Be inspired: Lorna Davis shares her B Corp journey – from the corporate world to global ambassador

In celebration of B Corp month, we share one of the many stories found in our B Inspired Rockbook.

For the making of this very special edition stone paper book, we spoke to 35 B Corp impact entrepreneurs from around the world.

Today we share Lorna Davis’ story – global ambassador for B Corporation and senior advisor to Danone CEO.

“I was so invested in the normal corporate world and I lived in many countries, just climbing the ladder.”

“I came to my purpose late in life”, says Lorna. “I was so invested in the normal corporate world and I lived in many countries, just climbing the ladder. While living in China, I saw our destructive forces as a people in fast forward. The sheer speed of progress was just unbelievable as the Chinese moved toward what the rest of the world already had. That’s when it hit me. If you then imagine how many people there are on the planet, how many more of us we have to accommodate, we just can’t go on like this. We have to figure this out, but how?”

When Lorna moved to the United States, she found the change in approach difficult; “China was so much more about the collective, in the US it’s at the other end of the spectrum – much more individualistic, and I struggled to adjust to this new world”.

She decided to start doing something else entirely, to combine business and ethics. She wanted to work for an NGO, “but that is just crazy. First, I would have had to beg for money in Silicon Valley, and then spend it in poor countries and expect that would make a change.” Luckily, she was introduced to B Corporation and it all came together. She is now Global Ambassador for B Corporation and is spreading the word as far and as fast as she can while trying to keep the community as inclusive and as welcoming as possible for everyone who wants to join.

“… You have to be a little less occupied with all of your thoughts and don’t take them all so seriously.”

With so many life experiences, and experiences in trying to make a change, what would she advise to people when the going gets tough? “There are two main points”, she says. “First, you have to be a little less occupied with all of your thoughts and don’t take them all so seriously. A friend recently told me a great metaphor: imagine you are driving a large bus. That is your life. Thoughts come on for a ride. All of them. ‘I am thirsty’, ‘I am hungry’, ‘I like yellow’, ‘I hate my sibling’, ‘I’m not good enough’. The thoughts come and go, on and off the bus, in and out of your mind…but some of these thoughts seem to have bought a ticket till the end of time… ‘I hate my sibling’, ‘I’m not good enough’, just keep hanging around! Let them off that bus with love and focus on the reality that is your life right now!’”.

“We must always remember just how important people around you are, and people generally are willing to help each other. So ask.”

She then shows me her bandaged foot. “I tripped on the sidewalk a couple of days ago. The funny thing is, I realized again how hard it is to ask for help. So my second point would be, we must always remember just how important people around you are, and people generally are willing to help each other. So ask. Accepting support is a wonderful way to build strong, loving relationships.”