The 2019 Conscious Company Leaders Forum wrapped up last week, and it truly was a phenomenal gathering.
As one leader said post-event, “I attend at least a couple of business and personal development conferences a year, and can be very critical of workshops. I have to find value in investing my time. I was blown away with the quality of the content and the people at the CCLF. Throughout the three days I was writing madly during speaker sessions, exchanging reactions and ideas at each meal, and concept-mapping and connecting dots every morning and night. I left with more clarity on my responsibility and role as a business owner in creating a caring workplace culture and communicating our story more effectively both within and outside the walls of my organization.”
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For those of you who couldn’t make it to the Forum this year, we’ve gathered some of our favorite highlights — poignant moments captured by photographer Caitlin Eddolls, bite-size insights shared on Twitter, and attendee testimonials that are already pouring in and making our hearts here at Conscious Company Media so grateful and full… and ready to raise the bar even higher for next year. See you in 2020!
Leaders Forum Snapshots
For insight from Nathan Havey, take a gander at the numerous articles he’s written for Conscious Company.
At Barry-Wehmiller, Bob Chapman’s Truly Human Leadership has created a new paradigm for success for nearly 12,000 employees. Learn more about how this multi-billion-dollar company wins by caring for its workers.
“The Conscious Company Leaders Forum is a truly unique opportunity to connect with people who are actively working towards a world in which business is a force for good. I’ve always thought that when you attend a conference, if 50% of the content is valuable or useful, that’s pretty good. After attending the Forum, I know that it’s possible to create an event where all the content has value.”
— 2019 Leaders Forum attendee
If you haven’t yet heard the buzz around TRU Colors Brewing Co., it’s time you did. We’ll all be saying, “We knew them when.”
“The Forum offered me hope for our future, a new community, and a renewed sense of purpose in life.”
— 2019 Leaders Forum attendee
Tara-Nicholle Nelson, Founder and CEO of SoulTour, talks about tapping into our inner wisdom. (Caitlin Eddolls Photography)
Soak up Nelson’s abundant wisdom with her five tips for unlocking leadership potential and cultivating genius in others, and then check out her episode of the World-Changing Women Podcast.
Attendees are invited by Nelson to write and then share their “Game of Thrones” names. The self-empowerment in the room is palpable. (Caitlin Eddolls Photography)
“There are many conferences to choose from in a year. But the Conscious Company Leaders Forum is different. It brings together great minds, kind hearts, and people who are generous enough to share what they know, while having the humility to admit what they don’t know, and are open to learning from each other. There is space for everyone here. It feeds the mind and the soul…”
— 2019 Leaders Forum attendee
Leaders Forum attendees line up for a book signing with Kip Tindell, Co-founder and Chairman of The Container Store. (Caitlin Eddolls Photography)
Kip Tindell and The Container Store team built an incredible workplace culture by embracing wellness in the workplace. Tindell, along with Raj Sisodia, Co-founder of Conscious Capitalism, and Valerie Red-Horse Mohl, Executive Director of Social Venture Circle, gathered on a panel at this year’s Leaders Forum to have a deep, philosophical conversation about the ultimate purpose of business should be as we look into the future.
Haley Rushing shared her personal journey from doing to being at this year’s Forum, and helped attendees answer questions like, “How do we enjoy life while working to change the world?”
Haley Rushing and Raj Sisodia co-authored an article on how to create a compelling purpose for your business — check it out to get clear(er) on your business’s reason to be.
Leaders Forum attendees gather to chat with speakers. (Caitlin Eddolls Photography)
“If you are an entrepreneur, a leader, or someone who cares about our world and how we relate to one another, you will walk away from this forum with so much inspiration and hope. I found myself amongst a tribe of individuals who are not only like-minded but of the same heart and spirit. After listening to a group of us talking on the way to the airport, our Uber driver asked if we were coming from a family reunion. We laughed and told him that we had just met and had had only two-and-a-half days together. I suppose it was a lot like a family reunion in that it felt like coming home. Imagine being in a room filled with people who want to make an impact on our planet and other people’s lives and then listening to speakers who reaffirm your beliefs and fuel your fire. I couldn’t have been more grateful.”
— 2019 Leaders Forum attendee
Tweetable Moments
"Publicly traded companies are driven by profit, but also by valuation – if people start dumping their stock, the companies are going to notice. People want better business practices."- @VALREDHORSE at @ConsciousCoMag Leadership Forum yesterday pic.twitter.com/uhKGauqKLn
— Social Venture Circle (@svcimpact) April 11, 2019
“Conscious businesses outperform traditional businesses 9 to 1. You can make money by squeezing the life out of those you work with or you can lift everyone up as you go. But the numbers don’t lie: It matters how you make the money.” – @RajSisodiaCC #CCLeadersForum @ConsciousCap
— Conscious Company | SOCAP Global (@ConsciousCoMag) April 10, 2019
“Conscious companies start with leaders who are willing to heal themselves. We should all be in the healing business” @RajSisodiaCC #ccleadersforum #leadership
— Jeff Melnyk (@jeffwithin) April 10, 2019
"Look at two of our most successful companies, @benandjerrys & @SeventhGen , which are now under @Unilever. It takes a long time – we're talking about patient capital – but impact is not concessionary." @VALREDHORSE @ @ConsciousCoMag pic.twitter.com/NIEv7koTEk
— Social Venture Circle (@svcimpact) April 11, 2019
Let’s “build systems with love” Kip Tindell. What a great, obvious and beautiful observation #consciousleadership #ccleadersforum @ConsciousCoMag let’s change the system #systemschange
— Jacquelyn Horstmann Didio (@JacquelynAH) April 10, 2019
“Who else to build a company to disrupt the prison system than a black man who went to prison?” – Frederick Hutson, Co-founder + CEO of @pigeon_ly #CCLeadersForum @IAMFastFreddy pic.twitter.com/eIfCDxbcnn
— Conscious Company | SOCAP Global (@ConsciousCoMag) April 11, 2019
“I’ve learned since my first seed round just how important it is to NOT try to boil the ocean. Decide the 1-2 things you want to do really really well, then put all of your resources toward those 2 things.” – @IAMFastFreddy, Co-founder + CEO of @pigeon_ly #CCLeadersForum
— Conscious Company | SOCAP Global (@ConsciousCoMag) April 11, 2019
“Success stands on the top of a mountain of failure.” – Matthew Griffin, CEO + Co-founder of @combatflipflops #CCLeadersForum pic.twitter.com/nrbiDkKtZH
— Conscious Company | SOCAP Global (@ConsciousCoMag) April 11, 2019
“If you come to work at my company and you want to learn, you WILL be able to run your own company. A true master is the one who creates the most masters, and the true test of leadership is what happens when you’re gone.” – Matthew Griffin CEO of @combatflipflops #CCLeadersForum
— Conscious Company | SOCAP Global (@ConsciousCoMag) April 11, 2019
“I am a big believer in therapy. If you have unprocessed trauma, it will be that much harder to be a conscious and effective leader. I am my biggest challenge. So working on myself is a top priority.” – Rahama Wright, CEO + Founder of @sheayeleen #CCLeadersForum @rahamatuwright pic.twitter.com/QeLNqBRy2w
— Conscious Company | SOCAP Global (@ConsciousCoMag) April 11, 2019
“A lot of guilt comes with trauma, so a large part of the TRU Colors Brewery boot camp is to help the gang leaders believe that there’s something better possible. For this to work, we couldn’t just give skills, we had to change beliefs.” – KO, @TRUColorsBrew #CCLeadersForum pic.twitter.com/W6CcdGEQng
— Conscious Company | SOCAP Global (@ConsciousCoMag) April 11, 2019
“At first I thought that it was just about teaching skills and providing opportunity. But I didn’t realize that trauma from gun violence has left people believing they don’t deserve to be happy. And you have to unpack & unwind that.” – @G__Taylor of @TRUColorsBrew #CCLeadersForum
— Conscious Company | SOCAP Global (@ConsciousCoMag) April 11, 2019
“I never thought the same thing that made me say ouch would make me say amen.” – KO, @TRUColorsBrew #CCLeadersForum #gunsdownmanup
— Conscious Company | SOCAP Global (@ConsciousCoMag) April 11, 2019
“As far as the white savior complex comes in, George couldn’t do this without us. I’m doing this to help him solve a problem. And I’m hoping to be a black leader who can create these opportunities for my own community in the future.” – Press, founding employee at @TRUColorsBrew pic.twitter.com/tWfHW8gMxr
— Conscious Company | SOCAP Global (@ConsciousCoMag) April 11, 2019
Gotta love doing a little yoga with the @TRUColorsBrew team! #gunsdownmanup #yoga #CCLeadersForum pic.twitter.com/pz9vNgAfro
— Conscious Company | SOCAP Global (@ConsciousCoMag) April 11, 2019
How to build #companyculture at #CCLeadersForum @ConsciousCoMag #growth as a pillar of culture – can you create an award for the best mistake of the month? #helppeoplebetheirbestseld @ThriveCG pic.twitter.com/FytycbikXZ
— Jacquelyn Horstmann Didio (@JacquelynAH) April 11, 2019
When asked ‘How do you justify caring?’: Bob Chapman: “You work for a company where you have to justify caring? How do you justify NOT caring?” – Bob Chapman, Chairman and CEO of @barrywehmiller pic.twitter.com/d3SGaZOI4p
— Conscious Company | SOCAP Global (@ConsciousCoMag) April 11, 2019
#Leadership is the stewardship of the lives entrusted to you – Bob Chapman, Chairman + CEO of @barrywehmiller #CCLeadersForum
— Conscious Company | SOCAP Global (@ConsciousCoMag) April 11, 2019
“Parenting and #leadership are identical.” – Bob Chapman, Chairman + CEO of @barrywehmiller #CCLeadersForum
— Conscious Company | SOCAP Global (@ConsciousCoMag) April 11, 2019
“Everyone is someone’s precious child.” – Bob Chapman, Chairman and CEO of @barrywehmiller #CCLeadersForum
— Conscious Company | SOCAP Global (@ConsciousCoMag) April 11, 2019
“We CAN create a world where everyone’s precious children know that who they are and what they do matters.” – Bob Chapman, Chairman + CEO of @barrywehmiller #CCLeadersForum
— Conscious Company | SOCAP Global (@ConsciousCoMag) April 11, 2019
“You don’t need to get the right people on the bus. It’s about building safe buses.” Yes! #BarryWehmiller CEO #CCLeadersForum #Leadership #companyculture pic.twitter.com/Vv3bTNZALZ
— Mara Slade (@maraslade) April 11, 2019
“To be a good leader… make space for brave, difficult conversations… and get rid of defensiveness…” Ally Siegel @salesforce #CCLeadersForum I pledge to do this @miriamskitchen! #pledgetobebrave @ConsciousCoMag
— Jacquelyn Horstmann Didio (@JacquelynAH) April 11, 2019
“Growing to grow is not the goal. The goal is to serve your purpose.” Former Co-CEO Walter Robb of WholeFoods talking with @MegFrenchDunbar #CCLeadersForum @ConsciousCoMag pic.twitter.com/sGZZQAePKG
— Mara Slade (@maraslade) April 12, 2019
“There is no future in transactional business. It needs to be relational.” – Walter Robb #ccleadersforum19
— Dojo4 (@dojo4) April 12, 2019
