In this episode of The For Love & Money Podcast, I speak with Abigail Forsyth OAM, co-founder and Managing Director of KeepCup—the company that kickstarted a global revolution in reusable coffee cups and helped change the way we think about single-use packaging.

From her early days as a lawyer to co-founding a bustling Melbourne café chain with her brother Jamie, Abigail shares how a growing discomfort with packaging waste led to the creation of KeepCup—the world’s first barista-standard reusable cup. We explore the highs of fast growth, global expansion, and viral adoption, as well as the confronting challenges brought on by COVID, shifting market narratives, and scaling a purpose-led organisation.

This is a raw and honest conversation about entrepreneurship, purpose, leadership, and the tension between impact and profitability. Abigail’s insights are as grounded as they are galvanising—and essential listening for anyone building a values-based business that aims to drive real change.

Abigail is a leader in the global campaign to promote sustainability.

Known worldwide for its bright, bold and instantly recognisable reusable cups, KeepCup is a global campaign for reuse. Since launching the world’s first barista-standard reusable cup in 2009, KeepCup is now embraced by reusers the world over, diverting millions of single-use cups daily.

KeepCup is in business for better - a certified B Corporation, living wage employer and member of 1% for the Planet, donating at least 1% of global revenue to environmental causes.

Following a successful career as a solicitor, Abigail and her brother Jamie set up their own chain of cafes across the city. Alarmed by the amount of disposable packaging being wasted, Abigail started her search for a more sustainable and environmentally conscious way to serve food, and the concept of KeepCup soon became a reality.

Abigail has been honoured with an Order of Australia Medal in the General Division, for her years of outstanding service to sustainable design on the Queens Birthday list for 2021.

Abigail has opened offices and warehouses in Australia and the UK, and set up hub operations in the USA to service growing consumer demand in over 76 countries around the world, but the business has stayed loyal to its roots. KeepCup’s HQ is located in the Melbourne suburb of Clifton Hill, where Abigail lives with her family.

🌐 KeepCup: keepcup.com

📸 KeepCup Instagram: instagram.com/keepcup

🔗 Abigail Forsyth on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/abigail-forsyth-68886211

💡 The Cause Effect (Carolyn’s consultancy): thecauseeffect.com.au

🎧 More podcast episodes: Podcast Page | Listen on Spotify | Apple Podcasts

Episode Summary

What does it take to turn outrage and opposition into legitimacy and consent?

In this episode, we explore that question with one of the world’s leading authorities on social licence and legitimacy. My guest, Katherine Teh, is the founder of a pioneering social purpose company that’s rewriting the rules of mining—transforming the industry’s most polarised conflicts into powerful opportunities for inclusive, ethical development.

You’ll hear how this consent-based model is unlocking stranded assets, accelerating approvals, and delivering long-term value for people, planet, and business.

We explore:

The power of empathy in business—even in high-stakes, high-conflict sectors.

Why legitimacy isn’t a compliance issue, but a foundation for resilience and profit.

The real meaning of social licence—and why it’s vital to the net zero transition.

How the “DAD” model (Decide, Announce, Defend) is being replaced with “DAVE” (Declare dilemmas, Acknowledge issues, unify Vision, Evaluate).

Why partnering with Indigenous communities is essential to ethical growth.

This is a conversation about reimagining what development can look like when business begins with humanity, listens deeply, and leads with purpose.

Guest Bio

Katherine Teh is a strategist, reformer, and changemaker whose work has helped reshape some of the world’s most complex and contested industries—from mining and renewables to public policy, agriculture, and pharmaceuticals.

Katherine Teh is one of the world’s foremost authorities on social licence and legitimacy. For over three decades, she has worked at the intersection of sustainability, governance, and public trust—bringing sharp clarity where others see only risk. Her ability to align fractured interests and rebuild trust has made her a trusted adviser on more than $200 billion in major projects around the globe.

But Katherine’s story begins far from the boardroom.

Driven by an early ambition to become a war correspondent, she rose quickly through the ranks of journalism—becoming the youngest female A-graded journalist in Australian history. At 29, she led one of the country’s most influential gender justice campaigns, mobilising over one million women to reframe gendered violence as a workplace safety issue—more than two decades before the #MeToo movement swept the world.

Since then, she has led national and international public dialogue processes on polarising issues, designed innovative products and business models to solve systemic problems, and helped industries navigate outrage, restore legitimacy, and deliver long-term value. In 2002, she founded the world’s first social licence agency—developing a methodology that combines strategic foresight, stakeholder alignment, and social impact design to turn opposition into durable, earned support.

Today, as Executive Chair of Spektrum, Katherine leads a new kind of critical minerals company—one that does development differently. By partnering with Indigenous communities and applying consent-based models, she and her team are unlocking stranded assets, accelerating approvals, and creating nature-positive regional futures.

Katherine is on a mission to transform not just who development is done with—but how it’s done, and what it leaves behind. She builds systems that restore legitimacy, resolve conflict, and demonstrate that ethical, inclusive development isn’t a trade-off—it’s the foundation for resilience and long-term success.

She’s an entrepreneur. An activist. A visionary. And a woman who’s never waited for permission to lead.

Learn more about Spektrum: https://www.spektrumdevelopment.com/

Connect with Katherine on LinkedIn: Katherine Teh

Book Mentioned: Amusing Ourselves to Death by Neil Postman

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In Part 2 of this two-part feature on Woollahra Council’s transformation, Carolyn speaks with Craig Swift-McNair, the Council’s General Manager. Craig offers a refreshingly candid account of what it takes to embed purpose and values across a whole organisation. He reflects on the early culture challenges, the creation of a new leadership structure, and how trust, honesty and consistency enabled real change to take root. From navigating tough decisions—like a significant restructure—to seeing the payoff in a post-redundancy engagement survey, Craig shares how a unifying purpose helped guide the organisation through both challenge and change.

- How leadership enables culture and values to move beyond strategy documents.

- Why organisational transformation requires investment in people.

- The challenges of shifting legacy mindsets and breaking down silos.

- How a clear purpose and set of values can guide even the most difficult decisions.

- The importance of embedding purpose into leadership behaviours, not just branding.

- What it looks like to lead with honesty, integrity, and accountability.

Craig Swift-McNair is the General Manager at Woollahra Council in Sydney’s eastern suburbs, a role he commenced in July 2020. Prior to this, he was the General Manager of Port Macquarie-Hastings Council on the mid north coast of NSW, from 2014 to 2020.

Craig has spent over 20 years in local government in NSW in a range of roles across three Councils and prior to his time in the public sector, he had a twenty-five-year career in the private sector. Craig is dedicated to giving back to the local government sector and as part of that, he has been on the Board of Local Government Professionals Australia, NSW since 2018 and is currently the Vice President.

Craig is focused on building a strengths-based and values-based organisation that delivers on its purpose; provides its people with opportunities to grow in their roles and as individuals, which in turn delivers an improved customer experience and services for our community.

Woollahra Council Vision, Mission & Values: Woollahra Council Website

Episode 81 (Part 1): Patricia Occelli on Culture, Community & Customer Experience

Connect with Carolyn Butler-Madden: LinkedIn | The Cause Effect

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Buy Carolyn’s book For Love & Money 

In this episode of the For Love and Money podcast, In this episode, Carolyn Butler-Madden speaks with Patricia Occelli, Director of Community and Customer Experience at Woollahra Council. Patricia shares the story of how doing the work to create a unifying purpose transformed the Council’s vision, culture, and strategic direction. What began as a challenge to create a meaningful customer experience strategy evolved into a whole-of-organisation transformation—fuelled by purpose and a deep commitment to community. Patricia reflects on the pivotal moments, the leadership challenges, and the lasting cultural shifts that followed. This is Part 1 of a two-part series on Woollahra Council’s purpose-led transformation. Part 2 features General Manager, Craig Swift McNair, sharing his perspective on the transformation process.

How a unifying purpose can drive whole-of-organisation transformation

Why purpose is essential in local government and public service

How to bridge silos and shift culture with a shared North Star

The difference between customer service and customer experience

What it takes to embed values that guide everyday behaviour

How the council has seen results in both internal culture and community engagement

The transformational impact of a unifying purpose

Bridging organisational silos with a shared North Star

Driving cultural change in complex public environments

The role of language, values, and tone of voice in public service

Why brand archetypes matter for councils and community connection

How purpose-aligned strategy drives both internal and external outcomes

Stay tuned for Part 2, Episode 82, where Carolyn speaks with Craig Swift-McNair, Woollahra Council’s General Manager, to further explore the leadership behind this transformation.

Patricia Occelli is the Director of Community and Customer Experience at Woollahra Council, leading customer experience, communications, community engagement, cultural and arts initiatives, and Woollahra Libraries. With over 35 years of leadership in the human services sector, Patricia has driven transformation across local and state government and the for-purpose sector. She is passionate about social justice and delivering high-quality services that make a real difference in people’s lives. Her expertise spans service integration, cultural reform, customer-centric design, and staff engagement. She has successfully led ICT transformations, governance frameworks, and operational efficiencies—all while fostering empowered employees and engaged communities. A strategic leader, Patricia is committed to shaping innovative, sustainable, and impactful services.

Woollahra Council Vision, Mission & Values: Woollahra Council Website

Connect with Patricia Occelli on Linkedin

Carolyn Butler-Madden: LinkedIn | The Cause Effect

Learn more about the For Love & Money Podcast

In this powerful and deeply thoughtful episode, political economist and changemaker Katherine Trebeck joins Carolyn to explore what it means to build an economy that works for people and planet. Katherine shares her journey from working with Oxfam and Rio Tinto to co-founding the Wellbeing Economy Alliance (WEAll), and how her work is reshaping the way we define economic success.

Katherine Trebeck is a political economist, writer and advocate for economic system change. She co-founded the Wellbeing Economy Alliance (WEAll) and WEAll Scotland, and played a key role in initiating the Wellbeing Economy Governments (WEGo) partnership. Katherine is Writer-at-Large and Co-Director of the Compassion in Financial Services Hub at the University of Edinburgh, and Strategic Advisor for the Centre for Policy Development. She also serves in advisory and governance roles for numerous progressive economic institutions around the world.

Katherine’s website

Follow Katherine on LinkedIn

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Wellbeing Economy Alliance (WEAll)

Katherine’s TEDx Talk: “Why the Future Economy has to be a Wellbeing Economy”

Carolyn Butler-Madden on LinkedIn:

As mentioned in the episode:

More episodes of the For Love & Money Podcast

Episode Summary

In this inspiring episode of the For Love & Money Podcast, Carolyn Butler-Madden speaks with David Ferreira, Head of Marketing at wholesale bakery Bob & Pete’s, about their transformative journey toward becoming a purpose-led business.

What started with one passionate junior marketer asking the tough questions—“What are we doing for our community and our planet?”—has evolved into a deeply embedded purpose strategy that permeates every part of Bob & Pete’s operations.

From waste reduction and food donations to employee engagement and redefining sustainability in the food industry, David shares the real, raw and practical story of how purpose—“Baking Things Better”—became the foundation for stronger culture, deeper customer relationships, and sustainable profit.

This episode is a must-listen for business leaders, marketers, and purpose-driven professionals seeking to integrate meaningful impact with business performance.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode

✔ How Bob & Pete’s uncovered and activated their business purpose: “Baking Things Better”

Key Themes Discussed

About Our Guest – David Ferreira

David Ferreira is the Head of Marketing at Bob & Pete’s, a wholesale bakery supplying quality baked goods to cafés across Australia. With a rich background in FMCG marketing and operations, David brings a deeply human, practical and strategic approach to leading purpose within the business.

Over the past seven years, he has championed Bob & Pete’s purpose journey—from guiding the articulation of their higher purpose “Baking Things Better,” to embedding it in their values, operations, and stakeholder relationships. David is a passionate advocate for businesses being a force for good, showing that purpose doesn’t just inspire—it delivers.

Connect with David and Bob & Pete's

Bob & Pete's website

David Ferreira on Linkedin

Episode Summary:

Welcome to the For Love and Money podcast, where Carolyn Butler-Madden explores the intersection of business and social purpose. In this episode, Carolyn sits down with Hunter Leonard—business owner, author, speaker, and advocate for ending ageism. As the CEO of Blue Frog Marketing, Hunter has helped over 500 businesses drive strategic growth. He also pioneered solutions for mature professionals transitioning into business ownership. Through his extensive research, bestselling books, and thought leadership, Hunter challenges outdated business norms and offers evidence-based strategies for purpose-driven success.

Carolyn and Hunter explore what it truly means to create change through business, from leveraging experience and wisdom to redefining leadership and workplace inclusivity.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

Key Themes Discussed:

Featured Guest:

Hunter Leonard – CEO of Blue Frog Marketing, author of 10 books, business strategist, and advocate for ending ageism in the workplace.

Hunter Leonard is a business owner, author and speaker who has developed a significant reputation for outstanding marketing and strategic growth as the CEO of Blue Frog Marketing.

Hunter has also been active as an advocate for ending ageism and is achieving this through positive and practical solutions helping mature individuals with business ownership training and work transition programs. His aim is to change the world one mature age individual at a time.

Hunter has authored ten books including the Amazon best sellers - The Experience Equation and Generation Experience. Both these books were named as finalists in the Australian Career Book Awards. Red Giraffe was a hot new release on AMAZON in several categories. His organisations have won six major awards for marketing excellence as well as being listed in both the Smart 100 and Cool 100 Awards in 2018.

Hunter believes in evidence-based solutions and has surveyed more than 12,000 business owners to develop the services offered by his organisations. He has delivered over 800 seminars and presentations and contributed to over $2 billion in sales growth for his 500+ clients since 2001. Blue Frog Marketing is also active in giving back to the community via pro-bono work for various groups including Landcare, and through donations when new clients are onboarded.

He is highly regarded for his warmth, generosity, innovative thinking and his ability to get measurable results for his clients.

Hunter is working on book #11 - The 8 Rooms of Business, introducing a new way to become a better business owner.

As a ghostwriter, Hunter shares the stories and advice of business and community leaders and a recent project is also a best seller in 8 categories in the USA market.

When not running his business, Hunter is a keen bushwalker, musician, photographer and cook.

Resources & Links:

 How can businesses create lasting change while staying profitable? What role does experience play in driving business success? Share your thoughts and join the conversation!

Thank you for tuning in to this episode of For Love & Money! Don’t forget to subscribe, rate, and review the podcast to support more conversations at the intersection of profit and purpose.

Episode Summary: 

In this episode of For Love & Money, Carolyn Butler-Madden is joined by Chris Hudson, Founder & CEO of Company Road, to explore how his own personal purpose has driven his work in catalysing organisational change.

Chris shares his journey from childhood to the Ad Agency world, through corporate marketing to entrepreneurship—driven by curiosity and a deep desire to challenge the status quo. They discuss how leaders can embed purpose into their work, create meaningful cultural transformation, and reimagine traditional business models through curiosity, storytelling, and innovation.

This conversation unpacks the emotional and strategic aspects of change-making, exploring how work can become more than a means to an end and instead a space for experimentation, personal fulfilment, and systemic impact.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

Key Themes Discussed:

Featured Guest:

Chris Hudson – Founder & CEO of Company Road, host of the Company Road Podcast, and an advocate for purpose-driven organizational change.

Chris is an Intrapreneurship Coach and Founder of Company Road, a business transformation coaching and consultancy. He formed his business in response to seeing over-niching and specialisation as a significant barrier to change within corporates.

Chris is also a fellow podcast host. The Company Road Podcast explores what it takes for intrapreneurs to change companies and organisations and inspire personal growth for themselves. I’ve listened to several episodes, as well as being one of his guests. What I love is the breadth of guests and experiences that he shares. There’s some real gold in there, sometimes from unexpected places.

Our interview explores Chris’ personal purpose and how it has inspired his work and the way he approaches his work in Intrapreneurship Coaching, business design, product design and experience design. It’s a fascinating insight into how to blend what you care about personally into your work.

Resources & Links:

How is personal purpose shaping your leadership style? Leave a comment or tag us on social media with #PurposeDrivenLeadership!

In this special episode of For Love & Money, we celebrate the launch of What Is Love, an anthology of unconventional love stories from a global community of storytellers. Host Carolyn Butler-Madden is joined by Rumi Tsuchihashi, the book’s editor, along with contributors Leanne Fournier and Sabah Mirza, to explore the profound role of love in storytelling and life. Through heartfelt conversations and personal readings, this episode delves into the power of love as a force for connection, healing, and transformation.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

Featured Guests:

Key Themes Discussed:

Guest Bios

Rumi Tsuchihashi - Editor

Rumi Tsuchihashi is an essayist who spreads the word about the life changing joys of all things tiny. Her first book I Want To Remember This: Recognising the Tiny Moments That Make Up a Life, led to her 100-word essay, 'Where Our Palms Touch', getting published the "Tiny Love Stories" column in the New York Times. As an editor and coach, Rumi helps emerging authors put potent stories and pocket-sized books out into the world. Her upcoming book, I Want This for Us: The Tiny Moments That Give Marriage A Chance, connects the dots from heartbreak to second marriage in a series of vignettes.

Learn more about Rumi here or visit her nudge newsletter on substack.

Leanne Fournier - contributing author

Leanne Fournier writes fiction, nonfiction, and poetry in the stunning wilderness of Northwestern Ontario, Canada. Her creative work is infused with vivid imagery and a profound sense of place, evident in her beautifully illustrated poetry collection. The collection explores the contradictions and parallels she sees around human connection and belonging—and is set to be released in 2025. Leanne founded MightyWrite—Write for Business, where she helps clients tell stories with clarity and impact and find their unique voice. A passionate writer and social justice advocate, Leanne publishes stories about the people most often unseen and unheard at mightywrite.substack.com. You can also read more about her work at mightywrite.ca.

Sabah Mirza - contributing author

Sabah Mirza is a business advisor, facilitator, and writer whose work is grounded in the ethics of human worth and dignity. 

She creates workshops bringing leaders and teams together to build bridges of empathy, connection, and belonging through interactive games, reflections, and personal story sharing.

With a BSME from MIT, an MBA from Stanford University, and decades of personal, professional, and spiritual journeying, Sabah brings a unique, heart-centered approach to professional development and team building.

Find Sabah's stories about heart-centered living, learning, and leading at sabahwrites.substack.com.

Learn more about Sabah’s workshops at sabahmirza.com.

LINKS

What Is Love Book Learn more here

Buy the book on Amazon (Australia)

Buy the book on Amazon

Learn about Story Republic and the Story Skills Course here

In this episode of For Love & Money, Carolyn Butler-Madden dives into the transformative world of ethical fashion with Lalita Lowe—TEDx speaker, author, fashion designer and advocate for sustainable practices in the fashion industry.

Lalita shares her journey from working with leading designers in Paris and New York to becoming a champion of slow fashion and ethical production in Australia. Drawing from her must-watch TEDx Talk, Every Piece of Clothing Has a Story, Lalita unpacks the hidden costs of fast fashion, the ripple effects of our purchasing decisions, and the power of storytelling in fostering behavior change.

Discover how Lalita is inspiring a shift in the fashion industry and learn how even small, thoughtful choices can create a big impact for the planet and its people.

What You'll Learn:

About Lalita Lowe:

Lalita Lowe, author of "It’s Time to Rethink Your Fashion - Creating a Better Future," emphasises examining our values and understanding the impact of our clothing choices on the planet. She believes education is crucial for advancing a more considered and responsible fashion future. As a trained fashion designer and sustainability educator, Lalita has worked globally, from Australia to New York and Paris, and has served on the Fashion Advisory Board of RMIT. With a global perspective and a deep understanding of the fashion industry, Lalita is attuned to its current state and future direction. Her fascination with fabrics and textures, along with her appreciation for traditional techniques used by artisans worldwide, underscores her commitment to sustainable fashion

Lalita runs her own eponymous fashion brand, known for the "From Farm to Fibre to Fashion" campaign, featuring ethical, sustainable wool from Tasmania. This campaign has garnered significant media and industry attention. . Lalita’s TEDx talk 'Every Piece of Clothing Has a Story’ focuses around this campaign. Lalita weaves her talk around a picture of a good story and a bad story asking us to consider the part we all play in the story of the clothes we wear. 

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