Episode 51 - Raw Heart-Centered Leadership is the successful key ingredient!

This episode is sponsored by HR Habit Finder Shift. If HR is your jam, this is for you!  Kristi Knowles is the Chief Executive Officer of Mother Raw, a brand of delicious, organic, plant-based products on a mission to encourage everyone, everywhere to eat more plants!  This mission anchors Kristi’s focus to lead the Mother Raw brand to market success in the US and Canada, landing retail listing and partnerships with key grocery players and on-line retailers including Whole Foods, Walmart, Sprouts, Target and other large and niche well-being outlets.  Under her leadership, the brand has grown from 300 retail listings in 2018, to 3700+ listings across North America. With the brand promise “Put Good on GoodTM” Mother Raw brings a fresh focus to the dressing, marinade, dip, queso and condiment categories.  Known for their clean, natural, allergen friendly and refrigerated offerings, Mother Raw products are enjoyed by fans of real, whole foods. So much so that the brand was recently awarded a Clean Eating Award by Clean Eating Magazine, along with a number of other awards and positive profiles.   Kristi joined the company in early 2018 and is proud to lead the growing and talented team responsible for the success of Mother Raw; a team that shares the belief that helping people eat more plants makes both good sense and good business! With more than 25 years of experience as a senior executive with S&P 500 companies including Unilever, Campbell’s and Molson Coors, Kristi is known for building brands by defining and executing insightful business strategies that drive business success.  As CEO, defining strategic direction, building the Mother Raw team and culture, and designing the overall brand experience, fulfills her desire to unite her years of business experience with her dedication to personal wellness and wellness-related initiatives. Kristi's lifelong passion for health and wellness, combined with a commitment to promote healthier relationships with food, attracted the seasoned executive and busy wife and mom to lead the evolution of Mother Raw. Inspired to always “Lead with Heart” Kristi has a focus to be mindful of what makes both business sense and what speaks to her heart.  She is also proud to volunteer her time and expertise as an Advisory Board member with The Heart and Stroke Foundation and she was most recently appointed to the Board of Directors for Plant-Based Foods of Canada. Articles that profile Kristi and the evolution of Mother Raw showcase the wins for the scrappy start-up include:  Inside an Emotionally Raw Rebranding Story - https://the-message.ca/2020/02/07/inside-an-emotionally-raw-rebranding-story/ Her Turn: Meet Kristi Knowles from Mother Raw - https://www.auburnlane.com/her-turn-meet-kristi-knowles-from-mother-raw/ Social Impact Heroes: How Kristi Knowles of Mother Raw, is helping to encourage people everywhere to eat more plants https://medium.com/authority-magazine/social-impact-heroes-how-kristi-knowles-of-mother-raw-is-helping-to-encourage-people-everywhere-ca55bc68b53f