In an ever-evolving global marketplace that has proven to be more interconnected and interdependent than ever before, there’s more to being a savvy entrepreneur than keeping a sound balance sheet.
Success in business has come to mean more than just fulfilling your bottom line. Pursuing a greater core purpose beyond increasing your profit margins has proven to increase the value of many organizations and not only for Sales and P.R.’s sake. The benefits of a purpose-driven company include driving growth, differentiation, higher-level employee engagement and accelerating sustainable development, which are key factors, especially in times of adversity.
You don’t just take our word for it. Take it from the very entrepreneurs that have made success stories out of their yearning for something more. Ryan Gersava and Maureen Sigliano are two incredible individuals that couldn’t come from any more different backgrounds but have found themselves on the path of impact-driven entrepreneurship through their professional and personal journeys.
Ryan is the Founder and President of Virtualahan, a social enterprise that is breaking down employment barriers for people with disabilities, former drug addicts, and other groups who experience workplace exclusion using the equalizing power of technology. The company was founded after he experienced employment discrimination as a medical laboratory scientist because of his chronic disease.
“Brand impact is making impact the main identity of your company,” Ryan says. “And since impact is in your core, it will shape your company’s direction and will guide the decision-making process. The Virtualahan Impact Formula which combines digital skills training, employment and entrepreneurship support, life-coaching and well-being, and community building serves as the framework for all new initiatives for the company.”
A proud mother of four multicultural teenagers and a budding poet, Maureen spent 25 years leading Product, CRM & Loyalty teams at global organizations including American Express, AXA and Western Union. Then in late 2015, WU’s Chief Executive gave her a stretch assignment: Ambassador of Global Refugee Initiatives & Impact. That role changed her life forever and ended up crystallizing her vision of what true leadership entails.
“They can’t be spectators on the sidelines just contributing with a bit of philanthropy. They need to pull up their sleeves and get more involved. Their success should be measured on their SHARED VALUE they deliver. So brand impact is the actual measurable concrete impact that a brand delivers.” according to Maureen.
In the last decades, brand positioning developed significantly, focusing on integrated user experiences in the 2000s and Brand Purposes in the 2010s. Some would consider this long-term trend towards corporate purpose a clear indication of the shifting culture in business, but as most pioneers, our entrepreneurs didn’t always have it easy.
Ryan recalls the early days and what kept him inspired to keep going despite the odds. “Our work is not taken seriously because traditional businesses put us in the charity box and not treating us as a legit enterprise. But our tested and proven impact formula and working business model keeps on proving them wrong.”
Maureen passionately remembers her key frustrations were the “Number of pre-conceived or outdated ideas that are hampering progress & impact. For example, the fact that the billions donated philanthropically are not required to ‘sweat,’ that shareholders don’t require triple bottom line accountability, that impact is still considered ‘nice to have at a time when our house is burning.’”
So what is the real value of impact, moving forward, and is it really considered the core value of our decade and decades to come?
“I think the UN SDGs, with their very good branding, has influenced a lot of company directions, projects, and strategic focus. Impact not just became a buzzword but a lifestyle for many organizations especially in the new normal.
It’s a business that truly cares versus a business that wants to rank high in their ESGs. A purpose-driven brand gives a safe space for a diverse group of people to achieve a purpose-led goal while having a deep sense of fulfillment with their work because they find meaning in it.”
For Maureen, it’s more than brand value but a core value in leadership, business and survival.
Like a sturdy bow that keeps your boat moving forward and allows you to navigate through countless waves, purpose is what has kept these entrepreneurs sailing steady and strong. Their resolve in being able to drive impact is their sail and their acquired wisdom through years of experience, wins and losses, and a strong commitment to their communities all have proven essential tools in creating a purpose-led company culture.
For other business leaders seeking to take the same journey, Ryan and Maureen have some words of advice to unlock that sense of purpose:
Purpose without impact is no more than ambition without results, therefore it is essential to assess the effect a company makes. Read more to gain insights into impact measurement and how to communicate your impact.
A collection of interview statements from our partners telling about their journeys with impact, why and how they make a positive impact through their work. Read our article to gain insights and steer your business well!
We pride ourselves on being a purpose-driven marketing agency that builds brands that do better. Do better in not just the economical sense but also having a positive effect on society and our planet. Do you wish to know how a digital agency can create a positive impact? Read how we do it at RDB.
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