Ep 29 Simon Griffiths, Co-founder & CEO at Who Gives A Crap, on building an impactful brand that people love

Simon Griffiths is CEO and co-founder of Who Gives A Crap, the iconic Aussie B Corp that sells good looking, forest friendly toilet paper, paper towels and tissues direct-to-consumer. 

Who Gives A Crap donates 50 per cent of their profits to help build toilets for those in need. As much as Simon loves toilet paper, he helped start the business for its impact, with the company on a mission to improve access to hygiene, clean water and basic sanitation in developing countries. Since founding the company back in 2013, Who Gives A Crap has donated more than $10 million.

If there was ever a brand that is living proof that authentic human qualities can inspire L-O-V-E, Who Gives A Crap is that brand. If it's possible to achieve what this business has done with toilet paper - from both perspectives of impact and commercial success - can you imagine the untapped possibilities for other purpose-led businesses and brands?

There is so much depth to this brand and we cover a lot of ground in this wide-ranging interview. There's great value in this episode for anyone wanting to navigate their business and brand successfully on a purposeful path, as Simon generously shares the insights that Who Gives A Crap has gained through their business.

Here are some of the themes we get into in our conversation:

• Simon shares the devastating statistics of poor sanitation and the a-ha moment that propelled the formation of Who Gives A Crap 
• He explains the wider benefits of investment that reach beyond the direct value of sanitation 
• We discuss Who Gives A Crap’s distinctive and iconic brand personality and the thinking behind it
• Simon tells us about about the Christmas holiday edition of Who Gives A Crap 
• He talks about the brand’s huge mission – to ensure everyone has access to clean water and a toilet within our lifetime. He explains where they are now and what they are doing to realise their mission. 
• He introduces us to the wider product range including Good Time personal care products
• We talk about the people at Who Gives A Crap– 
  • The challenges of balancing caring about impact and working within the pressures of a startup
  • The organisation’s five values and what they mean to their people
  • The implications that being purposeful has on managing your people and their expectations
  • The role of storytelling within the organisation
• Simon shares how they work with their impact partners including the ‘investment portfolio’ style of approach they take with them
• International expansion and the impact that has had on their marketing strategy and team management
• Retail strategy including their national presence in Aldi in Australia 
• The inextricable relationship between balancing profit and purpose and the innovation it inspires; and why they chose to donate 50 per cent of their profits
• On inspiring other people to create social purpose-led business models like theirs 
• His advice to existing businesses on the shift of consumer sentiment and what it means for business in the near future

 

Contacts:

Who Gives A Crap website https://au.whogivesacrap.org/

Good Time website https://au.whogivesacrap.org/pages/goodtime

Simon Griffiths Linkedin https://www.linkedin.com/in/simongriffiths-founder/