Can doing business and doing good go side-by-side? 

Great take aways from the Healing Summit 2017

What a super treat to having been invited to the Healing Summit 2017

After I just had the chance to be a delegate at the Global Wellness Summit only a few months ago, another great and transformational event is awaiting me!

Although I was only able to attend day 1 of the convention, I took away great thoughts and inspirations, of which I share some with you in this article. More articles to follow of course…

Can doing business and doing good go side-by-side?

Under the tagline ‘building a global healing business community’, the main idea, or let us say question, of the summit was: 

How big is the discrepancy between the ‘healing world’  and the ‘real (business) world’? 

Can doing business and doing good go side-by-side?

Anne Biging, founder of Healing Hotels of the World, claims: ‘Healing is ‘Zeitgeist’, and with her healing summit, she provides opportunities to the delegates to hear, debate and commit to tangible actions that will become cornerstones in our personal and professional lives, as well as that of others. 

Standing in our own self worth – what is happiness

Our first accomplished speaker, Dr. Mariela de Silveira from Brazil, shared her thoughts on ‘standing in our own self worth’.

Dr. Mariela, Co-owner and Medical Director at Kurotel Longevity Medical Center ad Spa, also pointed out today’s common pressure in our society ‘to be happy’. However at the same time, there seems to be a lack of happiness.

Her two major thoughts on this are:

  1. Happiness as such does not exist. Today, on their search for happiness people get distracted by pleasure. However Happiness goes a lot deeper than that.
  2. It is a form of love. Happiness is not possible without unconditional (not only romantic) love

The delegates were then invited to reflect on their own happiness experiences and what happiness is for them. I discussed happiness with my fellow delegates sitting next to me and learned very interesting viewpoints. For me personally one thing is obvious: happiness to me always happens in nature (yet is not limited to). When surrounded by nature, I always feel happy!

Convenient AND Ethical is possible

Another great session was called “increased brand awareness and profitability through doing good” by Asa Siegel, Holistic Health and Business Counseler, Founder of Stamba Superfoods, NYC.

Asa starts his session with the words “I believe in life”. He claims that thought processes and business practises lead to the destruction of our beautiful planet. And that businesses are fundamentally related to this.

However companies can make business through doing good. By which he not merely means doing business as usual and then donating a little, but by doing real good to all stakeholders by standing for resources, health and wellbeing, and by increasing consumer awareness, which is hugely important.

Societies need to understand the responsibility role of the consumer, who can make conscious decisions when making product choices. Already this paradigm  is shifting (just think about Millennials), and businesses can do much more. 

The power of the consumer

The power of an informed customer or consumer can lead to decision making processes with the outcome of choosing convenient and ethical products and services.
Customers and consumers like to share their positive experiences and can hence inspire others to make convenient and ethical decisions.
Asa predicts that this trend is not going to wain, as consumers want to be ‘happier’ about their purchases by making better choices.

Asa presents his 3-step program for businesses wanting to increase brand awareness and profitability through doing good:

develop a deep commitment 

implement / change

bring attention to it

On a side note, Asa tells the delegates that SRI (Socially Responsible Investment) is the fastest growing sector currently.
For example: a company in NY called how good researches business practices of consumer (food) products and publishes the outcome. Consumers can this way easily learn about the companies they buy from and make more informed decisions. How Good has recently received large investments for further expansion into other industries.

Asa’s session ends with a delegate discussion about the questions ‘what are existing practices in your business tat are doing good and that you are not highlighting enough’ and ‘what more can you do’.

‘A holistic lifestyle means taking full responsibility for one’s health and life as well as taking responsibility for the world around us.’

Thriving Healing Communities

My favourite session of the day was a panel interview about the topic ‘community’ with my dear friend Dr. Tanya Pergola, Isabelle Duchesneau and Rupert Schmid, chairman Biologique Recherche LINK.

Tanya: Replace “I” by “we”


‘Dr. Tanya Pergola is an internationally acclaimed author, speaker, community development orchestrator, lead guide for
The Healing Safaris, and a yoga and meditation instructor. A practicing sociologist and social psychologist, she is an inspirational voice sharing the indigenous healing wisdom of Africa with a globalized world. Especially close to her heart is Terrawatu Tanzania, a pioneering NGO she co-founded in 2000. Dr. Tanya is the author of the Nautilus award-winning book Time is Cows: Timeless Wisdom of the Maasai. She leads corporate wellness retreats in Africa and Europe as well as workshops and events in her home base of Miami, USA.’
This is Tanya’s ‘official’ bio from the Healing Summit website.

Having had the luck of hosting Tanya for several weeks in my little bungalow back in 2016 in Dar Es Salaam/Tanzania, I had the chance to getting to know her beyond. Not only as a roomie, but also as a friend. We shared meals, drinks, opinions, dreams, great conversations, acquaintances, and yoga session, needless to say we had a great time.

Are urban elites naiv?


At the healing summit, Tanya started her session by quoting an article she had recently read in which ‘urban elites’ were named ‘naives’ and criticised for their practices eating kale, doing yoga, travelling, even doing humanitarian work.

However Tanya suggests we all should replace the word “I” more often by “we”. What a very different world we would live in.

Tanya then spoke about the nature of communities in Maasai tribes in Tanzania and treated the delegates with some very thought provoking examples from her own experiences. 
I recommend to download Tanya’s book where you will learn about those (I have listened to the audio version as I love book read by their authors, this way not only receiving their written language but also the vocal). Find the link in the sidebar!

Rupert: Informally, consumers get it

I am quoting Rupert when I write ‘…we cannot treating people with cancer. They need it more than everyone else…’

And speaking about illnesses, he tells a very unusual story about an employee in his company in a very advanced role, that suffered from an addiction problem and thus causing major disruptions. Yet instead of reporting to the police and laying the employee off and thus putting an end to his work life, the board decided to get him help and treatment and keep him on. Bold move I say.

When asked by interview Valerie Smaldone, a renowned journalist holding the #1 on-air position in the New York radio market, if customers of Biologique Recherche notice the business practices of the company, Rupert replies: ‘…consumers may not really notice, although the company’s products are the results of good business practices. If you have a look at the numbers it is clear that they like the products. So somehow ‘informally’ they get it, yet ‘formally’ it is not measurable how much ‘good’ is in the product.

If you wish to learn more about Biologique Recherche and their products, please check out my category ‘product reviews’ soon.

 

doing business and doing good Anja Eva Keller TalkWellness

 

About the Healing Summit 

The Healing Summit is an initiative of Healing Hotels of the World. It serves as platform for professionals striving for a holistic approach to business.

The event takes place annually since 2014; inviting international world-class speakers to share their holistic perspectives on a future committed to healing: healing lifestyle, sustainable practices, charity projects and the paradigms of business rooted in a conscious economy.
The summit provides a space where individuals and businesses meet to debate, discuss and learn from their collective wisdom ranging from an in-depth understanding of healing body, mind and soul to our interconnectedness with the world around us.