Keynote SpeakersPaul Hargreaves is a leading voice that encourages and inspires businesses to be forces for good, putting people and the planet before profits.
He does that primarily through the compassionate leadership of his two award-winning businesses: Cotswold Fayre, a food wholesaler and one of the first B Corps in the UK, and Flourish, a retail and restaurant business with two sites in the South West.
Paul inspires other business leaders with practical stories and lessons still being learned.
One reason people book Paul is that he is still running successful businesses and speaking to inspire others.
Business Leader
Twenty-five years ago, Paul Hargreaves founded Cotswold Fayre, a speciality food wholesaler, from his house in inner-city London. At the same time, he was engaged in charitable work within the local community.
The company grew rapidly to become the leading speciality food and drink wholesaler to retail in the UK and now supplies over 2,000 retail sites.
In June 2021, he opened Flourish, a 9,000 sq. ft. food hall, restaurant and Home & Lifestyle store with a brand-new team, which has helped the whole company live out its values to the world.
As one of the UK’s founding B Corps, the multi-award-winning company’s tremendous success has been due to its creation of a great place to work and one that focuses on improving the world through its environmental and social sustainability programmes.
Author
Paul has also published two books. The first, Forces for Good, was published in 2019. It describes the journey of his company and others into becoming businesses for good.
Paul’s second book, The Fourth Bottom Line, was published in 2021 and discusses the essential characteristics of compassionate leadership.
Keynote Speaker
Creating a business that is good for people, the planet, and profits is too much good news for Paul to keep to himself. So, since 2018, he has spoken to thousands of business leaders across the UK and Europe, inspiring them to put more heart and soul into their businesses.
He speaks about bringing compassion and love into business, which creates not only better business but also better people, a better world, and better profits.
Why Book Paul?
Unlike other speakers who ‘used to do it’ or have only ever ‘spoken about it’, Paul has more to offer as he is still highly engaged in changing and growing his businesses for the better.
He is very much a practician with personal stories from his businesses to illustrate every point. Stories are how people change; they are what people remember after the event and give rise to changed actions.
He speaks to the heart and the mind, tending to evoke emotions when he speaks and being often emotional himself. Often, the audience has damp eyes at the end of a talk and is inspired to change.
True change happens when the mind and heart are engaged, and he is thankful to be able to do both.
Paul Hargreaves Speaking Topics:
It’s not all about the money! – Putting People and Planet before Profit.
In this keynote, Paul will tell you a series of stories – stories from his own business and others across the UK. They will demonstrate to you how prioritising positive social and environmental impact can deliver faster growth and higher profitability compared to those that focus purely on profit.
Business Heart Surgery – Leading with Compassion and Love
In other words, “Put down the spreadsheets and give me a hug.” Paul will show how today’s successful leaders are learning to lead with love, compassion and sometimes tears.
Your people will hear how vulnerability in leadership creates more empowered people and better organisations and companies. Your delegates will go away inspired and energised to lead with compassion.
From Scarcity to Abundance – Changing Business Mindset
For too long, businesses have treated people and the planet as resources to be extracted to fuel growth, but there is a better way. Paul will inspire your people and those at your events to act with extraordinary generosity and focus on being extravagantly generous to their workers, communities, and the environment. He will help those attending change their mindset to one of abundance from scarcity.
The Future of Leadership is Feminine
For far too long, masculine qualities have been seen as better for leadership roles. And look where that has taken us! We live on a planet that is degrading and has more social inequality than at any other time in history. Through his own journey from overly masculine leadership to a more balanced one that embraces femininity, Paul will show you how to lead with more femininity—and that applies to all genders.
Connections – The Key to Success & Happiness
Despite being digitally connected more than ever, we live in an increasingly disconnected world. As a community mammal, we are ‘designed’ to connect to each other, nature, and ourselves. Paul will show you how to work on these three connections and help them improve their mental health, their fulfilment, happiness, and their success.
Paul Hargreaves Half-Day Leadership Workshops
Compassionate Leadership – Beyond B Corp
Starting with how business has had a negative impact on our world over the past 200 years, Paul will tell your group through stories how his discovery of B Corp has transformed his businesses to greater success, award-winning impact, and greater personal happiness.
The five breakout sessions during the workshop will help your group consider what changes they can implement in their own businesses and leadership. Paul often receives feedback after these workshops about the changes the leaders have made to their organisations.
Putting the Heart & Soul into Business
Most of our business activities have been mind-centred. There is nothing wrong with that, but Paul has discovered that if we engage our people’s hearts and souls, not only will we have happier people but better businesses and a more significant legacy.
Your group will receive practical tips on how to do this within a business context and will leave with ideas to implement when back in their organisations and companies.
