TFB 020: How to be ethical and successful – in coconuts!
With Al Shariat, Founder of The Coconut Merchant. On today’s show I’ve got a total nutter, well a coconutter to be precise. Al Shariat is the boss of the Coconut Merchant and these guys are the gurus of the mighty coconut. If it’s made of coconut and you can eat it they are more than likely to sell it. From oils, milks and butters to jam, honey and flour – these guys are the kings of the coconut. Before life as The Coconut Merchant Al was a lawyer and then worked for the UN helping people in the developing world to start their own business. As you’ll hear in this interview Al has worked hard to define what sets his food business apart from his competitors – and believe it or not that’s not just because they are obsessed with coconuts – it’s all about the love. Yep Al has identified that knowing ‘why’ he is doing what he is as important as what he is doing. I had a lot of fun with this interview and you’re going to learn so much from Al about getting a food business off the ground and the critical importance of knowing your core values and how you weave those throughout your story. Al’s particular challenge has been how to blend his message of quality with that of being an ethical business that treats the farmers it works with well. But how do you get that fairness message across without sounding like charity? Al says it’s all about the LOVE!