Stories from the Community

Lesson in Leadership: Is Honesty the Best Policy?
Tom Hering Tom Hering

Lesson in Leadership: Is Honesty the Best Policy?

Nike just announced it will eliminate 745 jobs at its Oregon headquarters.

And it got me thinking about honesty in business. (No, I have no issue with my favorite shoemaker.) More specifically, honesty in leadership.

For years, I spent time in the ad agency world. Layoffs were part and parcel of that business. Lose an account and lose some employees. Lose another account and lose more employees. And so it went with the bad times of every economic cycle.

Now if you were an employee…

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Have Millennials Lost Faith in Business? (New Report)
Tom Hering Tom Hering

Have Millennials Lost Faith in Business? (New Report)

The answer to that question should concern every business professional yet provide a bit of hope at the same time.

You see, the Millennial generation is now the largest in the U.S. workforce.

How large, you ask?

Well, as of 2017 – the most recent year for which U.S. Census data are available – 56 million Millennials (those ages 21 to 36 in 2017) were working or looking for work. And that number was significantly ahead of the 41 million Baby Boomers.

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How To Find Inspiration in Business (When All Else Fails)
Tom Hering Tom Hering

How To Find Inspiration in Business (When All Else Fails)

I’ve seen the future.

And it was in Wright’s Great Hall at the Menucha Retreat Center last Wednesday morning at 9 a.m.

I was invited to speak to the Rotary Youth Leadership Awakening about the benefit corporation movement. Which I did in front of 30-plus business minded folks under the age of 30.

I took them through the “why” and the “how” for this business structure…

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What Changing the World Looks Like Up Close and Personal
Tom Hering Tom Hering

What Changing the World Looks Like Up Close and Personal

It is a paradigm like no other. Where cause-driven businesses collaborate with their communities to change the world. And if you doubt this premise, then you weren’t there. I’m talking about our very first workshop on the Benefit Company movement.

You see, just two weeks ago, my business partner and I talked with 16 curious entrepreneurs at Portland’s HatchLab PDX about the “why” for…

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Does Your Business Have a Soul? Here's How To Tell...
MaryAnne Harmer MaryAnne Harmer

Does Your Business Have a Soul? Here's How To Tell...

I’ve been around.  And I have many chapters in my life to prove it.

An executive at several major healthcare organizations, an ED at a nonprofit agency, a lead strategist at a branding agency, a coach and a consultant for many local and national government agencies, and an entrepreneur launching two start-up companies.   

AIong the way, I’ve worked in a multitude of capacities, partnering with…

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The Number 1 Strategy for Long-Term Entrepreneur Success:  Be Cause-Driven!
MaryAnne Harmer MaryAnne Harmer

The Number 1 Strategy for Long-Term Entrepreneur Success: Be Cause-Driven!

There is no magic formula for a startup. But in today’s world, it is not just about focusing on the bottom line – generating revenue and managing expenses. Customers in 2018 make choices not solely on the cost and quality of a product or service, but whether the company itself is doing good.

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The Power of Simplicity and the Art of Communication
Tom Hering Tom Hering

The Power of Simplicity and the Art of Communication

It's been said that life really is simple. But it's we humans who make it complicated.

Think for a minute about that 2,500 year-old thought from Confucius.

It's really the truth isn't it?

The human condition is such that we are always wanting more.

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Don’t Fake It!  People "Sniff Out" Greenwashing
MaryAnne Harmer MaryAnne Harmer

Don’t Fake It! People "Sniff Out" Greenwashing

APPLAUSE please…to all those businesses large and small sincerely committed to the triple bottom line of “People, Planet, Profit.” These include social enterprises, B Corps, Benefit Companies and other cause-driven organizations that believe “doing good is good for business.” 

These are the authentic ones.  Those with honest and sincere efforts…

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Why Should a Brewery Become a Benefit Company?
MaryAnne Harmer MaryAnne Harmer

Why Should a Brewery Become a Benefit Company?

From Voodoo Donuts to Forest Park to food carts, Oregon is proud of its many unique attractions. At the top of the list for many people is the fact that this is a world-class beer state with many Oregonians proud of this thriving and energetic industry. It is a part of…

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