The Power of Growing Through a Holistic Approach to Purpose

Founder Integrates Sustainable Practices into Personal Life and Business

(Photo by Abby Boggier on Unsplash)

Ben Branson, who married his maternal side’s farming heritage with his father’s branding expertise, founded Seedlip, the world’s first distilled non-alcoholic spirits. A country boy at heart, Branson has an intrinsic love, affinity, and fascination for the natural world that guides the vision for his company and drives the ways in which he makes meaning of the impact he is having on a daily basis.

A truly purpose-driven entrepreneur, Branson says, “I spend my time, energy and money to make sure my kids grow up in a world where they can eat wonderful food, enjoy the outdoors, and spend time in a thriving, abundant, and diverse environment.” This purpose plays out in his vision for Seedlip, as well as more tactical elements of how Branson works and lives. Branson walked us through his purposeful approach using the My Why dashboard below, sharing the ways he finds purpose in the Spheres of Impact.

This My Why dashboard lays out the many ways that Branson activates his purpose, throughout his work and life. (Photo credit: Inspiring Capital)

Living a Purposeful Life

The way we take care of our selves, in terms of our mind, body, and spirit, can be easy to overlook or undervalue as a path to purpose—especially for busy entrepreneurs and working parents like Branson. But the oxygen mask metaphor is foundational: You must take care of yourself to effectively impact anyone else.

Eating and drinking well is central to Branson’s self-care practice. Living in the UK’s Buckinghamshire countryside, he takes pride in harvesting his own fruits, vegetables, and herbs in his home garden. As a family, they keep chickens and try to limit the amounts of mass produced or highly processed food they eat. Branson is fortunate enough to live in an area enveloped in the natural world, and finds joy in playing with his kids and dogs outside on a daily basis.

Supporting and influencing our family (biological and chosen) are other hugely impactful levers to shape the future. Branson is proud that his family has been farming for over 300 years in the North of England…