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The Power of Public Relations with Teak Media · Responsibly Different™

• 0:04
  Speaker 1: If we're going to rely on our profits to solve our countries' problems, our communities' problems, our climates' problems, we're in trouble and we need business to not only be helping in the solutions but stopping the problem.
• 0:24
  Speaker 2: Thanks for joining us for this conversation today with Jackie Russell.
• 0:27
  Speaker 2: Jackie is the founder and president of Teak Media, new England's sole certified B Corp public relations firm.
• 0:34
  Speaker 2: Founded in 1997, teak encourages responsible businesses and non-profit organizations so that they can achieve widespread recognition that leads to increased revenue for them.
• 0:46
  Speaker 2: As a former media reporter for daily newspapers, jackie understood the power of the media and wanted to leverage it to help non-profits and responsible businesses grow and continue their good work.
• 1:00
  Speaker 2: As a former reporter for daily newspapers, jackie understood the power of media and wants to leverage it to help non-profits and responsible businesses grow and continue their good work.
• 1:11
  Speaker 2: Her business, teak Media, believes in the power of business as a force for good, and Jackie is convinced that businesses have the power and the obligation to change the world for the better.
• 1:24
  Speaker 2: By providing communication services that are based in the disciplinaries of traditional journalism and digital media, teak is helping important businesses grow.
• 1:35
  Speaker 2: Teak Media is a certified B Corp since 2013 and is a founding member of the Boston chapter of conscious capitalism.
• 1:45
  Speaker 2: I met Jackie when I became a member of the B Local Boston group and she is a light for the Boston community.
• 1:51
  Speaker 2: One thing that I love about Jackie she is such a media hound, but with all the work that she does, she considers it a privilege and an honor.
• 2:00
  Speaker 2: Without further ado, here is my conversation with Jackie.
• 2:04
  Speaker 2: Well, welcome, jackie, to responsibly different.
• 2:09
  Speaker 2: We are so excited to have you on.
• 2:11
  Speaker 1: Thanks, brittany, for having me Really appreciate it.
• 2:15
  Speaker 2: Yeah, of course I feel like through the B Corp community I've kind of known you for a little bit now, but I'm excited to get to know you a little bit better and to understand more about Teak Media and then also for our listeners to learn about you.
• 2:28
  Speaker 2: In that vein, let's talk about Teak Media and bring me back 26 years ago when you founded Teak.
• 2:35
  Speaker 2: I'm wondering I know Teak to be such this purpose driven PR firm, but I'm wondering was your journey always to start this purpose driven PR firm?
• 2:49
  Speaker 1: No yeah.
• 2:50
  Speaker 1: I feel like I fell into it.
• 2:52
  Speaker 1: It was really remarkable.
• 2:54
  Speaker 1: It found me and what happened was I was a reporter for print newspapers.
• 3:02
  Speaker 1: The Eagle Tribune in Lawrence was the last paper I worked at and I covered education and city politics, things like that.
• 3:11
  Speaker 1: I left it.
• 3:12
  Speaker 1: I was going to write a book, but meanwhile I took this editing position with a public publisher that published leisure, like around sports and leisure activities.
• 3:24
  Speaker 1: It was called World Leisure Corp and I was editing their books.
• 3:29
  Speaker 1: Then the publisher, because he knew I was a reporter, came to me and said listen, we want you to promote our books, like go and do PR for our books.
• 3:38
  Speaker 1: I didn't really want to do it.
• 3:39
  Speaker 1: I didn't really know how to do it.
• 3:40
  Speaker 1: I never took a communications class.
• 3:43
  Speaker 1: I was like, yeah, no, I don't really want to do that.
• 3:47
  Speaker 1: I said well, yeah you're going to have to do that so.
• 3:52
  Speaker 1: I did it.
• 3:52
  Speaker 1: I just started doing it and made it up as I went along.
• 3:55
  Speaker 1: I just picked up the phone, called reporters and talked to them like a reporter and said this is a good story for you.
• 4:03
  Speaker 1: Here it is, and I got incredible results, like out of the gate, where people like who is this young woman, where did she come from and how is she doing this?
• 4:13
  Speaker 1: And I honestly didn't know what I was doing.
• 4:16
  Speaker 1: I was just doing it and I actually really liked it, so I thought I was young.
• 4:22
  Speaker 1: I was 30 at the time, which was young, to start a company.
• 4:26
  Speaker 1: But now it's not, of course.
• 4:27
  Speaker 1: But I just thought, well, I can do this for myself.
• 4:30
  Speaker 1: So I talked to the publisher and I was like, listen, I'm going to start my own company.
• 4:34
  Speaker 1: And he said, great, keep me as a client and I as a super, thank you.
• 4:39
  Speaker 1: And he said I'm going to connect with a friend of mine.
• 4:43
  Speaker 1: She needs some help.
• 4:44
  Speaker 1: And the friend turned out to be the VP of Communications for the Jimmy Fund of Dana Farber Cancer Institute.
• 4:52
  Speaker 1: So I did one event with them, which was the Super Bowl, which is an all you can eat ice cream event in City Hall Plaza.
• 4:59
  Speaker 1: They still have it and at the time there were like nine different ice cream vendors.
• 5:04
  Speaker 1: They would get together and they would donate ice cream for three days.
• 5:06
  Speaker 1: People would spend $5 to take it and then go to like all you can eat ice cream, and my job was to pack up all the ice cream in these containers and drive them around From radio station to radio station.
• 5:23
  Speaker 1: This was during the time of morning time drive and I had to book these interviews for Jerry Greenfield of Ben and Jerry's.
• 5:31
  Speaker 1: And then pick up Jerry and then drive him around the city like early from 4am to 9am with this, with ice cream in my car, and it was so fun and we had such a good time.
• 5:45
  Speaker 1: And I got to know Jerry, which was incredible.
• 5:48
  Speaker 1: He became a really good mentor of mine.
• 5:51
  Speaker 1: But more importantly than that, I knew from that first event that I needed to work with nonprofits, like it was my calling.
• 6:01
  Speaker 1: It was just my thing I needed to do.
• 6:03
  Speaker 1: So from that moment I was like okay, tete is just going to focus on nonprofits and after that experience with the GB Fund.
• 6:12
  Speaker 1: They kept me on and became our real first client and we were working with Dana Farber Cancer Institute as a result for 17 years and we promoted all, like so many of their events from the walkathon, the PanMask Challenge we did that for 14 years.
• 6:28
  Speaker 1: We did the Jimmy Phan Walk on like 12 years.
• 6:31
  Speaker 1: We did ice ice cream super bowl, we did ice skating events, we did the golf tournaments.
• 6:39
  Speaker 1: We did so like unbelievable.
• 6:41
  Speaker 1: We just promoted them and it was so much fun and so rewarding Like working with these families.
• 6:48
  Speaker 1: And we also promoted some of the research, some of the innovations that came from the money that was raised and we got print TV radio online.
• 6:57
  Speaker 1: We got media stories about all of what was going on there and it was incredible and it also opened Tete up to getting additional nonprofit clients.
• 7:08
  Speaker 1: So we stuck with that and loved it.
• 7:10
  Speaker 1: It really opened up the door and we were very I feel, extremely lucky and blessed to have had all of those experiences.
• 7:19
  Speaker 1: And then in 2013, we started.
• 7:22
  Speaker 1: Well before that, we started reading about the B-Court movement and actually my VP really showed me this article in New York Times.
• 7:29
  Speaker 1: She was like we do this, like we're a company that's purpose driven and a triple bottom line people plan it and for all this she said you should buy.
• 7:40
  Speaker 1: I was like, oh, you know, we're too small.
• 7:44
  Speaker 3: And then I called up.
• 7:45
  Speaker 1: Jerry and I think, Jerry, what do you think?
• 7:47
  Speaker 1: And he's like you have to apply, do it.
• 7:51
  Speaker 1: And I did, and we were accepted and we've been renewing ever since, but that's been what 10 years now that we've been a B-Court, but that opened up opportunities for us in the corporate world to put beyond nonprofits and work with responsible companies as well, and it really became a giant passion of mine to expand beyond nonprofits.
• 8:16
  Speaker 1: I've just talked a lot, so did I answer your question?
• 8:20
  Speaker 1: I don't even know.
• 8:21
  Speaker 2: No, you totally did, and I mean selfishly.
• 8:24
  Speaker 2: I kind of want to pull maybe a little bit more out of you and say, like having that time in the car with Jerry of Ben and Jerry's must have been so fruitful and so helpful to you.
• 8:39
  Speaker 2: So I'm kind of wondering were there any quick little tips that you could share with us?
• 8:44
  Speaker 2: What do you remember from those days?
• 8:47
  Speaker 1: Yeah, well, the other thing is that we continue doing that for maybe three or four more years with him.
• 8:52
  Speaker 1: So every year I got to do that and he undenounced to me.
• 8:59
  Speaker 1: after that first year he wrote a letter to the head of communications with Dana Barber and said I've been doing this ice cream thing for many years with you guys, but this woman did a great job.
• 9:12
  Speaker 1: She got more press than anybody ever did.
• 9:14
  Speaker 1: And then he didn't tell me who's writing this.
• 9:18
  Speaker 1: And then the president of Dana Barber, the communications reached out to me.
• 9:23
  Speaker 1: He's like you just really got this unbelievable gift from Jerry, so he was just so special to me.
• 9:31
  Speaker 1: But what I learned from him was never back down on your values.
• 9:37
  Speaker 1: The values are everything in business and he also told me at the time if you need to take on a tech company here and there to feed your nonprofit habit, do it.
• 9:48
  Speaker 1: It's okay Like he gave me that permission to expand beyond.
• 9:55
  Speaker 1: If we needed more money and you know what we did it maybe twice, honestly, in the 26 years we've been around.
• 10:03
  Speaker 1: Then this was early on and we haven't done it in many in 20 years.
• 10:09
  Speaker 1: Easy taken on anything that was not within.
• 10:13
  Speaker 1: I mean, even those tech companies were not.
• 10:15
  Speaker 1: They weren't against our values by any means, they just weren't necessarily responsible companies.
• 10:23
  Speaker 1: But I thought that was great advice coming from the man who basically in my opinion started the corporate social responsibility movement, so if he was giving me the okay, you know he was just a bench in every way possible and brilliant, and I was extremely blessed to have had that time with him.
• 10:46
  Speaker 2: Yeah, I feel like one of my favorite episodes, that is, on the Responsibility from Podcast, is Ben Marine of Dear Collective interviewing Ben of Ben Ben and Jerry's Ben Cohen.
• 10:58
  Speaker 2: And I imagine that, although Ben and Jerry are not the same person, I imagine that they have similar messages to share since they did start the company together.
• 11:08
  Speaker 2: And just the advice that Ben Cohen is sharing on the podcast, I mean, one of my favorite quotes of all times comes from him, where it's like and I'm paraphrasing, but it's if you can't stand for anything like, don't stand at all.
• 11:22
  Speaker 2: And it's so true because we need companies to be making a stand and they have to be wearing that stand on their sleeves and telling their employees and their customers and their community how are they interact with the world what that stand is.
• 11:36
  Speaker 2: And I I.
• 11:37
  Speaker 2: So I hear you when you say that that time was valuable and I agree because what?
• 11:42
  Speaker 2: Just driving in a car with somebody, you have their undivided attention, lucky you.
• 11:47
  Speaker 1: I know he asked me that you don't always have to know exactly what you're doing like in business and you just don't rely on the perfect, you're never gonna be.
• 12:01
  Speaker 3: just keep doing it, keep at it, you know and that's the way they did it, and there isn't a lot of mistakes mistakes just like everybody else.
• 12:09
  Speaker 1: I mean, that's what you do, but as a young entrepreneur, it was helpful for me not to I have to feel like I knew everything that I was doing absolutely not.
• 12:20
  Speaker 1: Still don't yeah, cool.
• 12:22
  Speaker 2: well, thanks for being vulnerable and sharing that with us.
• 12:25
  Speaker 2: I think anybody who does say that they know everything that they're doing is lying.
• 12:30
  Speaker 2: I'm so, jackie teak, is this business?
• 12:36
  Speaker 2: That is all about purpose, and we see that through the work that you're doing with purpose driven brands.
• 12:41
  Speaker 2: I'm wondering, as we are talking about purpose driven brands, why are purpose driven brands in business so important to the business community?
• 12:59
  Speaker 1: Well, no officer, amazing, and I love them and I really are the soul, I think, of our country.
• 13:05
  Speaker 1: But the model is funky in that you have one hand that's doing the work and one hand is constantly seeking money.
• 13:14
  Speaker 1: If you constantly have your hand, out for money you have one hand to do the work.
• 13:19
  Speaker 1: You can't put all of your attention on the actual work If we're gonna rely on our profits to solve our countries problems.
• 13:26
  Speaker 1: Our communities problems are like it's problems.
• 13:29
  Speaker 1: We're in trouble and we need business, not only the help me in.
• 13:34
  Speaker 1: The solutions stop being a problem, so I have to be responsible companies.
• 13:40
  Speaker 2: They will Diminish their problem making and help with the solutions, and that's what we really need to be full circle if we're gonna get ourselves out of this mess Continue I love that and I think that's a good segue into this topic that I know that you love to talk about.
• 14:00
  Speaker 2: So I'm using your words here and I want you to kind of explain the meaning behind the words that that I'm using.
• 14:08
  Speaker 2: So I know that you love to talk about the idea in the future of purpose and business and that movement and how purpose and business is playing a part in our polarized world.
• 14:20
  Speaker 2: So I wanna dive into Kind of what do you mean when you're saying purpose and business and polarized world.
• 14:28
  Speaker 1: Well, I think there's a challenge now, right, because we are so polarized, backup a little bit and talk about the history.
• 14:36
  Speaker 1: I done this workshop, you know I done it northeastern and do you about, basically that the history of the b-court movement and also the responsibility movement is I think I've been here so long actually watched it.
• 14:50
  Speaker 1: I have been watching it, tracking this whole time, which I think is super fascinating.
• 14:56
  Speaker 1: Like each step of the way it was always like, oh my god, yeah, it's really gonna happen, really gonna happen, really gonna happen.
• 15:03
  Speaker 1: And now you know purpose is a thing like there are so many companies that are trying to do it, so many more brands that are using it in their marketing and but also just doing it, trying to do the right thing, right, but more world in the meantime has become our country.
• 15:20
  Speaker 1: Actually, say, how's it become extremely polarized, so by vocalizing your values as a company.
• 15:27
  Speaker 1: You know there was this point.
• 15:28
  Speaker 1: That was that thing that came out.
• 15:29
  Speaker 1: It was basically around me to movement, so 2016.
• 15:34
  Speaker 1: 2017, companies, employees are.
• 15:38
  Speaker 1: There was a poll, I can't remember who did it.
• 15:40
  Speaker 1: Employees said to their, to their c, e, o's basically, you have 24 hours after I think happens like me to like, then later george floyd, that sort of thing In our country to make a statement and companies went big.
• 15:55
  Speaker 3: We're very busy putting out statements.
• 15:57
  Speaker 1: after anything, what?
• 15:59
  Speaker 1: Down in in our social issues right they were like oh, we're not racist, or we stand up for women, or we support people of all abilities.
• 16:10
  Speaker 1: You know something like this with me.
• 16:12
  Speaker 1: Would start making statements, but then along the way like after 2016, between 2016 and 20, and now moving forward even more so.
• 16:22
  Speaker 1: It just keeps growing that our country is polarized.
• 16:25
  Speaker 1: So what does that mean for companies that are putting out their statements about their values?
• 16:29
  Speaker 1: It means they have a 50% chance of not getting the attention.
• 16:35
  Speaker 1: We're getting negative attention from half people, right, how people are gonna say, wow, what a great company.
• 16:41
  Speaker 1: They stand up for my values and have a good say.
• 16:44
  Speaker 1: I'm not buying from them because, that's not my values.
• 16:48
  Speaker 1: They're different than me, so companies are faced with a choice right I don't have to put it out there.
• 16:55
  Speaker 1: About the values.
• 16:56
  Speaker 1: Not say anything kind of trying to find this middle road with doesn't serve really anybody.
• 17:01
  Speaker 1: And I think that ultimately it's a good thing for purpose driven businesses, because the companies that really mean it, are committed to it, will talk about it and they'll keep going and they'll say I'm gonna reach the people who are right for me and those of you know in different ways to their different companies, who have values that are saying different than mine, and I think that they should go out there and say what they want to say, to like just whatever it is.
• 17:29
  Speaker 1: Stand up for it and stick with it and know that you're gonna lose people, but it doesn't matter, it's gonna make you stronger and the bonus here is that I think I hope marketing will become more authentic and greenwashing will disperse.
• 17:44
  Speaker 1: It will not be as prevalent as it was back in the day when we all started talking about it, right, right.
• 17:54
  Speaker 2: No, you didn't.
• 17:55
  Speaker 2: I mean, I resonate with it a ton.
• 17:57
  Speaker 2: I feel like in the marketing circles that I'm a part of, we're always saying Be authentic to yourself, be authentic to your brand, and if your brand doesn't have a mission, vision, value statement, then Consider writing one before you really push out marketing, because Send you're gonna be sending miss messages and you want your messages that you're putting out there to be authentic to you.
• 18:20
  Speaker 2: So I totally hear that.
• 18:22
  Speaker 2: I'm actually wondering is there a recent example or company that you think maybe has that has gotten caught up in this polarized world where they put out a statement that didn't, that maybe wasn't authentic, or they lost my hands or consumers because of it?
• 18:42
  Speaker 1: there's a lot actually cry just past June.
• 18:45
  Speaker 1: I think there are a couple of companies that ripped out R in their advertising and brand messaging.
• 18:53
  Speaker 1: Like there was a beer company, I think there was a soda company and they put out, you know they wanted to be like LGBTQ friendly and trans rights and people were accepted.
• 19:04
  Speaker 1: Those who were not on board with that message were boycotting the brands and then the companies I thought mistakenly pulled back from it.
• 19:15
  Speaker 1: You know they should have never once thought that was gonna happen, because it was right and decided in advance.
• 19:24
  Speaker 1: Are we willing to stand up for this and push through it when we get?
• 19:29
  Speaker 1: you know, pushback, or we're gonna crumble, and if you're gonna crumble, don't do it to be you it.
• 19:34
  Speaker 1: So it's just like hey who was in charge of that.
• 19:37
  Speaker 1: You know why did they think that through?
• 19:39
  Speaker 1: It's pretty obvious.
• 19:41
  Speaker 1: It was not a giant surprise that people were gonna be, you know, anti-trans when we, if you read the papers, you know that a lot of people are.
• 19:50
  Speaker 1: So that is, I think, a shocking example.
• 19:56
  Speaker 1: Who makes these decisions?
• 19:58
  Speaker 1: I don't know.
• 19:58
  Speaker 1: So that's what happened there.
• 20:01
  Speaker 1: Is they lost both sides?
• 20:04
  Speaker 2: Right, right, I hear you when you're talking about like market, what's authentic to you, and I'm wondering, I think now that it's like you said, hopefully, as people are marketing authentically there, it becomes more mainstream and greenwashing doesn't keep happening.
• 20:24
  Speaker 2: But you all have been doing this for so long, for 26 years.
• 20:28
  Speaker 2: So I'm wondering, like in those early days, can you take us back to what was it like to run a purpose-driven business before it was popular, before it was like the cutting edge thing to do and like now, hopefully more people are doing it it's becoming cool.
• 20:42
  Speaker 2: But like what was it like 26 years ago?
• 20:44
  Speaker 1: You know what again?
• 20:45
  Speaker 1: We didn't know, I was doing this until honestly, until we joined the people movement, and I was just doing it because it was the right thing to do, because that's what motivated me.
• 20:55
  Speaker 1: We only wanted to work with nonprofits because we just didn't want to we wanted to help these causes grow and by getting the word out through media and using the media as a force for good that's really what I wanted to do Because it's so prevalent, you know, it's so powerful.
• 21:14
  Speaker 1: So I didn't know that I was a purpose-driven business.
• 21:17
  Speaker 1: I didn't know they're needed to be purpose-driven businesses.
• 21:20
  Speaker 1: I was just like, well, it's gonna be really fun to work with nonprofits and that's good to us, so let's do it.
• 21:26
  Speaker 1: And that's what we did.
• 21:27
  Speaker 1: And then we joined the people movement and then we learned and I grew, you know, sort of going to the people conferences.
• 21:33
  Speaker 1: And then we joined conscious capitalism and you know, I learned from that community and all of that so now I forget your question.
• 21:41
  Speaker 3: What was the?
• 21:41
  Speaker 1: like it was fun.
• 21:44
  Speaker 1: It was super fun and I felt definitely felt like you know, we were onto something and I was like this is like really fun and amazing, because not everybody's doing this and it works, and I just really wanted to push it out there that this works, and I wanted companies to start talking about it.
• 22:02
  Speaker 1: Here's what happened.
• 22:03
  Speaker 1: Oh, so companies, even when they were in the beginning, when they were doing the right thing for the world, they weren't talking about it because so many reasons kept them from this.
• 22:13
  Speaker 1: So like for example, there was this boutique on Newbury.
• 22:17
  Speaker 1: Street and they were only put organics, only organic materials in the shop and they used no plastic, no plastic bags, no plastic hangers, no in-store right.
• 22:29
  Speaker 1: And they did not talk about this, they did not advertise it.
• 22:34
  Speaker 1: They just went about their day doing the right thing for retail and that's it.
• 22:39
  Speaker 1: And I was like that's like, why are you not doing that?
• 22:43
  Speaker 1: And the woman said well, you know, we don't want people to think that we're disingenuous, that we're just talking about it from marketing or trying to be like they didn't want to call Tish to it because they were embarrassed to look disingenuous when really they were so authentic that they were not even using it for advertising.
• 23:03
  Speaker 1: And this was like to me like a giant mistake, because you need it at the time.
• 23:09
  Speaker 1: You needed more companies to talk about what they were doing, so that other companies would see hey, they're profitable and they're doing the right thing.
• 23:16
  Speaker 1: We can do it too and help the movement grow, so that's what happened?
• 23:20
  Speaker 1: More companies started talking about it.
• 23:22
  Speaker 1: They helped the movement grow.
• 23:23
  Speaker 1: Then more companies started talking about it.
• 23:26
  Speaker 1: Sort of disingenuously trouble you know started to happen.
• 23:30
  Speaker 1: But then the big boys like really came on board and talked about it in, like BlackRock, and really talked about sustainable investing and impact investing.
• 23:41
  Speaker 1: And it just grew more and more to where people were really getting on board with the fact that, number one, we need to do this and number two, it's really better for business.
• 23:49
  Speaker 1: And that was really the flip of a switch when the authorities on business, like the business round table, came out and said we've done the research.
• 24:01
  Speaker 1: Now this was like 2018.
• 24:03
  Speaker 1: We've done the research.
• 24:04
  Speaker 1: Companies that are invested in sustainability are doing better.
• 24:09
  Speaker 1: Esg like big time doing better.
• 24:12
  Speaker 1: We're only gonna invest in those companies because but we're gonna make it a priority because they have shown that they can withstand unstable markets better.
• 24:20
  Speaker 1: Then it was like okay, we're on our way.
• 24:26
  Speaker 2: Yeah, I feel like you absolutely just nailed it there by saying like so many more studies have started to come out since 2018.
• 24:35
  Speaker 2: Thank you again.
• 24:36
  Speaker 2: We have the data to back it up that purpose driven brands are able to withstand better than businesses that aren't, so I'm with you Preaching to the choir here.
• 24:49
  Speaker 1: Yeah, I know.
• 24:51
  Speaker 1: Yeah, we're always the same for all your listeners.
• 24:55
  Speaker 2: Right?
• 24:55
  Speaker 2: Well, hopefully we're preaching to the choir with all the listeners.
• 24:58
  Speaker 2: Okay, so I want to get into the work that Teak Media is doing.
• 25:05
  Speaker 2: So, as small as you all may be, you're quite mighty and you represent some of the largest nonprofits in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as international responsible companies and NGOs.
• 25:22
  Speaker 2: So, as I was reading the different types of groups that you all represent, I just want to list off for the listeners some of those different topics that we are seeing.
• 25:34
  Speaker 2: So you help mitigate climate change, the healing of the oceans, preserving conservation land, caring for wildlife, educating children from underserved communities, feeding the hungry, changing legislation around food insecurity, ending mass incarceration and gang violence, curtailing the deforestation of the rainforest, terminating anti-Seminist and racial hate and bringing art to all communities through public art and museums.
• 26:06
  Speaker 2: So, wow, like, first of all, let's just back up and say, like what aren't you all helping do?
• 26:11
  Speaker 2: So, jackie, with all of the different topics that we know that Teak has had a part in, I'm wondering can you dive a little bit deeper into one specific project that you all have had part in and how the PR kind of helped drive this action forward?
• 26:32
  Speaker 1: Yeah, actually really a reason is the school meals for all was just passed here in Massachusetts, which means that all school children will get free luncheons moving forward, regardless of how much their parents make or don't make.
• 26:50
  Speaker 1: And the reason why this is so important is because there was a lot of stigma around breakfast after the bell, or breakfast in school, or food when you're a kid and you have to go for the lunch, the free lunch, when your friends are bringing their lunch from home, or whatever their stigma.
• 27:06
  Speaker 1: It would make children not eat, not eat properly, and when you don't eat you can't learn, period.
• 27:11
  Speaker 1: And there is a thing that really was a big deterrent to people doing well in school and then moving on and getting great careers.
• 27:21
  Speaker 1: And education is the core of everything advancement and your future health, even your future physical health, let alone your daily health.
• 27:32
  Speaker 1: So anyway, we worked with Project Brent to get the message out to legislators about the need for free school lunch for all and now it was passed and moving forward and we worked on that with them for two years.
• 27:47
  Speaker 1: And they say that the media attention we generated for the issue and for them as leaders of the issue was extremely helpful in getting it passed.
• 27:57
  Speaker 1: So we really do feel like we were part of that team to make it happen, and that's the way that PR works.
• 28:04
  Speaker 1: It also works in terms of changing policy, which is probably the most visual or obvious way that PR helps, but there are so many ways that it helps in driving people and donations to an organization.
• 28:22
  Speaker 1: We were just on a call with the organization and we were not behind this, but they told us that there was an article randomly in the globe about what they did.
• 28:30
  Speaker 1: And they got months later they got $3 million donation from a foundation, Like an unasked or just came in because these people were so moved by what they saw.
• 28:41
  Speaker 1: And that's not something that you can't do with, but it works, and it's just so moving to know that these organizations are getting funding because of positive media attention.
• 28:55
  Speaker 2: So you said it now a few times and I just want to maybe back up and define what does media attention mean to you all.
• 29:05
  Speaker 2: Does it mean just being in newspapers?
• 29:07
  Speaker 2: Does it mean being on the nightly news?
• 29:10
  Speaker 2: What does media attention mean?
• 29:13
  Speaker 1: Credit, tv, radio, online.
• 29:15
  Speaker 1: So any earned media is what we do most, rather than paid media, which would be advertising.
• 29:22
  Speaker 1: But then it's also social media which we work in and we do content as well to get it out there.
• 29:28
  Speaker 1: But the thing about earned media newspapers, radio, tv, websites and then social media with influencers is it's like third party credibility that it drives.
• 29:40
  Speaker 1: It drives to the organization or the company and people believe what they read.
• 29:45
  Speaker 1: I mean, that's all there is to it.
• 29:46
  Speaker 1: We know that now on the opposite side too, unfortunately, with all the misinformation that is out in the world today which was not a thing when Steve started, not nearly to the extent that it is now but people believe what they read.
• 30:01
  Speaker 1: So when we get out news about our organizations or our companies and people believe it, you know, then they join in, they join in a mission, they donate, they volunteer, they participate, they tell their friends, they learn.
• 30:15
  Speaker 1: You know, it's fabulous, wonderful.
• 30:18
  Speaker 2: Okay, so not to totally switch gears, but I do want to talk about TIC being a B Corp certification, but also you joined the National Conscious Capitalist Movement in 2014, which was right after you became a B Corp certification in 2013.
• 30:38
  Speaker 2: And then, in 2016, you were among some of the companies that found the Boston chapter of conscious capitalism, and I'm just wondering are these two communities different?
• 30:51
  Speaker 2: First off, because I personally am not a member or involved in the conscious capitalism movement, and then, second off, why are you involved in all of these things and what's the benefit that you see as a business to being involved in both of these communities?
• 31:10
  Speaker 1: Well, number one it's selfish.
• 31:11
  Speaker 1: I like being around these people who are talking about ideas and ways that we're gonna use business to make the world better.
• 31:19
  Speaker 3: I mean, I'm just, I thrive on that.
• 31:20
  Speaker 1: I love it, I'm super interested in it.
• 31:22
  Speaker 1: So I wanna be around these people and I get engaged.
• 31:28
  Speaker 1: It's exciting.
• 31:29
  Speaker 1: What else is the benefit?
• 31:31
  Speaker 1: We have definitely gotten business out of it, because companies will come to us and say, hey, I need promotion.
• 31:39
  Speaker 1: I see your B-Corp, or part of the conscious movement, conscious couples.
• 31:43
  Speaker 1: You seem like a good person to represent us.
• 31:46
  Speaker 1: Our values are aligned, so it definitely works in that way too, but not, I don't know, just being works in the way that generates business, but it helps us align with the right businesses that we wanna work with, but really it's just fun.
• 32:00
  Speaker 1: I wanna push the movement forward.
• 32:02
  Speaker 1: If there's anything that TIC should be known for moving forward.
• 32:07
  Speaker 1: I would love it to be really helping to build business as a force for good communities.
• 32:14
  Speaker 2: I love that.
• 32:14
  Speaker 2: I think for me, being involved in these communities because I believe that they are similar, it helps with my burnout a little bit too, Like I get energized from the community in one.
• 32:26
  Speaker 2: Maybe I'm at like my lowest or I'm getting tired or exhausted and I just need something to like re-spark that flame inside of me to keep going.
• 32:36
  Speaker 2: I find that the B-Corp community totally does that for me.
• 32:39
  Speaker 2: It absolutely helps with my burnout.
• 32:42
  Speaker 1: Yeah, definitely I get.
• 32:44
  Speaker 1: Inspired.
• 32:45
  Speaker 2: Yeah, of everything that TIC has accomplished in 26 years of business, what holds the most value to you?
• 32:53
  Speaker 1: I will say honestly it's a culmination of it all in that I feel like TIC has been a small part of building movement and pushing things forward and educating people.
• 33:06
  Speaker 1: I do like that going to schools and talking about it I've done before COVID.
• 33:11
  Speaker 1: I used to speak a lot at conferences about the history of the movement and what we should be doing to move it forward more.
• 33:18
  Speaker 1: I think that's really fun and valuable and, yeah, I mean I'm proud to be a part of it.
• 33:25
  Speaker 1: To honestly, I'm happy to be a part of it and I'm honored to be a part of it.
• 33:33
  Speaker 2: I love it.
• 33:33
  Speaker 2: Jagi, I think we in Boston are a little bit spoiled to have you be a part of this movement with us, because you have been such that light kind of leading the way for so long.
• 33:47
  Speaker 2: So thank you for all that you've done for the community.
• 33:50
  Speaker 2: Thank you.
• 33:51
  Speaker 2: Is there anything else that you want to leave our listeners with before we say goodbye to you?
• 33:57
  Speaker 1: Not only that, I love what you guys are doing and I'm really proud to be a part of you, and I would love just that we're in it together.
• 34:06
  Speaker 1: You guys stand for the same things that TIC stands for, so it's amazing to have more companies like you guys in the digital space doing all this work with the same reasons that TIC's doing it.
• 34:17
  Speaker 1: Right, it's great.
• 34:19
  Speaker 2: I agree.
• 34:19
  Speaker 2: I agree, and Jagi, if people want to connect with TIC Media or yourself, should they be going to the website or should they be following you on LinkedIn?
• 34:30
  Speaker 1: Yeah, LinkedIn website.
• 34:31
  Speaker 1: Of course we're on all the social.
• 34:33
  Speaker 2: Awesome.
• 34:35
  Speaker 1: Under TIC Media.
• 34:36
  Speaker 1: So yeah, please follow us.
• 34:37
  Speaker 1: Reach out.
• 34:39
  Speaker 2: Great.
• 34:40
  Speaker 2: I will put that in the show notes as well for everybody so that they can easily find you.
• 34:44
  Speaker 2: Thank you, jagi.
• 34:45
  Speaker 2: So much for your time today.
• 34:47
  Speaker 2: It was absolutely a pleasure.
• 34:49
  Speaker 1: Thanks, brittany, I really appreciate it.
• 35:16
  Speaker 2: Thank you for tuning into this episode.
• 35:18
  Speaker 2: We appreciate you taking the time to be here.
• 35:20
  Speaker 2: As always, we want to hear from you.
• 35:23
  Speaker 2: If you have thoughts on this episode or any other episode, please reach out to both Ben and I at content at dirgocollectivecom.
• 35:32
  Speaker 2: That's D-I-R-I-G-O.
• 35:36
  Speaker 2: Collectivecom.
• 35:37
  Speaker 2: You can also leave us a review on Apple Podcast or rate us on Spotify.
• 35:42
  Speaker 2: Thank you for being here.
• 35:44
  Speaker 2: We appreciate you.
• 35:46
  Speaker 2: Until next time, be responsibly different.
• 35:53
  Speaker 3: This episode was hosted and produced by yours truly, Ben Marine and Brittany Angelo.
• 35:59
  Speaker 3: We purchased this music from the amazing B Corp Marmoset Music.
• 36:04
  Speaker 3: You can check them out at marmosetmusiccom.
• 36:06
  Speaker 3: To learn more about us, visit responsiblydifferentcom.
• 36:13
  Speaker 3: And to learn more about our parent company, visit dirgocollectivecom.