In the corporate world, profit is often the number one goal, but certified B Corporations are different. Although they want to make money, B Corp companies are equally concerned with environmental impact, employee wellbeing, and community transformation. This drive takes away competition and replaces it with a passion to work together with other like-minded businesses.
“All B Corps want more B Corps,” Philip Everett-Lyons, founder of the B Corp Hattiers Rum, told The Big Issue. “We’re all changing the world one step at a time. We’re unified, singing from the same song sheet. That strong need [to change the world] eliminates competition regardless of what sector you’re in.”
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Since his company became B Corp certified in November 2020, Everett-Lyons has celebrated each announcement of a new B Corp in the drinks sector.
“We pick up the phone to anyone in the spirits sector and say they’ve done amazingly in becoming a B Corp,” he said. He follows up his congratulations with his personal mobile number if support is needed.
Last year, Everett-Lyons started working out how he could collaborate with other B Corps in his industry, deciding on a one-off, speaker-led event where eight different brands spoke about their company’s purpose alongside selling their drinks at the bar.