“Purpose is Everything”: Why a Content Marketing Agency Decided to Become a B Corp
Shannon Emmerson owns a content marketing agency that stands for purposeful marketing. She started Forge & Spark after being laid-off as a VP. Learn how the company is forging ahead with its future as a B Corp.
Forge & Spark team
Shannon Emmerson started her business when she was 41. As a journalism school graduate, holder of a postgraduate degree in literature, and a creative writer, she was dedicated to her job. For 20 years, she worked hard to develop successful business units within two separate companies. In one, she was responsible for knowledge sharing and publishing within a global corporation; , in the other, for growing a digital business within a traditional magazine publishing company. Both were challenging roles, “And when I got laid off from a VP position in publishing, hardly six months after returning from maternity leave, I resolved that I would not work for anyone else,” Emmerson recalls.
Her resolve led her to create Forge & Spark Media, a purpose-propelled content agency in Canada. Today, Forge & Spark Media employs a team of creative professionals, who strive to write great content for clients, while mentoring and supporting one another.
“I've been clear to every one of my team members, and every one of my clients, that what I care most about is connecting people on a very honest, human level, doing that through storytelling and communication, and by putting love and care into every conversation, social post, and blog. No selly-selly "marketing” for us”.
Why did Forge & Spark Media become a B Corp? The clarity of Emmerson’s purpose led her to a journey of building her company’s future. Emmerson was inspired by one of their clients, Genus Capital Management, a certified B Corp in Vancouver, BC. “I saw in my work with them how truly principled they were, and how deeply proud they were of their involvement in the B Corp community. Digging deeper, and attending a few events, I realized that I'd found my people.” Forge & Spark Media attained its B Corp Certification in 2022. B-Corp a recognized designation that a business is meeting high standards of social and environmental impact.
Being a B-Corp involves several steps. So how did they make the journey to finally turn their purpose into a reality? Emmerson joined the “Getting to 80” program run by Decade Impact. Along with 12 other companies, she gained an insight into what becoming a B-Corp was all about. “It was such an awakening and inspiration. I really never considered any other legal structure. For B-Corps it tends to be more about exploring a social purpose that drove us all to become B-Corps in the first place. Purpose is everything. And if your purpose is just making money, well, that's boring to me.” she elaborated.
When leaders have a purpose beyond a paycheck or profit, they aim higher. They strive not only to turn a profit but to make a real positive difference.
About Impactika Consulting
We at Impactika Consulting help do-gooders do better through purpose-propelled® consulting. We are a digital marketing, strategy, and social impact consulting firm. We help for-purpose organizations take on the world’s toughest challenges in digital rights, social and economic justice, education, and more.
As an advocate for both business and doing good, Impactika is a women-led team committed to helping organizations around the world find impactful and meaningful ways to market their purposes and connect with others.