Leading With Purpose

 

From beauty to non-profit to premium jewelry, Baylee Zwart, the designer and founder of the beautiful brand Azlee, has an incredible story to tell about the relentless pursuit of passion and her successful launch of a purpose-led brand.

Creating a sustainable business by supporting local economic development, decreased carbon footprint, and an ethical supply chain has always been core to Baylee’s operations and business strategy. In this GLOW session, Baylee shared how (and why) she had a focus on sustainability from day one, the importance of leading with purpose when building a brand, and the lessons she’s learned along the way.

Whether launching a business, driving corporate social responsibilities efforts within your organization, or striving to become a more conscious shopper, this session focused on how we can all make better decisions in our personal and professional lives to help make the world a better place.

“Build donations into your margins so you never have to compromise.” - Baylee Zwart

GLOW NOTES

Make decisions based on purpose, not profit

  • Build donations into your margins so you never have to compromise

  • Make sustainability the most important KPI for your business

  • Understand your consumer and what matters to them- do they care about price? Story? Conscious consumption?

Build a narrative around sustainability, but don't lead with it

  • Consumers say they care about sustainability, but in reality, they typically make purchasing decisions based on product or price, not company story

  • Sustainability is something people feel good about post-purchase but it’s not the driving factor. Focus on post-sale education and nurturing

Marketing in the luxury category

  • PR can be the strongest channel to get the sustainability narrative out - don't only promote the what, but also the why

  • Don't be afraid to say no and taking it slow until you know you've found the right partners

  • Create a circular value chain- the right retailers, lead to the right press, which opened the door for the right celebrities

  • Diversify channel strategies to protect from the unexpected (50/50 DTC/ wholesale split helped keep Azlee afloat during the pandemic)

Watch the full recording here

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