Reflecting on 4 Years as a B Corp

Four years ago today my coaching and consulting company Vicarious Partners became a certified B Corp. It took months of visioning, research, assessments, strategy, concepting, documentation, testing, and iteration. I never could have done it (or ever would have dreamed of pursuing it) without the support of my partner Fredrick Selby. Fredrick has been devoted to all things sustainability since long before it became a buzzword. He helped me see that my business had always been oriented toward social and environmental justice—as something I was doing intuitively not intentionally.

It turns out being intentional about your vision and values, and building your business to align with them in every way, allows you to have a MUCH greater impact than just winging it and hoping it all works out well.

Going through the rigorous B Corp assessment and certification process with a Standards Analyst at B Lab gave me insights into my business I never had before. It showed me I was already doing much much more than I knew, and identified the gaps where I could be doing better. It’s a lot like the coaching process itself, really. Becoming a B Corp was a coaching engagement for my business.

My business is now explicitly designed to give, designed to save, and designed to care—down to our “not-just-for-profit” business model, legal status, operating procedures, environmental practices, and equity policy—not just in what we say but what we do.

In the last few years, many business owners and senior leaders have come to me in curiosity about becoming a B Corporation, the value of having a B Corp certification, whether it’s worth it, how it differs/intersects with being a Benefit Corporation, and how to actually make it happen (if you didn’t know, most companies that try don’t get certified). I’ve coached companies through the process in formal client engagements and through informal info sessions. It’s been such a gift to help spread the love.

I am grateful and honored to be part of the global movement of people using business as a force for good. I’m on a mission to put humanity back into business. I hope you’ll join us.

More about what being a B Corp actually means to my business at https://whitneyhess.com/bcorp/

Thank you for all of your support!