Grow Good

Anne Oudersluys
  • 4.7 (15)
  • Marketing

Grow Good tells the story of purpose-driven leaders who grow their businesses while staying true to mission and values. Hosted by growth and brand strategist Anne Oudersluys, each episode features candid conversations with CEOs and founders about real decisions they make and how they operate across strategy, product, marketing, people, and scale. This show provides practical, thoughtful insight for leaders who want to grow with intention.

  1. Sep 2

    From Activities to Outcomes: A New Approach to Non-Profit Impact : Johnmark Oudersluys, CEO of CityLink Center

    EPISODE SUMMARY Johnmark Oudersluys, executive director of Cincinnati's CityLink Center, joins Anne to unpack a different approach to economic mobility: instead of adding more programs, CityLink redesigned how people access and move through the existing system. The organization brings services together under one roof, assigns each client a navigator, and uses data to understand which interventions actually improve outcomes. Johnmark explains how CityLink developed the Client Progression Index to measure progress across multiple areas of a person's life, why the nonprofit sector needs stronger data standards, and how CityLink is testing a funding model that pays partners based on clients' wage gains. He also shares what companies can do beyond traditional philanthropy, including building sustained relationships with nonprofit partners and addressing the needs of their own entry-level workforce. As CityLink expands its model to other cities, Johnmark discusses the tension between creating infrastructure for scale and preserving the flexibility that made the model effective in the first place. KEY INSIGHTS Why CityLink concluded Cincinnati was “program rich but systems poor” — and designed around the navigation problem instead of adding another standalone serviceHow co-location, a dedicated navigator, and a single intake process eliminate geographic, knowledge, and qualification barriersWhy being truly client-centered is harder in nonprofits than in business — and how CityLink protects client agency despite competing stakeholder demandsThe gap between what employers say they need and the unstated skills and habits they actually expect from entry-level workersHow CityLink uses employer demand to identify and quickly build industry-specific training programs through partnershipsWhy labor force participation can reveal a different economic problem than unemployment rates aloneHow CityLink moved from measuring activities like classes completed to measuring longitudinal outcomes and human progressWhy standardized data matters: without common definitions, funders can't reliably compare nonprofit performance or identify what's workingHow CityLink's experimental funding model pays partner organizations 15% of clients' wage gains, shifting funding toward outcomes rather than promisesWhat CityLink learned the hard way about giving organizations more funding flexibility: autonomy requires operational support, change management, and continuous improvementWhy corporate partnerships can be more valuable when companies contribute sustained relationships, expertise, and talent development rather than one-time checksThe central scaling tension: build enough infrastructure to grow without creating bureaucracy that eliminates the flexibility and local responsiveness that made the model workTIMESTAMPS 00:03 – The myth of individual responsibility and poverty00:06 – Why Cincinnati was “program rich but systems poor”00:08 – The maze people face navigating social services00:10 – CityLink's co-location and navigator model00:12 – Putting the client at the center of the process00:14 – The gap between employer expectations and workforce skills00:18 – Building training around actual employer demand00:22 – Why CityLink measures outcomes, not just activities00:25 – Building the Client Progression Index00:29 – The “optimal sequence of services”00:31 – Rethinking how nonprofits are funded00:39 – What companies can do beyond traditional CSR00:48 – The tension between scaling nationally and staying grounded00:52 – Scaling infrastructure without losing the “secret sauce”5) RESOURCES & LINKS Connect with Johnmark and CityLink Center: Johnmark Oudersluys CityLink Center City Collective Connect with Anne Oudersluys and Core Impact: Core Impact StrategyAnne OudersluysCore Impact Newsletter

  2. Aug 19

    How SIMPLi Grows More Nutritious Food: Matt Cohen, Co-Founder of SIMPLi

    SIMPLi began with one quinoa product sourced from Peru and has grown into a business spanning roughly 70 products, food service and retail, and supply chains across 13 countries. Matt Cohen, co-founder of SIMPLi, joins Anne Oudersluys to unpack how a food company can scale while protecting the farmers and the product that's at the core of it's mission  The conversation gets into the operating decisions behind that growth: why SIMPLi owns more of its supply chain, how it evaluates new products from both the farmer and consumer perspectives, and why crop rotation actually influences its product portfolio. Matt explains how the company approaches premium pricing without pushing the cost back onto farmers. He also reframes the familiar growth-versus-mission tension: the real question is whether a decision strengthens or weakens the mission. KEY INSIGHTS Why SIMPLi chose to own its supply chain — and how that creates greater control over product quality and transparencyHow a COVID-era pivot from food service accelerated SIMPLi's path into retail without abandoning its original channelWhy SIMPLi narrowed its portfolio around beans, grains, and oils — partly because those categories support crop rotationThe two-sided product innovation model: start with consumer demand, but also look at what farmers need to grow regenerativelyHow creating markets for secondary and tertiary crops can make regenerative farming more economically viable for farmersWhy SIMPLi sees regenerative organic certification as an operational guardrail, not simply a marketing claimHow the company protects farmer economics while finding efficiencies in processing, packaging, and other parts of the supply chain to manage consumer pricingWhy premium pricing has a ceiling — and how SIMPLi thinks about reaching more consumers without reducing what it pays farmersMatt’s shift from asking “mission or growth?” to asking whether a growth decision strengthens or weakens the missionHow SIMPLi's Regenerative Pathway Program gives the company a framework for helping farming communities move toward organic and regenerative organic certificationWhy flavor matters as much as sustainability claims when convincing consumers to pay a premium for better agricultural practicesWhy Matt believes a strong mission should function as a decision-making filter and set guardrails for how a company grows TIMESTAMPS 02:20 – From corporate finance to food entrepreneurship 05:31 – SIMPLi’s three operating pillars 07:21 – From one quinoa SKU to retail 10:40 – De-commoditizing commodity categories 14:00 – Why supply-chain ownership matters 17:41 – Letting customer demand shape expansion 20:51 – Innovating from the farm and the consumer 23:21 – Scaling a global supply chain 26:50 – Why regenerative organic certification 30:41 – Proving premium value through flavor 32:40 – Protecting farmer economics while managing price 36:21 – Does growth strengthen or weaken the mission? RESOURCES & LINKS Learn more about SIMPLi:  Matt CohenSIMPLi Connect with Anne Oudersluys and Core Impact: Core Impact StrategyAnne OudersluysCore Impact Newsletter

  3. Aug 5

    Growing Big, Reluctantly: Lessons from Hog Island Oyster Co. | John Finger, Founder and CEO of Hog Island Oyster Company

    John Finger, co-founder and CEO of Hog Island Oyster Company, never set out to build one of America's best-known oyster businesses. He simply wanted to grow exceptional oysters. More than 40 years later, his company spans multiple farms, restaurants, a hatchery, wholesale distribution, and direct-to-consumer sales—but every stage of growth has been guided by one question: Does this make us stronger? In this conversation, John shares why he deliberately slowed growth to protect culture, how refusing to compromise on quality built long-term brand trust, and why investments like vertical integration and selective breeding are strategic insurance, not profit centers. It's a practical case study in building a resilient company where values aren't marketing claims but operational decisions. What You'll Learn Why Hog Island evaluates growth based on strength rather than sizeThe hidden risks of growing faster than your people and systems can supportHow saying "no" to selling lower-quality products strengthened the brandWhy scarcity can become a competitive advantage when driven by qualityThe branding decision that helped Hog Island stand apart from commodity producersHow vertical integration became a resilience strategy instead of a growth strategyWhy John considers his hatchery an insurance policy rather than a revenue centerHow sustainability influences sourcing decisions—even when it limits menu optionsThe importance of codifying company values before scalingWhy long-term supplier relationships create stronger businesses than aggressive negotiationsHow storytelling helps customers understand—and value—the decisions behind the productTimestamps 00:00 – Introducing Hog Island Oyster Company and "reluctant growth" 04:00 – From a five-acre oyster farm to a national brand 07:40 – Creating a framework for deciding which growth opportunities to pursue 10:20 – Why refusing to sell lower-quality oysters built customer trust 12:30 – Building a premium brand without traditional marketing 17:30 – Vertical integration as a long-term resilience strategy 23:00 – Protecting company culture while growing the business 26:20 – "We don't grow to be bigger. We grow to be stronger." 29:20 – Navigating the real tradeoffs between profitability and sustainability 33:20 – Creating sourcing standards that reflect company values 39:20 – Why storytelling strengthens brand value 44:45 – John's advice for founders balancing growth with their values Resources & Links Learn More about Hog Island Oyster Co: Hog Island Oyster CompanyJohn Finger Connect with Anne Oudersluys and Core Impact: Core Impact StrategyAnne Oudersluys Core Impact Strategy Newsletter

  4. Jul 22

    MadTree's Long Play: Building for Decades, Not Quarters: Rhiannon Howeler, Madtree CEO and Brady Duncan, Madtree Co-Founder

    EPISODE SUMMARY Brady Duncan, co-founder of MadTree Brewing, and newly appointed CEO Rhiannon Hoeweler unpack how the company evolved from a local craft brewery into a broader hospitality platform with restaurants, family-focused experiences, and a canned cocktail brand. At the center of the conversation is a question many growth-stage companies face: how do you scale without diluting what made the business meaningful in the first place? Brady and Rhiannon explain how MadTree uses long-term goals to guide decisions, why they became more disciplined about what they say no to, and how purpose became embedded into the company’s operating systems — from hiring and incentives to capital allocation and expansion strategy. They also discuss the operational realities behind sustainability initiatives, the risks they took entering hospitality, and why they believe stability matters more than growth for growth’s sake. KEY INSIGHTS Why MadTree shifted from a distribution-first brewery model into hospitality and destination spacesHow 10-year goals became a decision-making filter for growth, hiring, and investmentThe operational tradeoffs behind protecting sustainability initiatives during cash constraintsWhy the company narrowed its community impact focus instead of supporting every causeHow MadTree uses incentives and accountability systems to reinforce company values internallyThe decision to retract geographically and “win locally” before expanding againWhy opening a standalone restaurant felt strategically risky — but aligned with the long-term visionHow partnerships became a core growth lever across community impact and business developmentThe difference between “purpose as messaging” and purpose embedded into operational systemsWhat Brady learned from waiting too long to formalize the company’s vision and purposeWhy the company now prioritizes operational stability and efficiency alongside revenue growthHow MadTree thinks about expansion differently now that it can replicate existing concepts instead of reinventing each new locationTIMESTAMPS 00:00 – MadTree’s evolution beyond craft beer02:02 – Why MadTree hired its first CEO from impact leadership04:40 – The original vision behind MadTree07:15 – How the company rethought hospitality and customer experience09:05 – Connecting people to nature and each other14:10 – Balancing profitability with sustainability commitments16:30 – Protecting composting despite financial pressure18:00 – Why MadTree became more disciplined about saying no22:00 – Using 10-year goals to guide decisions25:05 – Major inflection points in MadTree’s growth28:45 – Launching Sway and expanding beyond beer31:35 – How MadTree evaluates new growth opportunities34:40 – Embedding purpose into hiring, incentives, and operations38:30 – Advice for founders building purpose-driven companies RESOURCES & LINKS MadTree BrewingMadTree LinkedInSway CocktailsAlcove by MadTreeCore Impact StrategyAnne Oudersluys LinkedIn Core Impact Newsletter Email Anne - anne@coreimpactstrategy.com

  5. Jul 8

    The Strategy Behind Method's Rise--Design First, Sustainability Second: Alastair Dorward, former Method CEO

    Alastair Dorward is a longtime consumer brand leader and former CEO of Method and Dropps. This episode explores Alastair's strategy for building challenger brands from one of the industry’s most experienced operators. We dive into sustainability, innovation, and the future of brand discovery in the AI era. Alastair shares the story behind Method’s rise from startup to one of the fastest-growing consumer brands in the country, including the unconventional path that helped land its breakthrough partnership with Target. He reflects on the tension between growth and profitability, lessons learned from scaling too broadly, and why mission-driven brands must still build strong economic foundations. Alastair explains how to evolve a brand's sustainability message over time so that it enhances brand perception to grow sales, and his approach to using “category arbitrage” to gather ideas for a brand innovation strategy.  Whether you’re building a purpose-driven business, scaling a challenger brand, or thinking about the future of consumer products, this episode is packed with practical insight and candid reflections. You Will Learn:  The difference between challenger brands and mission-driven brands  How Method identified unmet consumer needs in household cleaning  Why design became Method’s first growth lever  The story behind Method’s early partnership with Target  Lessons from scaling too quickly into the wrong categories  Why “not every growth dollar is created equally”  How sustainability can drive loyalty but not always pricing power  What brands need to know about AI-driven search and discovery  Why third-party certifications matter more in the AI era  Leadership lessons about hiring, culture, and scaling intentionally TIMESTAMPS 00:00 – Challenger brands vs. mission-driven brands 04:31 – Discovering Cradle to Cradle and circular thinking 08:23 – Why Alastair joined Method 14:28 – The two contradictions behind Method’s positioning 16:04 – Growing Method from $0 to $100M 17:42 – The Target partnership that accelerated growth 21:50 – Getting rejected by Target and then finding a workaround 25:00 – Leading with design before sustainability 28:14 – “Category arbitrage” as an innovation framework 32:28 – Where growth created operational strain 34:34 – The expansion mistakes that hurt margins 39:38 – How Dropps rethought laundry and dish categories 45:10 – Why most consumers won’t pay a “green premium” 47:58 – AI search, certifications, and the future of brand discovery 53:14 – Hiring for values and protecting company culture RESOURCES & LINKS Alastair Dorward LinkedIn MethodDrops Laundry & Dish DetergentNovi ConnectCradle to Cradle: Remaking the Way We Make ThingsCore Impact StrategyAnne Oudersluys LinkedIn Core Impact Newsletter

  6. Jun 17

    Evolving Your Strategy Ahead of the Market: Ross Cully, co-founder of Harvest Group

    How do you anticipate where the market is headed and bring your customers along with you? Ross Cully shares how he has grown Harvest Group through multiple market evolutions, all while staying grounded in the company values. Drawing on his early experience at Procter & Gamble working with Walmart, Ross explains why collaboration, data-sharing, and retailer alignment became foundational to Harvest Group’s operating model. The conversation explores the less visible side of entrepreneurship: resigning their largest client over integrity concerns, intentionally slowing growth to preserve culture, and making early investments in e-commerce long before the market demanded it. Ross also shares how Harvest Group approaches acquisitions through values alignment rather than purely financial logic, why founders often struggle to say no, and how companies can scale without losing connection to their core customer. The episode is a case study in navigating long-term growth while protecting organizational trust, quality, and mission clarity. KEY INSIGHTS What Ross learned inside the historic Procter & Gamble–Walmart partnership about collaboration, retailer relationships, and data sharingWhy emerging brands often underestimate the operational complexity of large retail partnershipsHow Harvest Group identified a gap between traditional broker models and the needs of emerging CPG brandsThe decision to resign their largest client over integrity concerns — despite the real possibility of jeopardizing the businessWhy Ross believes values only become “real” when they cost you somethingHow Harvest Group invested in e-commerce capabilities years before omnichannel became mainstreamThe tension between innovating early and confusing the market with messaging that feels “too different”Why founders struggle to say no — and how Harvest developed a rubric for evaluating expansion opportunitiesHow rapid growth exposed cultural weaknesses and led the company to intentionally slow expansionThe operational challenge of preserving relationship-driven culture as a company scales toward 500 employeesHow Harvest approaches M&A through cultural and values alignment instead of purely financial criteriaWhy maintaining a direct relationship with the end customer is still one of the biggest strategic advantages for brands todayTIMESTAMPS  01:48 – Ross’s background at P&G and Walmart 03:30 – What emerging brands misunderstand about retail partnerships 05:23 – Defining Harvest Group’s mission, vision, and values 07:53 – Resigning their largest client over integrity concerns 09:34 – How leadership wrestled with the decision internally 11:02 – Strategic pivots over 20 years of growth 14:11 – Investing in e-commerce before the market was ready 18:24 – Learning to say no as a founder 22:02 – The challenge of differentiating the company’s story 27:06 – Why Harvest intentionally slowed growth 28:24 – A values-based approach to acquisitions 32:18 –  What brands need to win in retail today 36:02 – The reality of entrepreneurship behind the scenes 38:32 – Ross’s advice for growing without compromising values RESOURCES & LINKS Ross Cully LinkedInHarvest GroupCore Impact StrategyAnne Oudersluys LinkedIn Core Impact Newsletter

  7. Jun 3

    Building a Brand for the Next Generation: Molly Vollmer and Katherine Jarnigo, co-CEOs of Kirk's Soap

    Molly Vollmer and Katherine Jarnigo are co-CEOs of Kirk's Family of Natural Brands, the parent company behind The Grandpa Soap Company and SOF and Kirk's. They join Grow Good to discuss what it takes to modernize legacy consumer brands without compromising what made them trusted in the first place. The conversation explores the operational realities of values-driven growth: resisting fad ingredients, managing commodity shocks, navigating retailer expectations, and building differentiated brands in an increasingly crowded natural products category. Molly and Katherine share how they think about stewardship versus short-term optimization, why they refused to dilute Kirk’s coconut oil formula despite severe margin pressure, and how they use consumer clarity, packaging, sustainability investments, and strategic restraint to keep century-old brands relevant for the next generation. It’s a candid look at long-term brand building, disciplined leadership, and the systems required to scale without losing trust. KEY INSIGHTS Why they rejected trend-driven product innovation that didn’t align with brand identityThe decision to absorb major coconut oil cost increases instead of reformulating productsHow they differentiate three soap brands without cannibalizing shelf space or consumersWhy “natural” only matters if brands can substantiate claims with third-party verificationThe operational tradeoffs behind investing early in 100% post-consumer recycled packagingHow legacy brands stay relevant without abandoning their core positioningThe role transparency played when communicating price increases to retailers and consumersWhy they view family ownership as an advantage for making long-term decisionsHow quarterly brand reviews help maintain strategic clarity across multiple consumer segmentsThe tension between efficiency and maintaining distinct brand identitiesWhat they learned from failed innovation launches tied to short-term ingredient trendsWhy leaders eventually need to “get out of the weeds” to lead strategically TIMESTAMPS  01:55 – Stewarding brands with 100+ year histories 02:54 – Innovation guardrails for legacy brands 03:53 – Lessons from chasing trend ingredients 04:59 – Learning the business from the ground up 07:12 – Identifying growth opportunities in natural products 10:38 – Differentiating three brands without cannibalization 14:49 – Managing innovation across distinct consumer segments 18:27 – Aligning philanthropy with brand strategy 23:44 – The coconut oil pricing crisis and margin pressure 26:30 – Why they refused to dilute the Kirk’s formula 31:04 – Communicating value in seconds at shelf 39:18 – Operating as sisters and co-CEOs 43:21 – Advice for founders balancing growth and values  RESOURCES & LINKS Molly Vollmer LinkedIn Katherine Jaringo LinkedIn Kirk's Soap The Grandpa Soap CompanySouth of France Body CareCore Impact StrategyAnne Oudersluys LinkedIn Core Impact Newsletter

  8. May 20

    Using Purpose to Build a Superior Product: Carina Hamel, Co-Founder of Bivo

    Carina Hamel, co-founder of Bivo, joins Anne Oudersluys to share the story behind launching a stainless steel water bottle. What began as a frustration with plastic water bottles became a case study in disciplined product innovation, values-driven growth, and long-term brand building. After years of working in footwear product development, Carina and her husband saw an overlooked opportunity in cycling: athletes were still drinking from plastic bottles because no viable metal alternative existed. But solving the problem required more than sustainability claims. Bivo had to not only match, but actually outperform plastic, on performance and customer experience.  The conversation explores how Bivo approached customer adoption, why the company rejected traditional venture growth expectations, and how they think about sustainability beyond marketing language. Carina also explains why the company intentionally limits product launches, invests heavily in community participation, and uses higher voluntary testing standards to push manufacturing practices beyond minimum compliance. KEY INSIGHTS Why Bivo believed a metal cycling bottle category should exist — despite widespread skepticism about weight and usabilityHow the company translated a technical product spec into a consumer-friendly message: “six tablespoons heavier”The fluid dynamics breakthrough that allowed a metal bottle to pour faster than a squeezable plastic bottleWhy direct customer interaction became essential for overcoming category resistanceWhat Carina learned watching founders lose control of their companies after taking VC fundingHow Bivo evaluates investors based on value alignment, not just capital availabilityWhy limited financial resources forced the company to become more disciplined about executionThe operational philosophy behind “doing the maximum” instead of merely meeting regulatory minimumsHow voluntary European chemical testing standards shaped Bivo’s manufacturing decisionsWhy Bivo refuses to use lead-sealed insulation beads even though many competitors still doThe reasoning behind launching only four bottles in five years instead of pursuing constant product churnHow Bivo treats community-building as participation and contribution — not a marketing acquisition tacticWhy the company focuses on continuously improving existing products instead of chasing noveltyHow sustainability became a pathway to superior product performance, not just a consumer value statementThe founder dynamic between instinct-driven decision-making and operational analysisTIMESTAMPS  01:52 – From footwear design to founding Bivo 03:18 – Identifying the market gap in cycling bottles 04:36 – Solving the weight objection 06:50 – The “six tablespoons heavier” positioning insight 07:52 – Engineering a non-squeezable performance bottle 10:38 – Rejecting VC-driven growth pressure 12:01 – Walking away from misaligned investors 15:16 – Going beyond minimum safety standards 16:48 – Why Bivo eliminated lead from insulated bottles 25:00 – Rejecting the “launch more products” playbook 27:30 – Participating in community instead of manufacturing one 33:34 – Balancing founder intuition with customer data 36:18 – Continuous sustainability improvements in manufacturing 39:38 – Turning sustainability into a performance advantage 42:26 – Carina’s advice for values-driven founders RESOURCES & LINKS Carina Hamel Bivo WebsiteBivo InstagramConnect with Anne Oudersluys and learn about creating a marketing strategy that delivers business growth.  Work with Anne:  Core Impact Strategy Contact Anne: anne@coreimpactstrategy.comAnne's LinkedIn -  LinkedInAnne's Newsletter - Core Impact Newsletter - Get monthly in-depth articles about marketing and growth strategy for purpose-driven brands

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4.7
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About

Grow Good tells the story of purpose-driven leaders who grow their businesses while staying true to mission and values. Hosted by growth and brand strategist Anne Oudersluys, each episode features candid conversations with CEOs and founders about real decisions they make and how they operate across strategy, product, marketing, people, and scale. This show provides practical, thoughtful insight for leaders who want to grow with intention.

Information

  • Creator
    Anne Oudersluys
  • Years Active
    2026
  • Episodes
    16
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Core Impact
  • Show Website
    Grow Good