#conscious commerce

Conscious Commerce is a premier digital marketing agency located in Canada, dedicated to propelling businesses forward with innovative, growth-oriented strategies. Their expertise lies in crafting impactful digital marketing campaigns tailored to meet your specific goals.

Join our Online Learning Session on Tuesday, October 17 from 1:00-2:00 PM PDT to experience the highlights of our Conscious Commerce Conference! You will boost your socially intelligent leadership skills with our VAST enlightened business strategy toolkit and learn three unique techniques to apply in your personal and professional world. Explore this uplifting leadership opportunity with Michelle Sherman, VAST Founder and Catherine Corley, CEO of 4C Discernment to launch your Conscious Commerce initiative today!

We at the VAST Institute are thrilled to announce the success of our inaugural conference focusing on Conscious Commerce and Enlightened Business Strategies. We want to thank each person who participated, our brilliant contributors as well as all those who have supported our mission along the way.

This conference featured thought leaders who skillfully guided us through a day of self-discovery and enlightened leadership approaches. The conference provided a blueprint for embracing the core tenets of Conscious Commerce as a proven strategy for developing mutual benefit with all stakeholders.

Conference Keynotes:

·         Legendary Talent Wisdom to Attract, Retain and Develop a Top Tier Team

·         Igniting Grass Roots Change within Your Organization

·         How to Polish and Leverage a Stellar Reputation

A special Thank You to: Catherine Corley; Principal of 4C Discernment, Don Graf; Legendary Talent Development Expert, Michelle Sherman; VAST Institute Creative Director, Mike Ament, our technical wizard, Kelly Lovan, our logistical ace and, especially the conference guests with who enthusiastically produced a personal platform to leverage the benefits of Conscious Commerce.

For those who were unable to attend the conference, we will be offering the three keynote sessions in our online learning portfolio later this year at our marketplace www.vastinstitute.com.

These days we crave the example of a Stellar Reputation.

We still have heroes of all shapes and sizes… like our brave defenders of freedom, genius inventors, and the first responders or loved ones who care, stay and help us through the toughest moments in life.  But how do you become the champion of your own story? One option is to intentionally develop and leverage your Stellar Reputation.

To do this effectively you must first know what you stand for. One short-cut to jumpstart a Stellar Rep is:  Do your best at all times in a fair and honorable manner, especially when no one is looking! This will irritate your most staunch detractors and build your fan-club. Then, on the rare occasion that your pure motives are challenged by an insecure or mean-spirited intimidator, it is by how you chose to handle the prior ten thousand days that your honor be vindicated as your Stellar Reputation prevails. 

People want to know who you are and what they can count on. If you learn to share that authentically they come to trust you and effectively support your personal and professional agenda. This consistent display of your most noble qualities inspires confidence in your leadership, management and life skills.

We are excited to introducing Catherine, VAST Advisor and principal of 4C Consulting as she shares with us her experience on being an effective Agent of Change.

Have you ever wanted to make a difference, generate a lasting change or adopt a new personal habit? Catherine has learned that creating and fostering a great company requires careful thought and consideration about several factors beyond having a great product or service.  Two factors to consider:

1.       You must pay close attention to social intelligence factors such as attracting people with similar values who are aligned to your long-term vision

2.       Expectations: transparency in expectations between you and others based on their values, your relationship or a concrete agreement, fosters the trust and confidence needed to grow.

These factors, combined with creating and adopting a Code of Conduct enable opportunities for increased efficiency, personal gratification and enhanced outcomes in both your personal and professional life.  

In reviewing the business publications articles that cross my desk, talking to others about their business challenges, and from scanning social media, I conclude that today, advocating for the personal development of employees is an essential part of attracting, retaining, and growing (both qualitatively and quantitatively) the workforce.  No longer do we question why we should embrace providing personal development employees. It is demanded by the workforce.   Studies by Entrepreneur magazine (2016), Forbes (2017) and Oracle (2017), among others, reveal that Millennials are looking for employment opportunities to meaningfully contribute, the ability to apply their best skills and be respected and recognized for their value to the company. These factors are also present in previous studies of generations at work, as a quick search on Google will demonstrate.  

Throughout my career, I have been motivated to nourish both the professional and personal development of those around me. Be they clients, colleagues or employees, I experience significant pride in the new-found zest for life usually translates into a new-found enthusiasm for my business organization.  This intangible zest has profited the companies I’ve led in ways that I had not expected.  While navigating the management of larger and larger teams, I learned to anticipate that “something” great would ultimately result from supporting the “whole” colleague without creating an expectation about what that “something” should be.  In doing so I have been repeatedly surprised, and pleasantly rewarded. My suggestion to professionals of all pay grades seeking remarkable talent is this,

Create a Whole Person Culture, be known for it, and become legendary. A dividend of motivated and talented people, will remain loyal and contribute in unforeseen ways to the company success. Let me explain.

I know a professional services company that was legendary for having a collection of exotic cars that employees could drive while on company business.  That perk helped distinguish the firm and attract the type of talent they required while showcasing their values. It attracted talent but the fast cars did not point to value for their customers. Today that approach seems antiquated, but the legendary concept is always relevant.

Instead of fast cars, how about being legendary as a company of FIRE WALKERS?!  Becoming legendary for business associates that have walked over hot coals could foster a legend with the expectations of accomplishing much more in the pursuit of client objectives.  Attracting employees to the firm that want to experience walking over hot coals, self-selects a stratum of likely high performers and risk takers.  

My personal experience with “fire walking” in Dec 31, 1998, led me to offer this as a personal development experience to an employee who found herself promoted to a new position, and though she had the capability, felt less than confident in her ability to persuade or lead others. Confidence as an inspired leader was her growth edge.

By increasing personal confidence, we bring out previously unknown talents and abilities in individuals.   Increased confidence can come from a variety of events or circumstances, usually experienced over time.  Sometimes, when “time is of the essence”, more unique experiences may provide a quicker boost.

The colleague who doubted her leadership abilities accepted my offer and successfully fire walked.  With this new-found confidence, she blossomed in her new role and garnered the respect of her peers.