Acknowledgments

From Nadine’s heart

Let me begin by saying that this book would not have been possible without the talent, skill, courage, and patience of my coauthor, Angela Soper. She really deserves 100 percent of the credit for bearing the responsibility of the task. She made a job that at many times felt overwhelming feel doable. Thank you, Angela. You are the best.

Second, I would like to thank the community of Social Venture Network; it is in that community that I have grown as a socially responsible businessperson and learned what it means to walk the talk in this very important facet of doing business. Thanks to Deb Nelson for her friendship and support, for her nominating me to be one of the writers in this series, and most of all for her confidence in me. I owe a huge debt of gratitude to Josh Mailman, and to Melissa Bradley, thank you for just being you. I deeply admire you and all that you do.

Thank you to all of the businesspeople who so willingly and freely gave of their time to do the interviews for the book. You added the richness and depth that we needed to illustrate the fact that values sell.

I’m indebted to my business partner, Daniel Wolf, for his generosity and for serving as a living example of doing well by doing good. Daniel, your partnership and generosity has made all of this possible. As someone once said at an SVN meeting, you’re not an angel investor but an archangel. You rock, dude!

To the 25,000 consultants who currently make up the Warm Spirit community, thank you for trusting me, following my lead, xviiiand sharing your compelling visions with me and the rest of the world. Your fortitude keeps me going.

To Bob (my beloved), thank you for being my love, spiritual mentor, and my rock. You are the deepest blessing in my life. You are a giant with the sweetest, sweetest spirit. Camilla and Isaiah, this is all for the both of you. My love for you motivates me to do better and inspires me to leave the world a better place than when I met it. Camilla and Isaiah, you both are a manifestation of God’s love for me; thank you for being patient while I continue to live out my calling and my desire to serve.

Thank you to the entire team at Berrett-Koehler who supported Angela and me, gave us feedback, edited, tossed and turned, and most importantly, welcomed us into your community. I am deeply honored.

From Angela’s heart

It’s been said that writing a book of this nature is a team effort. That’s a truth we embrace wholeheartedly. And that’s why most books include an acknowledgments page like this—so those of us given the task of compiling all of the research and thoughts into one cohesive volume can thank those who made it all possible.

I am grateful to the support offered by Deb Nelson, executive director of Social Venture Network, who answered frantic questions, provided valuable contact information, and is just one heck of a nice person. My sincere appreciation goes to Nadine Thompson for asking me to help with this project and for giving me the chance to get to know so many incredible individuals. Nadine’s vision has improved lives all over the country, and she has touched mine in many profound ways as well.

They say a writer is only as good as her or his editor, and I offer heartfelt hugs to Berrett-Koehler Editorial Director Johanna Vondeling, who provided critical direction and support throughout the writing process. I am also indebted to Senior Managing xixEditor Jeevan Sivasubramaniam, whose sense of humor kept me laughing when challenges erupted. And I can even pronounce his last name now.

Huge thanks go to Rebecca Carter, who expertly and quickly transcribed the many hours of interviews. Not only is she one of the best transcribers on the planet, she has terrific ideas about creating a socially responsible business and offered wonderful insight into how to present some of the comments we recorded. Thanks to my son, Ryan Soper, who was there with a hug and a vote of confidence in a moment of writer’s angst and who always, always makes me look beyond the immediate situation.

And finally, applause and kudos and hugs and kisses and everything else to the many company leaders who shared their expertise, their thoughts, and their passion for making a difference in the world with the businesses they operate. They taught us, they inspired us, and they showed us that “doing well by doing good” isn’t just a nice phrase—it can be a great way to sell and distribute products successfully.

NADINE THOMPSON     

Exeter, New Hampshire

ANGELA SOPER     

Salt Lake City, Utah

February 2007