It’s a Shovel, a full service reputation consultancy, today announced its move to Bath. Started three years ago in South Africa by founder, Jessica Whitcutt Fagan, the business helps mid-sized companies to embrace purpose and sustainability.
Whitcutt Fagan says: “Quite simply, companies with a strong reputation perform better and the biggest drivers of reputation are the purpose and sustainability related elements. The business case for sustainability has been proved without a shadow of a doubt. Given the unprecedented social, economic and environmental challenges facing the planet, it is critical that CEOs step up to the plate and use the scale and skill of their businesses as a force for good. Our purpose is purpose and we are committed to doing our bit to help us all achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG). With only ten years left to meet the 2030 Goals, now is the #DecadeOfAction.”
Jessica Whitcutt Fagan with Chris Anderson from TEDx
The SDG Ambition Framework launched by the United Nations at Davos earlier this year, is an initiative to challenge thousands of companies to raise their level of ambition to meet the needs of society and planet by fully integrating sustainability into business strategy and operations.
It’s a Shovel’s proprietary #ReputationWithPurpose model helps businesses to identify their purpose, entrench it in their operations and culture, and leverage their impact for reputational capital lift. The firm’s practice areas reflect the critical success factors that companies need to get right in order to successfully transform into sustainable businesses.
Whitcutt Fagan explains: “We believe in a systems thinking approach and understand that you have to have the most important levers in your business working in unison for growth. Setting the strategy is the easy piece. Making sure you make the right investment and resource allocation decisions, implement the right governance frameworks, people plans and change programmes, and at the same time effectively engage with your stakeholders takes a lot more work. Mid-size companies often don’t have the capacity required and that’s where we come in.”
Setting itself apart from the numerous ‘purpose’ agencies popping up all over the country, It’s a Shovel’s team boasts a unique combination of skills and experience – sustainability, corporate finance and strategic communications.
In line with its sustainability ethos, It’s a Shovel operates as a virtual agency. Without having to account for the carbon footprint of an office or their team’s commute, they are able to minimize their impact and provide services more efficiently. The business has representation in Bath, Bristol and London in the UK, the Netherlands and South Africa.