Leading a conscious business isn’t easy.
How do you maintain unwavering integrity when the pressures of profitability, growth, and competition are relentless?
On The Conscious Capitalists podcast, Matthew O’Hayer, founder of Vital Farms, joins Raj Sisodia and Timothy Henry and shares his candid insights on the courage needed to disrupt conventional business practices and the vulnerability that comes with leading authentically.
His journey with Vital Farms reveals the complexity of conscious leadership: It can be challenging, isolating, and often emotionally draining, but it can also be deeply rewarding.
Conviction Over Compromise
One of the most striking aspects of Matthew’s journey is his willingness to make difficult decisions that prioritize long-term stakeholder value over short-term gains. Early in Vital Farms’ growth, he made the hard call to pivot relationships with farmers who didn’t align with his ethical standards. For him, the decision wasn’t just about cost efficiency—it was about staying true to his mission of ethical farming and product integrity.
Courageous leadership requires making values-based decisions, even when it’s uncomfortable. When facing strategic crossroads, ask yourself: Does this serve all my stakeholders, or just the bottom line? By prioritizing stakeholder value, you strengthen trust and lay the groundwork for long-term growth.
Building Trust Without Chest-Pounding
When it comes to marketing, Matthew’s approach is simple. He avoids self-congratulatory messaging, opting instead to simply tell consumers what Vital Farms does: “We don’t tell people how great we are,” he explains. We just tell people what we do. And then we do what we say we’re going to do.”
This strategy of letting actions speak louder than words has built an unparalleled level of trust with Vital Farms’ consumers.
The takeaway is that your business’s story should be built on actions, not accolades. If you focus on consistently delivering on your promises, your customers and stakeholders will tell the story for you.
Mission Over Money
One of the most significant challenges that conscious businesses face is scaling without compromising their values.
Even when faced with a lucrative acquisition offer from a major agricultural company, Matthew turned it down, recognizing that it would be a “mission killer.” Instead, he chose to go public, maintaining control while safeguarding the company’s values.
This underscores the importance for conscious leaders to choose your investors as carefully as you choose your leadership team. It’s better to grow slowly with the right partners than to accelerate at the cost of an organization’s purpose and mission.
Staying the Course
When you’re surrounded by coaches, guides, and books telling you how you can gain profit with shortcuts and quick wins, it can be tempting to overlook your core mission, purpose, and ethics.
However, stories like Matthew’s serve as a powerful reminder that:
- Integrity is non-negotiable. Every decision should be a reflection of your purpose and values.
- Long-term value outweighs short-term gains. Prioritize stakeholder well-being over quarterly profits.
- Courage is contagious. When you lead with conviction, your team, partners, and consumers follow suit.
- Profit and Purpose CAN co-exist. If we’re talking numbers, Vital Farms achieved a gross profit of $229.9 million (37.9% of net revenue) in fiscal year 2024, up from $162.3 million (34.4% of net revenue) in 2023—proving that conscious capitalism drives sustainable growth.
For more insights into Matthew’s journey, including more real-life challenges he had to overcome, his core business philosophies, and more, don’t forget to check out his episode of The Conscious Capitalist -> https://go.consciouscapitalism.org/podcast/matt-ohayer