In this episode of the Arete Podcast, Richard Triggs reconnects with Linzi Boyd, founder of One Earth Global. The two first met in Brisbane in 2017, when Linzi was running workshops on brand and purpose, and nearly nine years on there is a lot to catch up on.
Linzi started her first business at 18 and sold her footwear company to Caterpillar at 24. She then spent 17 years building and refreshing some of the best-known names on the high street, including Superdry, Wrangler and Lacoste, before walking away to start a business school that teaches companies to lead with purpose and still make a commercial return. Four years ago she moved her family to Bali, and she talks about what living in an emerging market has taught her about business.
At the heart of the conversation is her case that purpose-led businesses grow faster than product-led, sales-led ones. Linzi explains why she starts with the business brand, the people brands and the purpose, then carries that through the products, the route to market, pricing and campaigns. She shares how a UK engineering firm stopped describing itself as engineers and reframed its work around engineering a better society.
Richard then turns to the question every senior executive should be asking: what does this mean for my own career? Linzi argues that every CEO is now a brand, that most leaders are leaving their biggest asset on the table, and that when boards, employers and the next generation of talent go looking for you, what they find matters. Her story of two candidates going for the same senior role makes the point well.
They also talk about Richard’s book Winning the War for Talent, why so many CEO LinkedIn profiles undersell the people behind the business, and how a clear sense of purpose helps organisations attract and keep good people.
A conversation for CEOs, business owners and senior executives thinking about their next stage of growth, and about how they show up for their next role.
TIME STAMPS:
01:49 Catching up: from footwear to global brands to One Earth Global
05:58 What living in Bali has taught her about business
08:58 Where to start: building a brand-led, purpose-led business model
17:11 What purpose looks like for a traditional business
25:30 Building your brand as an executive
30:15 Winning the War for Talent and the CEO LinkedIn profile
34:33 Your profile as a career asset: two candidates, one role
40:25 How to work with One Earth Global
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