Welcome to “Socially Responsible Business”
The core belief behind my new streaming radio show, Socially Responsible Business is that you can actually be more successful, more profitable, more influential - as well as happier and more personally fulfilled - when you make choices that are not just good for you (the entrepreneur or business owner), but good for your employees, your vendors, your customers, your community and the environment.
But why is that unique or different? Because it goes against the mainstream view that’s so embedded into the American psyche that people will tell you it’s un-American to believe anything else.
What is that mainstream view? It’s called shareholder primacy. It’s this idea that a business owes a responsibility to one group and one group only - its owners, also called shareholders. If this is true, then maximizing profits at the expense of everyone and everything else is the singular, and even moral obligation of a company. You squeeze everyone else for the benefit of the company, and siphon dollars away from customers, but also workers, vendors, the environment, even government - pushing all those dollars up up up the hierarchy until they get to the very top - and pass them to shareholders where we call them profits.
But what if I told you that you could believe in capitalism, that you could be as American as apple pie - without believing this outdated idea? What if I told you that a rising tide lifts all boats and YOU could be that rising tide?
I’m here to tell you that I am a capitalist - I believe in competition in a free market. I believe in rewarding risk-taking, innovation, entrepreneurship and hard work. I want to win. But - and this is a very important but - NOT at your expense. I want to win, but not at your expense.
I can share data and studies showing that socially responsible businesses perform just as well or even better than so-called traditional business. I can share research showing that consumer preferences are shifting and they are increasingly putting their money where their mouth is on supporting socially responsible companies. And in fact I’m going to put those papers and links on my website so you can reference them if you want. (See below!)
But this show is really for those of you who know what I’m saying is true in your heart. You feel it yourself - you live it as well as you can. And maybe you need some fresh ideas or resources, but maybe you just need some inspiration to keep going, or some validation that your ideas are on the right track. So here are some of the business benefits we’re going to keep coming back to every week:
We’ll talk about how to Increase Revenue:
Increase LTV - loyal, repeat customers are worth more.
Upsell - understanding this important customer segment and what they want from you
Attract earned media attention that gets new eyeballs, and new customers and brings unexpected opportunities and partnerships your way
Differentiate your offering from bigger, more established competitors
We’ll also talk about how to decrease expenses:
Decrease turnover by increasing employee loyalty and engagement
Decrease recruitment costs and lost labor
Avoid costs down the line to clean up mistakes
Reduce the need for paid advertising when you Increase word of mouth
We’re going to talk about practical, simple ideas that you can actually implement in your business. And it’s not about spending more money (okay, sometimes it is) it’s mostly about spending, and thinking, differently. It’s a mindset, its a culture. You start simple, and keep making progress. You tackle one thing, get it stabilized and standardized, and then another.
If that sounds like a path you’d like to walk with a community of others who feel the same way, then set your alarm now for Mondays at 10am PT, when “Socially Responsible Business” streams live on VoiceAmerica.com, or find all past episodes on all your favorite streaming platforms, including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, iHeart Radio and more. And you can send me questions, favorite resources this community should know about, or your ideas for guests, show topics and more at sharon@theintegratedlife.com
