Seventh Generation Co-Founder Jeffrey Hollender was recently interviewed by Olivia Khalili of Cause Capitalism. I was so impressed after listening to just 8 minutes of the interview that I went out and purchased his new book, The Responsibility Revolution.
Speaking of Competition…
I suppose it shouldn’t surprise me that the Co-Founder of this green household products company boasting $150 million in sales is living his core purpose through this company, but I was still darned impressed when the topic turned to the accomplishments of which Hollender was most proud. The first thing he mentioned was the emergence of competition in his market niche.
Hollender’s take: “…if we fail to create competition, if we fail to get other businesses to move in this direction, we will really not have made much of a difference at all. I am thrilled that so many businesses are moving in this direction and creating more direct competitors for Seventh Generation.” Yeah. Impressive perspective I don’t think you hear often from the mouths of CEOs (or a Chief Inspired Protagonist, as Hollender is known).
I take inspiration from Hollender’s message because I guess on the inside, I’m still a teeny bit cynical that small, passionate companies can grow into large companies that remember who they are. Hollender’s welcoming of competitors as an indicator that they’re on the right path is a page from the annals of a utopian society where abundance rules supreme – a world in which I personally want to live.
It strikes me that perhaps this philosophy should be our collective litmus test of whether our corporate social responsibility (or cause marketing) efforts are worth our time, resources and passion. Would it be considered a good thing if your CSR initiatives caught on en masse and spread like wildfire? If the answer is, “no”, then perhaps either we’re either undertaking these efforts for the wrong reasons or, at the end of the day, they’re not worth doing.
Megan,
Wonderful take! I was impressed by that element as well (when we talk about how SC Johnson pirated, nearly word for word, Seventh Generation’s campaign on ingredients). Businesses and individuals with a larger mission invite the competition because, as with Jeffrey, they see it as sign that the industry (or whatever larger body is at stake) is progressing. Thanks for this inspired post!
Olivia
Thanks again for the great interview – you do an excellent job asking intriguing questions! Definitely takes guts to keep doing the right thing when your competitors seemed bound and determined to undermine your efforts or don’t “play fair”.
Just got Jeffrey’s new book and am eager to make my way through it!