Is this the next chapter of capitalism? That was the question Seven Hills co-founder Michael Hayman put to organic supermarket pioneer Renee Elliott (Planet Organic) and baby food entrepreneur Paul Lindley (Ella’s Kitchen) in the latest edition of The Club at The Ivy breakfast series.
In front of an audience of aspiring food entrepreneurs, Renée and Paul spoke about their food business journeys and how they have sought to marry purpose with profit. They spoke about their leadership styles, impressed the importance of continuous learning and recalled the commitments they made in the early days to creating values-driven companies.
“Business is ultimately about people. Motivate the people who work with you, buy from you and invest in you”, said Paul.
Renée explained how you must build a positive workplace culture from the top down, adding, “You have to care about the impact of your business. Not just your bottom line.”
After inviting questions from the floor, Paul ended with the advice, “Always remember why you set the business up in the first place– that way, you won’t make a mistake.”
The Club at The Ivy event series will return in 2018.