Shownotes
What if your business could do more than generate profit? What if it could help create a better future? In this episode of Leading Visionaries, host Anjel B. Hartwell sits down with Isabelle Grosmaitre, founder and CEO of Goodness & Co., to explore how courageous leaders can turn business purpose into meaningful action.
Isabelle also opens up about the realities of entrepreneurship, including financial uncertainty and learning to reinvent your business model. Discover how leaders can build future-ready organizations by making purpose part of strategic decisions and creating collaborative governance that moves meaningful change forward.
What You Will Learn:
How a defining life experience can shape your vision and sense of purpose.
Why business can be a powerful force for positive change.
How to listen to your inner voice and build confidence in your leadership.
Why choosing to collaborate with pioneering organizations can create greater impact than fighting against established systems.
What entrepreneurs can expect when navigating financial uncertainty and risk.
Why business owners should avoid limiting themselves when pricing and monetizing their expertise.
How regularly reinventing your business model can support entrepreneurial growth.
How to move beyond purpose statements and integrate purpose into strategic business decisions.
Why collaborative governance and stakeholder engagement are essential to organizational transformation.
How boards, executives, employees, and partners can work together to create lasting change.
FAQ:
What does it mean for a business to be a force for good?
A business becomes a force for good when it uses its influence, resources, and decisions to create positive change while remaining financially successful. This means integrating purpose into business strategy, empowering stakeholders, and finding ways to contribute to a better future.
How can a company turn its purpose into action?
A company can turn purpose into action by making it part of its strategic decisions, business model, innovation efforts, and relationships with stakeholders. Purpose should guide how the organization operates rather than exist only as a mission statement or slogan.
What is purpose-driven leadership?
Purpose-driven leadership means guiding an organization with a clear commitment to making a meaningful contribution beyond financial performance alone. It involves aligning business decisions with a broader vision, empowering others, and working collaboratively to create lasting impact.
Connect with Isabelle Grosmaitre
Join the Leading Visionaries Community
Transcripts
LVP 155 Isabelle
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Ad: [00:00:00] Welcome to the Leading Visionaries podcast, featuring stellar conversations with emerging and established leading visionaries. Thanks for joining us today as we celebrate and spotlight the leading visionaries who are thinking differently, seeing new possibilities, have the courage to dream big, take inspired action, and create conscious change all around the world.
Now, here's your host, Anjel B. Hartwell
Anjel: Welcome to another episode of the Leading Visionaries podcast, where we celebrate the ingenious, insightful, innovative, and inspired leading visionaries of our time and provide listeners with world-class examples of the kind of courage, clarity, and confidence it takes to bring visions into reality. This is your host, Angel B.
Hartwell, and today we welcome our special guest, Isabelle Gromment. [00:01:00] As a catalyst of change, Isabelle is a purposeful leader, reinventing how business becomes a force for good. She is visionary, courageous, committed, and contagious. Founder and CEO of Goodness & Co, she helps pioneering organizations, representing over 180 billion in euros in turnover, to turn purpose into practice, working alongside boards and CEOs to build future fit organizations.
A
A movement builder, she ignites cross-industry coalitions driving systemic change, championing boards as tr- stewards of transformation. Author as Business as a Force for Good, LinkedIn Top Voice, and keynote speaker, Isabelle embodies a new generation of leaders combining purpose, performance, and lasting impact.
I'm very excited to have you here. Welcome to the [00:02:00] show, Isabelle.
Isabelle: Thank you so much. I'm so grateful to be here, and I look forward to our conversation.
Anjel: Well, you definitely are contagious, I can tell you that. It's, uh, it's, it- in the green room before we were getting ready for the show, I just felt really good energy, and so I'm excited that you're here, and I'm looking forward to, um, where this conversation is gonna go.
I like to start by ta- I'm gonna start with you today by talking about vision. As somebody who's founded something fairly significant, vision is a very important piece of that puzzle. It's probably the, you know, the incendiary piece of that puzzle, right? I wanna hear about your visionary journey. Were you always a visionary?
Were you the little girl who was dreaming up big plans from, from, you know, two or three years old? Or did the visionary piece kind of come online over time?
Isabelle: Well, I'm gonna tell you a story, actually. When I was 18 years old, I had a cousin that had leukemia, and, [00:03:00] um, he was in the hospital for a couple years, and then we got a phone call from his dad, my uncle, and we found out that it was the end.
So we had planned to visit him to say goodbye, and we arrived in his room. I will always remember, and it gets me emotional, but I went there with my sister, my younger sister, and my cousin, who was his brother. And my cousin that was about to die, Jacques- He asked us what did we want people to say at our funeral.
And guess what? When you are 18, I never thought, never, never, never thought about this question, you know? Uh, when you are 18 you are studying, you want to learn, you want to discover the world, you want to party, play sport, whatever, but you don't think about your legacy. And, um, my sister [00:04:00] started by saying, "I want people to say that I've been an amazing mother to my children."
Uh, then my cousin said "Well, I want to people to recognize that I've been kind, kind to people around me." Um, and then it was my turn, and I say, "Well, I want both. I wish both of this, but I also would like something also, and it may be, uh, it may sound crazy, but I wish that people would say that I've w- contributed a little to make this place a better world."
Anjel: Mm-hmm. Mm. Yeah. Beautiful. Beautiful. So let's now talk about where the vision came from. You know, obviously that was the initial seed, but talk about how the vision from there kind of grew in you and what the experience was of [00:05:00] stepping into it, creating it, you know, bringing that vision to life so that people will say that when it's time for you to go.
Isabelle: Well, um, I think life is a learning journey, so you don't, you know, become overnight a visionary or so. I think there is something that enables you to listen to your inner voice that you may always had in you, but then it grows. So now you know that I always wanted to contribute to better futures, and I'm not saying there is one way.
There are so many ways. But I've, you know, and there are a lot of things happening right now in the world in regards to politics. We need courageous politicians. We need courageous institution. We need a lot of, uh, a lot of organization to do the right thing or what the world needs. But I've always, always, [00:06:00] always believe in the force of business.
Business, why? Because I'm a woman, uh, and when you say, uh, turning vision into practice, I love to bring vision into practice. I love bringing things to life. I'm a woman of action, and I love the fact that companies do act, and they do... You know, they have the power to engage, to innovate, to transform the world.
So I've always chosen that. And, you know, I've... This is what guided my choices. So I've always choose to contribute for business that were more good, you know, in the world, and that could grow their contribution to the world. So this is how I've done, you know, all those choices in my life. So choosing business to be a force for good.
Anjel: Mm. Beautiful. So there's several places I'd like to go with this. I think the first thing I wanna talk about here is the [00:07:00] inner voice and being guided, because I don't know that we talk that much still about this in business context, right? We might hear these conversations outside of business context, but I feel like it is absolutely happening, and it's just not talked about.
So what are some of the things that you do to ensure that you stay connected with that inner voice, that you trust that inner voice, that you take action on that inner voice?
Isabelle: Again, I think it's a learning journey. I don't think that when I was 18 or 25 that I had the courage to build things. I think that it grew within me.
And why I had the courage to listen to my inner voice, first of all, I think because people believed in me. People around me empowered me encouraged me, empowered me to do, you know, or to do in the right to whatever, to go into a direction. [00:08:00] I think this is, uh, something that really helped me in the journey.
And then when you have people that give you the confidence actually to act, then your confidence and your trust in yourself grow. And I think also there is another thing, is that I've always believe in leadership in a broader sense. Mm. And I think that leadership, you are one. One leader. You're not one leader at home, one leader at work, one leader with your friends.
You are the same one. And since the very beginning, I think that this was also very clear to me that I was allowing myself to be, to be myself- Mm-hmm ... uh, as who I am, with, uh, the good and the bad side, you know? Mm-hmm. Uh, and I think that, uh, this was from the very start, and I had the chance to be, to have a coach actually, uh, when I started.
And, um, ever since, I, I think this is an exercise that I, uh, [00:09:00] uh, do, uh, every other year to make sure that I, I continue to grow and learn.
Anjel: Mm. Beautiful. I love it. Well, in the last question I asked you, you talked about business being a force for good, and I would say based on my own life experience that we have been in a period of changing how business can show up.
Mm-hmm. And there's still very entrenched some old ways of doing business where business is not, not necessarily a force for good, and in some cases business is a force for not so good. So I am curious about for you what it was like to bring this vision like up against that old paradigm, if that makes sense.
Isabelle: So I didn't bring anything up against another system. I choosed, [00:10:00] uh, the ones that were leading that game. So it's also very important to understand in everyone's journey, I think we always have the choice, and the choice is also who do you want to join? Who do you want to surround yourself with? And I didn't choose to go against the system.
I choose the courageous organization that were the pioneers, the one that dared to change the rules of the game, that were demonstrating that this was possible. Mm-hmm. And then I believe that this will have a snowball effect on the ones that are cautious or not so sure about that.
Anjel: Mm. Beautiful. All right.
So that's a really powerful thing that I want our listeners to hear, is that we always have a choice, number one, and number two, that you can choose to be opposed to something or you can choose to join hands with those that are actually embodying and living whatever that other thing [00:11:00] is against, right?
Mm-hmm, mm-hmm. So it's, it's not using your energy to be in conflict. Instead, it's using your energy to collaborate and grow in the new paradigm, which is a powerful thing for change agents to be focused on. So as a catalyst of change, when you stepped into founding your own business-
Isabelle: Mm-hmm ...
Anjel: what would you say was one of, one of your biggest challenges or biggest surprises when you did step into starting your own business?
Isabelle: Well, when I started my own business five years ago, first of all, I realized that the world was at a tipping point. You know, I was working for, I think, 20, 25 years, uh, within business in family-owned business and then in large corporation. I was a catalyst actually of Danone where I brought the transformation to life, One Planet, One Health.
And at that time, I remember I was also co-chairing a global organization called the [00:12:00] Consumer Goods Forum with a board. I was reporting to a board of 58 CEOs. And I remember very well this boardroom. You know, sometimes in life we see collective and they shift, you know? M- a lot of time those collective at the beginning, y- you have some pioneers, some that are pushing the movement to go further, but the majority's afraid.
But that day in the boardroom something happened, and you could see that the committed leaders that really understand that they had no other choice than to embrace purpose at the core of the business model or positive impact, however you call it. They had no other choice. And the question was not anymore about the why should we do it or not, but how can we make it happen?
And this is when I decided actually that instead of serving one courageous leader or an executive team, that I would have a bigger impact by serving the [00:13:00] pioneering organization in the world that are on a mission, and that if we were to serve them, then it would have the snowball effect. So it's, um, I, I've always done that all my life, so it's it's always the same, Playing field, if I may say, even though that we are conscious that the world is in, under tension today.
What has been different when you start your own business is that you use different muscles. Mm-hmm. Uh, you use different muscles, because when you are an entrepreneur, yeah, you do it it's a 360 role. Uh- ... meaning that, uh, you do, you do basically everything from the beginning.
Anjel: That is true. All right, we're gonna take a quick break.
When we come back, we're gonna talk more about leadership and about Goodness & Co. But right now, listeners, do you want a clear revenue-amplifying business strategy designed to convert your big vision into big money? Maybe you're [00:14:00] monetizing your vision, but not at the level that your calling requires.
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The Big Money Business Strategy Intensive is our introductory engagement designed to provide clarity about the revenue-amplifying strategy required to move forward. If you're ready to explore what's possible, tell us what you're working on at explore.creativeageconsulting.com. I wanna say, say thank you to everyone around the world who's downloading, rating, and reviewing Leading Visionaries.
We're welcoming listeners from all over the world. This week we wanna give a special shout-out to our listeners in France, as well as our listeners in Egypt and Hungary. And we will be right back [00:15:00] with Isabelle Gromort.
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Anjel: And we are back with Isabelle. You can find out more about her and Goodness & Co. at goodnessandco.one. That's Goodness, A-N-D, Co., C-O, .one, O-N-E. We will have that for you in the, the show notes. So before we went to the break, we were talking a lot about vision, but you also brought up this idea of you are one leader.
Here, you're one leader in your business, you're one leader in your relationships, you're one leader at home. So I wanna talk a little bit about leadership and about your new book Business as a Force for [00:17:00] Good. So I'd love to hear from you first, Isabelle, what your leadership journey has been like. Were, again, were you the leader when you were a little child, or has it been a, like, a long, lifelong learning experience to step into your leadership?
Isabelle: It's a tough question. Mm-hmm.
I think that life is a learning journey, again. So I, I don't think that I was a, this kind of leader when I was 20 or 30. But I've always had very big dreams. Mm-hmm. I wanted to contribute to a better world, and this through business, and really wanted to change the rules of the game.
And as you rightly say, so by empowering and harnessing the power of people around us- Mm-hmm ... whether it's employees, partners, clients, a coalition of partners, whatever. So this is, has always been the case. So I think it's [00:18:00] important to... And of course, you know, like, uh, uh, life has its up and downs, you know?
Mm-hmm. It's not a perfect road. It's not- Mm-hmm ... straight at all. Mm-hmm. But this type of, uh, leading, uh, or leader for good has always been there.
Anjel: Oh, beautiful. All right. So before we went to the break, you also talked about being an entrepreneur and stepping into entrepreneurship and discovering that, oh, we're, we're doing everything.
Mm-hmm. And that includes the monetization piece. Mm-hmm. So I do like to talk about money in these interviews, only because it is a major factor for anybody who is in a founding position to be paying attention to the money, looking at the money, discerning how to make the sales, all of those things. So if there's anything that you could share with other founders about your own journey with money or sales or revenue generation, that would be great.
Isabelle: Maybe what I can share are, are, are three things. So it's been five years. One is that I believe that [00:19:00] financial insecurity is part of the entrepreneurship. At the beginning, I was very, very, very anxious about it. Now I've learned to cope with it. And, uh, it's gonna be okay. You will always find a solution is part of, uh, what I've learned.
So that's one, but we need to acknowledge that it's not an executive role and it's something else. You take bigger risk and including financial risk, which is important. It's important to acknowledge. If you are too afraid of that, I'm not sure that this role is meant for you to
Anjel: be clear.
Isabelle: The second is that, um, I, I didn't really know, but I think it's important to apply to yourself, your business, what you believe in.
And as you understand, I have big dreams. I've... even if I'm an outsider to, uh, BCG, [00:20:00] McKinsey, or whatever, I was able to compete with them, and it's okay to be an entrepreneur, to be an outsider, and because you believe that you deliver a quality of you know, deliverables that are as, uh, relevant as the firm or as your competitors or indirect competitors.
I think it's important to avoid limiting yourself when it's about monetizing your work. Mm-hmm. This is very important and I really believe in that. And believe me, it has worked since day one. Mm-hmm. So that's very important. Believe in yourself. Believe in monetizing your work. Mm-hmm. Um, I think that's a, a second thing that matters.
And then third it's more I've... I'm surrounded with a lot of entrepreneurs, and I think that, uh, we need to acknowledge that, uh, entrepreneurship has its up and down. So it's about always [00:21:00] reinventing yourself, your model. Uh- Mm-hmm ... and this has been part of the fun part of the journey, I must say, to reinvent yourself, uh, and your model- on a regular basis.
Anjel: Beautiful. All right. Well, I would love to have you talk a little bit about your model, your current model, Goodness & Co. Like, what specifically are you looking to do? Like, who are the people you wanna be serving? What clients do you wanna be serving? What is the impact that you wanna be making, and what a l- you know, a little bit about...
peek, peek us into the future vision of where you wanna go with it.
Isabelle: So what I love is, uh, serving pioneering organization, you know, on a mission, the one that are the forefront and that dare to change the rules of the game. So, we have been, uh, working since day one actually with, uh, some leaders like, uh, L'Oréal, which is a French company worldwide, but, uh, very advanced, uh, when it's come to value creation, or we, uh, did the first, uh, B Corp in the luxury [00:22:00] industry like, uh, Chloé.
We worked also in the people business with Adecco, really reinventing the way we, uh, help people live healthier life, if I may say. I think it's important. Mm-hmm. So, so how do we go with that? Uh, there are two things. One is that bringing purpose to life or operationalizing purpose is possible.
It's not that complex. Mm-hmm. I think that purpose cannot be just a signature or something on a wall or so. There is a way to operationalize, and this matters when you ... It really guides your strategic decision, you know, because we are in an uncertain time. It's important to have your organization that is future fit, that really is able to innovate the way that enables your company to grow, uh, with the right trust of stakeholders around you.
So I think there is a way to operationalize the purpose. The second is that, uh, from our experience, what really [00:23:00] distinguish companies that do succeed to drive the change versus others are the one that are setting up a more collaborative governance.
Anjel: Mm.
Isabelle: Because change is not that easy. We need to face it.
Mm. So it's a collaborative governance is, uh ... I'm gonna go back to the role of boards because we work a lot with the boards. So how do you empower boards of directors? How do you, uh, empower your ex-co? How do you empower the next generation voice in your company? How do you empower your partners around you?
So how you create, like, stakeholder assembly and so on. I think this is really key to work on governance to help to drive the change, and I think it matters, and it's possible. So it's, um, the world needs those leaders to succeed, and we are here to help them.
Anjel: Beautiful. I love that. Well, we've only got a couple of minutes left, Isabelle, so in the last couple of minutes, I am again curious.
Like, what is the longer term vision for Goodness & Co.? Where do you wanna go from here? Where do you see your own [00:24:00] organization going from here?
Isabelle: So we see two, two, two dimensions that are key. One is the role of boards. The more we work with pioneering organization, the more we need to work on getting the board on board.
So we have created several movements on committed board members because- Board members actually, once they are in a board, they don't really know how to play, you know. Nobody's helping them really to, uh, help one another. There is no community, if I may say, of those type of leaders. And they need one another.
So we are creating this movement to help them unlock those barriers, to learn from one another, to center change to have the right people around the table. So this is key, governance and especially the, the role of boards. And then the second thing is that it's very much about coalition of action.
So, and we must say, and I must say that I love every [00:25:00] topics related to healthier lives. So to helping- Mm ... people live healthier lives. So this is something that matters a lot to me and to my heart. Mm.
Anjel: Beautiful. All right. In the last couple of minutes, let's talk about your book. What inspired you to write a book?
And you know, what could somebody get out of your book if... You know, give them one little tidbit that they might receive if they chose to buy the book and read it.
Isabelle: So first of all, uh, it's important to acknowledge that it's somebody that told me, it's Havas actually, it's the, a communication agency, uh, that ask me to be the first one to, uh, for their new edition, which is about the new leadership voice.
And they ask me, and otherwise I don't think that I would have dare to write a book. So it's interesting to see that, you know, even if we have experience, you still need somebody to hold your hand sometimes to, uh, to go to the next phase. Uh, [00:26:00] nevertheless, the book is I would say an enthusiastic testimony about business as a force for good, about how courageous leaders shift purpose into practice, because I believe it is possible.
So it's a very pragmatic book, if I may say, with I think more than 50 example of leaders that have, uh, led that change. They don't have 360 right, but they do have fundamental ingredients to make that change happen. And I think that we are entering a new era when it comes to governance and leadership.
Time is now, and people are ready. So it's one of the... You know, if this book inspires people to go for it, I would love it.
Anjel: Beautiful. Well, it has been my pleasure having you here today. Thank you so much, Isabelle. You are quite inspirational and definitely contagious. And listeners, we do love feedback.
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