Daily Archives: August 28, 2021

I once joined a webinar at which a marketer for a popular fashion brand was in attendance. The topic was purpose and this particular marketer was proud about their brands purpose: to empower women. How are they empowering women, you might ask? When women wear our clothes, they feel good and confident, this marketer said, prompting aggressive nodding and approval from other CMOs.

Going by this marketers logic, isnt that the case with every other fashion brand? After the webinar, I sniffed around the brands social media and website but failed to find any information on how it was empowering women across its entire supply chain. The language used across its platforms, however, was assertively uplifting, encouraging shoppers to become the woman they want to be. Whether cloaked in blazers (for the boardroom!) or flowy pastel dresses (for brunch!), these homogenously fair-skinned, thin women could have it all.

The etymology of empowerment is rooted in ability, strength and might, powerful attributes that peopleespecially those that are marginalisedshould be aided to gain. When I think of what the word empower means to me, I think about having faith in my sense of self, my personal freedoms, and the ability to stand up for my principles and safety.

Somewhere down the road, brands began to own the narrative of empowerment as they used its political gleam to sell products and services. It is perceived that brands can provide their consumers with the spirit of empowerment if the product in question can improve their consumers lives in some way.

Fitness gyms, FMCG, and insurance brands are just some categories that appear to leverage this narrative as a purposeful brand strategy. Whether or not they are majorly supported by questionable labour practices or the trappings of patriarchy is not the question; it matters more that all external PR points towards their altruism.

Shifting the blame

One issue with regards to brands using this narrative is brands shifting the sole task of empowerment to the consumer. For example, if an apparel brand says it is empowering me to be confident by selling me clothing, I am inclined to think that the responsibility of empowering myself falls squarely on my shoulders.

The brand is essentially telling me: The choice of being empowered is yours to make! Simply buy our clothing and we can guarantee that you will be empowered!

Author Sarah Banet-Weiser, who wrote a book called Empower: Popular Feminism and Popular Misogyny, draws parallels between neo-liberal, capitalist-friendly feminism to misogyny itself. In an interview with Vox, she said:

The biggest problem with popular feminism is that were dealing with sexist and patriarchal structureswe still dont make as much money as men, there still is this discrimination in jobs, rape culture is rampant. My problem with much of popular feminism is that instead of challenging that, it says basically, Look, this is the situation. Its up to you to just be confident. You can practice your power poses in front of a mirror and then go into a job interview."

This notion that women and marginalised communities are entirely responsible for their own empowerment is frankly damaging. To echo Banet-Weisers point, this mindset allows brands to shift the blame to the consumer as an individual rather than social inequity as a collective ideological issue.

This narrative completely ignores systemic obstacles that might make women feel disempowered in the first place, such as the patriarchy. And the irony is that large brands are benefiting from the patriarchy to support their capitalist means, even if their empowering marketing spiel indicates the opposite.

I am not disputing the fact that many people may need products and services to help with their personal sense of empowerment. I can also see the value in raising awareness about an issue through marketing, such as encouraging conversations about periods. But the worry is that brands are conflating awareness and representation with empowerment, and thus over-exhausting the empowerment muscle for profit.

The eternal argument around purpose applies here: If purpose-driven messaging drives profit, should brands leverage purpose-driven messaging to drive profit?

In the name of self-care

The problem with femvertising is that campaigns are often built around catchy phrases that showcase brands takedown of sexism rather than brands vowing to tidy up their own affairs.

In the case of a luxury hotel, for instance, an extravagant nights stay in a suite may be marketed to me as a treat that I deserve. But at the same time, overworked and underpaid hotel workers might be rallying against labour cuts in the hotels industry. Therefore, the hotel is telling a customer like me that my wellbeing matters more than that of their workers. My sense of empowerment is all that matters.

This is exactly why I remain dubious about the capitalistic nature of the self-care and wellness movement. What is essentially marketed as a lifestyle to empower the middle class is completely silent on the wealth gap and inequity it simultaneously supports.

Lets take a look at sportswear brand Lululemon, which has managed to develop a highly successful cult-like following using aspirational marketing to target women who care about quality and sustainability. Despite pushing out inclusive marketing materials and narratives of empowerment, brand founder Chip Wilson was once quoted as saying: Frankly, some women's bodies just don't actually work [for the yoga pants].

And in 2019, reports found that the same brand that charges up to US$100 on a pair of leggings pay women workers in Bangladesh as little as US$120 a month. Some women claimed they were beaten and physically assaulted. In this case, voiceless and powerless women are left in the lurch at the expense of self-care.

Another great example of this are Girl Scout Cookies, which have long symbolised the empowerment of young girls in America. In fact, an entire play was written about how Girl Scouts are not, in fact, selling cookies. They are indeed selling the glorious struggle to overcome your simple origins and empower yourself to conquer the world. A new cookie flavour released last year was sold with empowering messages stamped on each cookie.

But the cookies are made with palm oil, which utilises the labour of tens of thousands of young girls in Indonesia and Malaysia. According to an expos by Associated Press, many of these children earn little or no pay and are routinely exposed to toxic chemicals. Yet, the demand for palm oil to produce Western foods and cosmetics is too high to ignore. This shows that brands are okay with one persons emancipation being anothers oppression.

Moving forward, I would urge brands to be more mindful about using empowerment as a theme in their purpose-driven messaging. Instead of overselling a bloated, utopian concept, maybe they should first evaluate if its something they are willing to work for.

Surekha Ragavan is Asia editor of PRWeek.

View original post here:

How brands are diluting the meaning of empowerment - PR Week

Special to The Alliance Review

ALLIANCE An exhibit featuring women artists will kick off University of Mount Unions season.

The show, Women of Resilience, will be on display through Sept. 29 in the Sally Otto Art Gallery. An artists reception is planned from 4 to 6 p.m. Sept. 2.

Women of Resilience features the work of 25 female artists who were asked to explore a variety of topics in traditional and nontraditional media. Topics include personal empowerment, overcoming barriers, recovery, strength, resistance and healing. The artwork reflects a variety of media such as painting, clay, jewelry, fabric and mixed media.

Exhibition artists include Clare Murray Adams, Ruthie Akuchie, Kathleen Browne, Heather Bullach, Sarah Curry, Annette Yoho Feltes, J. Leigh Garcia, Laura Kolinski-Schultz, Charmaine Lurch, Sarah McMahon, Michelle Mulligan, Mary Kaye ONeill, Cynthia Petry, Gail Trunick, Michele Waalkes, Gwen Waight, Jo Westfall, Gail Wetherell Sack, Laurel Winters and Kiana Zigler.

Priscilla Roggenkamp, Judith Sterling and Patricia ONeill Sacha have served as curators for the event.

The exhibit and reception are both free and open to the public. For more information about this and other upcoming exhibits, contact Gallery Coordinator Mike Schmidt at schmidmi@mountunion.edu.

Read more here:

Sally Otto gallery showcasing women's art - The-review

Over the last five years, London has emerged as one of the worlds leading hubs for impact tech, and ... [+] VC investment into Londons purpose-driven companies has been growing rapidly.

Londons Social Entrepreneurs are blazing a path with innovative new impact tech. For Part One of this interview click here.

Another social entrepreneur, Alex Stephany from Beam agrees with the thesis of community self-empowerment. Beamis the world's first crowdfunding platform for homeless people a truly innovative solution.

I started Beam because I feltpowerless: how could I make areal difference to people affected by homelessness? With Beam, I and over ten thousand other peopleare able to virtually 'meet' people affected by homelessness on our websitebeam.organd can fund the specific financial barriers they face.We're trying to create an amazing donor experience interms of transparency and efficiency: you can see exactly where your donation goes via transparent budgets, share the journey of each person you support through email updates, and have the peace of mind thatevery single penny goes towards lifting someone out of homelessness for good.

Alex Stephany, Founder of Beam

Another terrific new technology platform that is helping Londoners feel safe and supported is Safe and the City, a personal safety navigation app.

Jillian Kowalchuk, the Founder shared more. Safe & the City is a free mobile application available in all UK cities and Berlin, Germany. The app looks and feels similar to other navigation apps, but there are a few distinct features. Straight away, youll see your position on the map, a red SOS button to reach Emergency services and a Report button. You can enter your destination and youll receive walking or public transit directions.

As you take the journey, Safe & the City scans millions of data sources to inform you on whether youre heading into a dangerous situation or a crime hotspot. We provide in-app notifications along your journey with safety tips to keep you aware and how to protect yourself. When you finish your journey, you can score it to help improve the safety of these spaces, such as street lighting. When you Reportan incident, like catcalling/commenting, it stays anonymous unless you choose to share it with friends. We keep the app free for people by working with organisations, such as the police, mobility operators, technology companies, local businesses and cities, to improve the safety of the people in their spaces.

Jillian Kowalchuk, the Founder of Safe & the City

Its a brilliant idea and one that should be available in all cities worldwide. I asked her about the response to the app so far. The response has been overwhelmingly positive. People generally are surprised an app like this hasnt existed until now, especially focusing on addressing normalized forms of abuse in public spaces, such as street harassment. Were constantly getting requests for our app to expand to more cities worldwide.

Safe & The City Map

Finally, I caught up with May Al-Karooni, Founder and CEO of Globechain which is leading anew market in reuse for enterprises in retail, construction, and hospitality, to reduce global waste and generate social, economic and environmental data on the impact. She shared how her journey started.

I was working for an investment bank and we moved offices across the road. I found out we were disposing of perfectly usable furniture and office equipment, costing 50 000 per person for the move! I was shocked and began wondering why no one had digitised waste and connected enterprises to non profits and businesses to reuse and redistribute unneeded items measuring the ESG data impact. From there I set up Globechain with 800.

May Al-Karooni, Founder and CEO of Globechain

Since then, the business has expanded at a staggering rate. Over the past six years, Globechain has grown a network of over 10 000 members, redistributed 472 000+ items and diverted more than 7 750 000 kgs of waste from landfills with savings of over 4.1m to non profits. We provide internal reuse and loaning globally, with our external reuse solution in the UK, New York and Spain.

She reflected on the journey, We have so many incredible success stories, from medical equipment being used in hospitals and emergency relief camps in Africa, to furniture and kitchen equipment helping local charities set up community cafes and food banks to mannequin parts used in art projects to bring awareness to social causes. I am always amazed at how quickly the items are requested on our site (average 20 minutes in the UK) and what they are used for. Globechain is now expanding internationally and is looking for purpose-driven partners to collaborate with.

Globechain is a data-centric reuse solution making waste a resource for everyone

For the final word, I turned back to Natalie Campbell from Belu. There are so many systems shifts going on that I believe we'll see even more purpose-driven businesses that look at growth with fresh eyes because we're all entering a world we've never lived in before. Businesses are also providing a moral compass, more so than any time I remember before, not just in what they say but what and how they sell. We'll be rethinking business solutions for many years to come, and the climate emergency and powering an equitable world will be at the forefront, I hope and believe.

More:

How Londons Social Entrepreneurs Are Leading The World, With Impact Tech And Innovative Purpose-Driven Companies (Part 2) - Forbes

CHICAGO, Aug. 26, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Auto and property insurance shopping continued to diverge in Q2 2021 as factors such as low mortgage rates, pandemic-driven nesting and supply chain disruptions impacted these industries differently. TransUnions (NYSE: TRU) latest Personal Lines Insurance Shopping Report also found a resurgence in auto insurance shopping for higher risk consumers as well as the Millennial and Gen Z generations.

Throughout Q2 2021, property insurance shopping has consistently been higher than auto insurance shopping. The three-week moving averages for property insurance have generally been between 5% and 15% higher than the previous year. In comparison, the three-week moving average for auto insurance shopping has been mostly flat to 5% higher than one year ago. During the most recent week included in the report July 4, 2021 the three-week moving average for property insurance shopping rose 7.2% compared to the previous year. In this same timeframe, auto insurance shopping rose 2.9%.

Its a positive sign to see an increase in both property and auto insurance shopping. While property insurance shopping has been partly buoyed by a strong housing market and low interest rates, auto insurance shopping has clearly been slower to recover partly due to constrained inventories of new automobiles, said Mark McElroy, executive vice president and head of TransUnions insurance business. More automobile insurance shopping may soon be on the horizon as we are seeing an increase in such activity by younger as well as higher risk consumers.

Millennials, Gen Z and Higher Risk Consumers Increasingly Shopping for Auto Insurance

The Report highlighted how many nonstandard insurance customers those who have lower TransUnion TrueRisk auto insurance risk scores were forced to go uninsured or underinsured during 2020 due to economic hardship. With employment improving and tax rebates and stimulus payments now available, those customers may now be in the market for auto insurance once again.

In fact, consumers with a TrueRisk score between 300 and 500 saw their three-week shopping rate average increase by 9.2% during the week of July 4, 2021. Similar and even higher shopping rates occurred for most of the second half of Q2 2021. This is a dramatic change from Q1 2021 when the three-week average had declined on an annual basis between 10% and 25%.

The Report also found that Millennials (born 1980 to 1994) and Gen Z (born 1995 to 2003) have become more active shoppers over the course of 2021; the older Boomer (born 1946 to 1964) and Silent (born before 1946) generations, by contrast, have become less active. The Report indicated that this may be happening because the controlling factor in shopping behavior for Millennials and Gen Z over the pandemic was high youth unemployment, which is now dropping as the economy recovers.

Younger consumers who lost their jobs in 2020 may have subsequently left the auto insurance market altogether, but are now gradually returning as they take on new jobs and now have a need for coverage as their transportation requirements evolve. Delayed tax refunds and stimulus, as well as the beginning of advanced payments on the new Child Tax Credit, will give more people the opportunity to shop for new cars and new auto insurance. Overall, the seasonal ebb and flow of auto shopping that the industry has come to expect may not apply over the next few years, concluded McElroy.

For additional insights into personal lines insurance marketplace, the full report can be accessedhere.

About TransUnions Insurance Shopping Snapshot ReportThe quarterly Insurance Shopping Snapshot Report is based entirely on TransUnions internal studies. The auto insurance shopping trends reported are based on TransUnions report which is derived from TransUnions extensive database of credit data. It includes information on more than 500 million auto insurance shopping transactions from January 2016 to July 2021. The report focuses on the credit population, highlighting TransUnions data. It also explores a subset of the total insurance shopping population. The report excludes data from auto insurance customers in California, Hawaii and Massachusetts, where credit-based insurance scoring information is not used for auto insurance rating or underwriting.

About TransUnion (NYSE: TRU)TransUnion is a global information and insights company that makes trust possible in the modern economy. We do this by providing a comprehensive picture of each person so they can be reliably and safely represented in the marketplace. As a result, businesses and consumers can transact with confidence and achieve great things. We call this Information for Good.

A leading presence in more than 30 countries across five continents, TransUnion provides solutions that help create economic opportunity, great experiences, and personal empowerment for hundreds of millions of people.

http://www.transunion.com/business

More:

Auto and Property Insurance Shopping Continue to Diverge; Both Younger and Riskier Consumers Increase Auto Shopping - GlobeNewswire

We discovered a whole world of world-changing leaders who are there for their customers and their employees in ways that are transforming lives, families and communities. Photo: iStockPhoto/gerenme

Next month, we will be celebrating the IBTs first official TOP 100 Social Capital CEOs for 2020-2021, and we could not be prouder or more excited. Thank you all for coming with us on this exciting journey.

As a run up to that incredible and exciting event, we are featuring not 10 but 20 Social Capital honorees this month, running the gamut of exemplary Social Capital behaviors for which they are being honored.

But, of course, they all have one thing in common: They understand that capitalism and business in general are done best when we realize and remember the value of people --and that the real bottom line is that people make profits happen.

We started this important journey almost a year ago, and we value and appreciate all of you who have taken the time to read and ride along with us. During that time we have looked at Social Capital from many different perspectives and angles. Here are the links to those articles again if you feel like revisiting them.

Along the way, we expected to meet incredible CEOs and business thought leaders who were leading the charge for a better world through business. But what we never could have expected is just how vast and powerful a network community of caring, high-level business leaders we would be tapping into.

We discovered a whole world of world-changing leaders who are there for their customers and their employees in ways that are transforming lives, families and communities. In fact, one could argue that corporations whose leaders understand how to do business right might be reaching a level of efficacy and compassion that rival major governments of the world. Some of our CEOs have even written about the ability for companies to surpass the potential good of government, at least when government is stuck, which it increasingly seems to be lately.

Well, regardless of whether you agree with that or not, we hope you all agree that when business is done right and with the full potential of Social Capital, life is better for everyone. And that, ultimately, that is what we are all here on this planet to do to make life better for everyone. So, thanks to this months honorees for doing exactly that.

And be sure to check out the Top 100 next month!

IBTs TOP 20 Social Capital CEOs for August 2021. Photo: IBT graphics

Sarah Paiji Yoo: Blueland

Yoos company came directly out of her desire to protect humanity first and foremost her son from the dangers of plastic. That inspired her desire to protect the rest of us.

After doing research on what water she should use to make her sons formula, she realized pretty much all water contains plastic about 90%, according to Sarah. So, she decided to change the world for her son and everyone else -- and set out to create cleaning solutions that were effective, non-toxic and free of single-use plastic.

I was horrified to learn that all the plastic I was throwing away was contaminating our water supply and generating hundreds of micro-plastics in the water and food I was feeding my baby, Yoo shares. I wanted to do my part to help, but it was impossible to find household products like window cleaner, lotion and toothpaste that didnt come packaged in plastic.

So how did she make a difference? By inventing and selling customers tablets they could pop into glass bottles with a bit of water, wait for them to dissolve, and then use the resulting hand soap or window cleaner just as they would any other but without the plastic bottle left over at the end. Bluelands tablets not only cut down on plastic pollution but the fuel and carbon emissions to facilitate all the shipping of those bottles.

What we love most is that Sarah and Blueland made the polluting of the planet with plastic personal and human rather than strictly environmental. Not to be kicking environmentalism, but the whole idea of Social Capital is about putting the people back into the solution and the purpose of business. Its a theme you will see in several of our honorees this month.

The oceans are being polluted by microplastics to the point where even seafood is becoming contaminated . . . About 14 billion pounds of trash is dumped into the ocean each year, explains Sarah. About a third of the fish that we consume is thought to have microplastics in their system. We are consuming, as adults, a credit cards worth of plastic each week, so it is pretty scary,

Sarah is doing all she can to make the world safer for her son and everyone else, and she reminds us how everyone else can, too, if every company in the cleaning supply sector used plastics re-use their packaging, Our calculations would say that if everyone shifted to a re-usable system instead of consuming a new plastic cleaning bottle every time they need new cleaning products, we could save 100 billion plastic bottles from entering our landfills as well as oceans, she says.

Way to go for the power of people-centered business.

Bill Nash: CarMax

CarMax president and CEO Bill Nash has steered the company to significant profitability, but what we are honoring him for in our Social Capital section is the bottom-line importance he places on maintaining a people-first culture in an industry not, historically, known for that.

Says Nash, proudly, I always tell folks, when theyre looking for advice, they should think about their work environment. I say, Look, you work for a very long time. You have to love what you do and love the people you work for. I absolutely do that here, so much so that it is very easy to get up in the morning and go to work. I dont get up dreading going to work. I love coming to work, and Im excited about where were going.

Bill recalls CarMaxs origins with a small group of people selling used cars at a time when no one wanted to walk into a used car dealership, much less work for one. Becoming CEO was not on his radar; he simply wanted to run the best auction business he could.

It was his experience as an accountant at Circuit City that molded his view of corporate culture. I remember coming home and telling my wife, Wow, that culture is very different than any company Ive experienced through my accounting days, Bill says. The culture is what attracted me there. Its almost as if they put on a show -- everybody seemed to be happy.

Now as CEO of CarMax, he says, The thing I continue to worry about: How can I foster that environment? He recognizes that a big part of it is hiring the right people and instilling the values of continuous improvement. He notes that what were actually delivering is an experience, and the experience is all about treating people the way that people should treat one another.

Its about integrity and transparency and treating people the way they should be treated.

Well I guess if we can envision a world where even used-car dealerships are about integrity, then Social Capital can truly change the world.

Joth Ricci:Dutch Bros.

Dutch Bros. may seem like just another coffee purveyor cashing in the quick cup of fancy flavored Joe obsession, but it is much more. It is a community-centered, value-based business driven by a dedication to kindness, empowerment and helping others to succeed.

In fact, all that is what its leadership would rather it be known for over and above its coffee. So much so that its in Dutch Bros. slogan, Coffee is what we do, but it is not who we are.

The real-life Dutch Bros., Dane and Travis Boersma, founded the company in 1992. And they consistently put their money and their efforts to proving that t hey really wanted to do good in a whole lot of ways beyond making a darned-good cup of coffee that has cars lined up around the block. The programs they have put in place and that have been augmented and/or supported by the current CEO, Joth Ricci, prove that.

Dutch Bros. is a community-centered, value-based business driven by a dedication to kindness, empowerment and helping others to succeed. Photo: Istockphoto

Dutch Luv (this year on February 14th) gives $1 from every drink sold to help feed families in the community.

Drink One For Dane is a day when they celebrate the founder, Dane, who passed away from ALS, to support those who have ALS and their families. All 450 Dutch Bros locations will be donating a portion of their proceeds to support ALS research.

Buck for Kids day donates $1 of every drink sold to local youth-focused organizations in the community.

In general, through the Dutch Bros. Foundation and local franchisees, Dutch Bros. donates millions of dollars in philanthropy each year.

But all that being said, and not to bury the lead, we saved the best for last. Dutch Bros. is also extremely generous and caring to its own Dutch Community employees by exclusively allowing them the opportunity to run and own a Dutch Bros. location themselves. And that squarely hits the bulls-eye when it comes to the whole Social Capital idea of how business, capitalism and companies can help people improve their lot in life.

Eric Artz: REI

Though Eric Artz is steadfastly committed to sustainability, as his company is built on a reverence for the value of the out-of-doors, that value is inexorably connected to the power of nature to touch, transform and heal the human soul. That powerful understanding of the importance of helping humans to be better and happier by also protecting and conserving the environment that fuels us and supports us is why we honor him here in our Social Capital section.

And access to the out-of-doors is not just a nice to have but has repercussions on quality of life: Science and research continue to prove that time in nature can and does have a positive impact on those suffering. REI has supported some of that research at universities like Cal Berkeley, UCSF, the University of Washington and Harvard, and it all leads back to a simple, powerful conclusion: Outdoor recreation must be more accessible for veterans as part of their overall care, especially those beingtreated for mental health challenges like PTSD.

For REI, this issue is greater than the products and knowledge it offers through its retail operations. In fact, sustaining the health of the company is intrinsically intertwined with sustaining the health of our planet. Says Eric, Climate change is the greatest existential threat facing our co-op. I believe we do not have the luxury of calling climate change a political issue. This is a human issue. And we must act now.

The company is involved in encouragingpublicpolicy that supportsthe goal of sustaining and increasing recreational opportunitiesand ensures everyone can benefit from time spent outdoors.

In fact, it has hosted bipartisan fireside chats with lawmakers, in hopes that, as Eric explains in one of his blogs, these conversations can remind us that as a country, we can still find policies that bring people together.

Back to Erics commitment to people, more than 70% of REIs annual profits are invested back into the outdoor community through dividends to REI members, employee profit-sharing and retirement, and investments in nonprofits dedicated to the outdoors. As its website states, Being amember-owned co-operativeallows us to focus on shared values, not share value.

John Schlifske: Northwestern Mutual

As the nations largest life insurer, one might incorrectly assume Northwestern Mutual no longer needs to be so attentive to its customers, or that it might get lost in the profits and lose site of the people. But nothing could be further from the truth.

In 2020, the companysurpassed$1 billion in new lifeinsurancesales, but, says Schlifske,Our persistency rate -- the number of policy owners who stayed with us -- was 97%, the highest in the industry. Clearly Schlifske is even prouder of the latter.

Moreover, the reason for the companys record growth has a lot to do with its unique business model in the insurance world and its commitment to helping customers achieve financial security and empowering colleagues.

Thats because all of Northwestern Mutuals profits return to its policy owners. That makes customers feel much more like they are on the same team with the company rather than a customer or a client. That goes a long way to creating a trust-like atmosphere, something of paramount importance to the CEO.

Across industries, the notion of trust is often at the forefront -- even rising to the level of being a buzzword in some cases, he explains. But I think we are having an incomplete conversation and companies that implore customers to trust them have it backwards. They should be focused on being trustworthy -- which is significantly more important and reflects a much deeper commitment.

That may be the reason John often jokes that, short of a religious career, his work at Northwestern Mutual is as mission-driven as you can get working within commercial financial services.

Ken Fisher: Fisher Investments

If only you could find an investment company that does not charge any commissions for trades . . . Oh! We just did. It also doesnt hit you with hidden fees or extra service charges. Instead, it charges a competitive fee based on the size of your portfolio. That kind of simple transparency and honest trade made Fisher Investments a great pick to include in our list this month.

Despite the fact that Fisher doesnt collect the kind of colossal commission that many other brokers charge, it still delivers every client top-notch service. Fishers clients receive a personal point of contact -- their Investment Counselor who is committed to understanding them on a personal level and keeping their financial plan on track.

We like doing the new and never done, says Ken Fisher. Photo: Gerd Altmann from Pixabay

Before we recommend anything, we get to know you. We ask questions about your goals and needs, your expenses, your health, your family commitments and more -- to better understand what you need your money to accomplish, Ken explains. This enables us to recommend a personalized portfolio designed to meet your needs and to help you enjoy the retirement youve earned.

Thats all part of Kens philosophy of questioning the hell out of everything that is regarded as conventional wisdom because, he says, Most of our conventional wisdom is simply thatand often wrong hand-me-downs from the past.

And in an industry where conventional wisdom often promotes greed over the good of the customer, no wonder Fisher is a little bit different, in a great way.

He applies this philosophy to developing his workforce, as well. We almost exclusively hire and promote from within. We by-pass the MBA world trying to hire kids right out of college and then motivate them to never leave. We ban concepts like best practices (which are great if a lousy firm wants to become a B-firm) in favor of what we call never-done-yet-practices, by which we mean to define what will become future trend changers others will have to follow.

Its a formula for expanding knowledge. As Ken says, We like doing the new and never done.

Its also a formula for how to make a great Social Capital company.

Danny Meyer: Shake Shack

When Danny Meyer opened his first restaurant in the competitive New York market, he knew it needed more than great food the secret was the people power.

He was intent on finding and hiring servers who loved their customers, and suggested innovative concepts like telling staff to take notes on customers favorite table or menu items dish.

Ultimately, he even came up with six emotional skills that he includes in what he calls "HQ," or "hospitality quotient." Those include kindness and optimism, intellectual curiosity, work ethic, empathy, self-awareness, and integrity. Identifying applicants with those skills is a key element in his restaurants hiring process.

What that resulted in was Meyer building an award-winning restaurant chain of more than 240 restaurants worldwide from the single restaurant hed opened when he was only 29 years old.

And he built that empire on the realization that, no matter how big your company is or wants to be, its all about improving the human interaction and relationship.

Or, as Meyer puts it: "In the end, what's most meaningful is creating positive, uplifting outcomes for human experiences and human relationships. Business, like life, is all about how you make people feel. It's that simple, and it's that hard."

We agree.

Lorna Borenstein: Grokker

Empowering people with the tools to take control of their well-being is Lorna Borensteins goal, and through her company, Grokker, she helps businesses provide that opportunity to their employees.

Citing her experience running public companies and divisions in large public companies like eBay, HP and Yahoo, Lorna says, I worked at these amazing companies that talked about work-life balance -- talked about, but didn't really create an environment where the employee felt supported and encouraged or that wellness and well-being actually mattered.

So, she founded Grokker with the aim to provide all employees from full-time to the oft-overlooked hourly and "gig" employees access to well-being resources that instill a sense of purpose, belonging and balance. Grokker is a subscription-based website and app that publishes short health and well-being videos featuring activities like yoga, meditation, nutrition and more.

Lorna Borenstein founded Grokker with the aim to provide all employees access to well-being resources that instill a sense of purpose, belonging and balance. Photo: iStockphoto

I think if you're really going to build a company and you say you want your employees to be well but then don't do anything to make them feel that you really care, you haven't really quite done it, Lorna says.

She believes they should and can create a 24/7 culture of health built on the double foundation of giving them permission to take care of themselves by providing them both the tools and the time and also providing the emotional support for them to do so.

That emotional support also has two legs: meeting everyone where they are with respect to their personal level of fitness and showing that they are recognized as individuals.

The thing that people are so surprised about with us is that we provide very personalized experiences for everyone, no matter your level of fitness or competency, proudly proclaims Lorna. I think there's this misconception that there's a one-size-fits-all plan to wellness. There really isn't. You have to be able to personalize, so they know that you know what they care about, Lorna explains.

No wonder she called her book, Its Personal: The Business Case for Caring, which was released the beginning of this year .

That kind of thinking is at the heart of Social Capital and a better world for all.

Ernie Herrman: TJX

TJ Maxx may be known by most for quality products at extremely affordable prices, and as great as that is for customers, what is truly extraordinary is that its parent company, TJX, doesnt cut corners in its supply chain to make that happen.

In fact, TJX is impressively committed to ethical sourcing to a degree that makes it a real model for Social Capital companies.

More than 1,100 associates in the companys buying organization actively source products from more than 21,000 vendors and more than 100 countries around the world, and all are required to comply with TJXs Vendor Code of Conduct that requires goods be manufactured and shipped not just in accordance with all laws, regulations and industry standards, but also with a commitment that goes way beyond the letter of the law to respect the rights of the workers who manufacture products.

TJXs long list of requirements in its code of conduct include such expected items as no forced labor or indentured labor, but also prohibits vendors from asking employees to regularly work more than 60 hours per week, and requires that all overtime must be voluntary. Moreover, it goes the extra mile to make sure all vendors ensure subcontractors and any other third parties they use comply with the principles described in this Code of Conduct, which can complicate the buying process but is something TJXs leaders believe is non-negotiable.

One of the most impressive of the companys commitments was the Rwenzori Trade Project, a sustainable trade program they helped to develop in Uganda in 2008, when TJX Europe partnered with Save the Children with the aim of supporting education in the cotton-growing communities in the Rwenzori region of Western Uganda. They began with 12 communities, funding classrooms and teachers housing as well as donating money to supply educational materials, clean water, and toilets but soon discovered that much more was needed.

As our program evolved, we learned that to sustain a long-term impact, these communities needed ways to generate greater and more reliable income for their families, TJX explains on its website. We began working with local partners to help create a sustainable trade program. Our goal was to help families living in this area increase their incomes so they could better care for themselves and send their children to school.

In 2011, TJX established a trade project to support the production of cotton, coffee, cocoa and handmade crafts. Together with local partners, they taught farmers not only how to develop better crop yields but a range of business skills from bookkeeping to product development.

What was the result?

According to TJX, Higher earnings, combined with consistent sales of their crops, give families in the region a more reliable and increased income stream, helping them pay for basic needs, school fees, and other necessities. We believe our support has made a difference.

So do we!

Tristan Walker: Walker & Company Brands

Allowing people to be their authentic selves is at the heart of Tristan Walkers creation of his Walker & Company Brands. The companys mission is to make health and beauty simple for people of color. I started years ago with Bevel out of a frustration that I couldnt find the right products for myself, he explains, noting that the retail experience for people of color at that time left a lot to be desired. This is my opportunity to not only educate the majority of the market but to also fill a void.

Noting his is the first and only brand to launch a line for curly and coily hair, Tristan says, Folks have been attempting to cater to this market for centuries -- we just felt they werent doing the right thing for centuries. Our goal is to showcase empowering messages through our brands. Tristan became the first Black CEO under the Procter & Gamble umbrella since its founding in 1837, and his flagship brand, Bevel, also became a category leader with distribution in Target and Walmart stores across the nation.

The population he aims to serve is more than a market. Tristan is also the founder of CODE2040, a program that matches high-performing Black and Latino undergraduate and graduate coders and software engineering students with Silicon Valley startups for summer internships.

The aim and mission for our Fellows Program is to support emerging Black and Latinx tech talent. We provide the students with all the tools to be successful. Were in the innovation economy, and companies need to hire talent that understands that. They need to recognize the benefits of hiring a diverse talent base, Tristan explains. I see the work that were doing here as the greatest opportunity of my lifetime.

Being authentic requires being proactive with respect to what interests and motivates him. As he says, A lot of people say they wont start because they need extra validation from others, who most of the time cant see what you can see. And people think they need to secure a certain level of funding before moving forward with an idea. How much has been left on the table because of people not simply starting? The advice he gives to others is what he, himself, follows: Just start.

From a Social Capital perspective, there can be no better way to show support for diversity than by empowering individuals in diverse populations with a way to make life better for them. And thats exactly what Tristan did.

Philip Behn: Imperfect Foods

Imperfect Foods found the perfect formula for how to care for the environment by making everyday life better for people through its mission to reduce food waste by saving perfectly good but imperfect produce targeted for the dumpsters and turning it into affordably boxed groceries delivered to peoples doors.

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Social Capital: Changing The World By Changing How The World Does Business - International Business Times

Coinciding with Curio Wellness retail rebranding to Far & Dotter, Swedish for father and daughter, a nod to the companys family founded roots

TOWSON, M.D., August 26, 2021--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Today, Curio Wellness announced the application process opening for franchisee and investment fund applications in more than ten states nationwide, including MD, VA, PA, OH, MO, NJ, FL, MA, MI, and IL.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210826005081/en/

Coincident with the launch of the franchise offering, Curio Wellness will rebrand their retail business and future franchises under the new entity Far & Dotter (Swedish for Father and Daughter), a nod to Curio Wellnesss founding father and daughter team, Michael and Wendy Bronfein.

The new Far & Dotter brand pulls from the Scandinavian egalitarian and cooperative culture, with their commitment to community, self-care, and an integrative approach to wellness. The stores will continue Curios commitment to wellness and generational advancement, serving as holistic pharmacies and wellness hubs devoted to empowering local entrepreneurs and providing products and services that enhance patients quality of life.

"We are tremendously excited to expand the recognition of Curios award-winning retail wellness center concept, helping entrepreneurs become a franchisee, while ensuring their success through our best-in-class business operations and proven patient-focused model," said Wendy Bronfein, Co-Founder, Chief Brand Officer, and Director of Public Policy at Curio Wellness. "At Far & Dotter, we continue the Curio Wellness commitment to a patient first, medically driven approach, helping people decipher and demystify a changing cannabis landscape honoring the wisdom and personal care we remember from family doctors and neighborhood pharmacists."

While anyone from a qualified state is eligible to apply to be a franchisee - women, minorities, and disabled veterans may also apply for start-up capital through the Curio Wellness Investment Fund to secure funds needed to open their own franchise location. Announced last November, the Fund aims to strengthen diversity and inclusion in the cannabis industry and is designed to support up to fifty applicants, providing them up to ninety-three percent of the capital needed to open a franchise. Diverse entrepreneurs will repay the startup loans with their portion of the dispensary earnings, resulting in 100% ownership as a franchisee over time.

Story continues

"After more than two years of effort to design an effective method of providing capital to diverse entrepreneurs in the cannabis industry, it is a personal honor to officially begin the application process and to truly expand diversity and enable economic empowerment in the industry," said Jerel Registre, Managing Director of the Fund. "The Fund is a true testament to Curios goal to address systemic barriers and create generational wealth among aspiring women, BIPOC, and disabled veteran entrepreneurs."

Beginning today, entrepreneurs can apply online to be a franchisee at fardotter.com. Entrepreneurs also interested in applying for capital through the Curio Wellness Investment Fund will apply at the same link.

About Curio Wellness

Founded in 2014 in Baltimore, Maryland, Curio Wellness is a cGMP certified, vertically integrated medical cannabis company and trusted healthcare partner. Recognized as the leading wellness brand in cannabis by BDS Analytics, Curio is committed to serving patients with targeted, effective, and reliable cannabis- based medicine. In 2018, Curios flower and topical balm were named Best Flower and Topical in Maryland by Leafly. For more information visit curiowellness.com.

About Far & Dotter

Far & Dotter is a trusted expert and ally in the quest for innovative holistic healthcare and a personalized, unintimidating approach to cannabis education. We support consumers and franchisees through a contemporary, curated dispensary experience that emphasizes cannabis quality and pharmacist-led guidance. Our stores are holistic pharmacies and wellness hubs devoted to empowering local entrepreneurs and providing safe, effective, reliable products and services that enhance quality of life. Far & Dotter was founded by the team at Curio Wellness, a leading cannabis brand based in Maryland that established our proven, patient-first clinical approach and our inclusive franchise model. For more information visit fardotter.com.

Disclaimer

This information is not intended as an offer to sell, or the solicitation of an offer to buy, a franchise. It is for informational purposes only. The states of California, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, North Dakota, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Virginia, Washington, and Wisconsin regulate the offer and sale of franchises. If you are a resident of one of these states, or seeking a franchise in one of these states, we will not offer you a franchise unless and until we have complied with applicable pre-sale registration and disclosure requirements in your state. New York residents: This advertisement is not an offering. An offering can only be made by a prospectus filed first with the Department of Law of the State of New York. Such filing does not constitute approval by the Department of Law.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210826005081/en/

Contacts

Sloane Whelan401-529-2357Sloane.whelan@bcw-global.com

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Curio Wellness Secures Industry-leading Franchisor License, Accepting Franchise and Investment Fund Applications in States Nationwide - Yahoo Finance

SPAG was built on the premise of Be Real. From the very start seven years ago, the firms managing director Shivani Gupta has been a vocal advocate of equality, diversity and inclusion at the workplace and her strides to empower woman has earned the agency praise from this years judges.

The agencys push to empower women has also given birth to a parent initiative under SPAGs thought leadership platform SPAG Dialogue called A room full of women. The initiative aims to move beyond mere policies and actually build equal, diverse and inclusive cultures.

Starting from the four walls within, the agency tackled the way employees thought about parenthood. In the agency, maternal leaves must be called parental leaves because the agency believes that the term maternal leave says that its only the womans job to look after the child. The balance, as such needs to start within minds before it is put on paper, else it is limited to a mere policy. Mindsets need to be re-nurtured.

While the agency believes that empowering women is important, it also knows that it must empower men so they can be allies in its efforts to truly create equal, diverse and inclusive workspaces.

The agency also took a long hard look at the PR industry to understand why while many women are seen in entry level or mid-level roles, the gender ratio suddenly dips as we go higher up in the ranks. It wanted to flip this trend through flexible work mechanisms and a deep level of understanding and communication to ensure that women rise up the ladder based on their talent, just as men do.

SPAG also organises regular sessions on listening and initiates open conversations which has over the years cultivated a culture where people feel comfortable speaking up. This has created an optimistic belief system and promoted equality, diversity and inclusion among employees. The agency also focuses extensively on soft-skill assessments and personality assessments. This allows the agency to bring on board team members who are self-aware, progressive, sensitive and cognitively agile. It is important to point out that SPAG doesnt believe in tokenism or one-off gestures for posturing when it comes to women empowerment. It prides on inclusivity and talent-based assessments being a core framework of all of its evaluation.

To ensure a inclusive culture, the agency also holds workshops that focus on soft-skills and wellness. The most recent example of this is in June 2021, where the team at SPAG not only celebrated pride month but used the month to start email conversation threads on how to be an ally, while providing teams access to resources where they can learn and educate themselves about the LGBTQIA+ community.

InsightsMatter is also a workshop and training held for employees for executive coaching. Supported by agency leaders, after holding several internal discussions a few months into the lockdown, one thing that emerged was that each woman had a different story to tell and through the workshop the agency altered its working dynamics to embrace more flexibility in work which helped many of its female staff manage work and home better.

Taking the initiative a step further, the agency thought, why not put all these varied perspectives out there and stir an internal discussion on WFH & Equality: Gender Roles, Women Solidarity and Mental Health. Videos featuring women at SPAG spoke about what equality means to them to shed more light pertinent issues to break down gender norms and biases.

The discussion was a huge hit where women in the organization felt heard. They spoke about rights to equal opportunity and cerebral equality personally and professionally. Throughout the discussion women of SPAG shared their personal experiences with various issues like societal conditioning, gender roles and mental health. All in all, this resulted in a cohesive environment for empowered men and women at SPAG.

To read the rest of the agency initiatives in the Adland Diversity & Inclusion Index 2021, click here.

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Adland Diversity & Inclusion Index 2021: SPAG - Marketing Interactive

The Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE) is equipping women with the financial tools to access their financial freedom.

The stock exchange hosted over 400 attendees at its fourth annual, virtual She Invests conference on August 21.

The event forms part of the stock exchanges efforts to boost female participation in the investment community by empowering, supporting and educating women who want to achieve financial security through investing.

According to JSE CEO Dr Leila Fourie, female economic empowerment is more critical now than ever as women, due to the pandemic, are worse off financially in comparison to men.

She Invests gives us at the JSE the opportunity to reflect what the role of women is and what we can do to change that.

According to the United Nations (UN), a majority of women work in the sectors that were the hardest hit by the pandemic. It is reported that women are 24% more likely to lose their jobs or suffer from a steep income fall in addition to the sheer uphill climb of the gender pay gap.

In addition, it was reported that many women did not feel confident that they would make the right investment decisions.

Host of the event, financial guru and bestselling author Nicolette Mashile, added that this is why discussions such as these were imperative to motivate and encourage women to explore opportunities in the financial sector.

The investment and financial sector is really not as intimidating as many women think it is and with the right help and tools, many women can realise their potential. We are here to say that we are creating a safe space for the individuals to engage, and females especially, to come to enable a future society that is economically sustainable, she said.

Panel discussions hosted some of the top women in personal finance, sharing life-changing insights and financial skills on how to plan for uncertainties.

According to financial journalist Maya Fisher-French, the pandemic has made people more conscious of the ever-changing circumstances that impact their finances. We are currently living in an unknown; a pandemic that has left no one untouched. Certainty is a construct of our imagination, a false sense of security, but the pandemic has shown us that those who are adaptable will pivot.

Fisher-French added that it was found that 47% of people, in the past year, had more than one income formal or informal. The reality is that many peoples primary income has not been able to keep up with inflation rates or make ends meet. This is why many people, including women, should consider investment opportunities.

She added that many people do not realise that investing has been significantly simplified over the years, including various do-it-yourself opportunities and easily accessible financial planners. Your personal finances are really important, and what stops people from dealing with it is fear. You just have to grab the bull by the horns and start working on it, Fisher-French concluded.

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Empowering women in finance with the JSE - Sandton Chronicle