By Tommy Tobin
Can a comic book help you learn how to build a better business? For the answer, look no farther than Seth Goldman, TeaEO (that would be “Tea Executive Officer”) of Honest Tea, Inc. Honest Tea is a different type of beverage. The brand enjoys a unique position as a bottled tea, organic, authentic, innovative, and, well, honestly pretty good. Goldman is also a Management Professor at Yale University, but don’t hold that against him!
Goldman’s upcoming free lecture about his book Mission in a Bottle – The Honest Guide to Doing Business Differently is not to be missed. It’s not every day that one sees a business book in comic style. Hosted at nearby American Repertory Theatre (64 Brattle Street and www.AmericanRepertoryTheater.org) this Monday, October 28, at 5pm, the talk – much like the book – will showcase how Honest Tea grew a mission-driven business in a profit-driven world.
Just like his brand, Goldman is a different type of businessman. He has challenged the status quo, made Fair Trade a part of Honest Tea’s identity, supported suppliers around the world, and created a brand focused on health and innovation. Goldman built his business around authenticity, going so far as to put “Honest” in the name of the company. Now owned by the Coca-Cola Company, Goldman’s Honest Tea has carved out a place on supermarket shelves for a product on a mission.
Whether you’re starting up a business or want to learn more about successful social enterprises, Goldman’s talk is an excellent opportunity to learn from an expert (for free)! A book signing will follow. MIT’s Bill Aulet, an expert on entrepreneurship and start-ups, will moderate the discussion.
Be sure to check out the talk this Monday at the American Reparatory Theater at 5pm for business insight and lessons learned from a successful start-up social enterprise.