B Local PDX Board Member Spotlight: Minna Yoo, CEO of Love Bottle
How did you know that you (and Love Bottle) wanted to be a B Corp from early on? Was it hard to get B Corp certified?
As soon as I learned about B Corps, I knew that was my community. Love Bottle was already doing all the things that B Corp was all about, so it made so much sense to become certified. The process was involved, but not hard since we were already doing so many of the things they were looking for. But the process made me look even deeper into what we could do as a company to do good by our planet, our team, our customers, and our community.
What makes the BLD event so great and why? You are speaking at BLD event next month - can you give us a sneak peek into what you'll talk about?
I LOVE BLD! I have been every year since we became certified and it always leaves me feeling connected and inspired. BLD lets you connect with the other B Corps in our community and brings you closer to what our combined mission is. At this upcoming BLD I will be speaking about Mindful Hydration and leading us through a group exercise in how we can connect to water on a deeper level with every sip that we take.
You are personally participating in this new CEO cohort program - what did you think of it and would you recommend it to other B Corp CEOs?
I have been blown away by the new CEO cohort program. I have been part of many larger CEO networks, but never something with a smaller tight knit group like this. The trust and vulnerability our group was able to establish really quickly was surprising. There are things that business owners have to deal with that can make you feel very isolated and having a group to share those things with has been really valuable. I am learning a lot from my fellow CEOs too. I think all CEOs can benefit from having a safe place to share the things that most people don’t understand about owning or running a business.
What’s the one main reason why Love Bottle is a B Corp and why you + your team keep engaging in the B Corp community?
The main reason Love Bottle is a B Corp is that we believe business doesn’t have to just be driven by money. We are driven by a desire to make an impact and to help people and our planet. It is swimming against mainstream thinking, so having a community, the B Corp community, who all believe in the same goal is so powerful. It keeps you motivated, engaged, and pushes you to see what more you can do when you work together.