July 18, 2025 • 55 mins
In this episode of Being Human, Hidden Depths, Jill Tiney welcomes Jack Blenkinsop from B1G1 to explore how businesses can create meaningful impact through giving. They discuss B1G1’s unique model, the power of community, and the importance of embedding purpose into business operations, revealing inspiring stories and actionable insights. 🌍🤝
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
That's quite all right.
Speaker 2 (00:02):
Hello, and welcome to being Human Hidden Depths with me
Jill tiny On behalf of Collaboration Global, and I'm excited
to welcome today the wonderful all the way from Belfast,
Jack Blenkinsop, Hi Jack, Nice to have you here.
Speaker 1 (00:15):
Hey, Jill, it is great to be Thanks very much
for that lovely introduction.
Speaker 3 (00:19):
No, no Irish accent? Then it's not your.
Speaker 1 (00:21):
Local No, I'm not from here, so so no accent.
I'm from the Southwest. My accent's very different up here.
Speaker 3 (00:27):
Southwest?
Speaker 1 (00:28):
What part Hawkie and Devon?
Speaker 3 (00:30):
So lovely?
Speaker 2 (00:32):
Yes, I love it down there. There's there's caves there
isn't there? Yeah, I can't.
Speaker 3 (00:40):
What's the name of it?
Speaker 1 (00:41):
Did you say Kent's Cavin.
Speaker 3 (00:42):
Yes, Kent's Cavin.
Speaker 2 (00:43):
That's been there many a time and had the theatrical experience,
which is quite good fun when they turn all the
lights out and I was like, oh.
Speaker 1 (00:50):
What's going on. You're not going to believe this. But
I used to work there, did you? I worked there
for for many many years. Yeah. I I worked there
from the summer of two thousand and seven through to
the summer of twenty thirteen before I left the UK
and did some traveling. I was the guy that took
people around the caves and put them in the dark,
(01:13):
like you mentioned there. I actually did my dissertation on
Ken's Cabin when I was at UNI, so I have'll.
Speaker 2 (01:20):
Be surprised if you took us around there you got
But we loved it. We absolutely loved it.
Speaker 3 (01:26):
It's a place.
Speaker 1 (01:28):
I mean I could I could spend the whole of
this session talking about Ken's Cabin. I love it as much.
Speaker 2 (01:33):
It is fascinating, isn't it. I mean, you know what
they should do down there is.
Speaker 3 (01:38):
Escape room.
Speaker 1 (01:40):
That would be fun, wouldn't it if they still do it?
But they used to do like Halloween shows, right, which
was always well received by those going in there because
they turn on the lights off and it's done at
nine and they decorate the place and yeah, I mean
it's it's it's such a cool place. I used to
love working there, but it's just yeah, it was just
so much fun working.
Speaker 2 (02:02):
So one of your claims to fame and why you
came to Collaboration Global is because of B one g
One by one Give One, the amazing social enterprise that
we are partnered up with as Collaboration Global, And we've
recently had one of the founders on podcasts, Massan Miiseto, who's.
Speaker 3 (02:21):
Told us her.
Speaker 2 (02:24):
Exhausting, exhilarating, inspiring story of how she started on the
journey to create this amazing thing. And then at the
other end of the spectrum, we've got you who've been
connected to it and working for these guys for several
years now. But you're at the other end where it's
like it's running and it's huge, and it's a global
organization and it's just so much going on.
Speaker 3 (02:46):
So a quick question, I mean, you've.
Speaker 2 (02:51):
Come to Collaboration Global as a functioning, let's partner up,
let's do something useful, as opposed to some people going, oh,
I like the idea of collaboration.
Speaker 3 (02:58):
It sounds like a good idea.
Speaker 2 (03:00):
But let's go back a bit. What attracted you to
be one g One?
Speaker 1 (03:03):
So what were you doing?
Speaker 2 (03:04):
I'm assuming it wasn't kings CAVN one g One, But
what I doing before that kind of made it a
good choice for you.
Speaker 1 (03:14):
That's a great question. So I had been living overseas.
I had been living in Sydney for a short time,
where I worked for a children's charity there, and then
I moved to New Zealand for a couple of years
and worked for another children's charity. And my wife, who
(03:39):
I was living in New Zealand with, she wasn't my
wife at the time, she got a transfer with her
work to their Singapore office from New Zealand, so we
decided to move from New Zealand relocate Singapore, which she
had some work lined up already, because she was just
getting a transfer where I was leaving my job at
(03:59):
the children's charity to move to Singapore without any.
Speaker 3 (04:02):
Work, so tricky.
Speaker 1 (04:04):
It was tricky. Yeah, yeah, it was, if you know,
if only because of the visa situation, because obviously when
you move countries you had to keep board that in mind.
And Lucy, my wife, we actually got married in Singapore
so that they could secure a visa so I could
stay and work with the one g one. So it's
(04:27):
it's not exaggeration to say that I got married. Thankfully
we're still together, that I could stay and work with
b one g one. That's that's how passionate it was.
Speaker 2 (04:36):
How did people get to America, isn't it Let's get
a green card, we'll get married.
Speaker 1 (04:40):
There's a box behind me here with I'm sure there's
a picture of the two of us on our on
our wedding day in Singapore. Pretty understated wedding day. But
so when I moved to Singapore, I did I didn't
have any any work, but I knew I wanted to
stay in the nonprofit sector because that's where I spent
a few years in Australia and New Zealand, so I
knew wanted to be in that area. But even with
(05:03):
with with you know, with with a visa, it was
it was difficult to to find work, and I was
looking at different places and I was such an alien
environment to me, right because I've never never even foot
in Singaple before. But actually Lucy was the one that
found the one you want to line and she she
saw on their website and we were just saying this earlier,
how they weren't necessarily advertising a role, but they were saying,
(05:25):
if you're interested in working with us, just reach out.
She said, these guys look really, really cool. I think
you should have a look at them. So it's Lucy
that that found around the website. And I think I
watched some videos of Paul and Miss Army and you know,
those guys are just they're so inspiring and so captivating.
I just think from what I saw of them online,
I was like, this looks like a really really great
(05:46):
place to be and it looks like an amazing community.
So that's when I decided to give them a call
and see if we could meet up and and from there,
you know, I got off with a job. But in
order to to take that job, I had to get
a visa. So that's why we got married.
Speaker 2 (06:04):
Oh, I see right, right, So that Wow, what a
pivotal part of your life. This company is. It wasn't
for them, so if you ever get divorced, it'll be like,
and it's your fault.
Speaker 1 (06:16):
Well that's probably not going to happen right now. But yeah, no,
we it's a huge part of my life. I mean,
we moved to Singapore back in two thousand and sixteen,
so I've been involved with you on Jill now for
almost ten years. And yeah, it's a really funny story
because when I went for the interviews, I felt like
they went quite well. But at the time, I don't
(06:39):
know if we do this now, but at the time,
as part of the interview process, there was a test
that you had to do. Oh gosh, that's kind of random.
It was asking really strange questions which were somewhat unrelated
to the role actually that I ended up going for,
which is kind of a punch it's role. There were
some questions about, you know, how many countries are there
in southeast and you had to name them? And and
(07:02):
who is this person? The person was Seth Golden, who
at the time I had no idea. No, I was like,
and there was some Excel questions with some date. I
was just like, yeah, So it was a pretty I
was like, this is that this test is? It went
really badly, Like I actually think I have the worst
test result from any B one G one employee of
all time. It was so bad, my goodness. But thankfully
(07:25):
the interviews went well. So the actual in person interviews
I had with the team and with Paul went really well,
and I think that was kind of what won the moment.
So they kind of said, your results dreadful, but we're
going to look past that because we you know, you
interviewed well. So thankfully they weren't. There wasn't everything running
on those tests because I did so badly.
Speaker 3 (07:45):
But it's interesting, isn't it that.
Speaker 2 (07:48):
Those kind of tests that obviously supposedly show people where
they're at with them, you know, if they've done any
development on themselves and learning about what's out there, actually
had no impact on the result, so that it didn't
kind of narrow the field for them. Because the guy
that they chose was the guy that did the worst
at the test. I'm curious.
Speaker 3 (08:07):
I wonder if they still use that now.
Speaker 1 (08:08):
No, they don't. That was about ten years ago, to
be fair, but I think since then what beonece you
want has done And I don't even know if we
still still use any kind of test time, I must admit,
but certainly after that I think it was like, well,
we need to maybe amend this test. We need to
tailor it to the role rather than being so generalized
(08:29):
because there were some questions in there that I really
struggled with. And yeah, so no, the test was definitely
it was changed after that, I think, but I still
still have I think, the worst result ever on that
that test that they ran ten years ago.
Speaker 2 (08:43):
So I remember doing those kind of tests when I
went for jobs donkeys years ago, and they give you
the thing and you're going for sales job and you
just answer it. As though you're what you think they're
going to we're going to want, so you end up
getting nowhere anyway, and it's just like, well, let me
talk to someone rather than ticking these boxes. Let me
just go and talk to someone. Yeah, show you I
(09:04):
could do the job well.
Speaker 1 (09:05):
I had. I had the initial interview with one of
the team and I thought that went really well. And
then I did the test the same day after the interview,
and then I think I remember the message I got
from Paul because they obviously they obviously got the test results.
They worked the test results out maybe the next day
or whatever. But I remember Paul messaging me and saying, oh,
I've heard you met with the memory of the team.
(09:26):
Sounds like it went really well. And I was like
said to Lucy, I sounds this is I think this
is this is going to materialize. And then a couple
of hours later he's again. I remember getting a message
and it said something like, hey, Jack, just seen the
test results. Not what we expected. Stay tuned. Oh no,
(09:47):
But then Paul asked to meet the in person. Then
Paul and I met in person and just have and
got on so well and have done ever since. And
you know, he's been a mentor of mine ever since
I joined you one wants to thankfully, as to say,
the in person conversations.
Speaker 2 (10:00):
Yet yeah, I mean, who knows what Seth God looks
like anyway?
Speaker 3 (10:04):
For goodness, that's I think.
Speaker 1 (10:07):
Now very well.
Speaker 3 (10:09):
Gas, isn't he? Yeah?
Speaker 1 (10:11):
Yeah, Paul loved this amount all of the time.
Speaker 3 (10:13):
Yeah, brilliant.
Speaker 2 (10:14):
He was a favorite of Paul's a long time ago,
because I've known Paul probably about fifteen years now, or
at least of him, if not known him in person,
and he was one of the reasons you listen to
the man talk and it's like, I've got to be
part of this community. It was just he attracts some
amazing people, which is lovely. So you want to be
in that. You want to be in that buzz in
(10:35):
the room with those people as well.
Speaker 4 (10:37):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (10:37):
No, from the moment I met Paul and you just
I just knew he was quite a unique individual. And
I've never actually met anybody quite like him ever since.
And you know, just as I said, when we met
for the first time and just got on with him
so well and quite similar in many ways. We're also
very different, but quite similar, and we got on really well,
and Paul and I have always worked really close it
(11:00):
being one G One because of the nature of my
role being like kind of partnerships and you know, dealing
with new business but also current members. So and I
used to work very closely with Paul on a lot
of the events we would run when I was in
Singapore where Paul would speak and yeah here and I
would go to the events together. So yeah, Paul and
I have, you know, work very close together year. So
(11:20):
I've been very fortunate.
Speaker 2 (11:22):
One of the things I've always been a bit jealous
of of you guys is when you do your team training, right, Okay,
do you want to share with people where you went
for your last team training?
Speaker 3 (11:33):
He looks so cool.
Speaker 1 (11:34):
Yeah, well, I mean to be fair, that's where we went.
Isn't like a regular thing. It was I think it
was the first time we've been there as a team,
and that was Tibali in that was in November. But
we have to remember that the majority of our team
that are located in Singapore. So actually for those guys,
(11:56):
but Barley is also the birthplace of being one G One, right,
That's where we start back in two thousand and seven,
So we had Yeah, we had a strategy week there
with the whole team, the whole global Teamuse we have
team members here in the UK but also down in
South Africa and the Philippines and India and all those
guys came together in Bali and yeah, we had a
(12:18):
week together where we spoke about what was coming up
and a strategy for twenty twenty five, which the whole
theme of that was time to Rise. So yeah, it
was an amazing week. Of course, like do you know
what Barlei's amazing and where we went was amazing, but
more amazing than Bali and the retreat was just being
(12:39):
together with the team. I mean, as we've gotten together
in Singapore since I left Singapore, lots of times I've
flown back and we've we've had weeks together there and
it's just being in the presence of the team, whether
it's in Singapore, it's in Bali, it's anywhere else. I mean,
we had an event here in the UK down in London,
just in all in Masami b and g Wan's co
(13:03):
founders and Racky, my colleague who lives in London. You know,
we were there for the first time probably since Barley,
and it was just so good to be in their presence,
you know, so everything it's done for lunually because I'm
based up in Northern Ireland. So yeah, the Barley trip
was amazing because it was Barley, but also just seeing
the team again in person was just great.
Speaker 3 (13:24):
I would imagine.
Speaker 2 (13:25):
One of the other things that are pretty mind blowing
is going to visit some of the places that ee
G one supports through the impacts that they make. Have
you been to many projects around the world or just
visited one or two or what impact did it.
Speaker 1 (13:41):
Have on you? Yeah, So we obviously run study tours
to these areas where we have worthy couses located and
their projects, and the last one was in Campodia January
last year, which I didn't go to. You know, we
have Team Medicine in Singapore that again and just just
a short trip from there, so they went instead. But
(14:01):
when we were in Bali in November, some of the
global teams, so some of the team based in the
Philippines were able to go to the John Fawcett Foundation,
who are based in Ballei, who provide eye operations cataract
operations to people with with poor vision, and they couldn't
believe the work that was being done there, but personally
(14:24):
as a as a whole team in BALLEI went to
the Role Foundation, who are based I forget where in
Balley to be fair, but they do such great work
with beach cleanups. There's a lot of plastic waste in
Bali on the beaches there, and I've done it to
the couple of LinkedIn posts actually after after that, because
(14:44):
it really stuck with me. I mean we were clearing
up trash from the from the beaches on one of
the days we were there, and I mean the level
of waste on the beaches and in the in the
waters in and around Balley, and I think Indonesia generally
is really high and the there are reasons for, I mean,
there are good reasons for. I think I think that
(15:05):
there is an education piece for those that live in
Indonesia and and and that's that's part of it. But
they just don't have the same infrastructure they would have,
for example here in the UK in terms of you know,
waste management. So Role Foundation work really they work incredibly
hard to educate and to manage that waste by doing
(15:26):
beach cleanups. And yeah, so I mean that's one of
all recent examples of being able to actually see the
work on the ground, and all of this work that
that we're seeing is being hugely enabled by B one
g one's members because they are giving to these projects
like the beach cleanup for example, that we list here
(15:48):
at B one g one. So but yeah, the work,
the work that some of our Worthy Causes do, it's
that I've seen firsthand, but also here about from the
team who have been on these study tours. It's awesome.
I actually did when I was living in Singapore, went
to Cambodia a few times and and and source some
of it myself, just one of my wife and I visited.
(16:11):
So wherever we can, we you know, it's always nice
to actually see what's what's being enabled because I think
in my role, I don't I'm not I don't work
as closely with the worthy causes or the projects. So
whenever I get the opportunity to actually to speak with
the worthy cause or see a worthy cause and the
work that they're doing and at be one of your
business members are helping to support, it's always it's always
(16:33):
just a nice opportunity to do that, you know.
Speaker 2 (16:35):
Oh absolutely, And the thing that I love about B
One g One as well is that they kind of
their currency is smiles. They don't give you the tragedy
and the tragic and that they don't twist your heart
until it breaks in order for you to make a
donation or make an impact. It's all about look how
(16:56):
far they've come. This is a great success story. And
look at these children and now they're getting education, or
they're getting clean water or you know, and these women
that have just started their own businesses, and there are
so many different causes. Whatever is on your heart, you
can find a cause that you can call your own,
and you can continually give to that cause, or you
can just scatter it because you go, I don't know
(17:16):
which one to choose. They're all very very worthy. New
trees or having fresh water. Ah, I don't know it's
going to clean the beat. But you can make those
donations to everyone. And it just really when you see
the horrific adverts on TV around trying to make your
(17:37):
heartbreak around whether it be a donkey or children with
cleft palettes or everything else in between, it just it's
like there are people out there that can't afford to
live themselves and they see that and then they still
donate because they feel like they somebody else is worse
off than them, And in hindsight, actually it should be
the success stories that would encourage you to give if
(17:59):
you are able to, rather than out of guilt or
out of being sorry for somebody. It's a kind of
different emphasis and it kind of love underpins everything that's
going on.
Speaker 1 (18:11):
Yeah, no, it's absolutely right. I think we it's fair
to say that, you know, the imagery that we use
and the videos that we we shoot, it's to focus
on on the positive impact that's being had by business
members supporting these worthy causes and the projects. You know,
with you on G on this it's never about guilt
tripping or making people feel bad and I feel like
(18:34):
they have to give. Of course, we really exclusively work
with businesses, so we feel that through B one G
one business has become can become a force for good
at and and and create a meaningful impact in the world.
So so yeah, we don't focus on on that side
of thing. We don't. We even distance ourselves from the
(18:55):
words charities and donations because that's more of the traditional
way of raising and giving. And there's nothing wrong with
donating to local charities. Of course that's a great thing
to do. But for B one g And, it's not
really about the charities and the donations. It's very much
about the positive impact that's being had. And you're right,
like we talk about it sometimes in terms of smiles, right,
(19:17):
in terms of the positive stiles, the positive impact you're
having on people and communities globally. So I think it's
just I think it's just a much nicer way of
looking at it, and I think it connects more meaningfully
with people. Right When businesses can talk about the positive
impact that's being had, whether it's being drinking water provided
or days of education or trees planted, that's much more
(19:38):
tangible and it makes people feel a lot better than
talking about donations and the strife that people know is
important to focus on the positive rather than just you know,
the challenges that the issues that need to be solved.
Speaker 2 (19:51):
Yeah, And sometimes when you are talking about the challenges
and the issues, it just all seems too big and
it's like what difference.
Speaker 3 (19:57):
Can I make?
Speaker 2 (19:58):
But B one g One has got the lovely model
that is different, and it is focusing on the impacts
around every little drip that goes in to the bucket.
You'll make an impact and we'll make a difference. Do
you want to just explain the model that you currently
work with and why businesses are involved as opposed to
Joe Public.
Speaker 1 (20:18):
Yeah, so when people Juman was founded back in two
thousand and seven by Missami and Paul, who we've spoken about.
Missami's simple vision was what if every business could create
a meaningful impact just by doing what they do every day?
(20:39):
And I think, you know, individuals can do great things,
of course, but we believe that it's the business owners
globally who have the real power, right because of the
type of work that they do, because of the teams
that they build, because of the reach that they have.
And you know, you were a web event which we
(21:02):
ran yesterday, and I opened that web event with a
Paul Pollman quote. And for those that don't know, Paul
Polman is the former CEO of Unilever and he's a
mentor to Massamia CEO. And in his net Positive book,
he asked a question, is the world a better place
because your business is, isn't it? And that is something
(21:23):
that really underpins a lot of the work we do
here at B oneg one because we believe that through
B oneg On, through the work that we do, which
is essentially providing a platform for businesses to create more
meaningful impact so that they can embed giving into everyday operations.
So it's not just okay, we're fundraising, we're donating to charity,
(21:44):
but instead it's like, okay, these things within our business,
whether it's sending an email or working with a client
or having a team meeting, all of these every day
seemingly you know, on important activities and you know they're
having a can link those two projects that we list
and you can create positive impacts just by doing what
(22:04):
you do every day. So the shift is really from
okay donations at the end of the year because of
you know, an annual fundraiser to actual habitual giving, which
is being ingrained in everyday activities within the business. So
I mentioned again in the web end yesterday that we
(22:26):
feel at B one g one and that I think
our members feel this and they show this is that
you know, being a business for good is not just
good for the world, it's great for business, right because
impacts at business members in really cool ways because they
see growth as a result, they see deeper connections with
(22:47):
their customers, their clients, their team members, and ultimately, yeah,
creating a lasting impact. So in asker you to your
question about that, the model, yeah, B one g Want
is set up so that at business members can shoose
everyday activities and link those activities to projects that we list,
and they can track the impact that they're creating. They
(23:08):
can see exactly how many trees they planted, they can
see exactly how many days of education and drinking water
and all those cool things, all those cool metrics. Because
being able to track it and see that and actually
share that, that's what really connects with people.
Speaker 2 (23:22):
I was just going to say that, And that's part
of the important thing is they can add that to
their website or wherever they're doing their marketing and it's
a visible, pictorial state that somebody knows nothing about them.
It just goes on their website to find out about
and it's like, oh wow, this is interesting, look at what
they're doing. And one of my big things about B
one G one is not long before I discovered them,
(23:44):
I'd watched a Ted talk by a guy called Ricardo Semla.
Speaker 1 (23:48):
One day.
Speaker 3 (23:48):
I don't know if he's still alive. This is a
long time ago.
Speaker 2 (23:51):
I'd love to meet him, because he said that he
was talking to a friend of his. This is on
his TED Talk and he was talking to front of
his who was a multimillionaire. And this guy to Ricardo
and said, Ricardo, I've done well with my life. I
think it's time that I gave back. What do you suggest?
So Ricardo turns team and says, well, if you have
to give back, you took too much in the first place.
(24:12):
And that just that blew my mind.
Speaker 3 (24:15):
At the time.
Speaker 2 (24:16):
And then B one g One popped up. Thank you Universe,
and it was a vehicle to give.
Speaker 3 (24:21):
As you go.
Speaker 2 (24:23):
And when you are giving as you go, you don't
realize it at the time, you don't see it. But
there are so many positive implications from your customer's choosing
you because of what you're doing, your lead's following you
because of what you're doing, your staff staying with you
because of what you're doing. All of the savings and
the stuff that you would be doing. A member of
(24:44):
staff disappears because it's like, oh, well I was doing this,
but I can go and get more money for that
somewhere else. But actually, this company, I might not get
quite so much money for working with them, but they're
doing so much good in the world, and I just
love the fact that they're constantly giving a figure and
so we're having such such an impact almost subconsciously, just
because we are connected to be one g one and
(25:06):
that to me is like, that's not normally out there.
Speaker 1 (25:09):
And one of the other.
Speaker 2 (25:10):
Sticking points I used to get with donating to charity
was if you've ever seen them Salvation Army offices in London.
Speaker 4 (25:19):
Oh my goodness, they are glass tower palaces, and it's like,
why why aren't you just down in Stepney in somewhere
a bit cheaper?
Speaker 3 (25:29):
You know, why is all that money being spent on
this amazing, huge building?
Speaker 2 (25:33):
And oh, by the way, how much is your CEO
being paid? Ridiculous amounts of money? So this just feels
like it's real. And the money we donate goes one
hundred percent to the causes, and you get to choose
them and then you get to visit them if you
wanted to, and then there's just this reality check of it.
(25:55):
You're not writing a check at the end of the
year because you feel you ought to, or because you should,
or because you're obligated or you think other people will
see you doing it, so it's a good thing to do.
It's just in your makeup, in your DNA, in your business.
And if anybody's seen my TED talk, I have a
little rant at the beginning, just saying that we are
(26:17):
back the SME world in the UK at least are
the backbone of the economy, and we are known for
having so much power because we're employing most people, we're
generating the most turnover, We have access to so much
and yet we have so little power. So why don't
we take the power through vehicles like b on g
(26:38):
one to actually make a difference Because of our business
so at collaboration global we're attracting people who are doing
that not necessary with b one g one. A lot
of them are, but not everybody, but they use their
vehicle as something for good. And what I say is
the commonality. People go, what sort of businesses do you have?
(26:58):
And I said it was not really the business, it's
the people business owners, And the commonality of them is
they're all up to some good.
Speaker 3 (27:05):
They're all doing.
Speaker 2 (27:06):
Something utilizing their business as a vehicle to make a difference,
maybe a little bit difference, maybe a massive difference, but
they're doing it to make a difference in the world
and making a dent in where we are in the
world today. Yeah, and it's not just feeling so useless,
because when you're not able to do anything, you go,
what can I do on my own? I'm nothing, I
(27:26):
don't I could, I could donate some money, But it's
like dropping the ocean, isn't it.
Speaker 1 (27:30):
Yeah. Yeah, And I think it's again like just not
to keep going back to their web event we did yesterday.
But my guess was Alex Fokes from a company called
Ppo And And I asked Alex at the end of
the web event, and you were there for it, you'll
so you probably remember if you can provide one piece
of practical advice to anyone that's looking to embed a
(27:50):
purpose into their business, what that would be, And his said, glance,
I really was along and the shorter it was to
take action, Right. I think two businesses put taking action off.
I mean, I think I think sometimes there's very legitimate
reasons for doing so. But I think that other times
people just get in their own ways and they feel like, Okay,
I have to wait until I get to this point
(28:12):
in the business or the business side, and actually more
businesses need to take action because when we put these
things off, they sometimes just never happen. And I see
this in my role. I really do. There are businesses
with the best of intentions will say it's not quite
the right time, but I'll really look at this at
the end of the year, or sometimes you just never
(28:35):
hear from them again, and you wonder, I wonder if
they have taken any action at all in any sense,
whether it's be one g one another otherwise. So I
think taking action is so important for businesses, and we
make it very easy at be one you want. For us,
it comes back to there's three keywords that we've always
(28:56):
kind of lived by, and I remember in the Singapore
office they have these on the wall. Impact, habit and connection. Right.
So impact is obviously what we are enabling our business
members to do to create positive impact throughout worthy causes
and their projects. The habit part is actually embedding giving
(29:17):
and impact creation habitually, right, So it's not just a
end of the year we need to do a big
one off donation, but it's actually throughout the year you're
embedding giving and creating impact in every day operationals. Operational activities.
And then the connection part really is connect that comes
from the from creating the impact right and it being
(29:40):
habitual because when you're creating impact on an inn a
habitual way, and it's like second nature, you are and
we see this and I'm sue you'll agree, you connect
more meaningfully to your customers, clients, team members in your case,
to the community, and to yourself because you are this
a part is it becomes a part of the fabric
(30:01):
of your of your business and what you do.
Speaker 3 (30:04):
Yeah, yeah, absolutely.
Speaker 2 (30:05):
And what I also love is a lot of people
have their own little pet charity that they donate to
and they're like, oh well they're not part of B
one do one.
Speaker 3 (30:12):
Oh well they could be. Actually they can apply. So
they're in.
Speaker 2 (30:16):
The UK and they're not over in you know, Southeast
Asia and suffering or in the jungles of South America.
Speaker 3 (30:23):
You can apply as well.
Speaker 2 (30:24):
As long as you tick the boxes and fill the criteria,
then we can carry on giving to your business as
your charity that's your special one just for you as well.
So I think the people that are reticent about doing anything,
that phrase that comes back to my mind is like,
well if not now when and if not you who
And as you say, you make it so easy. It
(30:45):
is almost like a plug and go once you connect
up to your fabulous website. I don't know who's done
all of that organizing. It is so beautiful to be
able to And I'm not a techie, but I got
the basic setup and I've had some other people go
in who.
Speaker 3 (30:59):
Now look after it everything.
Speaker 2 (31:00):
For me, I just say this is what I want,
and they go and choose the sustainable development goals and
all the rest of it. But it's so simple, push
and click and off you go. And then you've got
that on your website. You've got that where you can
refer back to it, you can find ways of gifting
it to people, and so many different things.
Speaker 3 (31:18):
And for us as.
Speaker 2 (31:20):
An organization, every time somebody joins, that's indication that as
long as they're a member, part of their membership FEME
will go to B one G one and if anyone
comes to any of our meetings, then there's and they
get to choose even if they're they're a guests, if
they only ever come once, because they've turned up.
Speaker 3 (31:37):
Thank you so much.
Speaker 2 (31:38):
We're going to donate something, We're going to make an
impact on your behalf and they love it. You know,
give them a QR code and they're off and they
want to push them out and off they go. And
it's just little things like that that, like you say,
it can embed in that. So why would you rather
go networking over here and meet nots of lovely people
and learn stuff or go networking over here which isn't
really a networking group. You're really talking about love and
(32:00):
connection and deep business values and.
Speaker 3 (32:02):
Oh yeah they do B one G one as well.
Oh I can make a difference. Oh that's brilliant over there.
Speaker 1 (32:07):
Yeah, yeah, it's brainer really right, And I think, yeah,
just to come to your point there about you know,
partnering with charitable organizations here in the UK. Of course
we do have charitable partners here in the UK. We
call these charities worthy causes, but yeah, we have worthy
causes based through in the UK and projects through in
the UK, and we're always getting new charities applying to
(32:28):
be a part of the B one g and Worthy
Cause program and it allows businesses that we're partner with
to give to UK based projects as well as globally.
So yeah, that's that's really cool. And to your point,
about you know, there's this networking group or there's this
networking group, and this one is doing great things and
getting back and creating positive impacts. It just seems like
(32:50):
a no brainer. Ryan, I think you'll know Steve Pipe well,
no doubt. Yes, yeah, Steve is obviously a long long,
long time member of B one G one retired accountant now.
But Steve is an amazing, amazing person and he's always
likened it too. If you had two coffee shops right
and they're next to one another, coffee is the same,
they're charging the same amount. But when you buy this
coffee from this coffee shop, you're providing access to clean
(33:14):
drinking water to a child in Tanzanier for it for
a year, versus this one which you just get your coffee.
If they're identical coffee shops, identical coffee, which one are
you going to go? All right? So so this there
is there is that side of bone g W it does.
It does make a lot of business sense as well,
so it's it's a it's a win win really.
Speaker 2 (33:36):
The thing I like about Steve Pipe is he's constantly working.
He's a wonderful ambassador for B one Do you one
and he wrote a book, Time to Rise, and I
wrote the forward for part of that. And also he's
got a follow up book that he wrote with Paul Done,
and he lets us have that and we give that
out to our people. That turn up a better.
Speaker 1 (33:55):
Business target, is it? Is it? Yeah? I remember Steve
has written so many, so many great books. But yeah,
he's an amazing person. Because can't spak highly enough of Steve.
Speaker 2 (34:07):
Yeah, So when you're not working with the amazing b
one g one, and I would imagine there's a little
part of you that is, oh, yeah, I want to
do that, and I want to do that bit and
oh I said I was going to do that, and
it's a bit late now, but oh I'll get it
done because I just love doing it. It's very when
you're loving what you're doing, it's very hard to kind of,
you know, family time.
Speaker 3 (34:26):
There's a time when you can and what.
Speaker 2 (34:28):
What do you like doing outside of B one g one.
Speaker 1 (34:31):
That's a good question, you know, because I work from
home as well, So I think when you and I'm
sure anyone watching this that does work from home can
understand this, but I think when you work from home,
some especially when you enjoy what you do the lines
between work and home life. But you know, I have
two very young children. I have an almost two year
(34:52):
old and almost four year old, so you know, it's
important for me to be really present when when they're around,
so you know, I'm not I don't really work when
when they're here. It's not that's not really what I do.
So I try. I try to be present first thing
in the morning before they go to nursery, and certainly
when they come home, and on the weekends as well,
(35:14):
so whenever they're about, like it's I'm not working really,
so that's really important to me. So I think because
they're so young, they do they do occupy a lot
of mine my wife's bandwidth, So you can imagine that
a lot of our time is spent with them at
the moment, on weekends and so forth, which is which
is great hiring. But they're at such an amazing age
that I think, as hard as it can be having
(35:36):
young kids, there's a lot to be grateful for and
and it's really just trying to save these years. Because
everyone tells me who has older kids, and I'm sure
that the test of this, Jill, the time goes so quickly,
right and it's such a lovely age so that that
they occupy a lot of my time in a good way.
But outside of that, like I really enjoy running, Like
(35:58):
I I try and run two or three times a
week and enter various running events throughout the year. Done
a couple of marathons this year, so I like, I
like doing long long distance events. And yeah, and travel
is something that we used to really enjoy but do
less off with the kids now. But I still like
(36:19):
to to get away with even if it's without the kids,
with with with friends and so forth. We live over
in England. And and I love coffee like I'm a
bit I'm big into my coffee, So like, even if
I'm just getting half an hour an hour just to
go out to a nice coffee shop, have some brunch
or whatever. That's the thing I enjoy doing too. But honestly,
when you when you work for B one G one,
(36:40):
you love it as much as I do. And you've
got two young kids, it leaves you with a finite
amount of time.
Speaker 2 (36:49):
When they're asleep, exhausted until they wake up again. But
the thing I love about that age two and four,
once they're talking and communicating, there is such.
Speaker 3 (36:59):
Wiz them that in their eyes.
Speaker 2 (37:02):
You see life through their eyes if you take your
time and you put your phone away when you're with them,
and you don't have that time on screen. Even if
you're sitting watching a cheeky movie, a Disney movie or
something with them, watch it through their eyes and have
conversations while they're watching it, because they will be giving
you wisdom and.
Speaker 3 (37:20):
You'll be like.
Speaker 2 (37:22):
I had one my granddaughter's two and a half, and
this was when she just turned too, so she was
still learning to string words together, and we were rushing
to get somewhere, and she was like, gone for a
walk over there in the park, and I was like, Lilah,
come back, we've got to go. We get said, we're
going to go to this thing and we're doing painting
and you're going to miss it if you don't, so
(37:43):
you need to come back. And she's like, nanny, g nanny,
calm down.
Speaker 3 (37:49):
Yeah, yeah, okay, good point, you know, And she comes
up with those kind of things. I'm like, oh my god,
you are wise beyond your years.
Speaker 2 (37:56):
It's just useful to see it there. Yeah, it is
a lovely and like you say, it does go very
very quickly.
Speaker 1 (38:02):
Yeah, there are. I mean they're amazing. They're just amazing kids.
And you know, it's been a yeah, it's been a
learning curb having them for sure, because you know, it's
I think it's having a child is the single biggest
thing you'll ever do. Yeah, for the first time. Right,
It's like I can't think of anything that I've ever
done beyond having my first child that was like a
(38:24):
new thing that was just so big.
Speaker 2 (38:26):
And so yeah, you are in charge of two human beings.
Speaker 1 (38:30):
Yeah, I know, yeah, yeah, yeah, doing her best.
Speaker 3 (38:35):
But if you like running.
Speaker 2 (38:36):
Let me say this out loud for everybody listening as well.
I think it's the twelfth to the fourteenth of September.
A friend of Collaboration Global, Lindsay Churchill, who has last
year walked around the coast of the UK solo on
behalf of Mind and got the Guinness.
Speaker 3 (38:54):
World Record for it as well.
Speaker 2 (38:55):
So she was like doing the marathon every other day
almost and she is doing three Peaks challenge. She's doing
about three hundred peaks over the course of the year
with a little team, but she's inviting people to go
and join them to do the three peaks over that
weekend period in September. So if you've had doing that
and going over with this bunch of people that are
(39:15):
all and she is Bonker's crazy, gorgeous woman.
Speaker 3 (39:20):
She's so passionate.
Speaker 2 (39:22):
About getting out in the open air, having fun, supporting
charities and just making a difference. And she's gone through
hardship in her life, but she now because she's walking
and she's hiking and she's got getting people to join her.
This is her sustenance and you can feel that she's
taken it on board. So if anybody wants to go
(39:42):
and join her, go to Lindsaywalks dot com.
Speaker 1 (39:45):
I think they saw something. At least I've seen maybe
a couple of times you posted about her and the
activities that she does, and she's undertaken it's really impressive
actually from what I've seen.
Speaker 2 (39:57):
H it's very cool if you're into your running, which
I'm not not, sadly, or even just climbing up the
three Peaks. I mean, you don't even have to do
it in twenty four hours like a lot of people do,
but I think September would be a good time to
do it.
Speaker 3 (40:09):
And yeah, have you ever done the Three Peaks before?
Speaker 1 (40:13):
No? No, I haven't nowhere any of them. Actually I did.
I did a I did a trail marathon earlier this
year in the More Mountains down in here in Northern Ireland,
but there would be anywhere near the elevation that the
three peaks are, So anyone that's even just walking them,
I think, is it's doing doing very well? But I
(40:35):
think it's yeah, it would be very tough indeed.
Speaker 2 (40:37):
So yeah, it's a challenge. The other one that's a
challenge our son in law, did I am then?
Speaker 1 (40:44):
Yeah, I know, yeah, yeah, I that's just unbelievably impressive.
Speaker 4 (40:50):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (40:51):
I mean, I'm not really a swimmer. I can cycle,
but I don't really do much cycling. So the thought
of doing a and I am, I.
Speaker 3 (41:00):
Just thought he was crazy crazy.
Speaker 2 (41:02):
And then after he'd finished about half an hour, we said,
are you going to do it again?
Speaker 1 (41:06):
Never?
Speaker 3 (41:06):
Never ever, never, never ever ever ever in.
Speaker 2 (41:08):
A million years, And then at breakfast he went, I
would quite like to be that time.
Speaker 1 (41:13):
Yeah, that's how it goes with these big events, right. Yeah.
In the moment, you're like, I'm never doing that again,
and then time passes and you move the furniture in
your mind and you.
Speaker 2 (41:20):
Forget the pains like child birth, but you never forget
that pain. So give us an idea Jack about the
size of B one g one. How many businesses roughly
are involved, and how many worthy causes are involved as well?
Speaker 3 (41:37):
Roughing.
Speaker 1 (41:38):
Yeah, I's a good question. So it depends. Yeah, I mean,
I think at the moment we have around two and
a half thousand businesses here. Yeah, and worthy causes. Actually,
I am not entirely sure. I think I think it might
be in the region of somewhere between seventy and one hundred.
I think it might be fewer than that. I feel
(41:59):
like you probably probably know that number, but it out Yeah,
I probably probably don't have as many as one hundred,
but I'd say maybe somewhere in the region of fifty.
Speaker 2 (42:09):
Yeah, lots to be looking after this is.
Speaker 1 (42:12):
Yeah, so that the worthy causes list projects with us,
and we have just over four hundred and fifty projects.
So the type of projects is determined by the type
of worthy cause. And you know, so one worthy cause
might focus on conservation, so the projects they list with
us would be planting trees, protection and rainforests, that type
of thing, and then the next worthy cause might be
(42:34):
focused on something entirely different. It might be education. So
the projects they list with us are, you know, providing
access to education, whether it's whether it's textbooks or e
learning facilities, that type of thing. So it's one of
the great things about the worthy causes and the projects.
There's just such an array of different different areas that
(42:55):
are projects exist in. So whether it's providing education or
clean drinking water, or planting trees or providing business learns,
whatever it may be, there's so many different projects and
there's so many different categories that you know, there's generally
something for everyone. So it's it's it's really really cool
(43:15):
in fact that the community being so big and so diverse.
One of the things that I love most about it
because if you look at our business members, you know,
these business members are they're so different from one another.
You know, we have business dilopreneurs and startups one person
outfits right up to really big corporates with hundreds and
hundreds of team members. And these businesses operate in different industries,
(43:38):
in different countries. We have members across North America, Central
and South America. We have lots of businesses of course
here in the UK and Island to Europe headquartered in Singapore,
so we've got members in Southeast Asia. Paula Masami used
to live in Australia and New Zealand, so we've got
big presence there. So we have all these amazing businesses
globally and all of these amazing worthy causes in their
(43:59):
projects globally and just really unique community just doing doing
amazing work around the world. It's awesome.
Speaker 2 (44:08):
Yeah, you're like a matchmaking service, aren't you. People that
want to help and the people that need the help.
And you know, I wonder, like you say, there are
these study groups where you can go and find out
where your money is going to. Can't you see what's
going on and support and help physically with what's going
on too, which I think is a lovely Yeah.
Speaker 1 (44:28):
The study tours are yeah. I mean we were running
them basically every other year before the pandemic, which you know,
it feels like such a lifetime I go now anymore.
But yeah, post pandemic, we initially weren't running them, but
we ran one last year, as I mentioned. But the
study tours give some of our business members who would
(44:50):
like to go on them the opportunity to go to
these areas and we run study cause last year in Cambodia,
but that's not the first time we've been. We've run
study tours in Kenya. In India, there are plenty of
projects based in Bali, you know, so we've seen those firsthand.
But these study tours that say allow members to go
(45:13):
and visit the worthy courses you operate in these areas
and see some of the projects, get involved with some
of those projects. They're just life changing, you know, if
you speak with anyone that's been on any of these
study tours and being able to actually see the work
on the ground and see what this amazing cotunity of
businesses is. So all of these businesses are giving to
(45:34):
these projects, they are creating impacts with these projects, and
so they're able to when they were able to see
that that impact on the ground, you know, it's it's
just awesome. So yeah, I know how popular they are
when they come around and.
Speaker 2 (45:50):
When people say what can I do, it's just me,
I can't make any impact. Well, when you join up
with all those other thousands of businesses, you could make
a pretty big impact altogether. And that's the whole philosophy
of collaboration global together with stronger so it makes perfect
sense for us to be part of B and G
one as well.
Speaker 1 (46:07):
Yeah, absolutely so. I think I always say this to
businesses I speak with. Right, It's like, if you look
at B one G one's global impact total, right, So
for B one G one is the unit of measurement
which we have forgiving. So if you plant tenderies, that's
pay impacts. If you provide access to education for one
(46:29):
hundred days, that's one hundred impacts. That's in as simplest form,
that's how it works. So if you keep that in
mind as a community of businesses to dates. So in
the last eighteen years, our community has created just under
two hundred two hundred it's the end of the day,
yere three hundred and eighty million impacts.
Speaker 3 (46:53):
It's eighty million. That's an amazing the day.
Speaker 1 (46:57):
Yeah, I think it's Yeah, it might actually too. I
should probably have probably checked that. But the point here
is is that the impacts that are created are not
just created by one by one business, right, They're created
by many businesses coming together. So it's not, as I said,
I tell businesses this. You know, these impacts are not
(47:17):
being created by just one big corporate. They're being created
by thousands and thousands of businesses. Some are corporates of course,
but SME's two startups, solopreneurs, and when these businesses create
a few hundred impacts and these create a few thousand,
those collective impacts to date, I mean, it's just that
wouldn't be possible without the community, right.
Speaker 3 (47:37):
So yeah, that's good news.
Speaker 2 (47:39):
And it always kind of my cynical side with other large,
big charities when you see having you know, my daughters
spend time working in charities and realizing actually that some
events don't even generate money. They just pay for the
advertising that the charity does, and it's like, what there
(48:00):
is somebody's not doing it right, it's not happening. It's
also along the way, oh, somebody's donated five hundred million
dollars and you go, wow, fantastic, Well how much of
that gets siphoned off for the CEO and all the
other people that take their little cut of them, And
it's like this one hundred percent is what I am
(48:20):
just so enamored with.
Speaker 3 (48:21):
And you can see where it's going.
Speaker 1 (48:23):
Yeah, absolutely, because I think Masami maybe even cover this
on when she spoke with you. But B and G
was quite unique and it's in its model is that
we are a social enterprise, but we're also registered the
US registered charity, right, so that allows us to keep
(48:43):
the membership fees and the giving very separate. So the
most important thing to know here is is that when
you give to these projects, when you choose a project
from our project list, and you say I want to
plant five trees, or would like to provide a bus,
this loan to this person, or you know, I'd like
to provide access to education, whatever the whatever the project is,
(49:05):
that impact is being had on the ground because we're
not having to use that any of that giving for
our operational costs. So it is cool. And that the
total number of impacts is just under three hundred and
eighty million.
Speaker 2 (49:19):
By the way, it's a really checked it.
Speaker 1 (49:23):
It gets to that point in the day when guessing
even the most simplest of things that I already know. So, yeah,
it's just under three hundred and eightyen, you know, three
hundred and eighty million impacts. It is actually when you
just think what one impact is that if it's a
treat planter, for example, if you go to the b
on Gan website, just go to the homepage and scroll
(49:44):
down you'll see that number of three hundred almost eighty million,
and it gives you a breakdown of where all these
impacts are being created across these different categories, and it's
just it's so cool to see those metrics because it's
tangible and you can see this is what the community
has been a to create together, not individually, together and
you can.
Speaker 3 (50:03):
Check it all out. That's what I love as well.
Speaker 2 (50:04):
You can drill down and then if you wanted to,
you can take yourself off and go and visit where
you've just donated or you've created those impacts as well.
It's a different language, but it really makes a difference.
Words are so important, aren't they.
Speaker 1 (50:18):
Yeah, you change in the languages we're speaking here actually
to reflect the way that we talk, right. But you know,
but I don't think there's anything wrong with saying charities
and donations because that's essentially what it is. And I
think that's what a lot of people understand. And I
still think members today who would communicate b one g
one as a charity or communicate the worthy causes a
charity and they talk to missions, look that's absolutely fine,
(50:42):
Like there's no issue there. It's just that as an
organization we slightly different language. I like that.
Speaker 3 (50:48):
Yeah, I think it makes it.
Speaker 2 (50:49):
I think that's we have to shift like a tanker
in the sea. It takes a little while for it.
If it's going to go a different direction, it takes
a while. But what you're creating is this, as you say,
this unique model that helps people to see that it
isn't all about oh, poor you, here's some money, here's.
Speaker 3 (51:08):
You know whatever.
Speaker 2 (51:10):
It's about creating a positive, empowered impact to help people
to help themselves as well. So it's not just about
we're constantly going to have to give to that one,
you know, and if we do something right, it's going
to have this ripple effect as well, not only for
the person that's received the donation, but also the family
(51:30):
or the village or the area where they come from.
So I think it is right that we do need
to view the model that historically we have been using
because people are taking advantage of it and I don't
think it's working very well.
Speaker 3 (51:45):
We need something like B one G one that is more.
Speaker 2 (51:49):
You can see clearly how it's all working on what's
going on.
Speaker 3 (51:52):
It's brilliant.
Speaker 1 (51:54):
Yeah, absolutely, Yeah, and a lot of our members that
we partner with, it would still continue to donate to local
charities that would maybe not partner with B one g one,
and that's great and we encouraged. We say it's that
it shouldn't ever be like a either. Yeah, it has
to be your local charities or you can do both.
(52:14):
And a lot of members would do that because we
do have a criteria that every charitable organization has to
meet to join the program. For good reason why we
want to ensure that every charity that we partner with
has we have complete transparency of and there's accountability there
for the reasons that you've raised.
Speaker 5 (52:30):
So if these local charities for whatever reason, don't need
the criteria, that's cool. You should continue to give to
those charities. But we always say about B on g one,
we're all about global impact. So yes, you can you
can give to projects in your own country through B
one g one, but we encourage that global mindset, that
global impact you can create. And actually one of the
dynamic widgets we provide a B one g want, as
(52:52):
you probably aware, is a world map which shows your
location in your country and there are arrows going off
in different directions showing you where you've created your impacts,
and when you click on the icons in those places,
it will tell you exactly what giving you've done, what
impacts your specific country, so you're right in it. Being
tracked is very important for businesses to be able to
(53:16):
report this internally and externally.
Speaker 2 (53:18):
Yeah, and when as a global organization, when we covered
every continent, I was really happy. It's like, yes, giving
somewhere to the whole world. It really kind of it
fitted with what we were doing. Listen, Jack, this has
been a fascinating story because we've heard from Masami the
birth of it and how it gets where it is,
and now we're hearing from you as a functioning, working,
running organization that actually has love at its heart, and
(53:42):
it's just a wonderful conversation to have.
Speaker 3 (53:44):
Thank you. If somebody wants to get hold of you to.
Speaker 2 (53:46):
Find out how their business could be part of B
one g One, what's the easiest way for them to
get hold of you.
Speaker 1 (53:51):
Yeah, Honestly, I'm on LinkedIn, so that's a great place
to connect with me if you would like to and
drop me a message on there. And if you're not
on LinkedIn, then my email is just Jack at B
one g one dot com. Either of those two ways
are the simplest way. But I just want to take
this opportunity to say thank you for having me on here.
(54:12):
And you know, you've been involved with b oneg on
for so long, Jill, and you're doing great work at
Collaboration Global and the community is just awesome. So I
and the team here really appreciate everything that you do.
So thank you, I think, and it's been awesome chatting
with you today.
Speaker 2 (54:26):
So thanks, it's been my pleasure. I've absolutely enjoyed it.
Thank you for coming down, and thank you for being
part of Collaboration Global. I think we are a good
little collaboration going on here, exactly do yeah, okay, So
of course, if you wanted to come to a Collaboration
Global session, you are very welcome. We have them twice
a month. You just have to go to Collaboration Global
dot org to find the booking link or go to
(54:48):
event bright. You'll find us on there as well, and
who knows, you might find Jack in the audience and
you can have a chat with him there too. So
we look forward to meeting all of you and hopefully
you'll be finding out more about b one g One.
We cannot endorse it high enough, so thank you again.
Speaker 1 (55:03):
Jack.
Speaker 3 (55:03):
It's been an absolute joy.
Speaker 1 (55:05):
Thanks Joe, it's been awesome.
Speaker 3 (55:06):
Yes,
That's quite all right.
Speaker 2 (00:02):
Hello, and welcome to being Human Hidden Depths with me
Jill tiny On behalf of Collaboration Global, and I'm excited
to welcome today the wonderful all the way from Belfast,
Jack Blenkinsop, Hi Jack, Nice to have you here.
Speaker 1 (00:15):
Hey, Jill, it is great to be Thanks very much
for that lovely introduction.
Speaker 3 (00:19):
No, no Irish accent? Then it's not your.
Speaker 1 (00:21):
Local No, I'm not from here, so so no accent.
I'm from the Southwest. My accent's very different up here.
Speaker 3 (00:27):
Southwest?
Speaker 1 (00:28):
What part Hawkie and Devon?
Speaker 3 (00:30):
So lovely?
Speaker 2 (00:32):
Yes, I love it down there. There's there's caves there
isn't there? Yeah, I can't.
Speaker 3 (00:40):
What's the name of it?
Speaker 1 (00:41):
Did you say Kent's Cavin.
Speaker 3 (00:42):
Yes, Kent's Cavin.
Speaker 2 (00:43):
That's been there many a time and had the theatrical experience,
which is quite good fun when they turn all the
lights out and I was like, oh.
Speaker 1 (00:50):
What's going on. You're not going to believe this. But
I used to work there, did you? I worked there
for for many many years. Yeah. I I worked there
from the summer of two thousand and seven through to
the summer of twenty thirteen before I left the UK
and did some traveling. I was the guy that took
people around the caves and put them in the dark,
(01:13):
like you mentioned there. I actually did my dissertation on
Ken's Cabin when I was at UNI, so I have'll.
Speaker 2 (01:20):
Be surprised if you took us around there you got
But we loved it. We absolutely loved it.
Speaker 3 (01:26):
It's a place.
Speaker 1 (01:28):
I mean I could I could spend the whole of
this session talking about Ken's Cabin. I love it as much.
Speaker 2 (01:33):
It is fascinating, isn't it. I mean, you know what
they should do down there is.
Speaker 3 (01:38):
Escape room.
Speaker 1 (01:40):
That would be fun, wouldn't it if they still do it?
But they used to do like Halloween shows, right, which
was always well received by those going in there because
they turn on the lights off and it's done at
nine and they decorate the place and yeah, I mean
it's it's it's such a cool place. I used to
love working there, but it's just yeah, it was just
so much fun working.
Speaker 2 (02:02):
So one of your claims to fame and why you
came to Collaboration Global is because of B one g
One by one Give One, the amazing social enterprise that
we are partnered up with as Collaboration Global, And we've
recently had one of the founders on podcasts, Massan Miiseto, who's.
Speaker 3 (02:21):
Told us her.
Speaker 2 (02:24):
Exhausting, exhilarating, inspiring story of how she started on the
journey to create this amazing thing. And then at the
other end of the spectrum, we've got you who've been
connected to it and working for these guys for several
years now. But you're at the other end where it's
like it's running and it's huge, and it's a global
organization and it's just so much going on.
Speaker 3 (02:46):
So a quick question, I mean, you've.
Speaker 2 (02:51):
Come to Collaboration Global as a functioning, let's partner up,
let's do something useful, as opposed to some people going, oh,
I like the idea of collaboration.
Speaker 3 (02:58):
It sounds like a good idea.
Speaker 2 (03:00):
But let's go back a bit. What attracted you to
be one g One?
Speaker 1 (03:03):
So what were you doing?
Speaker 2 (03:04):
I'm assuming it wasn't kings CAVN one g One, But
what I doing before that kind of made it a
good choice for you.
Speaker 1 (03:14):
That's a great question. So I had been living overseas.
I had been living in Sydney for a short time,
where I worked for a children's charity there, and then
I moved to New Zealand for a couple of years
and worked for another children's charity. And my wife, who
(03:39):
I was living in New Zealand with, she wasn't my
wife at the time, she got a transfer with her
work to their Singapore office from New Zealand, so we
decided to move from New Zealand relocate Singapore, which she
had some work lined up already, because she was just
getting a transfer where I was leaving my job at
(03:59):
the children's charity to move to Singapore without any.
Speaker 3 (04:02):
Work, so tricky.
Speaker 1 (04:04):
It was tricky. Yeah, yeah, it was, if you know,
if only because of the visa situation, because obviously when
you move countries you had to keep board that in mind.
And Lucy, my wife, we actually got married in Singapore
so that they could secure a visa so I could
stay and work with the one g one. So it's
(04:27):
it's not exaggeration to say that I got married. Thankfully
we're still together, that I could stay and work with
b one g one. That's that's how passionate it was.
Speaker 2 (04:36):
How did people get to America, isn't it Let's get
a green card, we'll get married.
Speaker 1 (04:40):
There's a box behind me here with I'm sure there's
a picture of the two of us on our on
our wedding day in Singapore. Pretty understated wedding day. But
so when I moved to Singapore, I did I didn't
have any any work, but I knew I wanted to
stay in the nonprofit sector because that's where I spent
a few years in Australia and New Zealand, so I
knew wanted to be in that area. But even with
(05:03):
with with you know, with with a visa, it was
it was difficult to to find work, and I was
looking at different places and I was such an alien
environment to me, right because I've never never even foot
in Singaple before. But actually Lucy was the one that
found the one you want to line and she she
saw on their website and we were just saying this earlier,
how they weren't necessarily advertising a role, but they were saying,
(05:25):
if you're interested in working with us, just reach out.
She said, these guys look really, really cool. I think
you should have a look at them. So it's Lucy
that that found around the website. And I think I
watched some videos of Paul and Miss Army and you know,
those guys are just they're so inspiring and so captivating.
I just think from what I saw of them online,
I was like, this looks like a really really great
(05:46):
place to be and it looks like an amazing community.
So that's when I decided to give them a call
and see if we could meet up and and from there,
you know, I got off with a job. But in
order to to take that job, I had to get
a visa. So that's why we got married.
Speaker 2 (06:04):
Oh, I see right, right, So that Wow, what a
pivotal part of your life. This company is. It wasn't
for them, so if you ever get divorced, it'll be like,
and it's your fault.
Speaker 1 (06:16):
Well that's probably not going to happen right now. But yeah, no,
we it's a huge part of my life. I mean,
we moved to Singapore back in two thousand and sixteen,
so I've been involved with you on Jill now for
almost ten years. And yeah, it's a really funny story
because when I went for the interviews, I felt like
they went quite well. But at the time, I don't
(06:39):
know if we do this now, but at the time,
as part of the interview process, there was a test
that you had to do. Oh gosh, that's kind of random.
It was asking really strange questions which were somewhat unrelated
to the role actually that I ended up going for,
which is kind of a punch it's role. There were
some questions about, you know, how many countries are there
in southeast and you had to name them? And and
(07:02):
who is this person? The person was Seth Golden, who
at the time I had no idea. No, I was like,
and there was some Excel questions with some date. I
was just like, yeah, So it was a pretty I
was like, this is that this test is? It went
really badly, Like I actually think I have the worst
test result from any B one G one employee of
all time. It was so bad, my goodness. But thankfully
(07:25):
the interviews went well. So the actual in person interviews
I had with the team and with Paul went really well,
and I think that was kind of what won the moment.
So they kind of said, your results dreadful, but we're
going to look past that because we you know, you
interviewed well. So thankfully they weren't. There wasn't everything running
on those tests because I did so badly.
Speaker 3 (07:45):
But it's interesting, isn't it that.
Speaker 2 (07:48):
Those kind of tests that obviously supposedly show people where
they're at with them, you know, if they've done any
development on themselves and learning about what's out there, actually
had no impact on the result, so that it didn't
kind of narrow the field for them. Because the guy
that they chose was the guy that did the worst
at the test. I'm curious.
Speaker 3 (08:07):
I wonder if they still use that now.
Speaker 1 (08:08):
No, they don't. That was about ten years ago, to
be fair, but I think since then what beonece you
want has done And I don't even know if we
still still use any kind of test time, I must admit,
but certainly after that I think it was like, well,
we need to maybe amend this test. We need to
tailor it to the role rather than being so generalized
(08:29):
because there were some questions in there that I really
struggled with. And yeah, so no, the test was definitely
it was changed after that, I think, but I still
still have I think, the worst result ever on that
that test that they ran ten years ago.
Speaker 2 (08:43):
So I remember doing those kind of tests when I
went for jobs donkeys years ago, and they give you
the thing and you're going for sales job and you
just answer it. As though you're what you think they're
going to we're going to want, so you end up
getting nowhere anyway, and it's just like, well, let me
talk to someone rather than ticking these boxes. Let me
just go and talk to someone. Yeah, show you I
(09:04):
could do the job well.
Speaker 1 (09:05):
I had. I had the initial interview with one of
the team and I thought that went really well. And
then I did the test the same day after the interview,
and then I think I remember the message I got
from Paul because they obviously they obviously got the test results.
They worked the test results out maybe the next day
or whatever. But I remember Paul messaging me and saying, oh,
I've heard you met with the memory of the team.
(09:26):
Sounds like it went really well. And I was like
said to Lucy, I sounds this is I think this
is this is going to materialize. And then a couple
of hours later he's again. I remember getting a message
and it said something like, hey, Jack, just seen the
test results. Not what we expected. Stay tuned. Oh no,
(09:47):
But then Paul asked to meet the in person. Then
Paul and I met in person and just have and
got on so well and have done ever since. And
you know, he's been a mentor of mine ever since
I joined you one wants to thankfully, as to say,
the in person conversations.
Speaker 2 (10:00):
Yet yeah, I mean, who knows what Seth God looks
like anyway?
Speaker 3 (10:04):
For goodness, that's I think.
Speaker 1 (10:07):
Now very well.
Speaker 3 (10:09):
Gas, isn't he? Yeah?
Speaker 1 (10:11):
Yeah, Paul loved this amount all of the time.
Speaker 3 (10:13):
Yeah, brilliant.
Speaker 2 (10:14):
He was a favorite of Paul's a long time ago,
because I've known Paul probably about fifteen years now, or
at least of him, if not known him in person,
and he was one of the reasons you listen to
the man talk and it's like, I've got to be
part of this community. It was just he attracts some
amazing people, which is lovely. So you want to be
in that. You want to be in that buzz in
(10:35):
the room with those people as well.
Speaker 4 (10:37):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (10:37):
No, from the moment I met Paul and you just
I just knew he was quite a unique individual. And
I've never actually met anybody quite like him ever since.
And you know, just as I said, when we met
for the first time and just got on with him
so well and quite similar in many ways. We're also
very different, but quite similar, and we got on really well,
and Paul and I have always worked really close it
(11:00):
being one G One because of the nature of my
role being like kind of partnerships and you know, dealing
with new business but also current members. So and I
used to work very closely with Paul on a lot
of the events we would run when I was in
Singapore where Paul would speak and yeah here and I
would go to the events together. So yeah, Paul and
I have, you know, work very close together year. So
(11:20):
I've been very fortunate.
Speaker 2 (11:22):
One of the things I've always been a bit jealous
of of you guys is when you do your team training, right, Okay,
do you want to share with people where you went
for your last team training?
Speaker 3 (11:33):
He looks so cool.
Speaker 1 (11:34):
Yeah, well, I mean to be fair, that's where we went.
Isn't like a regular thing. It was I think it
was the first time we've been there as a team,
and that was Tibali in that was in November. But
we have to remember that the majority of our team
that are located in Singapore. So actually for those guys,
(11:56):
but Barley is also the birthplace of being one G One, right,
That's where we start back in two thousand and seven,
So we had Yeah, we had a strategy week there
with the whole team, the whole global Teamuse we have
team members here in the UK but also down in
South Africa and the Philippines and India and all those
guys came together in Bali and yeah, we had a
(12:18):
week together where we spoke about what was coming up
and a strategy for twenty twenty five, which the whole
theme of that was time to Rise. So yeah, it
was an amazing week. Of course, like do you know
what Barlei's amazing and where we went was amazing, but
more amazing than Bali and the retreat was just being
(12:39):
together with the team. I mean, as we've gotten together
in Singapore since I left Singapore, lots of times I've
flown back and we've we've had weeks together there and
it's just being in the presence of the team, whether
it's in Singapore, it's in Bali, it's anywhere else. I mean,
we had an event here in the UK down in London,
just in all in Masami b and g Wan's co
(13:03):
founders and Racky, my colleague who lives in London. You know,
we were there for the first time probably since Barley,
and it was just so good to be in their presence,
you know, so everything it's done for lunually because I'm
based up in Northern Ireland. So yeah, the Barley trip
was amazing because it was Barley, but also just seeing
the team again in person was just great.
Speaker 3 (13:24):
I would imagine.
Speaker 2 (13:25):
One of the other things that are pretty mind blowing
is going to visit some of the places that ee
G one supports through the impacts that they make. Have
you been to many projects around the world or just
visited one or two or what impact did it.
Speaker 1 (13:41):
Have on you? Yeah, So we obviously run study tours
to these areas where we have worthy couses located and
their projects, and the last one was in Campodia January
last year, which I didn't go to. You know, we
have Team Medicine in Singapore that again and just just
a short trip from there, so they went instead. But
(14:01):
when we were in Bali in November, some of the
global teams, so some of the team based in the
Philippines were able to go to the John Fawcett Foundation,
who are based in Ballei, who provide eye operations cataract
operations to people with with poor vision, and they couldn't
believe the work that was being done there, but personally
(14:24):
as a as a whole team in BALLEI went to
the Role Foundation, who are based I forget where in
Balley to be fair, but they do such great work
with beach cleanups. There's a lot of plastic waste in
Bali on the beaches there, and I've done it to
the couple of LinkedIn posts actually after after that, because
(14:44):
it really stuck with me. I mean we were clearing
up trash from the from the beaches on one of
the days we were there, and I mean the level
of waste on the beaches and in the in the
waters in and around Balley, and I think Indonesia generally
is really high and the there are reasons for, I mean,
there are good reasons for. I think I think that
(15:05):
there is an education piece for those that live in
Indonesia and and and that's that's part of it. But
they just don't have the same infrastructure they would have,
for example here in the UK in terms of you know,
waste management. So Role Foundation work really they work incredibly
hard to educate and to manage that waste by doing
(15:26):
beach cleanups. And yeah, so I mean that's one of
all recent examples of being able to actually see the
work on the ground, and all of this work that
that we're seeing is being hugely enabled by B one
g one's members because they are giving to these projects
like the beach cleanup for example, that we list here
(15:48):
at B one g one. So but yeah, the work,
the work that some of our Worthy Causes do, it's
that I've seen firsthand, but also here about from the
team who have been on these study tours. It's awesome.
I actually did when I was living in Singapore, went
to Cambodia a few times and and and source some
of it myself, just one of my wife and I visited.
(16:11):
So wherever we can, we you know, it's always nice
to actually see what's what's being enabled because I think
in my role, I don't I'm not I don't work
as closely with the worthy causes or the projects. So
whenever I get the opportunity to actually to speak with
the worthy cause or see a worthy cause and the
work that they're doing and at be one of your
business members are helping to support, it's always it's always
(16:33):
just a nice opportunity to do that, you know.
Speaker 2 (16:35):
Oh absolutely, And the thing that I love about B
One g One as well is that they kind of
their currency is smiles. They don't give you the tragedy
and the tragic and that they don't twist your heart
until it breaks in order for you to make a
donation or make an impact. It's all about look how
(16:56):
far they've come. This is a great success story. And
look at these children and now they're getting education, or
they're getting clean water or you know, and these women
that have just started their own businesses, and there are
so many different causes. Whatever is on your heart, you
can find a cause that you can call your own,
and you can continually give to that cause, or you
can just scatter it because you go, I don't know
(17:16):
which one to choose. They're all very very worthy. New
trees or having fresh water. Ah, I don't know it's
going to clean the beat. But you can make those
donations to everyone. And it just really when you see
the horrific adverts on TV around trying to make your
(17:37):
heartbreak around whether it be a donkey or children with
cleft palettes or everything else in between, it just it's
like there are people out there that can't afford to
live themselves and they see that and then they still
donate because they feel like they somebody else is worse
off than them, And in hindsight, actually it should be
the success stories that would encourage you to give if
(17:59):
you are able to, rather than out of guilt or
out of being sorry for somebody. It's a kind of
different emphasis and it kind of love underpins everything that's
going on.
Speaker 1 (18:11):
Yeah, no, it's absolutely right. I think we it's fair
to say that, you know, the imagery that we use
and the videos that we we shoot, it's to focus
on on the positive impact that's being had by business
members supporting these worthy causes and the projects. You know,
with you on G on this it's never about guilt
tripping or making people feel bad and I feel like
(18:34):
they have to give. Of course, we really exclusively work
with businesses, so we feel that through B one G
one business has become can become a force for good
at and and and create a meaningful impact in the world.
So so yeah, we don't focus on on that side
of thing. We don't. We even distance ourselves from the
(18:55):
words charities and donations because that's more of the traditional
way of raising and giving. And there's nothing wrong with
donating to local charities. Of course that's a great thing
to do. But for B one g And, it's not
really about the charities and the donations. It's very much
about the positive impact that's being had. And you're right,
like we talk about it sometimes in terms of smiles, right,
(19:17):
in terms of the positive stiles, the positive impact you're
having on people and communities globally. So I think it's
just I think it's just a much nicer way of
looking at it, and I think it connects more meaningfully
with people. Right When businesses can talk about the positive
impact that's being had, whether it's being drinking water provided
or days of education or trees planted, that's much more
(19:38):
tangible and it makes people feel a lot better than
talking about donations and the strife that people know is
important to focus on the positive rather than just you know,
the challenges that the issues that need to be solved.
Speaker 2 (19:51):
Yeah, And sometimes when you are talking about the challenges
and the issues, it just all seems too big and
it's like what difference.
Speaker 3 (19:57):
Can I make?
Speaker 2 (19:58):
But B one g One has got the lovely model
that is different, and it is focusing on the impacts
around every little drip that goes in to the bucket.
You'll make an impact and we'll make a difference. Do
you want to just explain the model that you currently
work with and why businesses are involved as opposed to
Joe Public.
Speaker 1 (20:18):
Yeah, so when people Juman was founded back in two
thousand and seven by Missami and Paul, who we've spoken about.
Missami's simple vision was what if every business could create
a meaningful impact just by doing what they do every day?
(20:39):
And I think, you know, individuals can do great things,
of course, but we believe that it's the business owners
globally who have the real power, right because of the
type of work that they do, because of the teams
that they build, because of the reach that they have.
And you know, you were a web event which we
(21:02):
ran yesterday, and I opened that web event with a
Paul Pollman quote. And for those that don't know, Paul
Polman is the former CEO of Unilever and he's a
mentor to Massamia CEO. And in his net Positive book,
he asked a question, is the world a better place
because your business is, isn't it? And that is something
(21:23):
that really underpins a lot of the work we do
here at B oneg one because we believe that through
B oneg On, through the work that we do, which
is essentially providing a platform for businesses to create more
meaningful impact so that they can embed giving into everyday operations.
So it's not just okay, we're fundraising, we're donating to charity,
(21:44):
but instead it's like, okay, these things within our business,
whether it's sending an email or working with a client
or having a team meeting, all of these every day
seemingly you know, on important activities and you know they're
having a can link those two projects that we list
and you can create positive impacts just by doing what
(22:04):
you do every day. So the shift is really from
okay donations at the end of the year because of
you know, an annual fundraiser to actual habitual giving, which
is being ingrained in everyday activities within the business. So
I mentioned again in the web end yesterday that we
(22:26):
feel at B one g one and that I think
our members feel this and they show this is that
you know, being a business for good is not just
good for the world, it's great for business, right because
impacts at business members in really cool ways because they
see growth as a result, they see deeper connections with
(22:47):
their customers, their clients, their team members, and ultimately, yeah,
creating a lasting impact. So in asker you to your
question about that, the model, yeah, B one g Want
is set up so that at business members can shoose
everyday activities and link those activities to projects that we list,
and they can track the impact that they're creating. They
(23:08):
can see exactly how many trees they planted, they can
see exactly how many days of education and drinking water
and all those cool things, all those cool metrics. Because
being able to track it and see that and actually
share that, that's what really connects with people.
Speaker 2 (23:22):
I was just going to say that, And that's part
of the important thing is they can add that to
their website or wherever they're doing their marketing and it's
a visible, pictorial state that somebody knows nothing about them.
It just goes on their website to find out about
and it's like, oh wow, this is interesting, look at what
they're doing. And one of my big things about B
one G one is not long before I discovered them,
(23:44):
I'd watched a Ted talk by a guy called Ricardo Semla.
Speaker 1 (23:48):
One day.
Speaker 3 (23:48):
I don't know if he's still alive. This is a
long time ago.
Speaker 2 (23:51):
I'd love to meet him, because he said that he
was talking to a friend of his. This is on
his TED Talk and he was talking to front of
his who was a multimillionaire. And this guy to Ricardo
and said, Ricardo, I've done well with my life. I
think it's time that I gave back. What do you suggest?
So Ricardo turns team and says, well, if you have
to give back, you took too much in the first place.
(24:12):
And that just that blew my mind.
Speaker 3 (24:15):
At the time.
Speaker 2 (24:16):
And then B one g One popped up. Thank you Universe,
and it was a vehicle to give.
Speaker 3 (24:21):
As you go.
Speaker 2 (24:23):
And when you are giving as you go, you don't
realize it at the time, you don't see it. But
there are so many positive implications from your customer's choosing
you because of what you're doing, your lead's following you
because of what you're doing, your staff staying with you
because of what you're doing. All of the savings and
the stuff that you would be doing. A member of
(24:44):
staff disappears because it's like, oh, well I was doing this,
but I can go and get more money for that
somewhere else. But actually, this company, I might not get
quite so much money for working with them, but they're
doing so much good in the world, and I just
love the fact that they're constantly giving a figure and
so we're having such such an impact almost subconsciously, just
because we are connected to be one g one and
(25:06):
that to me is like, that's not normally out there.
Speaker 1 (25:09):
And one of the other.
Speaker 2 (25:10):
Sticking points I used to get with donating to charity
was if you've ever seen them Salvation Army offices in London.
Speaker 4 (25:19):
Oh my goodness, they are glass tower palaces, and it's like,
why why aren't you just down in Stepney in somewhere
a bit cheaper?
Speaker 3 (25:29):
You know, why is all that money being spent on
this amazing, huge building?
Speaker 2 (25:33):
And oh, by the way, how much is your CEO
being paid? Ridiculous amounts of money? So this just feels
like it's real. And the money we donate goes one
hundred percent to the causes, and you get to choose
them and then you get to visit them if you
wanted to, and then there's just this reality check of it.
(25:55):
You're not writing a check at the end of the
year because you feel you ought to, or because you should,
or because you're obligated or you think other people will
see you doing it, so it's a good thing to do.
It's just in your makeup, in your DNA, in your business.
And if anybody's seen my TED talk, I have a
little rant at the beginning, just saying that we are
(26:17):
back the SME world in the UK at least are
the backbone of the economy, and we are known for
having so much power because we're employing most people, we're
generating the most turnover, We have access to so much
and yet we have so little power. So why don't
we take the power through vehicles like b on g
(26:38):
one to actually make a difference Because of our business
so at collaboration global we're attracting people who are doing
that not necessary with b one g one. A lot
of them are, but not everybody, but they use their
vehicle as something for good. And what I say is
the commonality. People go, what sort of businesses do you have?
(26:58):
And I said it was not really the business, it's
the people business owners, And the commonality of them is
they're all up to some good.
Speaker 3 (27:05):
They're all doing.
Speaker 2 (27:06):
Something utilizing their business as a vehicle to make a difference,
maybe a little bit difference, maybe a massive difference, but
they're doing it to make a difference in the world
and making a dent in where we are in the
world today. Yeah, and it's not just feeling so useless,
because when you're not able to do anything, you go,
what can I do on my own? I'm nothing, I
(27:26):
don't I could, I could donate some money, But it's
like dropping the ocean, isn't it.
Speaker 1 (27:30):
Yeah. Yeah, And I think it's again like just not
to keep going back to their web event we did yesterday.
But my guess was Alex Fokes from a company called
Ppo And And I asked Alex at the end of
the web event, and you were there for it, you'll
so you probably remember if you can provide one piece
of practical advice to anyone that's looking to embed a
(27:50):
purpose into their business, what that would be, And his said, glance,
I really was along and the shorter it was to
take action, Right. I think two businesses put taking action off.
I mean, I think I think sometimes there's very legitimate
reasons for doing so. But I think that other times
people just get in their own ways and they feel like, Okay,
I have to wait until I get to this point
(28:12):
in the business or the business side, and actually more
businesses need to take action because when we put these
things off, they sometimes just never happen. And I see
this in my role. I really do. There are businesses
with the best of intentions will say it's not quite
the right time, but I'll really look at this at
the end of the year, or sometimes you just never
(28:35):
hear from them again, and you wonder, I wonder if
they have taken any action at all in any sense,
whether it's be one g one another otherwise. So I
think taking action is so important for businesses, and we
make it very easy at be one you want. For us,
it comes back to there's three keywords that we've always
(28:56):
kind of lived by, and I remember in the Singapore
office they have these on the wall. Impact, habit and connection. Right.
So impact is obviously what we are enabling our business
members to do to create positive impact throughout worthy causes
and their projects. The habit part is actually embedding giving
(29:17):
and impact creation habitually, right, So it's not just a
end of the year we need to do a big
one off donation, but it's actually throughout the year you're
embedding giving and creating impact in every day operationals. Operational activities.
And then the connection part really is connect that comes
from the from creating the impact right and it being
(29:40):
habitual because when you're creating impact on an inn a
habitual way, and it's like second nature, you are and
we see this and I'm sue you'll agree, you connect
more meaningfully to your customers, clients, team members in your case,
to the community, and to yourself because you are this
a part is it becomes a part of the fabric
(30:01):
of your of your business and what you do.
Speaker 3 (30:04):
Yeah, yeah, absolutely.
Speaker 2 (30:05):
And what I also love is a lot of people
have their own little pet charity that they donate to
and they're like, oh well they're not part of B
one do one.
Speaker 3 (30:12):
Oh well they could be. Actually they can apply. So
they're in.
Speaker 2 (30:16):
The UK and they're not over in you know, Southeast
Asia and suffering or in the jungles of South America.
Speaker 3 (30:23):
You can apply as well.
Speaker 2 (30:24):
As long as you tick the boxes and fill the criteria,
then we can carry on giving to your business as
your charity that's your special one just for you as well.
So I think the people that are reticent about doing anything,
that phrase that comes back to my mind is like,
well if not now when and if not you who
And as you say, you make it so easy. It
(30:45):
is almost like a plug and go once you connect
up to your fabulous website. I don't know who's done
all of that organizing. It is so beautiful to be
able to And I'm not a techie, but I got
the basic setup and I've had some other people go
in who.
Speaker 3 (30:59):
Now look after it everything.
Speaker 2 (31:00):
For me, I just say this is what I want,
and they go and choose the sustainable development goals and
all the rest of it. But it's so simple, push
and click and off you go. And then you've got
that on your website. You've got that where you can
refer back to it, you can find ways of gifting
it to people, and so many different things.
Speaker 3 (31:18):
And for us as.
Speaker 2 (31:20):
An organization, every time somebody joins, that's indication that as
long as they're a member, part of their membership FEME
will go to B one G one and if anyone
comes to any of our meetings, then there's and they
get to choose even if they're they're a guests, if
they only ever come once, because they've turned up.
Speaker 3 (31:37):
Thank you so much.
Speaker 2 (31:38):
We're going to donate something, We're going to make an
impact on your behalf and they love it. You know,
give them a QR code and they're off and they
want to push them out and off they go. And
it's just little things like that that, like you say,
it can embed in that. So why would you rather
go networking over here and meet nots of lovely people
and learn stuff or go networking over here which isn't
really a networking group. You're really talking about love and
(32:00):
connection and deep business values and.
Speaker 3 (32:02):
Oh yeah they do B one G one as well.
Oh I can make a difference. Oh that's brilliant over there.
Speaker 1 (32:07):
Yeah, yeah, it's brainer really right, And I think, yeah,
just to come to your point there about you know,
partnering with charitable organizations here in the UK. Of course
we do have charitable partners here in the UK. We
call these charities worthy causes, but yeah, we have worthy
causes based through in the UK and projects through in
the UK, and we're always getting new charities applying to
(32:28):
be a part of the B one g and Worthy
Cause program and it allows businesses that we're partner with
to give to UK based projects as well as globally.
So yeah, that's that's really cool. And to your point,
about you know, there's this networking group or there's this
networking group, and this one is doing great things and
getting back and creating positive impacts. It just seems like
(32:50):
a no brainer. Ryan, I think you'll know Steve Pipe well,
no doubt. Yes, yeah, Steve is obviously a long long,
long time member of B one G one retired accountant now.
But Steve is an amazing, amazing person and he's always
likened it too. If you had two coffee shops right
and they're next to one another, coffee is the same,
they're charging the same amount. But when you buy this
coffee from this coffee shop, you're providing access to clean
(33:14):
drinking water to a child in Tanzanier for it for
a year, versus this one which you just get your coffee.
If they're identical coffee shops, identical coffee, which one are
you going to go? All right? So so this there
is there is that side of bone g W it does.
It does make a lot of business sense as well,
so it's it's a it's a win win really.
Speaker 2 (33:36):
The thing I like about Steve Pipe is he's constantly working.
He's a wonderful ambassador for B one Do you one
and he wrote a book, Time to Rise, and I
wrote the forward for part of that. And also he's
got a follow up book that he wrote with Paul Done,
and he lets us have that and we give that
out to our people. That turn up a better.
Speaker 1 (33:55):
Business target, is it? Is it? Yeah? I remember Steve
has written so many, so many great books. But yeah,
he's an amazing person. Because can't spak highly enough of Steve.
Speaker 2 (34:07):
Yeah, So when you're not working with the amazing b
one g one, and I would imagine there's a little
part of you that is, oh, yeah, I want to
do that, and I want to do that bit and
oh I said I was going to do that, and
it's a bit late now, but oh I'll get it
done because I just love doing it. It's very when
you're loving what you're doing, it's very hard to kind of,
you know, family time.
Speaker 3 (34:26):
There's a time when you can and what.
Speaker 2 (34:28):
What do you like doing outside of B one g one.
Speaker 1 (34:31):
That's a good question, you know, because I work from
home as well, So I think when you and I'm
sure anyone watching this that does work from home can
understand this, but I think when you work from home,
some especially when you enjoy what you do the lines
between work and home life. But you know, I have
two very young children. I have an almost two year
(34:52):
old and almost four year old, so you know, it's
important for me to be really present when when they're around,
so you know, I'm not I don't really work when
when they're here. It's not that's not really what I do.
So I try. I try to be present first thing
in the morning before they go to nursery, and certainly
when they come home, and on the weekends as well,
(35:14):
so whenever they're about, like it's I'm not working really,
so that's really important to me. So I think because
they're so young, they do they do occupy a lot
of mine my wife's bandwidth, So you can imagine that
a lot of our time is spent with them at
the moment, on weekends and so forth, which is which
is great hiring. But they're at such an amazing age
that I think, as hard as it can be having
(35:36):
young kids, there's a lot to be grateful for and
and it's really just trying to save these years. Because
everyone tells me who has older kids, and I'm sure
that the test of this, Jill, the time goes so quickly,
right and it's such a lovely age so that that
they occupy a lot of my time in a good way.
But outside of that, like I really enjoy running, Like
(35:58):
I I try and run two or three times a
week and enter various running events throughout the year. Done
a couple of marathons this year, so I like, I
like doing long long distance events. And yeah, and travel
is something that we used to really enjoy but do
less off with the kids now. But I still like
(36:19):
to to get away with even if it's without the kids,
with with with friends and so forth. We live over
in England. And and I love coffee like I'm a
bit I'm big into my coffee, So like, even if
I'm just getting half an hour an hour just to
go out to a nice coffee shop, have some brunch
or whatever. That's the thing I enjoy doing too. But honestly,
when you when you work for B one G one,
(36:40):
you love it as much as I do. And you've
got two young kids, it leaves you with a finite
amount of time.
Speaker 2 (36:49):
When they're asleep, exhausted until they wake up again. But
the thing I love about that age two and four,
once they're talking and communicating, there is such.
Speaker 3 (36:59):
Wiz them that in their eyes.
Speaker 2 (37:02):
You see life through their eyes if you take your
time and you put your phone away when you're with them,
and you don't have that time on screen. Even if
you're sitting watching a cheeky movie, a Disney movie or
something with them, watch it through their eyes and have
conversations while they're watching it, because they will be giving
you wisdom and.
Speaker 3 (37:20):
You'll be like.
Speaker 2 (37:22):
I had one my granddaughter's two and a half, and
this was when she just turned too, so she was
still learning to string words together, and we were rushing
to get somewhere, and she was like, gone for a
walk over there in the park, and I was like, Lilah,
come back, we've got to go. We get said, we're
going to go to this thing and we're doing painting
and you're going to miss it if you don't, so
(37:43):
you need to come back. And she's like, nanny, g nanny,
calm down.
Speaker 3 (37:49):
Yeah, yeah, okay, good point, you know, And she comes
up with those kind of things. I'm like, oh my god,
you are wise beyond your years.
Speaker 2 (37:56):
It's just useful to see it there. Yeah, it is
a lovely and like you say, it does go very
very quickly.
Speaker 1 (38:02):
Yeah, there are. I mean they're amazing. They're just amazing kids.
And you know, it's been a yeah, it's been a
learning curb having them for sure, because you know, it's
I think it's having a child is the single biggest
thing you'll ever do. Yeah, for the first time. Right,
It's like I can't think of anything that I've ever
done beyond having my first child that was like a
(38:24):
new thing that was just so big.
Speaker 2 (38:26):
And so yeah, you are in charge of two human beings.
Speaker 1 (38:30):
Yeah, I know, yeah, yeah, yeah, doing her best.
Speaker 3 (38:35):
But if you like running.
Speaker 2 (38:36):
Let me say this out loud for everybody listening as well.
I think it's the twelfth to the fourteenth of September.
A friend of Collaboration Global, Lindsay Churchill, who has last
year walked around the coast of the UK solo on
behalf of Mind and got the Guinness.
Speaker 3 (38:54):
World Record for it as well.
Speaker 2 (38:55):
So she was like doing the marathon every other day
almost and she is doing three Peaks challenge. She's doing
about three hundred peaks over the course of the year
with a little team, but she's inviting people to go
and join them to do the three peaks over that
weekend period in September. So if you've had doing that
and going over with this bunch of people that are
(39:15):
all and she is Bonker's crazy, gorgeous woman.
Speaker 3 (39:20):
She's so passionate.
Speaker 2 (39:22):
About getting out in the open air, having fun, supporting
charities and just making a difference. And she's gone through
hardship in her life, but she now because she's walking
and she's hiking and she's got getting people to join her.
This is her sustenance and you can feel that she's
taken it on board. So if anybody wants to go
(39:42):
and join her, go to Lindsaywalks dot com.
Speaker 1 (39:45):
I think they saw something. At least I've seen maybe
a couple of times you posted about her and the
activities that she does, and she's undertaken it's really impressive
actually from what I've seen.
Speaker 2 (39:57):
H it's very cool if you're into your running, which
I'm not not, sadly, or even just climbing up the
three Peaks. I mean, you don't even have to do
it in twenty four hours like a lot of people do,
but I think September would be a good time to
do it.
Speaker 3 (40:09):
And yeah, have you ever done the Three Peaks before?
Speaker 1 (40:13):
No? No, I haven't nowhere any of them. Actually I did.
I did a I did a trail marathon earlier this
year in the More Mountains down in here in Northern Ireland,
but there would be anywhere near the elevation that the
three peaks are, So anyone that's even just walking them,
I think, is it's doing doing very well? But I
(40:35):
think it's yeah, it would be very tough indeed.
Speaker 2 (40:37):
So yeah, it's a challenge. The other one that's a
challenge our son in law, did I am then?
Speaker 1 (40:44):
Yeah, I know, yeah, yeah, I that's just unbelievably impressive.
Speaker 4 (40:50):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (40:51):
I mean, I'm not really a swimmer. I can cycle,
but I don't really do much cycling. So the thought
of doing a and I am, I.
Speaker 3 (41:00):
Just thought he was crazy crazy.
Speaker 2 (41:02):
And then after he'd finished about half an hour, we said,
are you going to do it again?
Speaker 1 (41:06):
Never?
Speaker 3 (41:06):
Never ever, never, never ever ever ever in.
Speaker 2 (41:08):
A million years, And then at breakfast he went, I
would quite like to be that time.
Speaker 1 (41:13):
Yeah, that's how it goes with these big events, right. Yeah.
In the moment, you're like, I'm never doing that again,
and then time passes and you move the furniture in
your mind and you.
Speaker 2 (41:20):
Forget the pains like child birth, but you never forget
that pain. So give us an idea Jack about the
size of B one g one. How many businesses roughly
are involved, and how many worthy causes are involved as well?
Speaker 3 (41:37):
Roughing.
Speaker 1 (41:38):
Yeah, I's a good question. So it depends. Yeah, I mean,
I think at the moment we have around two and
a half thousand businesses here. Yeah, and worthy causes. Actually,
I am not entirely sure. I think I think it might
be in the region of somewhere between seventy and one hundred.
I think it might be fewer than that. I feel
(41:59):
like you probably probably know that number, but it out Yeah,
I probably probably don't have as many as one hundred,
but I'd say maybe somewhere in the region of fifty.
Speaker 2 (42:09):
Yeah, lots to be looking after this is.
Speaker 1 (42:12):
Yeah, so that the worthy causes list projects with us,
and we have just over four hundred and fifty projects.
So the type of projects is determined by the type
of worthy cause. And you know, so one worthy cause
might focus on conservation, so the projects they list with
us would be planting trees, protection and rainforests, that type
of thing, and then the next worthy cause might be
(42:34):
focused on something entirely different. It might be education. So
the projects they list with us are, you know, providing
access to education, whether it's whether it's textbooks or e
learning facilities, that type of thing. So it's one of
the great things about the worthy causes and the projects.
There's just such an array of different different areas that
(42:55):
are projects exist in. So whether it's providing education or
clean drinking water, or planting trees or providing business learns,
whatever it may be, there's so many different projects and
there's so many different categories that you know, there's generally
something for everyone. So it's it's it's really really cool
(43:15):
in fact that the community being so big and so diverse.
One of the things that I love most about it
because if you look at our business members, you know,
these business members are they're so different from one another.
You know, we have business dilopreneurs and startups one person
outfits right up to really big corporates with hundreds and
hundreds of team members. And these businesses operate in different industries,
(43:38):
in different countries. We have members across North America, Central
and South America. We have lots of businesses of course
here in the UK and Island to Europe headquartered in Singapore,
so we've got members in Southeast Asia. Paula Masami used
to live in Australia and New Zealand, so we've got
big presence there. So we have all these amazing businesses
globally and all of these amazing worthy causes in their
(43:59):
projects globally and just really unique community just doing doing
amazing work around the world. It's awesome.
Speaker 2 (44:08):
Yeah, you're like a matchmaking service, aren't you. People that
want to help and the people that need the help.
And you know, I wonder, like you say, there are
these study groups where you can go and find out
where your money is going to. Can't you see what's
going on and support and help physically with what's going
on too, which I think is a lovely Yeah.
Speaker 1 (44:28):
The study tours are yeah. I mean we were running
them basically every other year before the pandemic, which you know,
it feels like such a lifetime I go now anymore.
But yeah, post pandemic, we initially weren't running them, but
we ran one last year, as I mentioned. But the
study tours give some of our business members who would
(44:50):
like to go on them the opportunity to go to
these areas and we run study cause last year in Cambodia,
but that's not the first time we've been. We've run
study tours in Kenya. In India, there are plenty of
projects based in Bali, you know, so we've seen those firsthand.
But these study tours that say allow members to go
(45:13):
and visit the worthy courses you operate in these areas
and see some of the projects, get involved with some
of those projects. They're just life changing, you know, if
you speak with anyone that's been on any of these
study tours and being able to actually see the work
on the ground and see what this amazing cotunity of
businesses is. So all of these businesses are giving to
(45:34):
these projects, they are creating impacts with these projects, and
so they're able to when they were able to see
that that impact on the ground, you know, it's it's
just awesome. So yeah, I know how popular they are
when they come around and.
Speaker 2 (45:50):
When people say what can I do, it's just me,
I can't make any impact. Well, when you join up
with all those other thousands of businesses, you could make
a pretty big impact altogether. And that's the whole philosophy
of collaboration global together with stronger so it makes perfect
sense for us to be part of B and G
one as well.
Speaker 1 (46:07):
Yeah, absolutely so. I think I always say this to
businesses I speak with. Right, It's like, if you look
at B one G one's global impact total, right, So
for B one G one is the unit of measurement
which we have forgiving. So if you plant tenderies, that's
pay impacts. If you provide access to education for one
(46:29):
hundred days, that's one hundred impacts. That's in as simplest form,
that's how it works. So if you keep that in
mind as a community of businesses to dates. So in
the last eighteen years, our community has created just under
two hundred two hundred it's the end of the day,
yere three hundred and eighty million impacts.
Speaker 3 (46:53):
It's eighty million. That's an amazing the day.
Speaker 1 (46:57):
Yeah, I think it's Yeah, it might actually too. I
should probably have probably checked that. But the point here
is is that the impacts that are created are not
just created by one by one business, right, They're created
by many businesses coming together. So it's not, as I said,
I tell businesses this. You know, these impacts are not
(47:17):
being created by just one big corporate. They're being created
by thousands and thousands of businesses. Some are corporates of course,
but SME's two startups, solopreneurs, and when these businesses create
a few hundred impacts and these create a few thousand,
those collective impacts to date, I mean, it's just that
wouldn't be possible without the community, right.
Speaker 3 (47:37):
So yeah, that's good news.
Speaker 2 (47:39):
And it always kind of my cynical side with other large,
big charities when you see having you know, my daughters
spend time working in charities and realizing actually that some
events don't even generate money. They just pay for the
advertising that the charity does, and it's like, what there
(48:00):
is somebody's not doing it right, it's not happening. It's
also along the way, oh, somebody's donated five hundred million
dollars and you go, wow, fantastic, Well how much of
that gets siphoned off for the CEO and all the
other people that take their little cut of them, And
it's like this one hundred percent is what I am
(48:20):
just so enamored with.
Speaker 3 (48:21):
And you can see where it's going.
Speaker 1 (48:23):
Yeah, absolutely, because I think Masami maybe even cover this
on when she spoke with you. But B and G
was quite unique and it's in its model is that
we are a social enterprise, but we're also registered the
US registered charity, right, so that allows us to keep
(48:43):
the membership fees and the giving very separate. So the
most important thing to know here is is that when
you give to these projects, when you choose a project
from our project list, and you say I want to
plant five trees, or would like to provide a bus,
this loan to this person, or you know, I'd like
to provide access to education, whatever the whatever the project is,
(49:05):
that impact is being had on the ground because we're
not having to use that any of that giving for
our operational costs. So it is cool. And that the
total number of impacts is just under three hundred and
eighty million.
Speaker 2 (49:19):
By the way, it's a really checked it.
Speaker 1 (49:23):
It gets to that point in the day when guessing
even the most simplest of things that I already know. So, yeah,
it's just under three hundred and eightyen, you know, three
hundred and eighty million impacts. It is actually when you
just think what one impact is that if it's a
treat planter, for example, if you go to the b
on Gan website, just go to the homepage and scroll
(49:44):
down you'll see that number of three hundred almost eighty million,
and it gives you a breakdown of where all these
impacts are being created across these different categories, and it's
just it's so cool to see those metrics because it's
tangible and you can see this is what the community
has been a to create together, not individually, together and
you can.
Speaker 3 (50:03):
Check it all out. That's what I love as well.
Speaker 2 (50:04):
You can drill down and then if you wanted to,
you can take yourself off and go and visit where
you've just donated or you've created those impacts as well.
It's a different language, but it really makes a difference.
Words are so important, aren't they.
Speaker 1 (50:18):
Yeah, you change in the languages we're speaking here actually
to reflect the way that we talk, right. But you know,
but I don't think there's anything wrong with saying charities
and donations because that's essentially what it is. And I
think that's what a lot of people understand. And I
still think members today who would communicate b one g
one as a charity or communicate the worthy causes a
charity and they talk to missions, look that's absolutely fine,
(50:42):
Like there's no issue there. It's just that as an
organization we slightly different language. I like that.
Speaker 3 (50:48):
Yeah, I think it makes it.
Speaker 2 (50:49):
I think that's we have to shift like a tanker
in the sea. It takes a little while for it.
If it's going to go a different direction, it takes
a while. But what you're creating is this, as you say,
this unique model that helps people to see that it
isn't all about oh, poor you, here's some money, here's.
Speaker 3 (51:08):
You know whatever.
Speaker 2 (51:10):
It's about creating a positive, empowered impact to help people
to help themselves as well. So it's not just about
we're constantly going to have to give to that one,
you know, and if we do something right, it's going
to have this ripple effect as well, not only for
the person that's received the donation, but also the family
(51:30):
or the village or the area where they come from.
So I think it is right that we do need
to view the model that historically we have been using
because people are taking advantage of it and I don't
think it's working very well.
Speaker 3 (51:45):
We need something like B one G one that is more.
Speaker 2 (51:49):
You can see clearly how it's all working on what's
going on.
Speaker 3 (51:52):
It's brilliant.
Speaker 1 (51:54):
Yeah, absolutely, Yeah, and a lot of our members that
we partner with, it would still continue to donate to local
charities that would maybe not partner with B one g one,
and that's great and we encouraged. We say it's that
it shouldn't ever be like a either. Yeah, it has
to be your local charities or you can do both.
(52:14):
And a lot of members would do that because we
do have a criteria that every charitable organization has to
meet to join the program. For good reason why we
want to ensure that every charity that we partner with
has we have complete transparency of and there's accountability there
for the reasons that you've raised.
Speaker 5 (52:30):
So if these local charities for whatever reason, don't need
the criteria, that's cool. You should continue to give to
those charities. But we always say about B on g one,
we're all about global impact. So yes, you can you
can give to projects in your own country through B
one g one, but we encourage that global mindset, that
global impact you can create. And actually one of the
dynamic widgets we provide a B one g want, as
(52:52):
you probably aware, is a world map which shows your
location in your country and there are arrows going off
in different directions showing you where you've created your impacts,
and when you click on the icons in those places,
it will tell you exactly what giving you've done, what
impacts your specific country, so you're right in it. Being
tracked is very important for businesses to be able to
(53:16):
report this internally and externally.
Speaker 2 (53:18):
Yeah, and when as a global organization, when we covered
every continent, I was really happy. It's like, yes, giving
somewhere to the whole world. It really kind of it
fitted with what we were doing. Listen, Jack, this has
been a fascinating story because we've heard from Masami the
birth of it and how it gets where it is,
and now we're hearing from you as a functioning, working,
running organization that actually has love at its heart, and
(53:42):
it's just a wonderful conversation to have.
Speaker 3 (53:44):
Thank you. If somebody wants to get hold of you to.
Speaker 2 (53:46):
Find out how their business could be part of B
one g One, what's the easiest way for them to
get hold of you.
Speaker 1 (53:51):
Yeah, Honestly, I'm on LinkedIn, so that's a great place
to connect with me if you would like to and
drop me a message on there. And if you're not
on LinkedIn, then my email is just Jack at B
one g one dot com. Either of those two ways
are the simplest way. But I just want to take
this opportunity to say thank you for having me on here.
(54:12):
And you know, you've been involved with b oneg on
for so long, Jill, and you're doing great work at
Collaboration Global and the community is just awesome. So I
and the team here really appreciate everything that you do.
So thank you, I think, and it's been awesome chatting
with you today.
Speaker 2 (54:26):
So thanks, it's been my pleasure. I've absolutely enjoyed it.
Thank you for coming down, and thank you for being
part of Collaboration Global. I think we are a good
little collaboration going on here, exactly do yeah, okay, So
of course, if you wanted to come to a Collaboration
Global session, you are very welcome. We have them twice
a month. You just have to go to Collaboration Global
dot org to find the booking link or go to
(54:48):
event bright. You'll find us on there as well, and
who knows, you might find Jack in the audience and
you can have a chat with him there too. So
we look forward to meeting all of you and hopefully
you'll be finding out more about b one g One.
We cannot endorse it high enough, so thank you again.
Speaker 1 (55:03):
Jack.
Speaker 3 (55:03):
It's been an absolute joy.
Speaker 1 (55:05):
Thanks Joe, it's been awesome.
Speaker 3 (55:06):
Yes,
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