By Tze Ching Yeung
Purpose driven entrepreneurship can be a lonely and very frustrating path to be on but it doesn’t have to be. Lead with Purpose looks to help build a community and to help you navigate through some
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The podcast currently has 81 episodes available.
On this episode of the Lead With Purpose podcast host, Tze Ching Yeung talks to Doug Betts, an HR expert, about how founders can build more effective teams and the lessons that he has learned while growing his business.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
There’s a lot of things that happen on a daily basis in the corporate world that, when the pandemic happened, just didn’t make sense any more. I wanted to think about doing things in a different way and being a bit more of a positive disruptor in how I worked. For example, it seems pointless going to an office 5 days a week. If you allow a bit of flexibility you’ll benefit a lot of people’s lives.
I’m working with some contractors on my business, so I don’t have employees. But I do have external support, where I need it, from experts who can do lower-level tasks that I can’t do myself or don’t enjoy doing.
A lot of founders hit a sense of overwhelm, no matter how good you are, it can be a little bit too much and you’re not quite sure which thing to do first. Or it can be feast or famine where work can be so manic that you don’t concentrate on things like marketing and finding new business. Be on top of your numbers, because then you know when you can start to outsource tasks.
You need to find people whop align to you business and have similar values to you, and not just about how you work. Ask some behavioural questions when you interview them not just competency-based questions, seeing how they react and what their behaviours are like will let you know if you can trust them or not. Don’t manage them but give them regular ongoing feedback.
BEST MOMENTS
‘My motivation for getting out of bed in the morning and doing this is that I like helping people and solve problems.’
‘Lockdown gave me a good opportunity to reassess and think about what I was going to do next and think about my skillset in a different way.’
‘As a founder, the business is you and ultimately you’re accountable for everything, so make sure you have a clear vision, mission, and goals for your business and communicate those to your team.’
‘You’ve got to show up every day in your business, even if you’re not physically there. Your team will look up to you as the motivator and inspirer.’
ABOUT THE GUEST
Doug Betts is a visionary HR leader with over 20 years of experience across various sectors, but with a particular interest in Charities/not for profits.
Website
ABOUT THE HOST
Tze Ching started her entrepreneurial journey back in 2007 with the launch of a sustainable clothing & home furnishing ecommerce business. Next, she created a sustainable fashion brand.
In 2019, she launched a social enterprise to help raise awareness about the negative impact of fashion at schools & colleges.
Through the 15-year journey, she learned so much, but easily the most meaningful lesson learned was about the importance of marketing. She now focuses on channelling those insights to help others succeed through We Disrupt Agency, a business coaching, mentoring & digital marketing company.
Tze Ching’s mission is to create a community of global change makers and to contribute to positive change in both people & planet.
CONTACT DETAILS
Website
On this episode of the Lead With Purpose podcast host, Tze Ching Yeung talks to Elin Bergman, the circular economy queen of Sweden, to talk about her company, cradlenet, as well as her career in sustainability.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
I our ‘Circular Friday’ meetings we teach businesses about the latest news in the circular economy, we invite speakers, experts and scientists. It’s unique that we meet our members every single Friday. On top of that we hold regular member’s meetings where we go deeper into subjects like standards and legislations, so they know what to do. We also do projects and write reports as well as pushing a lot of content out on social media and our website.
Sweden has clean streets, and we’ve fought a lot of environmental problems successfully, but it’s extremely not sustainable, we push things out of sight and out of mind. We have fantastic wate systems and so on, but when it comes to circularity, we really destroy the precious resources we have and emit a lot of carbon.
The reason for that is that we’re quite rich, we can afford to have big, heavy cars, we buy clothes like crazy people, every time we move somewhere we rip out perfectly fine kitchens because we want to put our own stamp on things, and we have multiple houses with the country house standing empty for most of the year.
We’re destroying many of the precious resources we need for the renewable energy transition. We only have a certain amount of gold, copper, aluminium and so on, but right now we’re acting as if it will never run out. But prices are going up, there’s less to dig up out of the ground, and at the same time we’re wasting it by dumping it in electronic waste dumps and burning it. We really need to fix this system and the circular economy is a great way of doing that.
BEST MOMENTS
‘Finland is much better at the circular economy than other countries.’
‘The planet is only 7.2% circular, and that number is going down. In Sweden it’s even worse: Only 3.4% circular, which means we’re one of the 20 worst countries in the world when it comes to circularity and over-consuming.’
‘If we don’t take care of the way we consume and produce things then we’ll have a problem.’
‘Recycling is the last thing you should do in the circular economy, it’ about resource efficiency and looking after the precious resources that we have. New things are coming into the circular economy every day, I’m never done learning about it.’
ABOUT THE GUEST
Elin Bergman: I am passionate about accelerating the transition to a circular economy that enables humanity to live in harmony with nature. I have over 16 years of experience working in sustainability, working at organisations such as WWF, sustainability consultancies and the Haga Initiative.
I currently work as the Chief Operating Officer, Vice Chair and spokesperson of the leading business network for circular economy in Sweden - Cradlenet. In that role I also serve as an advisor for various initiatives and being part of the reference group of the Swedish Delegation for circular economy, and the Circular Economy Coalition.
In 2018 I co-founded the Nordic Circular Hotspot, a platform that connects and showcases circular economy actors and initiatives in the Nordic region and beyond. The organisation now has managing partner organisations in all Nordic countries.
ABOUT THE HOST
Tze Ching started her entrepreneurial journey back in 2007 with the launch of a sustainable clothing & home furnishing ecommerce business. Next, she created a sustainable fashion brand.
In 2019, she launched a social enterprise to help raise awareness about the negative impact of fashion at schools & colleges.
Through the 15-year journey, she learned so much, but easily the most meaningful lesson learned was about the importance of marketing. She now focuses on channelling those insights to help others succeed through We Disrupt Agency, a business coaching, mentoring & digital marketing company.
Tze Ching’s mission is to create a community of global change makers and to contribute to positive change in both people & planet.
CONTACT DETAILS
Website
On this episode of the Lead With Purpose podcast host, Tze Ching Yeung talks to Chloe Wynn, director of Maven Design Studio, about sustainability in traditionally one of the most environmentally impactful and wasteful industries: construction.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
BEST MOMENTS
‘If we’re refurbishing sites every 5-7 years, which is the standard cycle is, we’re just getting a bigger and bigger pile of chairs for example, because they’re not cost-effective to take apart.’
‘It’s not your fault, but it is your responsibility. I can see the problem and I choose to try and do something positive about it.’
‘Good maintenance is a huge factor of being sustainable, if you look after things they last longer.’
’10-15 years ago no design studios were talking about sustainability, whereas now it’s really encouraging the amount of studios, architects, and even some clients talking about it, because it’s important to their customers.’
ABOUT THE GUEST
Chloe Wynn is a designer inspired by nature, culture, and the senses, with technically considered solutions and circularity in mind.
Website
ABOUT THE HOST
Tze Ching started her entrepreneurial journey back in 2007 with the launch of a sustainable clothing & home furnishing ecommerce business. Next, she created a sustainable fashion brand.
In 2019, she launched a social enterprise to help raise awareness about the negative impact of fashion at schools & colleges.
Through the 15-year journey, she learned so much, but easily the most meaningful lesson learned was about the importance of marketing. She now focuses on channelling those insights to help others succeed through We Disrupt Agency, a business coaching, mentoring & digital marketing company.
Tze Ching’s mission is to create a community of global change makers and to contribute to positive change in both people & planet.
CONTACT DETAILS
Website
On this episode of the Lead With Purpose podcast host, Tze Ching Yeung talks to Richard Lue, a fashion consultant, about fashion and working with big, global brands
KEY TAKEAWAYS
BEST MOMENTS
‘It’s important we have community in all these spaces because things can go wrong when you have the wrong network.’
‘These brands are so big and creating so much that even if they produce 10% of their collections sustainably, it would still be a drop in the ocean.’
‘At the end of the day being sustainable doesn’t mean not being desirable, I’m always working on let’s make desirable product and find a sustainable way of producing it.’
‘Who are you targeting? What are you trying to produce? What are the price points? Create a bible so that anyone working in the organisation can see what the brand stands for.’
ABOUT THE GUEST
Richard Lue has over twenty years of experience delivering exceptional business results for premium and luxury brands like Benetton, Guess, Ralph Lauren, Tommy Hilfiger, and Calvin Klein, his consultancy specialises in creating bespoke solutions for new, emerging, and established brands looking to develop clothing and business strategies in a sustainable way.
LinkedIn
ABOUT THE HOST
Tze Ching started her entrepreneurial journey back in 2007 with the launch of a sustainable clothing & home furnishing ecommerce business. Next, she created a sustainable fashion brand.
In 2019, she launched a social enterprise to help raise awareness about the negative impact of fashion at schools & colleges.
Through the 15-year journey, she learned so much, but easily the most meaningful lesson learned was about the importance of marketing. She now focuses on channelling those insights to help others succeed through We Disrupt Agency, a business coaching, mentoring & digital marketing company.
Tze Ching’s mission is to create a community of global change makers and to contribute to positive change in both people & planet.
CONTACT DETAILS
Website
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Instagram
Twitter
LinkedIn
On this episode of the Lead With Purpose podcast host, Tze Ching Yeung talks to Maria Remy about circularity and fashion.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
BEST MOMENTS
‘CLOSWAP is Tinder for clothes and Eventbrite for swapping events combined.’
‘Swapping is probably the least financially viable business to get into, we’ve never hosted an event that was profitable!’
‘Impact is the mission I want to pursue throughout my life.’
‘Apps like Vinted take too long, when I buy something I want it right now.’
ABOUT THE GUEST
Maria Remy is a former professional athlete turned marketing specialist, creative director and founder of CLOSWAP, winner of the Mayor's Entrepreneurship Award 2024 and a top 700 startup & social venture (according to Hult Prize) pioneering in circular fashion.
With a background in fashion styling and a passion for social impact, she leads with creativity, strategy, and a commitment to change. Maria is also the president of the Women in Business, driving diversity and innovation in the industry.
ABOUT THE HOST
Tze Ching started her entrepreneurial journey back in 2007 with the launch of a sustainable clothing & home furnishing ecommerce business. Next, she created a sustainable fashion brand.
In 2019, she launched a social enterprise to help raise awareness about the negative impact of fashion at schools & colleges.
Through the 15-year journey, she learned so much, but easily the most meaningful lesson learned was about the importance of marketing. She now focuses on channelling those insights to help others succeed through We Disrupt Agency, a business coaching, mentoring & digital marketing company.
Tze Ching’s mission is to create a community of global change makers and to contribute to positive change in both people & planet.
CONTACT DETAILS
Website
On this episode of the Lead With Purpose podcast host, Tze Ching Yeung talks to Adela Mei, founder of Jackdaw Coaching, to talk about ecology, conservation, business coaching, the rainforest, and more.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
BEST MOMENTS
‘For my dissertation I went to Peru for three months with a friend to study emergent trees in the rainforest, and I got the bug. Over the next three years I was out there most of the time.’
‘When people talk about “nature bathing”, this was full immersion in the rainforest.’
‘Seeing clear-felling broke my heart. What was pristine rainforest that was thousands of years old decimated in days.’
‘I work mainly with positive impact projects – businesses or business owners who deeply care about the environment and who want to be a forced for good.’
ABOUT THE GUEST
https://jackdawcoaching.com/10-steps-to-build-a-sustainable-business/
Adela Mei helps business owners take simple steps to sustainable business success, with digital strategy and business coaching.
With her wealth of experience in web design, digital marketing, and online platforms, she helps business owners streamline their online presence, creating consistent and clear messaging, so they can attract more clients.
Adela set up her own company Jackdaw Coaching Ltd in 2020 to support small businesses grow sustainably, through digital strategy, personal branding and business coaching.
ABOUT THE HOST
Tze Ching started her entrepreneurial journey back in 2007 with the launch of a sustainable clothing & home furnishing ecommerce business. Next, she created a sustainable fashion brand.
In 2019, she launched a social enterprise to help raise awareness about the negative impact of fashion at schools & colleges.
Through the 15-year journey, she learned so much, but easily the most meaningful lesson learned was about the importance of marketing. She now focuses on channelling those insights to help others succeed through We Disrupt Agency, a business coaching, mentoring & digital marketing company.
Tze Ching’s mission is to create a community of global change makers and to contribute to positive change in both people & planet.
CONTACT DETAILS
Website
On this episode of the Lead With Purpose podcast host, Tze Ching Yeung talks to Rebecca Ghim, founder of The Firm, a company that produces kimchi – a fermented food made of commonly discarded food byproducts to talk about her product and food waste more generally.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
BEST MOMENTS
‘The idea for my startup was that it would be an interesting, marketable idea to reduce food waste using kimchi.’
‘It was passion-led, I didn’t plan it.’
‘The only way to eliminate household food waste is through behavior change and education around what is “edible” vs “inedible”.’
‘I get rid of the pain points for restaurants and hotels by taking the food waste they would otherwise be charged for disposing of.’
ABOUT THE GUEST
Growing up in South Korea, Rebecca Ghim participated in Kimjang, a collective ritual where a neighborhood comes together to make kilos of kimchi.
She kept up the ritual while studying abroad, first with friends and now through partnerships with restaurateurs and farmers.
Rebecca’s business, The Ferm, produces a range of fermented food made of commonly discarded byproducts. She hopes to bring better gut health to customers by promoting probiotic meals while helping to create a circular economy within the UK’s food systems.
The Ferm’s products are being sold in farmer’s markets, delis, health food shops, and cafés in London. Rebecca has also trialed a fermentation service with the OXO Tower Restaurant where she collected their waste cauliflower leaves and turned them into kimchi to use in the restaurant.
She’s now looking for ways to expand this B2B fermentation service alongside her products.
ABOUT THE HOST
Tze Ching started her entrepreneurial journey back in 2007 with the launch of a sustainable clothing & home furnishing e-commerce business. Next, she created a sustainable fashion brand.
In 2019, she launched a social enterprise to help raise awareness about the negative impact of fashion at schools & colleges.
Through the 15-year journey, she learned so much, but easily the most meaningful lesson learned was about the importance of marketing. She now focuses on channeling those insights to help others succeed through We Disrupt Agency, a business coaching, mentoring & digital marketing company.
Tze Ching’s mission is to create a community of global change makers and to contribute to positive change in both people & planet.
CONTACT DETAILS
Website
On this episode of the Lead With Purpose podcast host, Tze Ching Yeung talks to Niclas Iren, an expert within the sustainability and circularity space, about his pioneering work in this area including wireless charging of electric vehicles while they’re driving and the issues around new technologies like this.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
BEST MOMENTS
‘It’s really important for sustainability-based companies to not lose track of the fundamentals of doing business: Understanding their market/customer, designing products.’
‘There are different ways of forming your team but, typically, you need a lot of different skills, capabilities and competencies.’
‘In most businesses, the most important skill is the ability to meet the customer and make a sale. You can have the best product but, if you can’t sell it, it won’t work’
‘In any business you will consume resources, you can try and make as much of those resources circular, but you will never reach 100%.’
ABOUT THE GUEST
Niclas Ihrén is recognized as one of the most influential thought-leaders on sustainability in business in the Nordics. Currently the CEO of strategy consultant Matters Group with a vast experience from; Tällberg Foundation, Global Utmaning/Global Challenge, World Climate Solutions, World Ecological Forum to mention a few.
Website
ABOUT THE HOST
Tze Ching started her entrepreneurial journey back in 2007 with the launch of a sustainable clothing & home furnishing ecommerce business. Next, she created a sustainable fashion brand.
In 2019, she launched a social enterprise to help raise awareness about the negative impact of fashion at schools & colleges.
Through the 15-year journey, she learned so much, but easily the most meaningful lesson learned was about the importance of marketing. She now focuses on channelling those insights to help others succeed through We Disrupt Agency, a business coaching, mentoring & digital marketing company.
Tze Ching’s mission is to create a community of global change makers and to contribute to positive change in both people & planet.
CONTACT DETAILS
Website
On this episode of the Lead With Purpose podcast host, Tze Ching Yeung talks to Angela Roth, an ex-police officer who is now a heart-led coach who coaches entrepreneurs in visibility and marketing to explain her journey.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
BEST MOMENTS
‘Policing taught me a coaching mindset.’
‘If everybody that I dealt with say thank you to me by the end of their journey with me, I’d feel like I’ve done a good job.’
‘If you had the choice to do what you really want to do, what is it that excites you and who is it you’d really love to help?.’
‘If you follow your heart the world is a bigger place, the imagination can take you much further than your mind can, and it can really draw out of you the magic that’s inside.’
ABOUT THE GUEST
Angela Roth: My own Career path is many and varied, following our own travels around the country. But my passion, and first love, is helping coaches to thrive, giving them the skills they need to follow their own calling! Everyone should have the opportunity to Succeed From The Start - hence the name of our training and development community membership; none of us goes into business without experience to share, and drive to achieve - if you haven't hit your success yet, help is at hand!
Website
ABOUT THE HOST
Tze Ching started her entrepreneurial journey back in 2007 with the launch of a sustainable clothing & home furnishing ecommerce business. Next, she created a sustainable fashion brand.
In 2019, she launched a social enterprise to help raise awareness about the negative impact of fashion at schools & colleges.
Through the 15-year journey, she learned so much, but easily the most meaningful lesson learned was about the importance of marketing. She now focuses on channelling those insights to help others succeed through We Disrupt Agency, a business coaching, mentoring & digital marketing company.
Tze Ching’s mission is to create a community of global change makers and to contribute to positive change in both people & planet.
CONTACT DETAILS
Website
On this episode of the Lead With Purpose podcast host, Tze Ching Yeung talks to David Chenery to talk about sustainable interior design and architecture and the differences and similarities between the two.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
BEST MOMENTS
‘Restaurants can open and fail within 2 years, all the material, energy and effort involved in getting that open is then wasted.’
‘A lot of people think about carbon and NetZero when they think about sustainability, but in the fit-out world carbon is measurable and can be important, but it’s not holistic enough.’
‘When you throw something away there is no ‘away’, it has to go somewhere, can you donate materials to charities or break it down and process the materials in a genuine recycling way to avoid landfill?’
‘The deeper we get into it the more interested I am in the principles: What is the least we can do to be excellent?’
ABOUT THE GUEST
David Chenery is the founder of Object Space Place, a sustainable hospitality design studio, working across architecture, interior design and branding. He also co-hosts the “Hospitality and the Infinite Game” series with Michael Tingsager.
Website
Podcast
ABOUT THE HOST
Tze Ching started her entrepreneurial journey back in 2007 with the launch of a sustainable clothing & home furnishing ecommerce business. Next, she created a sustainable fashion brand.
In 2019, she launched a social enterprise to help raise awareness about the negative impact of fashion at schools & colleges.
Through the 15-year journey, she learned so much, but easily the most meaningful lesson learned was about the importance of marketing. She now focuses on channelling those insights to help others succeed through We Disrupt Agency, a business coaching, mentoring & digital marketing company.
Tze Ching’s mission is to create a community of global change makers and to contribute to positive change in both people & planet.
CONTACT DETAILS
Website
The podcast currently has 81 episodes available.