You’ve built something special. Here’s how to keep it that way as you grow — Many of the companies I work with have some pretty special cultures, but some have expressed concerns about being able to scale them effectively. In fact, the concern is great enough that some have avoided growing for fear of losing “what makes this place so great to work at.” It’s…

Hiring the right person to help you weave your purpose throughout your company is just good business — Building your company on a strong foundation of social and environmental impact as well as profitability makes good business sense. The challenge comes in maintaining the passion that got you into the business in the first place as your company grows. …

Impact is like solar power: it’s the fuel that energizes and focuses everything you do–and it’s always turned on — We tend to divide up stakeholders into employees, customers, and investors, and to think of each of these as a group with different skin in the game that is your business. But if there’s one thing that can keep all of your stakeholders plugged in and loving your business, it’s…

The earlier the better . . . and that includes investors — This blog is the first that comes out of a series of conversations we’re having about how to help purpose-driven companies succeed in today’s world. We want our conversation to ask questions and offer both tentative directions and some proven answers to help young companies develop a vision that serves…

The language of appreciation is vital to your startup’s culture but not as simple in practice as it seems — I was working with two co-founders who are developing governance guidelines and policies for who makes what decisions in their company. The discussion is a delicate one by nature, but there seemed to be an unusual degree of intensity this time. …

Selling price signals to would-be customers and investors that you don’t believe in your brand — In my work coaching and consulting with brands, I am offered free samples of many products. Sometimes I accept them, and, in addition, I almost always buy the product. …

Candor in the right context is a powerful leadership tool for founders who are looking to learn and grow — I am a big fan of candor. I have found that candor in the right context is a powerful leadership tool and can be very effective with founders who are looking to learn and grow. …

Before you blame your team for your business’s slow execution, revisit your strategic mapping — It takes balance to grow a great change-the-world business. And here’s the problem, I’m coaching a founder right now who’s got, let’s just say, 15 team members, and he has very high frustration that they’re not “executing well.” The first thing I asked him was whether their goals and KPIs…

The key lies in grounding yourself in your purpose and putting your energy into thoughts and actions you can control — I’m talking to lots of entrepreneurs right now; founders who have got a cluster of problems that are linked to the current economic downturn. The most common thing I’m hearing from small entrepreneurs is that they cannot raise venture capital money in what has become a buyer’s market in the…