Most natural and organic brand leaders know that they must approach their finances strategically. I've worked with you. You're smart. You're savvy. You know marketing and employees and product launches inside and out.

But purpose? Being mission-driven? How on earth do you strategize THAT?

In fact, purpose or mission must be cultivated in a very strategic and thoughtful way for it to be effective. It takes a lot of thought and planning to dive head-long into a viable and worthwhile purpose. A long-lasting, durable, meaningful purpose must be carefully curated through every step of a brand's evolution. Cross-functionally, as they say. Or it’s a bust.

Example of Strategic Purpose

As reported in Time Magazine, only a few dozen world chocolate brands really live up to laudable environmental and social standards. The Chocolate Scorecard ranked some of the most popular chocolatiers and found the majority lacking, while only five received high marks for factors including traceability, providing a living income, preventing child labor, avoiding deforestation, implementing agroforestry, and reducing pesticide use.

Of the top-ranked chocolate brands was Tony’s Chocolonely, an Amsterdam-based chocolate maker selling whimsically-packaged chocolate bars worldwide.

Founded in 2005, Tony’s achieved an annual revenue of 100M euros in 2021 and then, astonishingly, 150M euros just two years later. The B-Corp company also ranked among the highest 5 chocolatiers in the world for sustainability by the Chocolate Scorecard, and it has partnered with Ben & Jerry’s in the mission to make the cocoa industry 100% slave free (although B&J has been purchased by Unilever, so while the brand itself has certain standards, the larger company may not). Tony's also created “guardians” through an independent foundation called Tony’s Mission Lock to guarantee and safeguard its sustainable standards regardless of future leadership changes.

This is a respectable way to build a purpose within a company. My guess is that the strong goals set up by Tony’s did not come about by chance. They were strategically approached from a foundation of core values held by the founders and the employees.

How to Strategically Integrate Purpose

As a consultant for natural and organic product brands, I support core values as the beacon that drives purpose. You can’t know what your ultimate mission is if you don’t define your core company values—and be very clear about what you stand for and what you won’t tolerate.

I support establishing clear, bold values that crystalize what direction the company wants to move in. From there, developing a plan and process for a mission or purpose is straightforward. In the example of Tony’s, their work with cocoa farmers led to values that supported child-free labor and the end of slavery. This led strategically to a purpose wherein their profits support initiatives that end slavery and protect children. 

As their statement also says, a company’s purpose is larger than the company. To be a truly impactful mission, it must seek to change and benefit the industry as a whole… working diligently to address internal obstacles at the same time reaching beyond your team to partner with “competitors” to disrupt business-as-usual for the benefit of environment and humanity.

This takes a rebellious spirit, I believe, to achieve such a quantum mission, but it’s essential and it’s being tackled by more and more entrepreneurs and business leaders daily. I commend it, and I support the purposeful and strategic steps that will ultimately (even if it’s not immediately) result in women’s equity, earth-first (not just earth-friendly) capitalism, and more.

Natural & Organic Brand Coaching

Herbal entrepreneur, author, speaker, and coach Holly Bellebuono provides powerful 1:1 coaching for natural brand leaders. Her work with natural and organic product brands, including herbal, aroma, clean beauty, cosmetics, skincare, chocolate, tea & coffee, and organic food & beverage brands, can help you:

• formulate strategy
• develop vision
• expand leadership skills
• bounce ideas
• assess your plans
• review concerns and challenges
• implement innovative and profitable next steps for success.

Holly's strong business services are especially for small to medium organic brands, including strategy and business planning, business coaching, customized course design and build, and speaking services for events. Holly also supports aspiring authors with book proposal development, 

With 30 years’ experience in entrepreneurship, finance, project management, strategy, and planning in both for-profits and non-profits, Holly is known as a discreet and powerful coach.

Holly’s business courses move a business forward with practical and "tactical" skills. Holly’s Product Maker’s Business Bundle combines three essential courses for natural & organic brands.