In episode 150, Kestrel welcomes Lisa Gralnek, a Brand & Strategy Executive, to the show. The Founder + Principal of LVG & Co, Lisa has worked with brands including Chobani, moo.com, adidas, IKEA, Walmart and more over the past decade. “Authenticity really ties back to why you wake up in the morning - you know, what are your values, what’s your mission in life or your raison d'être as the French would say.” -Lisa Gralnek, Brand & Strategy Executive In this week’s show, Lisa shares more on her journey and what led her to have such a distinct interest in brand strategy and sustainability. She shares more on the idea of authenticity and its elevated importance amidst a time of disruption. Kestrel + Lisa explore some of today’s current buzzwords, and whether or not those are driven by brands, shoppers or both, and how potentially important they are in influencing our behavior. The below thoughts, ideas + organizations were brought up in this chat: Cleo Wade + Rupi Kaur, poets that connect on a deep level through Instagram. “It’s grow or die — especially if you’re a publicly traded company.” “If we’re talking about heart and soul, happiness and success and personal, I think profits with purpose is what I’d call it for business. You know - it’s not just about earnings or about creating shareholder value (as we’re taught to do in business school), but it’s really about doing right, and that means doing right by your people, doing right by the world’s people, doing right by the planet.” “How do we redefine success in business to really take care of our planet and our people, and not just our profits?”