.

If you enjoy this podcast, would you consider leaving a review on Apple Podcasts/iTunes? It takes only a few seconds and greatly helps us get our podcast out to a wider audience.

Please subscribe on Apple Podcasts / Spotify / Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts.

For transcripts and show notes, please go to: https://www.theconsciouscapitalists.com

Thank you for your support!

– Timothy & Raj

Time Stamps

00:44 Introduction to the Conscious Capitalists

01:03 Meet Ryan Heckman: A Journey in Private Equity

03:02 From Athlete to Private Equity Executive

05:33 Building and Selling a Business

08:06 Founding Rally Day Partners

09:27 Innovations in Private Equity

15:46 Employee Ownership and Development

20:18 Challenges and Opportunities in Private Equity

25:15 Exiting Investments with Purpose

27:31 Preparing for the Sale: Early Work and Employee Retention

27:54 Ensuring Continuity of Purpose and Values Post-Sale

29:24 Sponsorship Announcement: 2024 Conscious Capitalism CEO Summit

30:14 Redefining Greatness: From Good to Great to Goodness

32:16 The Importance of Courage in Leadership

32:56 Lessons from an Olympic Athlete: Embracing Failure and Thriving

36:57 The Concept of Thriving in Business and Community

39:33 Stewardship and the Infinite Game

42:11 Monster Leaders and Aggressive Humility

47:08 Conscious Leadership and Community Development

52:54 Closing Remarks and Gratitude

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Leading in Radical Uncertainty: Can Conscious Capitalism Survive AI, Chaos, and Financial Gravity?

Monika Mantilla on Impact Investing, Patient Capital, and the $590 Billion Opportunity in Overlooked Markets

How Employee Ownership Can Close America’s Wealth Gap | Featuring Loren Rodgers

1 2 … 62

Podcasts | 07/22/2024

Episode #85: Elevating Capitalism – Profit Versus Profiteering with Chris Marquis

Profit is essential for business, but what happens when it comes at the expense of society?

Join us as we dive into this pressing issue with Chris Marquis, author of “The Profiteers: How Business Privatizes Profit and Socializes Costs.” Marquis unpacks how companies often “socialize their costs” through harmful side effects and externalities, leaving society to pick up the tab.

We explore the dark side of corporate profit-making, with the opioid crisis and Purdue Pharma serving as prime examples of how businesses can hide their negative impacts. Imagine a car’s exhaust pipe feeding directly into the passenger compartment—that’s the stark reality of pollution externalities affecting everyone, not just the polluters.

But instead of pointing fingers, Marquis advocates for a transformation of our systems and markets. He emphasizes the need to evolve our practices to account for the true and total costs of doing business while preserving the best aspects of our market-based capitalist system.

Tune in to discover how current business models contribute to environmental degradation, plastic pollution, biodiversity loss, and extreme social inequality, and why these practices are unsustainable in the long run. With Chris Marquis, we explore innovative ways to capture conscious businesses’ true costs and profits, ensuring that profit remains beneficial and ethical.

If you enjoy this podcast, would you consider leaving a review on Apple Podcasts/iTunes?

It takes only a few seconds and greatly helps us get our podcast out to a wider audience.

Please subscribe on Apple Podcasts / Spotify / Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts.

For transcripts and show notes, please go to: https://www.theconsciouscapitalists.com

Thank you for your support!

– Timothy & Raj

Time Stamps

00:00 Introduction to Profiteering and Externalities

00:44 Welcome to the Conscious Capitalists Podcast

01:22 Introducing Special Guest: Chris Marcus

02:33 Critiquing Capitalism and Celebrating Its Potential

04:27 The Legacy of Jack Welch and Shareholder Capitalism

09:20 The Sociological Perspective on Business

24:09 The Role of Business Schools in System Change

33:31 The Urgency of Climate Action and Systemic Change

36:28 Exploring Chinese Business and Authoritarianism

42:08 Defining the Responsibility of Business

43:48 The Concept of Regenerative Business Models

48:38 Chris’s Personal Journey and Pittsburgh’s Transformation

50:37 Conclusion and Final Thoughts

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Leading in Radical Uncertainty: Can Conscious Capitalism Survive AI, Chaos, and Financial Gravity?

Monika Mantilla on Impact Investing, Patient Capital, and the $590 Billion Opportunity in Overlooked Markets

How Employee Ownership Can Close America’s Wealth Gap | Featuring Loren Rodgers

1 2 … 62

Podcasts | 07/09/2024

Episode #84: An Inspired Entrepreneur Thinking Out of The Box!

Creating an inspiring company selling blankets? You bet!

Bob Dalton, the CEO of Sackcloth and Ashes, embarked on a mission with a unique one-to-one business model: for every blanket sold, another is donated to a homeless shelter. His passion and creativity lead to innovative production methods, collaboration with Indigenous designers, and active engagement with grassroots movements across the country.

One of his innovations is rethinking packaging – using it to inspire local grassroots connections and pay it forward by reusing the blanket boxes to donate items to homeless shelters.

Inspiring and creative, Bob Dalton is an out-of-the-box entrepreneur. He will also be a speaker at The Conscious Capitalism CEO summit in October 2024.

If you enjoy this podcast, would you consider leaving a review on Apple Podcasts/iTunes? It takes only a few seconds and greatly helps us get our podcast out to a wider audience.

Please subscribe on Apple Podcasts / Spotify / Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts.

For transcripts and show notes, please go to: https://www.theconsciouscapitalists.com

Thank you for your support!

– Timothy & Raj

Time Stamps

00:00 Introduction and Personal Transformation

00:43 Welcome to the Conscious Capitalists

01:01 Introducing Bob Dalton and Sackcloth Ashes

02:08 The Inspiration Behind Sackcloth Ashes

04:14 Building the Business from Scratch

06:11 The Meaning Behind the Name

08:47 Impact and Redemption

10:17 Marketing and Growth Strategies

16:17 Empowering Local Communities

32:23 Leadership and Future Vision

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Leading in Radical Uncertainty: Can Conscious Capitalism Survive AI, Chaos, and Financial Gravity?

Monika Mantilla on Impact Investing, Patient Capital, and the $590 Billion Opportunity in Overlooked Markets

How Employee Ownership Can Close America’s Wealth Gap | Featuring Loren Rodgers

1 2 … 62

Podcasts | 06/24/2024

Episode #83: The whole story- the founding, growth and challenges of building Whole Foods

In this episode, we welcome John Mackey, the visionary co-founder of Whole Foods Market and co-author of Conscious Capitalism.

Hear the compelling story of the origins, challenges, and growth of Whole Foods from co-founder and long-time CEO John Mackey. From 1 store to over 500 stores, John shares important examples and practices of Conscious Capitalism in action at Whole Foods; from aligning values and value through compensation to the lessons learned from unionization efforts.

John shares his journey of awakening through the lens of business, discussing the principles of conscious leadership and the significance of servant leadership in his career. The conversation delves deep into the philosophies and practices that have defined John’s career, exploring the broader implications of conscious capitalism in today’s business world.

John also introduces his latest venture, Love.Life started with the sheer hunger to build a culture of prioritizing physical and mental well-being as well as personal growth and healing.

Join us for a thought-provoking discussion that offers valuable insights into the transformative power of conscious business practices.

If you enjoy this podcast, would you consider leaving a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify? It takes only a few seconds and greatly helps us get our podcast out to a wider audience.

Please subscribe on Apple Podcasts / Spotify / Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts.

For transcripts and show notes, please go to: https://www.theconsciouscapitalists.com

Thank you for your support!

– Timothy & Raj

Podcasts

All

Leading in Radical Uncertainty: Can Conscious Capitalism Survive AI, Chaos, and Financial Gravity?

Monika Mantilla on Impact Investing, Patient Capital, and the $590 Billion Opportunity in Overlooked Markets

How Employee Ownership Can Close America’s Wealth Gap | Featuring Loren Rodgers

1 2 … 62

Podcasts | 03/22/2024

Episode #82: Purpose-Driven, Values-Based Leadership

Here the story of Freeman, a family-owned global provider of live event services, through the journey of a third-generation leader in the company. With a legacy of 97 years, Freeman integrates Conscious Capitalism into its business model achieving record results.

Carrie Freeman Parsons, the chair of Freemans, shares great examples of their commitment to stakeholder orientation and how they have embedded purpose and values into their culture and aligned it with their strategy and operating model. Carrie gives us an inside perspective on the challenges that Freeman faced due to the COVID pandemic and the company’s record recovery to $2.1 billion which underscored the ingrained culture of integrity and empathy within the organization. Finally, Carrie shares her reflections on navigating leadership as a woman in a male-dominated industry, her advocacy for gender equality, and her work towards a more equitable society. A Podcast by Tec Sounds.

If you enjoy this podcast, would you consider leaving a review on Apple Podcasts/iTunes? It takes only a few seconds and greatly helps us get our podcast out to a wider audience.

Please subscribe on Apple Podcasts / Spotify / Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts.

For transcripts and show notes, please go to: https://www.theconsciouscapitalists.com

Thank you for your support!

Timothy & Raj

Podcasts

All

Leading in Radical Uncertainty: Can Conscious Capitalism Survive AI, Chaos, and Financial Gravity?

Monika Mantilla on Impact Investing, Patient Capital, and the $590 Billion Opportunity in Overlooked Markets

How Employee Ownership Can Close America’s Wealth Gap | Featuring Loren Rodgers

1 2 … 62

Podcasts | 02/22/2024

Our Best Of: Everybody Matters – Truly Human Leadership at work!!

A good business model is the Ferrari engine—people are the fuel that makes it work!

14% CAGR for almost 25 years by caring, looking for goodness and saying thank you.

Hear practical examples of how Barry Wehmiller does it—and at the centre of it, leaders measuring success by the lives they have touched. This approach to leadership and culture that has worked in over a 100 acquisitions- across the globe- a better way of doing business!

Join us to hear the inspiring story of Bob Chapman CEO of Barry Wehmiller- WHAT they do is provide the industrial equipment and engineering solutions that help bring many of life’s daily necessities – toilet tissue and wet wipes, corrugated boxes, cans of soft drinks, bags of dog food, containers of yogurt, pharmaceuticals, envelopes and more – to people across the globe.

But that’s just what they do.

What truly defines them as a business is HOW they do it, and that’s by fostering a caring, trusting, nurturing organizational culture through which people feel safe to express their ideas and share their gifts and talents.

Using the power of business to build a better world.

If you enjoy this podcast, would you consider leaving a review on Apple Podcasts/iTunes? It takes only a few seconds and greatly helps us get our podcast out to a wider audience.

Please subscribe on Apple Podcasts / Spotify / Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts.

For transcripts and show notes, please go to: https://www.theconsciouscapitalists.com

Thank you for your support!

Timothy & Raj

Podcasts

All

Leading in Radical Uncertainty: Can Conscious Capitalism Survive AI, Chaos, and Financial Gravity?

Monika Mantilla on Impact Investing, Patient Capital, and the $590 Billion Opportunity in Overlooked Markets

How Employee Ownership Can Close America’s Wealth Gap | Featuring Loren Rodgers

1 2 … 62