What happens when you strip away the assumption that success is measured solely by profit?

In this deeply authentic conversation,  Andy Lopata is joined by Paul Hargreaves to explore how commercial businesses can thrive by putting people and the planet at the centre of their operations.

Paul opens up about his non-traditional path to business—from spending over a decade doing inner-city charity work in Deptford, South London, to starting Cotswold Fayre from the back of his car. He shares the painful reality of a massive warehouse management system failure in 2014 that nearly collapsed the business, explaining why the resulting team restructuring was a vital “pruning process” that paved the way for B Corp certification. Andy and Paul discuss the practicalities of leading with values, why Cotswold Fayre uses “heart and soul” questions to recruit for character over skills, the underutilised power of intuition in decision-making, and how Paul addresses executive loneliness. Finally, Paul defines “The Fourth Bottom Line,” explaining why global change must start with the personal, internal transformation of the leader.

1. Why might a catastrophic IT failure be the best thing that ever happens to your company culture? Discover how a business crisis can act as a natural filter, stripping away toxic patterns and misaligned team members.

2. What are “heart and soul” questions, and how can they revolutionise your hiring process? Explore how to move past CV skills and interview candidates purely for character, deep motivation, and cultural fit.

3. Is your workplace community crossing the line from supportive to destructive? Learn the subtle difference between healthy team friendships and negative, external Relationships that can actively drag an organisation down.

4. What is “The Fourth Bottom Line”? Find out why trying to solve massive global problems like climate change will fail unless leaders undergo a profound personal and internal transformation first.

Download the full episode to discover how to align your personal Growth with your business success!

SELECTED LINKS FROM THE EPISODE

Connect with Andy Lopata: Website | Instagram | LinkedIn | X/Twitter | YouTube

Connect with Paul Hargreaves: Website |LinkedIn | YouTube

Paul Hargreaves’ Books: Forces for Good and The Fourth Bottom Line

Paul’s Podcast: 4th Bottom Line

People Mentioned: Giles Hutchins (Sussex Woods), Ben Brabin (Walking platform), Luke Ambler (Andy’s Man Club).

The Financial Times Guide to Mentoring

What we discussed in this episode:

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Andy Lopata Author, Podcast Host and Speaker on Professional Relationships Strategy

Andy Lopata is a specialist speaker on professional relationships, mentoring, networking, and social media strategy. He is a firm believer that professional relationships underpin our success in business, our roles, and our careers. The right relationships with the right people can lead to new business opportunities, investment, collaborative working, innovation, and career progress. We just need to be comfortable approaching those relationships strategically, without making people feel ‘networked’ by us.

Andy has worked in the field of networking and professional relationships for 25 years, working with global giants such as Paypal, GSK, AstraZeneca, Wella, HSBC, Wembley Stadium, the BBC, and the Prime Minister’s Office of the UAE, among many others during that time. He has also worked with leading universities including NYU, Duke University, and Oxford University’s Said Business School.

A regular blogger for Psychology Today, Andy has been quoted in The Sunday Times, The Financial Times, and The Guardian, as well as many other national and regional newspapers and magazines worldwide. He has written or co-authored six books on networking and professional relationships, with his sixth book, "The Financial Times Guide to Mentoring," being published in Spring 2024. He is also the host of The Connected Leadership Podcast and has interviewed globally recognized names in business, academia, sports, and entertainment for the show.

Andy has been inducted into the PSAE Hall of Fame – the Professional Speaking Association Award of Excellence, which was held by only 21 other speakers at the time it was presented. He is a Fellow and a former President of the Fellows’ Community of the Professional Speaking Association (PSA), a Fellow of the Learning and Performance Institute (LPI), and a Member of the Association of Business Mentors and the Meetings Industry Association.