iB-LIEVE: Mindfulness for the professional in you

A company’s ability to adapt to change in the marketplace will determine that company’s success. To understand this, the company and its leadership need to be present in their focus, outlook, and decision making. Failure to be present in business can have major consequences, often ending in a company’s death. Conversely, those companies who are most present will always be ahead of the curve and retain a competitive edge.

Here are a few companies that are good examples of what it means to be “present” in their approach to business:

Gary V’s Wine Library TV– Gary Vaynerchuk continues to dominate the US wine industry by adapting to the changes in the wine consumer. His daily vlogs and enthusiastic approach to business makes for his mission (and business) to be well received. His ability to be present has enabled him to grow his business from a few million dollars a year to over 50 million a year in sales! http://tv.winelibrary.com/about/

TOMS Shoes- Founder Blake Mycoskie is a great example of being present business leader and his business certainly follows suit. When someone buys a pair of TOMS Shoes, a pair is given to a child in need. In the past four years, TOMS shoes have given away over 600,000 pairs of shoes. This business concept, along with trendy designs and penetrating the celeb market, has allowed Blake and his company to be on the competitive edge of social entrepreneurship while amassing a major shoe brand both in the USA and across the globe. www.toms.com

Here’s a good example of a company who has failed to be present:

Polaroid – While the world was busy buying up digital cameras and equipment, Polaroid was snapping, printing, and “shaking” pictures right out of business. Polaroid failed to adapt to the change in the marketplace and never truly entered the digital age of photography. The once leading manufacturer in the industry failed to adapt and grow and ended up filing for bankruptcy once in 2005 and again in 2008.

WHAT MAKES A MINDFUL BUSINESS?

Although the companies described above have displayed the potential effects (both positive and negative) of “presence” in the business world, there is another factor that contributes to a company’s MINDFULNESS. This factor is a company’s ability to see beyond the bottom line of only profit.

Many companies (like TOMS shoes) are not just thinking in terms of profit anymore, they are striving to become more socially conscious and have a positive impact on society. Corporate social responsibility is a major initiative that more and more companies are incorporating into their business initiative. This corporate responsibility initiative helps companies address their present needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs, expanding from using recyclable materials, donating to various causes and charities, demanding fair wage policies, etc.

To learn about some other MINDFUL businesses out there, please visit some of these great companies:

Holstee: An eco-friendly apparel company that helps enable impoverished communities through micro-lending.
Playback Clothing: An apparel company that saves and recycles plastic PET bottles sent to landfills to create their line of clothing.
Enterprise Community Partners: Edward Norton’s $9B housing project that creates affordable homes to build better and greener communities nationwide.