Episode 82: Aisling Connaughton
Join Lori and her guest, Aisling Connaughton, as they talk about helping business owners incorporate philanthropy into their companies. Aisling Connaughton, the Co-Founder of Cyd Connects, is well-versed in combining business and social impact. By building philanthropy into the core of your company's mission and operations, you can create a lasting positive impact. This approach goes beyond traditional business practices and opens opportunities to make a difference in the world!
Here are the things to expect in this episode:
How to incorporate your business into philanthropy.
Many businesses are now choosing to become B Corporations, and there are several compelling reasons for this trend.
Companies can significantly contribute to solving pressing societal issues.
Why women should actively seek out mentorship opportunities, both as mentors and mentees.
And much more!
Cyd Connects: https://cydconnects.com/
Aisling Connaughton’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aisling-connaughton-01111123/?o
Connect with Lori Kranczer!
Website: https://www.linkphilanthropic.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lorikranczer/
Episode Transcript
You're listening to the positive impact philanthropy podcast where we share the journeys of everyday philanthropists as they incorporate philanthropy into their lives. Philanthropy is a personal journey and through the stories we will share here. We hope that it's our something in you and how you can make your own philanthropic impact in the world. I'm your host, Lori Kranczer attorney, philanthropic advisor and legacy giving strategist. Together we're going to explore what it looks like to be an everyday philanthropist and make a positive impact in the world. Before we get started, make sure to subscribe to the podcast so you never miss a new episode posted every Wednesday. Okay, Aisling is great to have you so please share with us more information about what you do.
Thank you so much for having me, Lori, it's so lovely to be here. So as you can probably guess from my spelling of my name and my funny accent. I'm Irish and I'm based out in London. And so I have a sustainability consultancy and we help businesses really switch out their ESG and sustainability framework put a stake in the ground so they can start measuring their impacts and their positive impacts or their profits as well as what they're doing for people and planet. So yes, it will be called experts which obviously started out in the States but it's really really growing in Europe. Yeah,
and why is it how is it growing? And what's the projections of the growth?
I mean, in the 7000 B corps globally, there's 1500 in the UK. And it started in the US because the fiduciary duty of the CEOs make as much money as possible for its shareholders and that's the legal duty is the C corporation in the States. In the States about a legal change. They're moving from a C corporation to a benefit corporation. And then you have to report on the triple bottom line, which is working through the B Impact Assessment, which is the framework. But here in Europe, every country is different legislation and it's not as black and white as and so here in the UK where I am today, you know the company updates its articles of association that doesn't need to kind of go through a whole legal change in other countries like you know, far more forward thinking like Norway and Finland. The purpose of a business isn't to make as much money as possible for our shareholders in the first place to serve people and clamors you know, there's a whole different mindset altogether. So it's interesting how every country has a different legal pathway.
Yeah, it really is interesting. And so what got you interested in this area?
So my journey to sustainability was very different. So my brother is an environmental scientist, and my cousin's a sustainability activist, and my journey was very, very different. So I got my first job out of I did a business degree and got my first job as a PR and at L'Oreal. And back then, like sustainability was called Corporate Social Responsibility. It was the hot potato no one wants to touch it used to kind of go from department to department. You know, it was in marketing and with the most junior person in marketing, which was me as a PR intern, you know, it was that thing of like, just print less. And because my brother was an environmental scientist, he used to get me to ask the tricky questions. So he would say like as she was saying, This product has been tested on animals, they put a Leaping Bunny on the front of us, but all the ingredients in supply chain have been tested of animals. Now they're mixing it together and saying not tested on animals, you know, go and ask you about that and see how it lands. And it never used to land very well. So I went like L'Oreal to then to Estee Lauder companies. And they moved to be honest, they're more ethical brand Aveda. And then I worked for a British woman called Liz Ardo. And she'd been a British journalist, and she was just sick of all the BS in the beauty industry. She set her own brand up and I worked directly with her. She was farmer's daughter. She was all in supply chain transparency, and she pretty much changed my life because I did a program a blockchain program on supply chain transparency, and then had a complete career change and moved into tech where I work for a big Chinese company based out of China, which totally opened my eyes and then and then did a full time Master's in sustainability. So different road different roads, but um but yeah, I got here at the end.
Yeah, it was just a different room. But it makes sense to me when you're describing it and also with your family. That's interesting. I mean, is there something in your background growing up that led you and your brother to go in this direction?
So I had a real counterculture upbringing. So my parents, both actors, and like, I rebelled by doing a business degree. They were absolutely horrified. Do you know what I mean? They were like, please take some time out, do something creative. And I was the other way around. I was like, someone needs to make some money around here. Do you know like, we're absolutely broke. So I'd like to jobs from the age of 13. It was always working as my parents were like, oh, money doesn't matter. You know, we'll be it can read poetry each other as like, I'm not interested in that, you know, so I think that's why I went down the corporate road. And it was only I feel when I suddenly got to that point in life where I had financial freedom where I was actually able to just take a breath, and go Hold on a second. Now I don't have an economic fear. What do I actually want to do with my life? And how do I actually want to make a difference? Because I felt it is that thing where money brings safety to a degree which is quite interesting. I think as women sometimes we need that level of safety before you can really think about what you're going to do next. And
there's a few things that you mentioned, I want to approach but one of the things is which organizations in which businesses should really start to consider whether they want to include sustainability. Apply for their B Corp like a what is there a prompt that happens like something within the business or what should like what's the trigger?
or reducing that there's lots of different triggers. So I set the business up three years ago. And it was just because I wanted to do something different. You know, I just wanted to figure out a way of making money without exploiting people and planners and I was working for businesses that weren't doing good for people in Canada a lot of the time. So I just went back and studied and then I set the business up. And we had we had you know, we had we had some clients straight away like we the finished clients who were like really, you know, into the circular economy and wanted to kind of help with communications but then everything changed for the pandemic happened. So I think when the pandemic happened, that was a real turning point for our business because everyone just took a breath stop, and they realized like all of the like packaging that was coming to their home. And a lot of regulation change started happening in Europe really at that point. You can see Apple have just launched their new phone, you can see that they have a USB C charger instead of an apple charger. And that has come from European legislation happening so if you want to sell your products in Europe, it means that you have to have this every bit every phone has about the same charger and that's been in the pipeline since 2018. And so we're seeing a lot of policy change for businesses realizing that they have to do this, they don't have a choice. So we're seeing a lot of investors saying that if businesses don't have a sustainability strategy, they don't have longevity and they're not going to get a bank loan in the future so it plugs into their due diligence. We have a lot for consumers. So I think, you know, brands are coming to us because consumers, you know, ask these questions on social media where they didn't do before. So they're like, you know, show me who works. It's on your leadership team. Don't just like actually show me pictures. I want to see who it is. And then and you know, employees want to work for businesses that match their values as well. Like I was so grateful to get an internship at L'Oreal. It's totally different now. You know, like, my cousins, my like nieces and nephews. They want to work for brands that match their values. They don't want to they they're not grateful for the job working for the machine. They're like there's other ways of making money. You know, technology's enabled a lot of that. So it's coming from every direction really, which
is very exciting. It's great. It almost feels like it's the norm now. And when I see these larger I say these machines or these organizations that haven't implemented it, or at least you know, on the larger scale, they're behind the times I get interest people are attorney when I see a lot of new businesses I been helping that haven't had sustainability or philanthropy, Incorporated and size their work. Have had you mentioned, funders turn away because they didn't see their value is being reflected in in the business. And it's such an important thing that I think business really needs to consider it really it's it besides becoming a B Corp. I think there's other ways to also have corporate as well inside of someone's business or what other things can a business do to incorporate? Sustainability and philanthropy? So yes,
so what else can businesses do to incorporate to entropy? Like I think it's not just it's a B Corp as a great starting point. I often say it's a bit like putting a kind of bandaid on multiple gun wounds when it comes to you know, solving some of the world's issues. You know, when a business is like, Well, who would B Corp certified? Isn't this amazing? It's like it's the real minimum. Do you know what I mean? It means that you're not just you're like looking at making money but also how you're affecting people and planners. So I think a lot of businesses go way above B Corp and could incorporate like they can do like the more like social enterprises, right? So a big part of their profits is then going back into solving some of these big societal issues that we're facing. So I think you can go way above and beyond B Corp and really like if you get your business model right from the beginning. You can really bridge the two. So the more money you make, the more is going into solving some of these big societal issues.
is so exciting. So off the top of your head, can you think of some examples of that that people can understand like how what that looks like? I
mean, I always love TOMS Shoes, you know, I love TOMS Shoes. Where it's like, buy a pair, give a pair, you know, it's so simple. It's so kind of makes so much sense. And I just think if every business could do that, it would the world would be such a different place. You know, and I think looking at like, just again, what is the purpose? Like I think business is so important for us. I think again, one of the great lessons of the pandemic because we realize how much we rely on the economy. You know, it's a nightmare. The shops won't open. No one wants to be kind of out of work after a while like we need to work for our mental health like and workers purpose, such a great thing. And then if we don't have the planet, we don't have society. Or the economy, right. So we need all three that's how we kind of make money and figure out how we make money by doing good for people and planet sort of exploiting them. It's just that mind shift change.
Yeah. And and people have gone through it and are continuing to go through it. What would you suggest what as people are starting to think about that for their business? What's the first step that they can take?
So I think the first step is to kind of firstly, like, figure out like, what is your mission as a business? You know, and I think often do I mean it depends if you're working for yourself or if you're working for someone else. So if you work for yourself, like figure out what is the why does this business exist? Like, what is the mission? Why have I set it up? And then look at how you can actually deliver on that mission, you know, like getting it down on paper, and then figure out how can you deliver on that mission? So for my business, so we set our when we set it out? You know, we were like, Okay, we really care about gender equality like this. Is something we were really pretty passionate about. I had, you know, just on this master's in sustainability, and I was like, one of the solutions to climate crisis is more female leaders and more women in business and we've been excluded from the economy and women generally want to set up businesses that are really good for people and planet instead of just making cash then you cos like, that's the basis of the research. And in the UK, you couldn't open a bank account in your own name until 1976. You know, like, really wasn't that long ago. So we just haven't been able to participate in the economy in the same way. So I was like, that's something that's really important to me and my co founder, Jen, and we were like, We want to embed this into our mission from day one. So we were like, we're going to become a social enterprise. So we're gonna give you a percentage of our time and our profits to accelerating gender equality, that sustainable development goal. And then on the back of that we became members of the UN Global compacts. And that was really hard to do. Like it didn't really want us as members if I'm honest, you know, and like my professor had said to me, he was like, it's not going to be that straightforward. Like, you're going to have to bang your head against the brick wall for a while. And we did like it took a long time. They didn't make it easy for us because they kind of, you know, the UN is a challenging organization and they want to work with I suppose with businesses that are making a bit more money than us that was a startup, but because that was our mission. I was like, it's written down. We're gonna keep going. We're gonna keep banging our head against the brick wall. But come back, regroup and keep going. And eventually we get there and it really, you know, is that Northstar? That kind of like helps you get over those hurdles. And you know, three years later now I'm at the UN General Assembly speaking and moderating a panel on cop 28. Didn't happen overnight. It happened after a lot of like pushing and pushing and pushing and showing up and you know, my professors saying there is equality for women and the door is ajar. But you do have to push it through. Push it down sometimes. So yeah, so I would say look at your mission as a starting point. That's, that's, that's if you're a startup. I think so many of my friends work for big organizations. And again, my professor would say, the world will change. Enjoy, figure out how to make money by doing good for people on planet Earth. It will happen for people who are entrepreneurs. He was like the real change will happen, the sustainability intrapreneurs so people who are in big organizations, and are driving that change internally, these are the big ships that need to change them turn. And so he was like, really, he was like, you know, always encourage people internally to be that sustainability intrapreneur and maybe talk to their boss I think that's what the B Corp framework is a great framework, because it's free. You can read through it, and then you can go and say, Hold on. I'm going to challenge you on these things to the powers above. And you know, me and 7000 other B corpse of huge organizations also agree with this framework. So it gives you a bit more backing to go back and challenge it a bit like be with the animal testing.
Yeah, it's and what are the resources as an intrapreneur when you're in a big corporate plays, what's the support or the resources that you bring to the table to stick with your box? Yeah. It seems like there's a you know, the larger an organization is or a business is the harder it is to change things. And so they're very set in their ways. So what are the things that you think are most effective and getting that change to happen?
And this is where I really believe leadership happens at every level. Right? So again, something that really changed my life was when I was working, I was working for huge corporates. And my boss was the CMO. And she used to lecture at Harvard and at Cambridge, and I used to travel with her and write her slides for her before she was presenting. And a Cambridge Professor basically came up to me and said, if you're the one writing the slides, you should be the one presenting them. And I was like, somebody worked that way in corporate but thanks. And she she took her kind of took a real shine on me basically, and she diagnosed me with dyslexia. So I was diagnosed with dyslexia, my 30s, etc. And that's how I ended up going back to education. But she also put me on something called the rising Women Leaders Program at Cambridge. And in that, it was because there was this huge issue in the UK where there was more CEOs called Peter than female CEOs and the top footsie which is like our stock exchange here in the UK. And so that was all over the media. And there was this real kind of pressure from the universities to get with women into the MBA programs to them become CEOs and no women were applying and so they created this leadership program. And I think sustainability leadership can happen that any any level right so often in sustainability, it means educating yourself and then leading from from every you're having to bring people on the journey with you all the time. And so that often means leading up and to every direction, right? So it means talking to people above you who haven't had the same education that we have as well. And then also learning like doing reverse mentoring, but really educating yourself on the policy changes that's happening in other parts of the world. You know, sustainability is a global issue in other countries like and in the US, it's become very political. In other countries. It's not you know, when there is this policy change that's happening. And if you're working for a big organization that does want to sell in Europe, they need to be looking at this. This isn't you just being emotional and wanting to do the right thing. This is very factual. And you know, this is what Apple are doing. They're not doing it because they have that because they want to they're doing it because they have to, and if you want to have a business in the future, you're going to have to do this, especially if you're a global business. So I think it's kind of looking at it that way and tailoring your messaging on who you're talking to, which is a lot of the leadership piece itself, isn't it?
Yeah, that's great. And it's it is about business, but it's also a mentorship. You mentioned mentors a few times and I know you have your own mentors that you in your life. And so you mentioned your brother, you mentioned some professors, who else have you brought along
on your journey? You know, it's so interesting you say this because I actually asked someone to be a mentor today. So I asked him to be mentors day. So one of the things I learned on this course at Cambridge is that men always have mentors. So it happens quite naturally. And organically. They have mentors and sponsors, women find it far more challenging to ask for mentorship. And it's because again, we couldn't open bank accounts until 1976. We have been excluded from the economy. We walk into rooms, we don't really feel like we deserve a seat at the table in the same way like manifests imposter syndrome. We're good at networking, but we're not so good at networking when it comes to like business deals. So we'll meet with women, but we will never say you know, how can I put some business your way? What do you do? Let me throw it your way and connect. And a lot of my male mentors do that. For me. They're always like throwing business each other's way. Women. It's not that we don't want to do it. We just haven't been conditioned to do us. Right? And so mentorship is so so so important. Just looking at someone who's gone the road ahead of you, and can be like, This is what I did well, and this is what I didn't do so well. And you can take it or leave us but it's just having another point of view. And the hardest part for me is just asking. I find it really, really hard to just ask them would you be my mentor? And I would just recommend that everyone just gives it a go you know, they also said you know, you don't have to marry your mentor can work for like a couple of weeks or whatever. They're not working out. It's not a big deal. Do you know what I mean? Like you could just like, try it. See how it goes. And then build on it, but just get over the kind of fear of asking
it. But it's also it's very, it's very clear. You're asking for that relationship. I mean, I think a lot of people think that it just happens organically like through conversations and someone because they're going to happen that way. I've had mentors that way as well. But there have also been people that I've asked to have that relationship whether even if it's as a container over time or over certain projects, and it's been really helpful and of course, I also mentor so many people so I think it's wonderful and I think women should ask more often to to mentor and to be a mentee. So yeah, and also take responsibility
as a mentee, right to know that you could do bringing value as well. So you know, like it is a two way thing. So you have to make sure that you're kind of bringing the energy and you know, you're it's a conversation and the dialogue so that the mentor learns from the mentee and vice versa.
Yeah, absolutely. So I want to get back to you personally though, so I knew I can I know from your background and what you're interested in the issue areas of gender equality and climate. Anything else that is an issue area that you are passionate about, whether you are completely in supporting right now or it's an area that you want to, you know, either create more visibility for or you're passionate, you know, to get people involved.
I think a big one for me is neuro divergence, you know, so I was I was just so I wasn't very smart. I was always kind of in a native remedial classes like we moved to it when I was seven. They thought I haven't been schooled at all. And I just had this belief that I wasn't very intelligent. And I just cheated my way through school to be honest, I just cheated all the way through cheated right through my exams. I kind of felt very guilty about it. So it's not Irish convent. You can imagine, had to like deal with us. And it was only in later life. I then had a corporate career. Once I had a team I did very well and I got promoted and promoted and promoted and had a lot of impostor syndrome because I was like a card soon they're gonna find out that I'm actually that thick. And it was only when I met this professor at Cambridge where she diagnosed me with dyslexia and ADHD and all these you know, all these other neuro divergence are the cool disabilities. I don't believe they're disabilities, I believe that the brain just works differently. And I'd also spent a bit of time in China where in China you know, if you're autistic or you learn differently, you're those skills are you kind of work like we're encoding or that they're not seen as a disability. That's something that you have to ask and hide in the way. And I think, you know, the thinking that created the problems that we're in, it's not going to create the solutions, right? So it's the Einstein close and I think we eat different ways of thinking and different minds. And I think you're a diversity has a huge role to play in this. And it also made me really rethink society. Because, you know, after having been told I wasn't very smart my whole life and I wouldn't really amount to then be like, buy one of the leading universities in the UK and be like, oh, sorry. Behind you got that wrong. We would test you the wrong way. You're actually really smart. And we just tested you the wrong way. Now Now you're really clever. And you have to kind of do all this kind of on programming in your mind. An area that I want to kind of get more into and and support more is diversity of thought with regards to diversity and inclusion and the diversity of our minds.
Especially, which leads us in perfect segue to our last question, which is, what do you consider your legacy today?
I think my legacy is definitely around. You know, lifting I think, lifting people. So I've one of the things I've realized is that like, every day you can like do something positive or negative with this, and I think my business is named after my auntie so I share her middle name with her son said Cy D. And she was my mom's sister, and she was totally fearless. Like the most fearless woman and it got her into so much trouble. And she did things totally differently. And she was a trailblazer. And she broke all the rules a lot of times to her detriment. And I look at her as like someone who was so courageous and also having done this course Cambridge, I'm like, God, she just didn't have all the kinds of choices we had. Do you know? What I mean? Like we have so we're so privileged now, like we really, really are, and especially the parts of the world we're living in and what we've been born into, and to really kind of take our privilege and use it for good and every day have instead of like to be grateful for the change you can make in the day, instead of kind of being negative about what's what's happened. In the past. So I think that would be my legacy. Realizing that like, we can all support, lift each other, it's really drive change, make change.
I love that. Thank you so much for sharing that. So with that, where can people find out more information about you said snacks and anything that you're supporting? So
you can find me on all that kind of social media Instagram LinkedIn, so I will say the Irish are drunk when it came to spelling. I have a funny spelling of my name, but it's still a i f li N G, and competency Oh, civil N au GHTON. So you'll find me on the usual social media channels and then my business has said connects Cy D co nn eects. And so yeah, if anyone wants to talk B Corp or even if they're not ready for B Corp, because they just want to kind of put a stake in the ground when it comes to learning about sustainability. There's loads of different things we offer and would love to talk with
you. Thank you so much for joining us. This has been such a great interview. I've learned so much more about you and about this area that is so important for all of us to support so thank you again and for all our listeners. We will put all the shows all the information online so you can contact Ashling and if you're interested in sustainability, B Corp and everything else that she offers. Thanks again. Thank you You're listening