Tyler Gage is an entrepreneur, investor, and adviser to companies that focus on ESG—the environmental, social, and governance aspects of business. He’s also the author of an amazing book about his very unique journey as an entrepreneur. It’s called Fully Alive: Using the Lessons of the Amazon to Live Your Mission in Business and Life. He’s the co-founder of a groundbreaking company called Runa, which produces clean energy drinks made from the leaf of a tree that grows in the Amazon rainforest. The company has provided a sustainable source of income for thousands of indigenous families. In this episode, Doug Hattaway talks with Tyler Gage about the role of Aspirational Communication in building a successful social enterprise.

Achieve Great Things

Tyler Gage on Aspirational Communication and Building a Social Enterprise

Long before “purpose” became a buzzword in business, Bill Novelli pioneered the use of marketing techniques to build a better world. He called it “social marketing” and co-founded a global agency devoted to it. He also ran one of the most well-known and well-regarded international nonprofits, led one of Washington’s most formidable advocacy organizations, took on the tobacco industry, and launched a program at Georgetown University’s business school that helps nonprofits, business, and government “create economic and social value.” In this episode of Achieve Great Things, I talk with Bill about his new book—and lessons from a remarkable, 50-year career.

Bill Novelli on The Power of Purpose

Many people are committed to improving racial equity in their organizations, but are unsure where to start. What are the first steps to advance racial equity at work? How do you engage leadership? And how do you overcome common barriers to prioritizing racial equity? In this episode of Achieve Great Things, members of our DEI Committee Reina DuFore and Veronica Selzler talk with Dr. Judy Lubin about how to improve racial equity in the workplace. They explore what racial equity looks like at work, how organizations can prioritize racial equity, and some of what Hattaway has learned through our work with CURE.

Dr. Judy Lubin on How to Prioritize Racial Equity in the Workplace

In 2014, Ian Haney Lopez introduced an important new term to the field of political communication with his book, Dog Whistle Politics. In it, he explained how politicians have used carefully coded language to stir up racial anxiety and resentment to divide Americans and win elections. Political strategists and progressive leaders are struggling to counter the insidious power of racial appeals in American politics. Now, Ian Haney Lopez is back with potentially powerful, research-based solutions. In this episode of Achieve Great Things, we’ll talk about insights and ideas from his book, Merge Left: Fusing Race and Class, Winning Elections, and Saving America.

Ian Haney Lopez on How to Defeat Dog Whistle Politics and Create Cross-Racial Coalitions

From pandemic updates to climate change news alerts, we’re constantly bombarded with negative messages and bad news, which can trigger feelings of helplessness. Christine Heenan, former Vice President for Global Policy & Advocacy at The Rockefeller Foundation and current President of the Clarendon Group, believes that optimistic communications can help. Unlike communication strategies that focus solely on talking about today’s most pressing problems, solutions-oriented communications can not only make audiences feel better, but opens them up to hearing what they can do to help.

Christine Heenan on The Importance of Optimism in Communications

When the American Lung Association asked Carrie Schum and her team at Porter Novelli to develop a campaign to encourage smokers to make another attempt to quit smoking, they never expected to end up with the headline: “You’re not a failure. You’re a seven-time learner.” Although the campaign headline was different from anything that the American Lung Association had done before, the campaign tested strongly because of one key reason—Carrie and her team developed a strong understanding of their audience. On this episode of Achieve Great Things, Hattaway's new EVP Carrie Schum gives us a crash course on how to combine audience insights, smart strategy, and courageous choices to drive meaningful behavior change.

Carrie Schum on The Secret to a Smart Strategy: Clear Objectives and Courageous Choices

While the benefits of a world connected by the internet abound, it's harder and harder to ignore one of its most noxious byproducts - digital pollution. Knight Foundation Vice President of Communities and Impact Sam Gill joins the podcast to discuss how confronting digital pollution can help our democracy overcome a "crisis of trust." Read more on our Aspirational blog: https://medium.com/aspirational/discerning-truth-through-a-web-of-online-misinformation-8b8d07467082

Sam Gill on Discerning Truth Through a Web of Online Misinformation

In this episode of Achieve Great Things we're joined by Meera Mani, Director of the Children, Families, and Communities Program at the David and Lucile Packard Foundation. She talks about the power of a shared narrative to achieve greater collective impact, and her organization's journey in lifting up their grantees' crucial work: helping children grow up healthy and ready for school. Read more about this conversation and get other great communications insights at our Aspirational blog: https://medium.com/aspirational/a-foundation-finds-its-voice-cb9fabaf5c7

Meera Mani on A Foundation Finding Its Voice

When the Gallup organization first surveyed Americans about same-sex marriage in 1996, only 27 percent of the public supported legal recognition. Fast forward 23 years, and 63 percent of Americans support marriage equality. People changed their minds—but how? In this episode, Evan Wolfson, founder of Freedom to Marry, reflects on how the movement eventually achieved a supporting majority that couldn't be stripped away. Read more about our conversation and access other great insights by visiting our Aspirational blog: https://medium.com/aspirational/the-road-to-durable-support-for-marriage-equality-88a796607fde

Evan Wolfson on The Road to Durable Support for Marriage Equality

In 2005, Heather founded Caspian Agency to help purpose-driven organizations create more purposeful events. "The effects of a well-produced event," she likes to say, "are felt far beyond the experience itself." In Episode 3, we talk with Heather about the science and strategy behind making events more meaningful for sponsors and participants alike. Read more about our conversation and access other great insights by visiting our Aspirational blog: https://medium.com/aspirational/the-science-and-strategy-behind-meaningful-events-b5406a44980d

Heather Mason on The Science and Strategy Behind Meaningful Events

In the midst of an affordable housing crisis and growing income inequality, The San Francisco Foundation asked local communities how to promote equity in the region. In Episode 2, we sit down with Gail Fuller to learn what they heard. The answers might surprise you. Read more about our conversation and access other great insights by visiting our Aspirational blog: https://medium.com/aspirational/the-san-francisco-foundations-north-star-is-equity-what-s-yours-e201b521912b

Gail Fuller on How to Promote Equity

In Episode 1 of our third season, Doug Hattaway talks to Ali Noorani, executive director of the National Immigration Forum, about his conversations with Americans in 26 communities focusing on immigration and American identity. Read more about the podcast at our Aspirational blog: https://medium.com/aspirational/armchair-conversations-on-immigration-and-american-identity-ec436ce3342a

Ali Noorani on Immigration and American Identity

In Episode 8, Joe Goldman of Democracy Funds talks about challenges facing American democracy, from election hacking to declining trust in journalism and propaganda campaigns driven by artificial intelligence — and shares practical steps we can take to address them. Read more about the podcast at our Aspirational blog: https://medium.com/aspirational/checking-the-vital-signs-of-our-democracy-65f78774ab2

Joe Goldman on The Vital Signs of Our Democracy

In Episode 7, LIFT CEO and Co-Founder Kirsten Lodal talks about using the power of aspirational thinking and communication to modernize the way America fights poverty. To read more, visit our Aspirational blog at: https://medium.com/aspirational/fighting-poverty-with-an-aspirational-message-9d16dd52bb0b

Kirsten Lodal on Fighting Poverty with an Aspirational Message

In Episode 6, we speak with journalist Ryan Bell about how to get past prevailing narratives and produce work that stands the test of time. To read more, visit our Aspirational blog at: https://medium.com/aspirational/how-to-get-your-audiences-the-real-story-c908d5900627

Ryan Bell on How to Get Your Audiences the Real Story

We help visionary leaders and organizations create impact through communications. We interview leaders and innovators in philanthropy, advocacy, politics, government and business, and bring insights and ideas that communicators can put to use right away.

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