7TH JUNE 2022, LONDON: Mission Lit, a new publication from x+why, is here to help every business leader to find their mission and harness it into the ultimate competitive advantage. 

This book lifts the lid on how a new generation of business leaders are building companies which are loved by customers, investors and employees; how they solve market challenges, engage audiences, and leave their competition in the dust. In every sector and industry “Mission Lit” companies are leading the pack and earning the love and loyalty of consumers who are using their purchasing power to support brands who have a positive purpose beyond profit. Yet not much is known about how these businesses make it happen. Mission Lit takes the secret sauce leading businesses and open sources it, to make it simple and accessible to turn every business Mission powered. 

Sharing real world examples and first-person interviews from industry leaders such as Patagonia, allplants and Tony’s Chocolonely, Mission Lit will guide businesses as they create, refine and use their mission to drive social, environmental and business success. 

Richard Johnson, author of Mission Lit, comments: “If we haven’t achieved peak purpose yet – the point at which the popularity of this business concept begins to wane – then we can’t be far off. You may think I’ve coined the term Mission Lit just to hoodwink you into reading yet another book about purpose, and you’d be partly right. This book is about sieving out the 90% of the nonsense that goes on in the name of purpose and trying to explain and understand the 10% of gold that’s left. That 10% is what’s absolutely critical to understand.” 

Richard is based in London where he has worked for 10 years as a researcher, facilitator and consultant, focusing on the intersection of sustainability and entrepreneurship. He has interviewed some of the world’s leading CEOs and founders, facilitated workshops for hundreds of start-ups and corporate leaders, and had his insights published in Fast Company and The Guardian. He is currently the Head of Impact at DAME and consults widely on how to create a new model of purpose driven, sustainable business. 

Mission Lit was founded by purpose driven co-work community, x+why. CCO and co-founder of x+why Phil Nevin comments: “x+why’s purpose is to change the way the world works for good. An audacious ‘moon-shot’, we know. But we understand we are a small part in a much larger movement that is pushing toward this same goal. As a flexible workspace community our role is to house,

support, inspire and influence businesses under our roofs. Since inception though we wanted to give something back to this global movement (toward a new economic model), to use incredible examples from within our network and beyond to reach a broader audience and help accelerate this shift. 

The book demonstrates that purpose connects companies across categories, sectors and cultures proving that commitment to mission is driving lasting change. 

• Reading the Mission Lit book is the equivalent of 25 hours facetime with the entrepreneurs and CEOs at the cutting edge of sustainable business 
• Case studies and insights from purpose driven businesses including Monzo bank, surf brand Finisterre and cycle-tech brand Beryl, who offer practical pointers for successfully using purpose to outshine profit-blinkered competitors 
• Each chapter ends with practical exercises to help find, refine and use their mission effectively 
• Mission Lit is the foundation of the Mission Lit programme. Curated and supported by x+why, the Mission Lit programme is designed to help businesses take their next steps to building a triple bottom line, future-fit, Mission Lit business. 

John Elkington, Chairman of Volans, the London based change agency, comments: “This entrepreneur’s guide could not be more timely nor more necessary. At a time when young people are losing patience with the old order and investing their energies and lives in shaping the new, they will need all the help they can get.” 

We describe this book as trying to open source the secret sauce of Mission Lit businesses. Well, if you allow us to take that metaphor to its logical conclusion then what you have here is a recipe. Like all recipes, the quality of the final dish relies on the cook’s ability to combine the ingredients in the right way. Work on any one of the lessons outlined in this book and it will serve you well; substitute one ingredient and tweak the recipe until it’s just right. But the real magic happens when each lesson builds from the others. It’s when all these elements are blended to perfection that a company truly becomes Mission Lit. 

Visit www.missionlit.com to download your e-copy or order a hard copy, as well as content, updates, workshop dates, and more. 

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