E203 - Tessa Clarke: What YOU can do to save the world

This is the second episode of our new Leadership Series, sponsored by PwC, in which we will be diving deep into what it really takes to be a CEO.

Tessa Clarke is the co-founder and CEO of Olio, the free app that connects users with unwanted food (from households or local businesses) with neighbours living nearby who would like it. Tessa is driven by purpose, aiming to reduce food waste and tackle climate change. She shares with Jake and Damian why Olio was created, how to build a brand and stay resilient in the face of challenge and set backs. She also reveals her key recruitment tips.

They discuss what can be done at an individual level to care for the environment and why we should be sharing, rather than discarding.

Thank you to PwC for sponsoring this special CEO Series. PwC’s purpose is to build trust and solve important problems, and their global strategy - The New Equation - is bringing this to life for their clients, people and society. By combining technology with human ingenuity, passion and experience, PwC works with organisations to deliver more intelligent, sustained outcomes.

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**Summary of the Podcast Episode: Leadership Series with Tessa Clarke, Co-founder and CEO of Olio**

**Introduction:**

* Tessa Clarke, the co-founder and CEO of Olio, joins the podcast to discuss leadership, building a brand, resilience, and recruitment.
* Olio is a free app that connects users with unwanted food or household items with neighbors who would like them, reducing waste and tackling climate change.

**Key Points:**

1. **Defining High Performance:**
* Tessa believes in following one's gut instinct and intuition when making decisions.
* High performance is when individuals fulfill their full potential and the whole team's output exceeds the sum of its parts.

2. **Recruitment Tips:**
* Tessa emphasizes the importance of listening to one's gut when recruiting.
* She recommends asking open-ended questions to understand a candidate's values and motivations.
* Olio's company values are inclusivity, resourcefulness, ambition, and caring, and they recruit candidates who embody these values.

3. **Values and Upbringing:**
* Tessa's upbringing on a farm instilled in her the values of resilience, adaptability, creativity, and putting others first.
* She applies these values to her life and leadership style at Olio.

4. **Truth About Entrepreneurship:**
* Tessa shares the unfiltered truth about entrepreneurship, describing it as an emotionally exhausting and challenging journey.
* However, she emphasizes the transformative power of being in control of one's destiny and making a positive impact.
* Passion, resilience, and optimism are essential traits for successful entrepreneurs.

5. **Origin of Olio:**
* Tessa's idea for Olio came from a personal experience when she was forced to throw away uneaten food during a move.
* She realized the need for an app that would allow people to share spare food with their neighbors, reducing waste and promoting community.

6. **Addressing Shame and Community:**
* Tessa discusses the issue of shame associated with receiving charitable help and the importance of building community to reduce the need for charity.
* Olio aims to create a sense of community and mainstream sustainable living by allowing people to connect and share with each other.

7. **Examples of Community Impact:**
* Tessa shares the story of Terry, a rough sleeper who was able to furnish his new housing through connections made on Olio, highlighting the transformative impact of the app.
* Many Olio users report improved mental and financial well-being and the formation of new friendships through the platform.

8. **Scale of the Waste Problem:**
* Tessa sheds light on the global food waste crisis, with one-third of all food produced each year being discarded.
* This waste contributes to hunger, environmental degradation, and greenhouse gas emissions.
* Olio empowers individuals to take action by sharing their spare food and household items, reducing waste and promoting sustainability.

9. **Media Coverage of Important Issues:**
* Tessa expresses concern about the disparity between the prevalence of certain issues and their media coverage.
* She emphasizes the need for media to prioritize reporting on critical problems like food waste and climate change to raise awareness and drive action.

**Conclusion:**

* Tessa Clarke's leadership journey with Olio highlights the importance of purpose, community, and taking action to address global challenges.
* Olio's success demonstrates the power of technology and human connection in reducing waste, promoting sustainability, and building stronger communities.

In this episode, Tessa Clarke, co-founder and CEO of Olio, an app connecting users with unwanted food to neighbors who want it, shares her insights on leadership, sustainability, and creating a positive impact.

Tessa highlights the urgent need to address food waste and climate change, emphasizing that it's a global crisis requiring collective action. She stresses that the current economic system, focused solely on GDP growth, is unsustainable and incompatible with preserving the planet's resources.

Tessa advocates for a shift in the North Star metric from GDP growth to human fulfillment and quality of life, considering the impact on communities and the environment. She emphasizes the importance of diverse voices in decision-making, particularly those from marginalized groups, to bring forth innovative solutions.

Tessa emphasizes the power of small actions, encouraging individuals to challenge their employers, start their own projects, and make informed consumer choices. She highlights the significance of trust in building successful organizations, emphasizing authenticity, competence, and connection as key elements.

Tessa underscores the importance of finding one's unique problem to solve, believing that everyone can achieve exceptional performance when they discover their passion. She urges listeners to face the climate crisis, take action, and make a difference, even through small steps.

The episode concludes with a discussion on the need for diverse voices in leadership, challenging conventional norms, and embracing new ideas to address the environmental crisis. Tessa's message resonates with the hosts, who reflect on their own responsibilities and the impact they can make through their businesses.