Today’s episode is with Shawn Askinosie. Shawn is a former criminal defence lawyer turned craft chocolate maker Shawn is the founder of Askinosie Chocolate, a small-batch direct trade chocolate company based in Missouri in the US. Every year Shawn travels to Ecuador, Tanzania and the Philippines because Askinosie Chocolate sources 100% of their cocoa beans directly from the farmers, buying the beans at a price that is way above the fairtrade price. Not only do they make the best tasting craft chocolate but they also practice an open-book policy and profit-sharing with their farmers. They provide free lunches to students and build schools in Tanzania. And at the local level, they have developed a program targeting the youth “to inspire students, through the lens of artisan chocolate making, to be global citizens, know themselves and their opportunities and embrace the idea that small businesses can solve world problems”. I find this really inspiring When I first heard that Shawn and his daughter Lauren, who also works at Askinosie Chocolate, have written a book, I immediately bought it because I was eager to find out more about this bean-to-bar company and learn all the operational details of this small business whose mission is also to make our world a little bit better. But in fact, I discovered so much more in their book called “Meaningful Work - A Quest To Do Great Business, Find Your Calling, and Feed Your Soul”. This book is on serving others, on finding our vocation in our own sorrows, on building trust, and growth and our place in the world among many other very important topics. I recommended this book to many of my friends, especially those who were looking for a career change. So in this episode, we started our conversation with one of my favourite parts of the book which is Shawn’s personal experience of discovery of his vocation and spirituality in a broad sense. In this episode, Shawn will also explain why Askinosie Chocolate is not a fairtrade company. Of course, we talked about success. But I have to warn you about something quite embarrassing or revealing: when Shawn was revealing the ugly side of the global cocoa trade and how it is feeding child slavery, the dog of my neighbour also got very angry and you will hear it. I’m really sorry about it but I couldn’t remove the barking because we had a technical problem with this recording.

This is my conversation with Isa Alves who has joined us from Lisbon in Portugal. This episode is a little bit of a treat because we will be discussing COMMUNICATION WITH EMPATHY, Improving how people communicate with one another and improving communication within organizations with EMPATHY is Isa’s mission. Because EMPATHY is a skill that we can all learn and become more intentional when using it in the way we communicate with people around us. Isa will tell us all about it. Isa will explain how being more empathetic can serve us in our daily lives and in a professional environment. Isa will also teach us how to set boundaries and why we need to set boundaries when we practice communication with empathy. This was a lovely and important conversation on a very simple skill that could transform the quality of the relationships we have with people. I hope you will enjoy this conversation and learn new ideas you could use right away in your business and life.

Most people know Seth Godin through his work in the field of Internet Marketing as he has founded several companies The most famous one is Yoyodyne, one of the first web-based direct marketing firms and it was acquired in 1998 by Yahoo for 30 million USD. Then he founded Squidoo one of the 500 most visited websites in the world back in 2008 Seth is also a successful author who has published 20 international best selling books. He is a very prolific blogger who has written over 8000 blog posts. AND he is the host of the Akimbo podcast where he shares ideas about our culture and how we can change it. This conversation is very special to me because Seth is to me MOST OF ALL a wonderful and generous TEACHER. I have learned so much from Seth through his books, podcasts, talks and workshops. He is someone I personally look up to and I am deeply grateful to him for sharing his wisdom and for this conversation. This conversation started with a question I’ve asked him to which he answered generously on his podcast. It was along the lines of “how a small fashion business seeking to create change can be seen and heard in today’s very noisy world” Then Seth kindly accepted my invitation to elaborate on the topic on the Better Business Founder podcast. SO if you are a business owner seeking to create change with your business, and not necessarily in the fashion industry, this episode is definitely for you. Seth Godin will help you: - understand how a small mission-driven fashion business can create change and even lead change in the industry - discover why running a business is also an act of creativity - you will learn about the tools for Modern Business Owners that want to make a difference.

Today I’d like to take you on a trip to discover the beauty of the wilderness and the vibrancy of the culture of South Africa. My conversation in this episode is with Daniela who has joined us from Capetown, on the Southwest Coast of South Africa. Daniela is the Founder of Walk The Talk Africa, a creative studio that designs and makes beautifully handcrafted slippers using fabric remnants and off-cuts. I first found out about Walk The Talk Africa because I was looking for slippers on Instagram and I was so caught up by the aesthetic and the story behind these unique slippers that I decided to contact Daniela to share her journey on Better Business Founder Podcast. Even though Daniela is from a family of shoemakers that migrated from Italy to South Africa in 1954, she will explain how she somehow “stumbled upon” shoes when after over 20 years in the same company she decided to make a dramatic change so she can explore her creativity and values in her own business. Yes, Walk The Talk Africa is a business based on values. Daniela will share with us how her childhood in wild spaces surrounded by stunningly beautiful nature shaped her worldview, her simple lifestyle and her profound love for Africa. As you might have guessed, environmental sustainability is one of the building blocks of Walk The Talk Africa. The other one is social sustainability as her business was built on the strong belief that creativity can drive employment in South Africa and Daniela will tell us all about it in this episode. Once again I really enjoyed this conversation and I also learned a lot and I hope that you will too. So grab a nice cup of tea and enjoy my conversation with Daniela.

Liz Johnson is a former British Swimmer and Gold Medalist, who won multiple medals in the Paralympics, European Championships, and World Championships, just to list a few of her achievements. After she retired from her swimming career, Liz co-founded The Ability People, TAP, a ‘for profit’ social enterprise dedicated to empowering the skilled disability population and helping companies enhance processes and adapt cultures. When I invited Liz to be a guest on my podcast, I wanted to find out more about the challenge of employing people with disabilities and how TAP is addressing this challenge. But I realized that I didn’t understand the issue correctly. Because I thought of it as a challenge! But what if, instead of using the word “disability” we use the word “difference”? Then the challenge becomes the opportunity. Through the lens of differences, people with disabilities become a pool of opportunities many companies could tap into. And that’s where the work of The Ability People comes in. This conversation made me realize how my understanding of the issue of hiring people with disabilities in companies was biased. I really enjoyed this conversation with Liz. I still have a lot to learn but I am already very grateful to Liz for showing me a brand new perspective. And if you are interested in hiring someone with disabilities for your own business for a freelance job, you might consider the new app that Liz and her team have launched recently. She will tell us all about it at the end of this conversation. Hope you will enjoy the episode as much as I did!

The entire episode is about SUCCESS On this podcast, I often ask my guests how they would define success. And I find the answers really inspiring, so I decided to put them together and make a whole episode. Even if these founders are involved in the fashion and design industries, they are shooting for the kind of success that will give them the power to create the change they want to see in the world. Success is never measured or defined in personal financial terms or through shiny metrics like celebrity endorsement, editorial in magazines, number of followers on social media...etc. But it is rather discussed in terms of job creation for a certain group of people and what it means for them, in terms of provision of opportunities for a specific community, keeping alive a specific craft that would have otherwise disappeared, or influencing stakeholders in their ecosystem to do the right thing. Could be clients, suppliers, or others. - David and Bai, both agree that the type of success we aim for could change over time - For Shivani, Nan & Carl, Pola, Bai, and Ihita, success is beyond our personal achievement or personal experience. It’s more about connection, about adding value to the lives of others, inspiring others to try to do things differently - Mati feels privileged to be part of something really powerful and bigger than herself. For Pola it’s about freedom and for Josie, it’s about the exploration of new possibilities - Ihita, Bai, and Josie explain that success must also include the sustainability component of the business they have created. And it’s not about environmental sustainability. The business should be able to operate and keep creating change even if the founders are not part of the organization anymore - Jennifer is also focused on the structure of the organization. She explained how the “speedboat” they have created has enabled her and her team to enjoy a thriving, happy and meaningful life while doing good with her business - You might find Mati’s piece of advice interesting when you grow your business

This episode is with Jennifer Myers Chua, co-founder of Hip Mommies, a distribution company of sustainable and innovative goods for the conscious Canadian retailer. We talked about: - building a business based on values - offering better consumption choices by offering better products to retailers in Canada - digitizing a family-run business and exploring new ways of working with retailers ... and other topics related to making an impact with a small business, the power of being lean, and many many more cool and practical stuff.

When we choose to adopt a posture of Empathy and Gratitude what new possibility can we create for ourselves and for the world? What could be the new opportunities in our professional pursuit? and for our business? Today's guest is David Nebinski, podcast host of Portfolio Career Podcast, a friend and a mentor, someone I can think of as an Empathy and Gratitude Practitioner and you will easily understand why I think of him this way in this episode. We will learn how David created a successful Newsletter, which is coming from a place of how can I deliver value to people. We will also learn how sending invitations to guests for his podcast led him to develop the concept of the Empathy Email. And of course, we discussed Gratitude. What does that mean? How is it serving us? And how gratitude can help us make progress in our work, as founders, as entrepreneurs?

Sue Heatherington is a writer, a catalyst, and a thinking partner for innovators and change-makers. Sue first used the phrase Quiet Disruptor as a quick way to explain her unusual broad backstory, which included a decade as a pioneering public service chief executive of the NHS, the National Health Service in the UK. So when she described herself as a Quiet Disruptor, Instead of being bombarded with questions about the meaning of this phrase, people suddenly feel seen and understood with these 2 words that give them the permission to be more true to themselves. So Sue wrote a book about Quiet Disruptors. I also had a real “aha” moment when I first encountered Quiet Disruptors and I also immediately thought that these 2 words fit me very, very well. Something magical happened. Yes, I think I might be one of those Quiet Disruptors. So, of course, I read the book, which is a beautifully written manifesto about the new change-makers: those with the courage to speak softly about things that matter and take action to become the change they want to see in the world. Does it ring a bell? Are you a Quiet Disruptor? Let’s find out with Sue Heatherington

Shivani Patel is the founder of Arture, a brand of lifestyle accessories, that makes vegan and sustainable goods that are designed with purpose and intent. Arture works primarily with cork as an alternative to leather. I initially wanted to talk with Shivani because I was really interested in learning all about the growing and the processing of cork as a material for fashion items. So in this episode, Shivani will share with us the benefits of using cork, the lifecycle of cork oak trees, and why cork is a real regenerative source of material. But then we will also learn a lot from Shivani's business founder’s journey. Because Shivani has created a thriving business that started in Chennai in the southern part of India and now her brand is carried in many stores, not only all across India but also across Japan and other places around the world. The success of Arture didn’t happen by accident. Arture was launched in India in 2015 when Shivani just finished her design school. She launched her brand with no business training and at a time when sustainability was not a concern in the society. Shivani had to work a lot to build her business, to sell her ideas, to create change. The story of Shivani’s crowdfunding campaign on Indiegogo in India in 2015 is a demonstration of her dedication and persuasion skills. If you want to get some very practical advice for starting and growing your business, and learn the reality of developing a mission-driven business, this episode is definitely for you.

Today’s conversation is with Josie MacKenzie, the Founder of AMMA Sri Lanka. AMMA is a social enterprise that Josie launched in 2015 in Nuwara Eliya, a region in the middle of Sri Lanka often known for tea plantation and production. AMMA’s mission is to provide training and employment to Mothers through sustainable jobs within the textile industry. Josie will explain how she landed in Sri Lanka at the tender age of 18, how this experience has impacted her choice at university and why she chose to focus on mothers, what problems she is trying to solve with her business and some of the valuable lessons she learned along the way from working with mothers. But actually the scope of AMMA is bigger than what is in its mission statement: AMMA creates products using dyes that are derived from food waste and plants and using traditional weaving techniques, with a strong focus on developing a regenerative textile economy in the region. AMMA impacts people and the environment in many different ways. And what I find also fascinating is Josie’s very creative approach when she first started her business. Josie thinks that her journey is paved with many serendipitous moments. But I personally find her incredibly resourceful and vision-driven. She is a real change-maker with a strong growth mindset. I had a lot of fun in this conversation and learned a lot. So I hope you will enjoy this conversation as much as I did. ==================== CONNECT WITH Josie Mackenzie / AMMA Sri Lanka Web: https://www.ammasrilanka.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amma_srilanka/

How can you create a Better Business in the fashion industry that provides not only jobs for mothers but also dignity and skills so these women could achieve even greater things in their lives? AND, at the same time, create a new category of products in the very crowded market of fashion! Well, let’s find out with today’s guest: Bai Ahmad Zahmri, Founder of Nazkids, a social enterprise in Malaysia, that empowers local women through entrepreneurship by creating baby clothing. Bai aims to fight poverty by creating a sustainable community, where the women not only create products, but are also trained to train others so they could potentially run a business by themselves in the future. Bai is another Better Business Founder that has demonstrated true grit on so many occasions on her journey. She has overcome many challenges to take her business where it is today and her brand is now sold in various parts of Asia. And at the end of this conversation, she will share with us how she has adapted her business to cope with the covid restrictions, in a very practical and, I should admit, surprising way. Once again, I really enjoyed this conversation with another Better Business Founder and I hope you will too. Please welcome Bai Ahmad Zahmri.

Today for the first episode of the new season of Better Business Founder, I am beyond thrilled to share with you my conversation with Ihita Shandilya, Founder and CEO of MITHILAsmita, an award-winning social enterprise in India. Ihita’s entrepreneurial journey is really inspiring. After her grandmother passed away she quit a high-flying corporate job and invested her savings to focus on the development and promotion of the ancient Indian art form called Mithila Paintings. MITHILAsmita does not only provide jobs to women in rural India but also aims to keep Mithila’s paintings ALIVE, so this tradition could be passed onto future generations And most importantly, this business strives to reinforce the pride of this heritage art form, as MITHILAsmita means Mithilas’s pride. In this conversation, Ihita will walk us through the journey of building this business from the ground up and what she is doing now, everyday, to make it become more resilient so it could create more value to people and to the world. This conversation made me ponder on the power of a small business. There are so many learnings from Ihita's approach with Mithila's paintings that we could benefit from in the universal challenge of preserving the heritage of ancient art form This is a real challenge, wherever you are in the world. I really love this conversation and I hope you will too. Please welcome Ihita Shandilya

How can we build a creative business that delivers value to people and to the planet? What does it EVEN mean to be or to become BETTER for a fashion business? I’ve been exploring and experimenting with these issues for almost 20 years now. And today we are facing some really really big challenges but it also means that we have amazing opportunities ahead of us to build a BETTER BUSINESS in the fashion industry. And I believe that there are many different ways we can achieve that. Hi everyone, Welcome to Better Business Founder I’m your host, Leekei Tang, On this podcast, we will explore what it means and what we can do to make our BUSINESS even BETTER, because Better doesn’t have the same meaning for everyone. Some episodes of this podcast will be conversations with mission-driven founders in creative industries, just like you, that are sharing their journey of building their own Better Business. Sometimes it will be conversations with people that are teaching us a concept or a new idea. And sometimes, I’ll be just talking to you. And Together we will learn and grow, so we can challenge the status quo with intention, and ignite change, right now. Because guess what? Your Business is the CATALYST to Create the Change You want to see in the world Better Business Founder is the podcast for purpose-driven business founders that are seeking to build a Better business, on their own terms. You can subscribe now wherever you normally find your podcasts and invite some friends that would benefit from these conversations. Take care and talk to you very soon

Today, for our last episode of 2020, I am absolutely thrilled to share my conversation with Scott Perry. Scott is the Founder and Chief Difference Maker of Creative on Purpose, a community and a coaching program that gets you stepping into possibility with intention and integrity. And we will learn more about what it means and what it implies in our discussion. Scott is also in the Head Coach Team in Seth Godin’s Akimbo workshops. Scott believes that excellence is cultivated through work that enhances the lives of others. I wanted to have Scott on Mindful Business Founder podcast for some time and the launch of his new book, Onward, makes it the perfect occasion to hear Scott talk about taking action, creativity, some principles of the Stoic Philosophy and why is it crucial to be surrounded by fellow travelers in our difference-making journey. I learned some very actionable tips from Scott on how to improve my work and better serve my community. I really enjoyed my conversation with Scott and I hope that you will enjoy it too.

The 1st episode of the Mindful Business Founder podcast was published in November 2019. It has already been one year! THANK YOU! Thanks to all the listeners, Thanks to all the guests, Thanks to all the people that have relentlessly provided me support and guidance in my podcasting journey. And after a year of listening to and sharing the stories of business founders on this podcast, I am inspired to share with you a part of my journey to sustainable development and what is the vision behind Mindful Business Founder.

Nan and Carl are a married couple and they are the founders of the brand Seeker Retriever, a brand that brings the conversation of ethical and sustainable fashion to the very next level. Nan and Carl will tell us the story of how their brand was born from the love for vintage clothing and how a personal exploration has led them to a community of weavers in the mountains, in the Northern parts of Thailand. They will also explain how the human aspect is at the core of their brand value and how it is translated in terms of production and in the way they interact with their own customers. They will also share with us why they think that their brand is not for everyone and why that’s perfectly fine, as they are more focused on building connections and finding their tribe, the tribe of people that share their same values. We also covered many other topics and I had so much fun in this conversation. Their story is again very inspiring because this is another story of how a small and independent brand, in their very own way, is changing the conversation of the fashion business.

Today, we are joined by Pola Stępień, founder of a very special ready-to-wear brand based in Lodz. Lodz is a former industrial city in Poland. Before the Polish economy transitioned from communism to a market-based economy in the 90s, the economy of Lodz was heavily reliant on the textile industry. It is in this highly creative environment with such an inspiring legacy that Pola launched her brand MODAPOLKA, In this conversation, Pola will share with us how she feels about the current environmental crisis and how she is addressing this problem with her business. Beyond fashion, Pola creates clothes that are ergonomic, multifunctional, and useful. She will explain why her brand is at the intersection of design and art. She will also share with us some of the dilemmas she is facing now that she is taking her business to the next level. If you have a business and you are trying to make a statement with your brand, this conversation is definitely for you.

Today, I’m delighted to share with you my conversation with Julia Skergeth, a young and very inspiring handbag designer who has joined us from Vienna in Austria. If I need to use one word to describe Julia, I would use the word BOLD. Yes, Julia is the embodiment of boldness. She is a bold business person and a bold designer. In this very fun conversation Julia will tell us the story about how launching a collection on a crowdfunding platform led her to take over a factory in Indonesia. She will also share with us the details of how she manages her creative process and her business; and why she chose to be completely transparent to her customers about her price structure. If you need a good dose of inspiration to shake things up or to take a less conventional approach in your business, this conversation with Julia Skergeth is definitely for you.

My conversation today is with Helena Roth, the Founder of the Tankespjärn community. For those who don’t know, tankespjärn is a Swedish word, more precisely a Swedish word construct of 2 words for a concept for the mind. It’s a philosophy of life for personal and professional growth. I will say no more about it because it is the main topic of our conversation, so we will mainly learn from listening to Helena. But I just want to say that I find the concept of tankespjärn particularly relevant now because we are currently living in highly uncertain times where we are all trying to figure out how the new normal would look like and what will be our place in this new normal world. So if you want to find out more about the concept of tankespjärn, learn how your life can be stretched and have more tankespjärn in your life, follow the link in the comments below and join me for my conversation with Helena Roth.