Purpose Meets Profit w/ Simon Griffiths, Co-Founder and CEO, Who Gives A Crap [S3.E4]
Simon Griffiths is the Co-Founder and CEO of Who Gives a Crap. People listening might not, until now, appreciate both the scale of the business and also the deep community impact it has had in the developing world, where Who Gives a Crap donates half of its profits to charity each year. From the humble idea that they could sell toilet paper online and deliver a great customer experience, all the while being at the forefront on consumer driven philanthropy, this is a Australian success story we should all be wonderfully proud of. This crowd funded, bootstrapped business has donated almost $9m to organisations focused on sanitisation and hygiene in the developing world, and it is this mission and purpose that shines right through out this conversation as well as every single decision that Simon and his team make. These are the stories that need to be told, these are stories that inspire me personally the most, and a story I hope I do justice. Beyond the social impact headlines, Simon and his team really have built a wonderful business - best in class direct-to-consumer metrics, cash flow positive on every new customer from their very first order. To be able to donate half your profit, you need to be profitable, and at its core, this is a story about the successful scaling of a global online business. WGAC is a largely unknown national treasure we should all be proud of. Show notes and links WGAC's original crowd funding video https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/who-gives-a-crap-toilet-paper-that-builds-toilets#/ Simon giving the team a week off and why - https://blog.whogivesacrap.org/home/goodnews/wellness-week-update (38.08)