Episode 5 of the People + Profit Podcast
Grit and Grace with Laura and Jodi
Guests: Laura Hall of WHYZ Partners and Jodi Low of U & Improved
Laura and Jodi were a perfect match for the conversation about creating a conscious business where they are supporting the community, making profit, and keeping in consideration the four tenants of Conscious Capitalism. Both women took a step to create a business that they could grow, and that they continue to grow through the pandemic.
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About this Episode
Jodi, a local member of the Conscious Capitalism Arizona Chapter, highlights how she has grown her conscious business that empowers both adults and teens to create stronger personal and professional lives. Laura was able to join from San Diego to highlight her company WHYZ Partners and how they have been able to successfully navigate purpose and profit. We were able to dive into the purpose behind her new book The ABC’s of Conscious Capitalism for Kids and how it aligns well with the teen program that Jodi leads.
Grit and Grace is how they do it. When it comes to success, they are measuring what matters, taking the first step even if it is difficult, continuing to be authentic, and elevating humanity daily.
Not only was this a great conversation full of motivational takeaways, but we may have just found a perfect match for future collaboration. Although, we are in the middle of a pandemic and having to do all Conscious Capitalism Arizona events virtually, there is one thing that we are still able to do and that is make connections.
We hope folks listen in and take away some motivational thoughts about taking chances, being authentic, and remembering all of your stakeholders to grow. The takeaway from the show and from this entire pandemic- continue to have grit and grace.
Guests
Laura Hall is a global business leader in the fashion and consumer goods industry. She left her last corporate role as president of accessories for Polo Ralph Lauren to join forces with two other female C-Suite executives to create WHYZ Partners.
Laura has been called a ‘collaborative co-conspirator’ by her clients and her peers – a descriptor she proudly accepts. And most recently, Laura is the author of a new children’s book The ABCs of Conscious Capitalism for KIDs – because Laura believes that “it is easier to build strong children than to repair broken men”…as Frederick Douglass said over a century ago.
Connect with Laura on LinkedIn.
WHYZ Partners is a retail consumer goods consultancy that offers retailers and brands a roadmap for how to successfully navigate purpose and profit in a 21st century ‘new abnormal’ consumer goods ecosystem.
The female founders utilize a high-touch approach of IQ/EQ/LQ that leverages their extensive experience in brand strategy and development, product development, omnichannel execution and operational excellence.
WHYZ believes in a triple bottom line business model, but knows that unless their clients are profitable, they cannot help people or the planet!
Jodi Low is an accomplished corporate trainer, inspirational speaker, and the Founder and CEO of the award-winning heart-based leadership development company U & Improved.
Jodi has trained tens of thousands of entrepreneurs, Fortune 100 executives, and small to medium sizes companies, and their teams, on how to build a booming business, master a mindset for success, and achieve the lifestyle they desire through heart-fueled leadership.
Her series of interactive, performance-based classes at U & Improved take leadership development to new heights using a sustainable and actionable model that is personal, challenging and meaningful to each attendee. Classes cover a variety of important workplace topics including communication, confidence-building, goal-setting, team collaboration, integrity and leadership.
The curriculum is adaptable and can include anything from a one-day workshop or corporate speaking engagement to their series of four award winning classes – each two-and-a-half day experiential leadership development courses – that focus on leadership, communication, team building and trust. Graduates are empowered with the knowledge, tools and awareness to immediately be more effective and responsive leaders at work, at home and within their communities.
In addition to helping Fortune 100 leaders, entrepreneurs and their teams see measurable success, Jodi also launched a teen leadership program, called U the Teen Leader, in 2014 to empower young adults to become more confident, motivated and focused future leaders. And in 2016, she founded a non-profit arm of the company—the U & Improved Leadership Foundation—which makes the program more accessible to deserving teens by offering partial and full scholarships to the U The Teen Leader class offered at U & Improved.
U & Improved is an award-winning leadership development company that empowers people to create the personal and professional lives that they envision and deserve!
Follow U & Improved on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
About Our People + Profit Co-Hosts
Sarah McCraren is an Arizona native with a strong sense of community. Sarah spent many years in the corporate finance world specializing in the operational analysis, measurement and accountability systems, project management and software implementations. However, Sarah wanted to do work which was meaningful and would positively impact her community.
She found that saving lives and reducing injuries through comprehensive safety programs fit that bill. Sarah currently leads the McCraren Compliance team by keeping everyone focused on their primary purpose, creating workplaces where we all watch out for each other, and balancing the needs of all their stakeholders.
Sarah serves on the Boards for Conscious Capitalism Arizona and the Society for Mining, Metallurgy and Exploration Tucson Chapter, and is also active with the Arizona Builders Alliance, Arizona Rock Products Association , Arizona Transportation Builders and Women in Mining Az.
Sarah McCraren
Part of an Awesome Team
www.McCrarenCompliance.com
Creating Workplaces Where We All Watch Out for Each Other
Jeremy Neis is an Investment Advisor with Retirement Evolutions and a small business operator fueled by the desire to enrich the life experience. He grew up in the Chicago area and chased the sun to get a degree at the University of Arizona in human and organizational communications. After doing so, he returned to Illinois where over the next 15 years he would find joy in co-launching and growing a technology solutions company and establishing a family.
In 2014 he returned to the desert to join his current venture, Retirement Evolutions, where his focuses are: (1) Conduct planning with individuals and families so that they can maximize the likelihood of leading secure and comfortable retirements. (2) Through the business services arm, Resourceful, empower business leaders to care for the people that they will rely upon to be thriving, sustainable organizations.
Jeremy is a proud contributor to the Conscious Capitalism movement as he views it as a powerful vehicle to bring about greater prosperity and reduced suffering for our human family. Over his career he has had the privilege to work closely with hundreds of different enterprises across many markets and industries. A common theme emerges among those firms that he’s seen excel and that is to be great not just with what they are bringing to market, but also with the manner in which they are doing so.
