Profit & Purpose

Why has Warby Parker been able to make such dramatic inroads against the behemoths in the long-established eyeglass market? Why were the founders of Method able to turn the company's fortunes around after a near disastrous product launch? Amid the cacophony of online retailers, why has Etsy seen such explosive growth, with 2013 annual sales north of $1 billion? Because they are social enterprises, operating from a strong social and environmental purpose that has enabled them to chart their strategies for growth, to build their brand identities, grow their bases of support, form empowering partnerships, and turn their customers into brand evangelists, all in ways that give them a distinctive competitive edge. They are but a few of the groundswell of innovative organizations that have proven the power of pursuing both profit and purpose. THIS IS NOT A TREND. IT'S THE FUTURE OF BUSINESS. Based on in-depth interviews with founders, Profit & Purpose profiles a number of the most successful pioneers of this new way forward, telling the stories of thirteen organizations that range from non-profits like Charity:Water and DonorsChoose.org, to for-profits, like Method and Burts Bees; from startups like Etsy and Warby Parker, to multinational corporations with market capitalizations in the hundreds of billions, like Coca-Cola, IBM, and Nike. Kyle Westaway digs beneath the public stories of these organizations' success to reveal the nuts and bolts methods they have used to design products and services that harness the power of purpose and to build on that foundation to grow their brand awareness and garner intense customer loyalty. Taking readers behind the scenes, he shows how these leading social enterprises progressed from concept to scale, how they overcame common pitfalls, and how they managed to find an optimal balance between their mission and their business mandates. Westaway reveals that though there is no magic bullet formula that guarantees success, there are seven core practices that distinguish these market leaders from the pack of contenders. They are: DISCOVER THROUGH CURIOSITY. How finding the right opportunity catalyzes impact. DESIGN WITH HUMILITY. How prioritizing users creates breakthrough products. BUILD THROUGH HUSTLE. How rallying people creates critical momentum for launch. FUND BY COMMITMENT. How aligning funders around a vision creates committed partners. CONNECT WITH AUTHENTICITY. How authentic connection builds a movement. SCALE THROUGH COMMUNITY. How focusing on culture ensures smart growth. EVALUATE WITH HONESTY. How honest measurement ensures continual improvement. Profit & Purpose takes the literature on social entrepreneurship an important step forward, providing the practical tools for turning good intentions into breakaway success.