Lifestyle

Making a Real Difference: How Your Business Can Create a Greater Impact on Society

Published

2 years ago

July 5, 2022

– Choosing compostable paper bags over plastic packaging in your store.
– Offering fresh leftovers to the less-privileged living close to your eatery.
– Free haircuts every weekend for neighborhood kids whose parents can’t afford salon fees.
– Scaling your brand by cutting down on some less critical divisions in favor of affordability.
– Hiring well-vetted ex-convicts in your establishment.

The list goes on and on.

Beyond a pure profit-driven era and in an ideal world, the social impact of a business is just as critical to its overall success as the economic impact. Your business should be held to the moral responsibility of contributing to positive efforts, on any scale, against social injustice and other challenges faced by its host community. Contrary to the general misconception, social impact isn’t just about philanthropy.

“Social impact is tangibly improving the health and wellbeing of other people in society,” says Durell Coleman, an American entrepreneur, social impact consultant, multi-niched engineer, and Stanford lecturer. “The challenge in the definition is that a lot of things can appear to mimic this impact. However, the parameters for measurements are questions such as – who are the people who have some of the biggest health and wellbeing challenges? Are we making things easier for them? Are we creating things that are improving outcomes for them? As a social impact strategist, I think of who’s not being designed for and who’s not being served. Who’s left out of the systems that we currently have? This is how improvements are effected.”

Coleman is the founder and CEO of DC Design, a leading Black-owned social impact consulting firm and strategy development brand headquartered in San Francisco. With many years of experience working with nonprofits, foundations, and governments, Coleman has developed countless long-lasting community-centered strategies for directly impacting lives where it actually matters. He shares some thoughts on how social impact can be incorporated into everyday businesses on any feasible scale.

Social impact as part of your core business plan

One year. Five years. Twenty years.

It doesn’t exactly matter how long your business has existed. At any point in your growth trajectory, quality change can be envisioned. Cost-effective or non-cost strategies can be developed to scale your business up to an establishment making positive and genuinely helpful impacts on society. You’d have to identify what area of community or society you’d like to touch directly. For example, do you want to include more affordable options in your product list to tend to lower-income families, or would you like to include a free delivery option to nearby neighborhoods?

“Start with the people you want to serve,” Coleman says. “Not simply thinking about what’s needed to create change, but talking to them directly about what their experiences have been like in confronting the problem you hope to solve. If you want to affect homelessness, talk to the homeless. If you want to affect Black wealth inequality, talk to low-income Black people. If your work is about reducing mass incarceration, talk to those who are or have been incarcerated. They understand where the system failed them, where they could have chosen differently, and what your priorities should be.”

A combination of these insights is then applied to come up with solid approaches and viable strategies for creating directly visible impact. The result is the elevation of these social challenges as these ideas are solidified into long-term sustainable solutions.

Inclusivity against all forms of inequality

Escapism and denial about the social injustices thriving in the world, especially in the United States, would only hurt society in the long run.

“Inequality affects people across every demographic, spanning through parameters such as race where Black and brown people are undeniably affected by ongoing social injustice,” says Coleman, who runs Design the Future, a flagship program teaching high school kids to design products and apps for people with disabilities. “Other factors are gender, where women still battle career biases and representation; income levels, where lower income earners are often confined to lower quality schools, healthcare, and services; rap sheets as ex-convicts re-enter society with little hope for survival; and post-employment care, where war veterans are left to fend for themselves with inadequate assistance from the government.”

A business or brand seeking to make a real social impact must embrace the obligations of equality of inclusion in its range of services.

Tech firms can hire just as many males as females, cosmetics brands can include more dark skin tones in their product array to serve people of every color, fashion brands can supply plus-sized clothing at the same prices as other sizes, clinics can offer free therapy to war veterans, real estate agents can offer lower service percentages to the less-privileged, and more businesses can give formerly incarcerated people a chance.

Be kind to your labor force

A business can make all the social impact in the world but it would all be for nothing if the employees or hired labor, the actual driving force of the enterprise, are unhappy and uncared for. Social impact starts from the immediate environment and broadens out toward larger society.

In conclusion, Coleman describes his personal approach to employee wellness.

“Henry Ford had it right. He paid his people enough so that they could hopefully buy the cars that they were producing, and it all worked out,” he says. “I run a for-profit social impact business. I have to be efficient and I have to make enough money to support my people, my employees. I try to bring in the best employees possible. I try to give them health care. I want to make sure that they have everything that they need to thrive in their own lives.”

Lifestyle

Jean-Pierre Morreale: The Perfumer Behind Bespoke Creations for Royals and Celebrities

Published

3 days ago

October 19, 2024

Michelle Langton

In the exclusive world of haute perfumery, where luxury and discretion go hand in hand, Jean- Pierre Morreale stands as a figure shrouded in mystery. As the genius behind Morreale Paris, Morreale has earned a reputation not only for his exquisite fragrances but for his secretive nature, which has only enhanced his allure among the world’s elite. While his work speaks for itself—crafting fragrances that embody elegance and opulence—it is his connections with royalty and global celebrities that have cemented his place as a master of bespoke scent creation.

A Life of Mystery and Exclusivity

Jean-Pierre Morreale’s name is synonymous with luxury, but little is known about the man himself. Despite being at the helm of one of the world’s most prestigious fragrance houses, he remains elusive, allowing his work to take center stage. Morreale’s life and career are defined by discretion—a quality that is highly valued among his clientele, which includes some of the most powerful and influential figures in the world.

Morreale’s secretive nature is not a marketing ploy but a way of life. He rarely gives interviews, avoids the spotlight, and prefers to let his fragrances do the talking. This air of mystery has only fueled the fascination surrounding him, with rumors of private meetings with kings, queens, and Hollywood’s biggest stars swirling around his brand. Those who know him describe a man deeply committed to his craft, who values privacy above all else.

The Perfumer to European Royalty

Jean-Pierre Morreale’s aristocratic heritage has always played a significant role in his career, and it is this connection to European nobility that has given him access to some of the world’s most exclusive circles. Morreale is a trusted confidant of royal families across Europe, with a clientele that includes members of the Italian, French, and Middle Eastern royalty. These relationships, forged over years of mutual respect and admiration, are built on trust and discretion—qualities that Morreale embodies in his work.

For many royals, fragrance is a deeply personal part of their identity, and they turn to Morreale for bespoke creations that reflect their status, personality, and history. His private consultations with these figures are shrouded in secrecy, with few details ever reaching the public. What is known, however, is that Morreale’s bespoke fragrances are as unique as the individuals who wear them, crafted from the rarest and finest ingredients in the world. His creations often become the signature scents of the royals he serves, worn only by them, ensuring that they remain one-of-a-kind masterpieces.

The Go-To Perfumer for Celebrities

In addition to his royal clientele, Jean-Pierre Morreale is also a favorite among the world’s biggest celebrities. From Hollywood A-listers to music legends, many of the entertainment industry’s most famous names seek out Morreale’s expertise when it comes to creating a bespoke fragrance. These celebrities, like his royal clients, value his discretion and trust him to create scents that capture their essence without the intrusion of the public eye.

Morreale’s clients often reach out to him privately, whether it be for a custom fragrance to mark a major career milestone, a personal scent for a red carpet event, or even a gift for a loved one. His ability to understand the emotional and psychological aspects of scent creation makes him the ideal perfumer for those who wish to wear something truly unique. For many, the process of working with Morreale is a highly personal experience—one that often involves intimate conversations about memories, emotions, and desires.

The Art of Bespoke Perfume Creation

Jean-Pierre Morreale’s approach to bespoke fragrance creation is a blend of art, science, and intuition. His process is meticulous and deeply personalized, starting with a private consultation, often conducted behind closed doors in the most luxurious of settings—whether in royal palaces, private estates, or in his secretive Parisian atelier. Morreale takes the time to get to know his clients, understanding their personal history, emotional connections, and even the cultural significance of certain scents.

Every fragrance he creates is a unique reflection of the individual, composed of rare and often exotic ingredients that he sources from around the world. For Morreale, no detail is too small, and his creations are known for their complexity and depth, with each note telling part of a larger, personalized story. These scents are not just perfumes but works of art, often packaged in custom-designed, handcrafted bottles, making them as visually stunning as they are olfactorily captivating.

Once the fragrance is complete, it is delivered to the client in the utmost secrecy. This level of exclusivity is part of the allure of a Jean-Pierre Morreale creation; owning a bespoke fragrance from Morreale Paris is akin to possessing a rare piece of art, one that can never be replicated.

A Legacy of Discretion and Luxury

Jean-Pierre Morreale’s dedication to privacy has only enhanced his status as one of the most sought-after perfumers in the world. While other fragrance houses may seek publicity, Morreale has built his brand on a foundation of discretion, catering to those who value their privacy as much as their luxury. His relationships with his clients—whether royals or celebrities—are built on trust, and it is this trust that has allowed him to continue creating bespoke fragrances for the most influential people on the planet.

Despite his global success, Morreale remains as discreet as ever, allowing his work to speak for itself. His clients, from European kings and queens to Hollywood stars, know that when they commission a fragrance from Jean-Pierre Morreale, they are not only receiving a world-class creation but also the assurance that their privacy will be respected.

Jean-Pierre Morreale’s combination of artistry, exclusivity, and discretion has made him the master perfumer of choice for royalty and celebrities alike. His secretive nature, far from being a hindrance, has only added to his mystique and elevated his brand to legendary status. In a world where privacy is often a luxury, Morreale’s ability to create bespoke fragrances in complete secrecy has earned him the loyalty of some of the most powerful and famous people in the world. For those fortunate enough to work with him, a fragrance by Jean-Pierre Morreale is not just a scent—it is a timeless, personal masterpiece, created by a man who values the art of discretion as much as the art of perfumery.