Meet Paul Lewis, Founder of Seismic

x+why member Seismic launched at the end of B Corp month, they are a consultancy devoted to helping companies increase their impact and lead the seismic shift - a move towards a more responsible, sustainable, purpose-driven economic system. We caught up with one of the co-founders, Paul Lewis, to find out more about what motivates them and how Seismic practically implements being the change they want to see in the world.

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1.    What is the Seismic mission statement?

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Our purpose at Seismic is all about changing society for the better and fixing the planet. It may seem like a grandiose statement but our mission to help businesses prosper by helping them become impactful forces for good is closely tied to this purpose.  We fundamentally believe that business has a vital role and responsibility to play in leading and making the larger scale changes we need to see, for the benefit of society, planet and our future generations.

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2.    Can you tell us a little more about your role within Seismic?

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I am the CEO and one of three co-founders of Seismic, along with Andy Schmidt (COO) and Amy Bourbeau (Chief Impact Officer). My background is in environmental and carbon sustainability, having run several sustainability businesses in net zero, ESG and renewable energy space over the last 10 years.. Amy and Andy both have an incredible amount of experience from a social impact point of view and are leading B Impact leaders in Europe.

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3.    Why are you passionate about Seismic?

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I have always been passionate about sustainability throughout my career. Having been born into a family of environmentalists, I have grown up with the mindset that protecting the planet is the most important thing we can do. In the past I have led businesses that have been all about carbon, intelligence and data. I became increasingly certain that environmental impact and social impact are not mutually exclusive, and so left my previous business in 2019 in order to explore more around the social side of the issue, before coming across the B Corp movement. It may be a cliche, but having kids of my own made me think even deeper about the state of humanity and the environment in which we live, and what I could do to help.

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My vision, and Seismic's vision, is to help businesses become a force for good in three core ways: by using B Corp as a tool and platform for impact; by helping companies achieve their net zero carbon goals; and by guiding businesses environmental, social and corporate governance (ESG) and sustainability strategy.

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We believe that we stand out from other consultancies because we don’t just do the thinking; not only do we have the intellect and knowledge, we are also heavily involved in practical implementation. Strategy is just the start of the story for us. We have an extended sustainability team that helps our clients with all aspects of optimising this process.

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At Seismic we have assembled a team that lives and breathes sustainability, and we are all pulling in the same direction, together.

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4.    Is it a realistic possibility that one day all businesses might be run like B Corps, might governments make it mandatory?

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Absolutely.  And in fact, that is part of our goal.  At Seismic, we will not stop until all businesses are B Corps or of a similar form. This, along with getting businesses onto the net zero pathway, is a way to protect humanity.  

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We have launched as a team of 10 consultants within a wider network, and all of us are purpose-driven. What sets us apart from the thousands of other consultants out there is that we love business and really see the role it plays in making change happen. We’re called Seismic because there needs to be a seismic shift in the way society operates, but we also see that when businesses make the right choices, they see a seismic shift in the way they perform. There is actually some good data arising out of COVID demonstrating that B Corps tend to have more resilience and perform better than non-purpose lead businesses, even in the face of adverse events.

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Therefore, I believe it is a realistic possibility that one day all businesses will be run like B Corps. Not only is it the right thing to do, but it will become increasingly obvious to businesses of all sizes that they risk being left behind if they don’t begin measuring and improving their impact.

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5.    How have you adapted to the changes instigated by the COVID closures?

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We launched the business the world needs! Half of the team are in the UK, and the rest are spread out between Germany, Luxembourg and Holland, so we are already used to the virtual set-up. We currently work with around 30 companies on an on-going basis, and a little over half of those are in the UK.

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The COVID crisis has been all about adaptation and flexibility for businesses, and this is exactly how we have managed it at Seismic. Being such a dynamic team, we are able to adjust our approach and process to whatever our clients needs are to ensure we add the most value.

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6.    What advice would you give to other start-ups and businesses moving forwards?

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This is the third business I have grown, and I would split my best advice into two main camps. One is about attitude, and the other is smarts. The smarts is about needing to know enough, but not trying to know everything (about the market, opportunity, customer needs and desires) - mainly because, in today’s society more than ever, what is true now will be different in three months' time. This makes attitude all the more important - especially courage, curiosity and agility. Curiosity is about having more questions than answers, and if you’re the least smart person in the room when it comes to the team you’ve hired, then you’re off to a good start - always employ people smarter than you.

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With regards to growing your client base as a new business, clients predominantly hear about our services through word of mouth, and our best sales channel is the quality of our delivery. Clients tell us we are genuinely helping them become better businesses and delivering their objectives. We’re also often referred up to the owners of our clients, who tend to own multiple businesses. We have so much important B Corp, Net Zero and Sustainability work ahead of us, and we will continue to do so with "collaborative, flexible and zestful attitude" (quoting Seedlip, one of our valued clients).

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7.    What are your thoughts on the role of the Triple Bottom Line for the years to come, is purpose a luxury or a necessity?

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To not have a purpose is to not have a social licence to operate. You can’t hide. At a fundamental level, to show up in this world in a selfless way is what is needed in abundance right now, at both a National and International level. Purpose is at the top of the tree when it comes to where high calibre graduates want to work, and who people want to buy from - the recently launched B Corp section of Ocado is one of many testimonies to this.

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8.    When it comes to business, it’s common for people to feel the need to decide between higher education and learning on the job, what has been the value of each?

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I have a MEng in mechanical engineering, so I learned a lot of engineering theory which I’ve not used since my last exam (thank goodness). What I enjoyed most about higher education were the team building opportunities  and group projects - where you were collaborating with each-other while having a common goal in mind, and exploring what really matters to me in the world.

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I enjoyed the discussions and debates we had around finding the best solutions to the problem. That has served me well since university, but of the hundreds of young people I’ve seen employed in sustainability over the years, I’d say around 70-80% of learning comes from doing a job whether or not the individual has a degree of some sort. Therefore I think the trick as an employer is to create the kind of environment where small failures are not just acceptable, but are actively encouraged. It’s the small mistakes that develop learning and lead to longer-term success.

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9.    What is your favourite interview question (and how would you answer it personally)?

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What I look for beyond anything else, is authenticity. I’m personally not looking to test technical skills or knowledge because you can teach those things through training programmes, but what you can’t train is someone’s authenticity, and their common belief in the shared belief we have as a team. When it comes to believing that businesses have a vital role to play in solving some of the biggest challenges we face as a planet, it’s easy for businesses to talk the talk, but I want to see them walking the walk as individuals.

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10. What motivates you?

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There’s a dual answer behind my motivations. One is my kids - I have two young children and I worry about the kind of world they will inherit from our generation. I feel a deep sense of responsibility to do what I can to leave the world in the best shape possible for my kids, this is a fundamental authentic motivator for me.

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My second motivator is that I get a kick out of helping people to develop - both professionally and personally. One of the Seismic startup team is someone who I have worked with for 7 years. I still remember when she joined me as a graduate 7 years ago. It is wonderful to see how much she has developed and grown, and is now one of our leaders. Her growth has resulted in winning accolades and awards, being promoted and appreciated by everyone around her, which is very fulfilling to see.

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11. What’s the biggest lesson you’ve learned?

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I have a sporty background and I’m very driven and goal-orientated. I love to focus on milestones and achievements, but I’ve learned not to sacrifice my day to day happiness for those goals. You have to sustain yourself, your loved ones and your teammates, celebrating the small wins on the way to the larger ones.

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12. If you were to do it all again, is there anything that you would do differently?

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Launch a business like Seismic. We are about to do it all again - going for bigger and better with Seismic!

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13. What’s the smallest change that’s given the biggest return?

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Building a strong team and then giving them the confidence and autonomy to take over some of the decision making over the last 10 years - essentially getting out of the way! This enables me to really focus on the bits that I enjoy, namely working directly with my clients and my team, and channeling more of my time and energy into doing the things that are true to myself and bring genuine enjoyment.

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14. How do you balance your life while remaining disciplined, what percentage of your time do you keep unscheduled?

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I have a 2 and a 4 year old, Freddie and Emilia, between work and my children there isn’t a lot of free time at the moment, but it’s really about keeping fit and active, spending time with people in real life and virtually, I love learning so I’ve always got a book on the go - usually on the topic of purpose and sustainability - and we have a lot of interesting projects going on in our house - including solar panels on the roof, and I’ve recently become a B leader. It’s lockdown, so nothing too extreme!

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15. What are your strengths and weaknesses?

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Weaknesses - doing interviews like this! My wife would probably tell you in detail - and DIY!

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As for strengths - being purpose-driven and having strong goals, helping clients to build their own goals and find solutions to their unique challenges. I was recently told that I’m someone that can challenge a client quite deeply, while making it feel like an enjoyable process. I empathise with whatever stage they are at, so I don’t bang the drum for sustainability if it’s not something they’re ready to hear yet. It’s all about timing and knowing when to move and when to wait. As well as this, managing people is one of my best strengths - our goal at Seismic is to be the best employer our employees have ever had.

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16. Do you think that entrepreneurial attributes are personality traits, or skills that can be developed?

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Most of my family are entrepreneurs, in different ways, and I’m sure I have some of my father’s attributes. Half of them are social entrepreneurs, so that’s not only motivating but also sets the scene. At the same time, I think, these attributes often take time to build. For example courage and curiosity are also about being in the right place in your life, so timing is everything. I think some of the best entrepreneurs are those that have their first journey later in life, and have the life experience to apply to it - the Musks and Zuckerbergs are the ones that grab all the headlines but they’re the exception rather than the rule.

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17. How has what you do, changed you as a person?

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I feel incredibly fulfilled working with the team at Seismic. We not only have a shared purpose and mission, but our approach to clients and business is really similar as well. I don’t feel the need to just get through the day, it's just a joy to connect with clients and their challenges, working through solutions with them. This fulfilment has knock-on effects - your kids see you smiling more often, and you have more energy outside of work.

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18. What is your vision for the future personally and professionally?

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Professionally, we aim to help over 10 million people work for a positive company - either a B Corp or one that’s working in a net zero way, by our 5th birthday. Our second vision for the future is to create a company that’s the best place our team has ever worked, and to be recognised for that. Our day to day decision making is guided by these two vision statements. Beyond that, I want business globally to work in the way that B Corps work, in a net zero and carbon positive way. If that happens before my time is up, I’ll die with a smile on my face.

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19. Are there any books or blogs on your reading list?

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Let My People Go Surfing by Yvon Chouinard, Atomic Habits from James Clear, Sapiens by Harari, and I recently finished A Promised Land by Barack Obama. Books that I really rate are books by Patrick Lencioni - who is considered the founder of organisational behaviour, The Motive is a really good book by him. It’s all about leadership, motivation and the sacrifices you need to make as a leader.

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20. What do you love most about x+why?

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Having got to know the team, there is just an authenticity and purpose about them that transpires through everything they do. These days there are a lot of companies who have a bolt-on of purpose or have become ESG experts overnight, x+why aren’t like that and it’s rare to find a team that have such a deep sense of wanting to do the right thing, while curating a network and tribe of likeminded people who want to do the same.

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