Ep 188. Carol Cone: Purpose Drives Performance

Work and Life with Stew Friedman

Carol Cone, Founder and CEO of Carol Cone ON PURPOSE, is internationally recognized for her work in social purpose and corporate social responsibility. Carol was a pioneer in the field of social purpose in the 1980s. Her work has built global movements, garnered hundreds of awards, and raised billions of dollars for a variety of worthy causes. She was the Founder, CEO and Chairman of Cone, Inc., recognized as the nation’s leading Cause Branding consultancy. PRWeek called her “arguably the most powerful and visible figure in the world of Cause Branding.” Her book, Breakthrough NonProfit Branding, was published in 2010.

In this episode, Stew and Carol talk about the history of incorporating social causes in corporate strategies and her role in it, which grew out of her engagement in social action in the 1960s and 1970s. Carol shares insider insights about Reebok’s role in Amnesty International, PNC Financial’s sponsorship of early childhood education, Aflac’s support for pediatric cancer patients, and more. They discuss what it took to overcome resistance to the idea of embracing social causes in the corporate world, how individuals and organizations today can take positive social action through business, and why it’s so important to do so.

Here then is an invitation, a challenge, for you, once you’ve listened to the conversation. Come up with an idea for some action you can take, no matter how small, that you expect would result in your work being more meaningful because its social purpose is more clear to you. Share your ideas, and your reactions to this episode, by writing to Stew at [e-mail] or via LinkedIn.

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