I’ve been working for some time now on a book about growing your business, and I want to share an update now that we have some details nailed down.
It’s called Organic to the Core: Launch Your Business with 6 Principles of Organic Certification, and I’m currently working with a team of experts to find the best publisher for the book.
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It’s inspiring to see so much passion these days for dealing with climate change, and to know that the world has set some ambitious goals for solving it. What we need now are practical plans to reach those goals.
In my book, I’ll share what I’ve learned from more than two decades of working with businesses who have implemented organic certification with their customers, and seeing how they have grown as a result. I hope to explain the methods in a clear and compelling way. I’ll also propose a plan for what you need to do to build the tools that will help us. And I’ll suggest some concrete steps that companies can take to make it happen.
I’m excited about the book and eager to continue the conversation about how we can grow your business organically.
During 2020, I collaborated with a friend to finish a manuscript exploring how to run a business using the principles of organic agriculture. The resulting book, Organic to the Core: Transform Your Business with the 6 Principles of Organic, is on Amazon.com. It’s sold in New Zealand, Japan, and the United States. The New Zealand library system has copies, and my local bookstore here in Wellington, New Zealand, Unity Books, stocks it.
My motivation was clear: I wanted to help other CEOs make decisions about people and the planet by focusing on what is right, not just what is profitable. Of course, profit is essential. However, if a company’s sole purpose is to create a return on investment for its shareholders, that should be its stated mission. Don’t say your company exists “to improve patient outcomes” when, in reality, the primary objective is to enrich the CEO and their family through board control.
Why Mission Statements Matter
What undermines public trust is when companies say one thing and do another. So let’s take a closer look at whether companies’ mission statements actually align with how they treat their employees and the environment. Below are ten high-profile, NYSE-listed companies and what the past decade tells us about their real-world outcomes. Doing the right thing is never easy, but it pays in ways we can measure and that matter to customers, our communities and the environment where we live.
Apple Inc. (AAPL)
Mission Statement: “To bring the best user experience to its customers through its innovative hardware, software, and services.”
Employee Reality: High satisfaction and low turnover in technical roles. However, faced lawsuits including a $30.5M settlement and union-busting allegations.
Environmental Impact: Ahead of schedule on 2030 carbon-neutral goal. Uses 100% renewable electricity since 2018. Over 300 suppliers aligned with climate targets.
Coca-Cola Company (KO)
Mission Statement: “To refresh the world in mind, body and spirit.”
Employee Reality: Stable employer with improved DEI, but history of discrimination lawsuits.
Environmental Impact: World’s top plastic polluter multiple years. Only 61% recycling rate; just 7% emissions reduction since 2015.
Walmart Inc. (WMT)
Mission Statement: “To save people money so they can live better.”
Employee Reality: ~70% annual turnover. Increased wages and benefits, but faces anti-union criticism.
Environmental Impact: Waste diversion over 80%, but Scope 1 and 2 emissions rose in 2023, putting targets at risk.
Nike, Inc. (NKE)
Mission Statement: “To bring inspiration and innovation to every athlete in the world.”
Employee Reality: Settled gender discrimination and wage lawsuits. Satisfaction remains high; DEI improving.
Environmental Impact: On track for 2025/2030 goals. Over 70% of products use sustainable materials.
IBM (IBM)
Mission Statement: “To lead in the creation, development and manufacture of the industry’s most advanced information technologies.”
Employee Reality: Low turnover, high satisfaction. Ongoing age discrimination lawsuits.
Environmental Impact: Surpassed 2025 emissions target. 74% of electricity from renewables.
McDonald’s Corporation (MCD)
Mission Statement: “To make delicious feel-good moments easy for everyone.”
Employee Reality: Extremely high turnover; wage-theft lawsuits persist in franchise network.
Environmental Impact: On track with Scope 2 goals; slower progress on Scope 3. Packaging recyclability at 82%.
Procter & Gamble Co. (PG)
Mission Statement: “To provide branded products and services of superior quality and value that improve the lives of the world’s consumers.”
Employee Reality: High satisfaction and DEI progress. No major labor violations.
Environmental Impact: Scope 1 and 2 emissions ahead of schedule. Zero manufacturing waste to landfill achieved.
Chevron Corporation (CVX)
Mission Statement: “To develop the energy that improves lives and powers the world forward.”
Employee Reality: Average retention. Faced contractor fatalities and environmental fines.
Environmental Impact: Met intensity goals, but absolute emissions not reduced. Scope 3 excluded from net-zero pledge.
Boeing Company (BA)
Mission Statement: “To connect, protect, explore and inspire the world through aerospace innovation.”
Employee Reality: 20,000 layoffs in 2020–21. Internal reports cited pressure against safety reporting.
Environmental Impact: Cut emissions and waste. Leads in sustainable aviation fuel, but decarbonization depends on industry-wide shifts.
Meta Platforms, Inc. (META)
Mission Statement: “To give people the power to build community and bring the world closer together.”
Employee Reality: 21,000 layoffs in 2022–23. DEI gains backtracked amid program rollbacks.
Environmental Impact: Operations are carbon-neutral since 2018, with 100% renewable electricity. Supply chain emissions remain high.
Do These Companies Walk the Talk?
Some do, particularly in areas like renewable energy and waste reduction. But many fall short when it comes to their people: high turnover, discrimination lawsuits, and hollow DEI programs reveal the persistent gap between mission and measurable action.
It’s not easy to do the right thing. But if a company chooses to say it will, then the only responsible course is to measure and prove it.
It is difficult to find the metrics for companies that are listed on the NYSE. Just imagine trying to find that information for companies that aren’t required to have any listing.
Organic certification is a long-standing, third-party verification system that examines how a company makes its products. Consumers welcome this transparency and additional trust in the label claims companies make. It isn’t just about health; it is also about their peace of mind.
Board directors have a responsibility to ensure that every business is making a profit. My premise is that only by following their principles and delivering on their mission in a verifiable way will companies be around and loved.
Because in business, like in organic systems, integrity isn’t just a principle. It’s a practice.
If this article resonates with you, please share it, leave a comment, or explore more of my work at donaldnordeng.com. You can also buy my book Organic to the Core to learn more about applying organic principles to business leadership. Let’s keep the conversation going on what truly ethical business leadership looks like.
Here’s a harsh reality most people don’t understand.
It is hard for humans to get their head around the fact that the Earth is a finite place. We can’t see the edge of the sky when we go for a walk. The ocean looks like it goes on forever as we collect seashells on the seashore. Walking in a forest we are in awe of the size of the trees and the seeming endlessness of them.
The world seems endless to us. Each of us. But there are a lot more of us today in 2022 than there were in 1972 or even 1992. And that infinite space we each believe exists is becoming more and more finite as we add more beings to the world. Especially more human beings.
In 1950 it was possible for every American to have a house in the suburbs and a car. The harsh reality is that isn’t possible any longer. The size of the houses, the number of cars and the amount of food Americans eat needs to change.
The cost of living has increased dramatically over the last year for Americans. This is the harsh reality of the rest of the world that Americans have been shielded from for a generation. Living like the world is infinite has its limits.
In fact natural resources are quite like financial resources. The difference is that humans share natural resources with all the other beings on this earth. The harsh reality is, we need to share these resources. Humans don’t want to do that. Each of us don’t want to do that.
Natural resources aren’t something that humans can create. That by definition is impossible. Nature creates natural resources. Humans can only steward them. And we aren’t doing that.
Dave Ramsey became famous for telling people to cut up their credit cards. His statement, “Live like no one else now so you can live like no one else later.” has created a lifestyle revolution. Live below your means now, invest the difference, so that you can live well off the income from your assets later. We can get behind our own money. When it comes to Natural resources, humans are doing the opposite. And we don’t care.
Aldo Leopold is the author of “A Sand County Almanac”. If you haven’t read it, please do.
He writes, “We abuse land because we regard it as a commodity belonging to us. When we see land as a community to which we belong, we may begin to use it with love and respect.” – Aldo Leopold
“Ka chunk, Ka chunk,” I said, and my daughter thought that was the funniest sound ever.
Daughters are great and they help you stay connected with what is important. In this case looking at all the things I do each day.
We were talking about getting things done, no not David Allen’s book, but how we do hundreds of things each day without even noticing.
I was pointing out the micro actions that we don’t even count as actions. Waking up is actually a long series of steps, opening my eyes, sitting up, putting my feet on the ground. Standing up. Each one of those steps, you guessed it, ka chunck, ka chunck. Like robots we wobble through our day. Our programming making us unconscious. All the marvelous things that are happening in our day we motor through unaware.
You eat your lunch. Lunch on your schedule, but that one item is a cacophony of activity. Getting yourself lunch could be dozens of steps. Starting with standing up to walk to the refrigerator. Do you want lunch? Did you ask yourself? You aren’t hungry, but it is 12:00. We eat and wonder why we put on weight.
The triggers that lead you astray. That niggle of doubt that your book is horrible. That evidence-based thought that you aren’t that famous holding you back from doing the thing you want to do.
Justin Bariso published an article in Inc. magazine talking about the blue dolphin rule. The rule says, each time you have a thought that leads you to think of a polar bear, stop. You instead use that micro trigger to think of a blue dolphin.
What’s a polar bear? A polar bear is something you can’t avoid thinking of. Your polar bear might be a fear of public speaking. And each time you think of the upcoming presentation. The one you are going to make to your colleagues about that new toothpaste commercial. When you think of it, you start to go into panic mode. “Oh my, how am I going to get through this? No one will like my idea. Should I ask Chad do the presentation?” As soon as you notice the micro trigger that pushes you into Polar bear territory, say, “I’m so excited.” Then have a backup thought that you think of each time you start to think of fearful things.
For example, if shopping for groceries excites you, and who isn’t excited about shopping for groceries, use your shopping list as a distraction. “I’m so excited! I need, cereal, milk, apples, kiwifruit, grapes, and cheese. What else do I need?” And there you are, crisis averted. The idea is to form a new habit so when you feel fear you can avoid it. Rather than feeding that fear by brooding on it, you divert onto a different thought off ramp.
“All roads lead to Rome,” you say? Meaning of course, “this won’t work for me. I will end up back thinking of my presentation when I get to toothpaste on my list.” This is where it gets interesting. Instead of thinking of your normal brand of toothpaste on your list. Or thinking of the brand you will be making a presentation about. Think of a new brand, one that you never use. Even an imaginary one. Fanta toothpaste. Orange Fanta Flavored. Imagine something so extraordinary it takes you down a side street you never saw before.
Use these micro steps and visualization techniques to change physical habits too. Let’s say, like zillions of people around the world, you want to include more exercise in your life. You decide you want to exercise in the morning. You are going to wake up 10 minutes earlier to have extra time to exercise. You set your alarm 10 minutes earlier, and you go to bed 15 minutes earlier.
You can use this same micro step brake if you map out what you do in each process. You can see yourself doing new habits. Take getting out of bed and exercising in the morning. If you usually try things like telling yourself, “I’m going to get up tomorrow and exercise first thing.” that isn’t enough information for you to succeed.
Instead, try telling yourself a story, “Tomorrow, when I wake up, I will put my feet on the ground feeling refreshed. I will stand up, go to the sink, and pour myself a small glass of water and drink it up. I will then put the glass down and walk to the toilet. I will go to the toilet like every day. I’ll brush my teeth like always. This time I will find my exercise clothes there. I will change into my exercise clothes. Then I will walk back into the living room and lay down and do 5 push ups and 5 sit ups.” Don’t do too much at first.
You get the idea. Mapping out the micro steps, as detailed as you can get will help you. You can take the B.J. Fogg Tiny Habit building techniques where you take an existing habit and you use that as a trigger to remind you to do the new habit. Combine Tiny Habit with my technique of looking at your actions on a micro level. Brushing your teeth is a multistep process. You need to get yourself from bed to the sink to putting your toothpaste on your brush and you can see how this works.
What do you think about when you brush your teeth? Do you think about what kinds of exercise you are going to do? Do you think about what you are going to make for breakfast? Instead, use that time to concentrate on brushing your teeth. Focus on how you are brushing. Notice the taste of that Fanta flavor. Imagine how mesmerized your dentist is going to be by the whiteness at your next visit. You see her face when you open your mouth, and she smells the delicious Fanta orange flavor.
Not only have you changed your toothpaste, but you also started exercising. You created a new habit by visualizing it in micro steps. Ka chunck, ka chunck. You learned how to avoid negative thinking. You found your blue dolphin. You are amazing.
If Fanta toothpaste isn’t your thing, try “Organic to the Core: Transform Your Business with the Six Principles of Organic.” It’s a book about how businesses can build trust organically. We all know about organic food. The Organic Sector is growing at an annual rate of between 5% and 10% year on year for the last 20+ years. I explain how your brand can transform itself using the principles of organic. You can read it for free on Kindle Unlimited.
At long last Organic To The Core: Transform Your Business With The Six Principles Of Organic is online and on sale at Amazon.com. Please do buy a copy! The book is $9.99 as an ebook or paperback. You can also read the ebook on Kindle Unlimited for free. I wanted to give a special shout out to all the people who helped me with the various aspects of publishing a book.
Kevin Cook who has been my biggest supporter. We worked through the process of writing, editing and publishing. Kevin and I met over a hundred hours over the course of writing this book. He kept me going and supported me throughout the process.
Dr. Sarah E. Brown who as my book coach at Get Published Now, helped me to get my book proposal completed, helped me with the structure of the book, and helped me make the book more “mediagenic”.
The designing team making sure the cover and the inside text were complete and ready to be read by thousands. Opeyemi Ikuborije Olorunfemi did a great job on the text layout and Ashish Joshi was my design choice for the book cover.
My advertising and PR team, Muhammad Saad and Steve Stanley who have helped me build my advertising on Amazon and sent out Press Releases announcing the book.
Denis Hayes and Victoria Wieck took the time to respond and give me enthusiastic endorsements for my book.
“If you want to align your company, your brand, and your products with an authentic organic future—while optimizing growth and revenue—Organic to the Core is the pragmatic, detailed guide you’ve been looking for.” Denis Hayes Solar energy evangelist. Environmental pioneer. President of Developer of @BullittCenter Chair of @EarthDayNetwork denishayes.com
“Organic to the Core is a practical guide to building brand loyalty and increasing profits without the need for expensive advertising. Donald shows you the quickest ways to gain trust and respect from your customers quickly. The simple tips he shares are timeless and will save you the most precious resources for entrepreneurs – time and money.” Victoria Wieck Internationally renowned jewelry designer, TV Shopping celeb (on HSN 19 years and on ShopHQ), podcast host (Million Dollar Hobbies), keynote speaker, author
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