In this episode, Maria and Ian discuss:

• Building a business out of empathy that is sustainable and serves the community. 
• The growing trend of conscious consumerism and making it a priority in your business.
• Parker Clay’s mission and how it is helping to attract the right customer and keep them loyal. 

Key Takeaways:

• There is no business without people - they make your business. 
• As consumers, we should champion the brands that are really working hard to celebrate the value of people and make a beautiful product, because both can exist together.
• The more transparent you can be as a company in making sure that every customer touchpoint tells the same story, the more you can gain the trust of your customers and make it easier for customers to default to wanting to be part of your mission. 

"We celebrate the value of people without compromising on the value of our product. You don't need to choose between those things and we are never going to compromise on people." —  Ian Bentley

About Ian Bentley Co-Founder and CEO:

In 2011 everything changed for Ian Bentley when he and his wife Brittany traveled to Ethiopia to adopt their daughter. Not only did they fall in love with the country, the culture, and the people they met, but they also saw first hand both a need and an opportunity to develop a company that could meet that need. Ian and his family moved to Ethiopia in 2012 to help support vulnerable women and children, and it was there they founded Parker Clay as a way to further transform the community through trade.

With a background in business development and a passion to enact change, Ian, along with his wife Brittany, laid the framework for Parker Clay while living in Ethiopia. Their desire was to create a company that showcased Ethiopian leather and premium craftsmanship, while also providing meaningful work and job training to underemployed and unemployed people in Ethiopia. Now Ian is co-founder and CEO of Parker Clay, a premium leather company making products in Ethiopia. Parker Clay is deeply committed to producing every product ethically and sustainably without compromising on quality, while also focused on creating job opportunities that empower vulnerable women to not just survive but thrive. 

After living in Ethiopia for three years, Ian, his wife Brittany, and their 5 children moved back to their hometown of Santa Barbara to open the flagship Parker Clay store and continue to grow the business in the United States.

Connect with Ian Bentley:  

Website: ParkerClay.com

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/ianwbentley

Connect with Maria: 

Get the podcast and book: TheEmpathyEdge.com

Learn more about Maria’s brand strategy work and books: Red-Slice.com

Download a free guide: The 5 Business Benefits of Empathy: http://red-slice.com/business-benefits-empathy

Hire Maria to speak at your next event: Red-Slice.com/Speaker-Maria-Ross

LinkedIn: Maria Ross

Instagram: @redslicemaria

Twitter: @redslice

Facebook: Red Slice