Raj Sisodia, Conscious Capitalism

Firms of Endearment. Surely one of the best business book titles ever, don’t you think?

Knowing my passion for Great Work and for a great pun, it was kismet that I was able to talk to Professor Raj Sisodia, Professor of Marketing at Bentley College. The starting point for his book is looking at companies that people – ordinary people – truly love, and then becoming curious about what’s behind the magic.  Raj’s background as an engineer brings a distinctively analytical approach to figuring out what makes it all work so well. The final companies he surveyed had to spend less than the industry norm on marketing, and significantly over-perform in terms of being a trusted brand.

During our conversation on the importance of ‘Conscious Capitalism’ we touch on:

• How engaged employees are often at the heart of a trusted brand
• The importance of community connection to building trust
• Why defining your ‘raison d’être’ allows you to transcend ‘profit maximization’
• And how it can all come down to the elements that make up the acronym SPICE

You can learn more about the work of Conscious Capitalism (including highlights of their 2009 Summit) at consciouscapitalism.com

Listen to my interview with Raj Sisodia

0:16 Michael introduces Professor Raj Sisodia

0:46 Professor Sisodia’s book Firms of Endearment

7:21 How engaged employees are often at the heart of a trusted brand

9:07 The importance of community connection to building trust

10:35 Why defining your ‘raise d’être’ allows you to transcend ‘profit maximization’

19:09 How it can all come down to the elements that make up the acronym SPICE

25:55 How to find out more about Raj Sisodia

26:15 Michael closes the interview

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