Flourishing Business Canvas: Digging Into the Playful Conversations of the Sandbox
In an era where the business landscape is undergoing significant shifts, Lesley and Rob have explored and created new narratives and business models for the past year. Together, they have explored holistic business models and frameworks representing various businesses across sectors, but what happens when they approach the Sandbox itself with the same curiosity and analysis? Their weekly Sandbox conversations serve as a sandbox for innovative ideas and strategies. By utilizing the Flourishing Business Canvas (FBC), Lesley and Rob aim to further understand and evolve their weekly discussions, co-creating a community of practice around holistic business models.
This article, the first in a three-part series, will introduce you to the process Lesley and Rob use with the FBC to deepen their understanding of their weekly Sandbox conversations. Through their discussions, we gain insights into new work, business, and community-building approaches.
Purpose of the Sandbox:
First, the conversation is grounded in the purpose they developed for the Sandbox over the past year. Lesley and Rob’s Sandbox is founded on the purpose of openly exploring holistic business models. They prioritize play over perfection and focus on co-creating a community that moves at the speed of trust. Through their discussions, Lesley and Rob examine the Flourishing Business Canvas and its impact on their ongoing projects and share it openly with readers and community members like you. In doing so, they hope to spark ideas and capacity in others through shared (and sometimes imperfect) learning and welcome those interested to join the conversation.
Identifying Stakeholders:
A critical component of the Flourishing Business Canvas, and often the first step in engaging with the canvas, is understanding the various stakeholders involved in their journey. Lesley and Rob identify several key stakeholders (among others, as seen on the Miro board):
- Colleagues and Online Community: This group includes individuals and communities from LinkedIn, Medium, and other online platforms.
- Flourishing Business Canvas (FBC): as a model, FBC serves as a separate stakeholder with its own frameworks and objectives.
- Holistic Business Model Frameworks: Beyond FBC, Lesley and Rob explore other business model frameworks, such as lean startups and continuous improvement methodologies.
- Certified B Corps: The community of certified B Corps, which has a specific holistic business model, plays a significant role in their discussions.
- Georhythmic Calendar: The georhythmic calendar, tied closely to nature, provides governance and sets a pace for their work.
- Technology: Technology as a stakeholder plays a role in facilitating Lesley and Rob’s connection and the dissemination of their content.
Governance:
Second, Lesley and Rob discuss the governance of their activities, focusing on a cooperative decision-making approach. They strive to advance awareness, education, and connection within their online community. Governance is also guided by their mutual commitment to move at the speed of trust and respect for the georhythmic calendar.
Activities and Outcomes:
The conversations between Lesley and Rob lead to various activities and outcomes as they discuss governance:
- Seasonal Check-Ins: They perform seasonal reflections to summarize and analyze the progress made during each season.
- Monitoring Engagement: Lesley and Rob closely monitor the engagement and feedback from their online community.
- Testing Assumptions: They test assumptions and iterate on their approaches based on feedback and changing circumstances.
- Co-creation: Lesley and Rob’s discussions are centred around co-creating value and advancing the awareness and connection of different stakeholders.
- Product Development: As their discussions evolve, they recognize opportunities for product development, which may emerge from their exploration and collaborations.
Reflecting on the Future:
Lesley and Rob’s discussions also touch on the future of work and business. They explore new ways of organizing and the potential shifts away from traditional hierarchical structures and traditional relationships with time. Their conversations pose questions about how these new forms of organization impact the broader ecosystem of work.
Last Thoughts:
Lesley and Rob’s weekly Sandbox conversations, guided by the Flourishing Business Canvas, demonstrate the importance of exploring new narratives and business models. By prioritizing play, fostering community, and moving at the speed of trust, they pave the way for innovative approaches to business and work. Through their journey, they provide valuable insights for others seeking to navigate the evolving landscape of work and business.
Stay tuned for the next installment of this series, where we dig deeper into Lesley and Rob’s flourishing journey and the innovative ideas emerging from their playful, but purposeful Sandbox conversations.
Time Stamp:
New Moon / Plan — Initiating new projects, setting intentions, and planning for growth.
Spring (S1) — Renewal, growth, and new beginnings.
May — Embrace creativity, explore new markets, and foster a culture of growth.
Rob Sinclair is the founder of Conscious Brands, a firm that helps organizations transition from shareholder governance to stakeholder-driven organizations. Lesley Robb is the founder of Swell Impact, a firm specializing in branding and sustainability strategies for the tourism sector. Together, they openly explore holistic business models by prioritizing play over perfection and co-creating community.
