«Just a few days in my way to school with my kids my oldest daughter told me: «Daddy you are a monster, my brother said you are a monster!», so I asked, «Am I, a good monster or a bad monster?» and she responded, «No papa, a good monster!»…There are monsters, there are princesses, there are queens, there are hunters, there are dragons…There are big companies, there are little companies, there are different sectors, different leaders, different momentums but what is important is that all of them be good ones, not just because it is our responsibility but because if you are a good monster you receive more kisses, you receive more attention, your receive more care and you will be remembered in a better way.”
Those were the opening remarks of Jose Illana Director of Quiero consultancy for Sustainable Brands Barcelona 2016. It made me think of the essence of human beings and the innocence of a kid embracing change. When is it that as adults we lose our innocence and see the darkest meaning of things? How can a kid perceive no evil in one of the most malicious words of them all; a monster! How can perceptions change and be stigmatized for eternity as negative? In a world with scarce sensitivity and compassion, this beautiful innocent perception has made me think of the ways of approaching our problems and redefining our limits and judgmental issues. Could we have more opportunities of resilience if the world opened up its eyes and as a child to acknowledge the possibility of being good?
I have seen Goodmonsters recognizing materials in their processes and innovating towards circularity; others whom conscientiously revise their supply chain implementing guidelines to support workers welfare and ecosystem balance. How about those Goodmonsters who lead organizations in an inclusive way respecting human beings regardless to their nationalities, ethnicity, economy. Or those others, who acknowledging the power and voice of their brand amplify movements towards change. But my favorites are those Goodmonsters who have understood there is a point of no return and that the only way to lead towards change is by acknowledging and embracing imperfections and transform them proactively.
Accepting and assuming our own imperfections as human-organizations is the only path towards self-recognition and improvement. Changing paradigms embracing resilience within understanding each other’s failures and conquest, summing up towards bigger concepts together…. I consider Sustainable Brands as the opportunity to reveal our colors and embrace change within a positive context of co-creation, alliance, and above all sharing and acknowledging change in all of its different levels, structures, meanings, ideas… I also feel proud to be a Goodmonster in the path of recognition, in making my life and my surrounding better: one step at a time.
Calling all Goodmonsters in the quest for learning and embracing a thriving world of sustainable knowledge for this 2017 Sustainable Brands Madrid.
See you soon!
Maggie Crespo Mijares
Project Executive at Quiero, Marketing professional & Master in Green Management, Energy and Corporate Social Responsibility. A fugitive: illegally passionate. Creative, entrepreneur, visionary, dreamer …
