Episode 1 (EN): Who is BusinessShift?

00:00:00: Business Shift.

00:00:06: The podcast for decision makers and executives who want to deal with the topic of sustainability

00:00:11: in a sustainable way.

00:00:14: Welcome to Business Shift, the podcast that changes perspectives and explores the question

00:00:19: of how to make more out of business, namely sustainable and future proof.

00:00:24: I'm Tobias Kirchhoff from TÜV Rheinland, your host and today we start an exciting journey

00:00:29: into the world of sustainability, innovation and transformation.

00:00:34: What can companies do to actively shape the change?

00:00:37: That's the central question we regularly ask ourselves here at Business Shift.

00:00:41: It is not only the very first episode of our new podcast, but also a special opportunity

00:00:45: to introduce you to someone who will accompany me from now on.

00:00:49: It is Dr. Bahar Cat-Krause, also from TÜV Rheinland.

00:00:52: Bahar is a real expert in sustainability.

00:00:54: Bahar, thank you so much for joining us.

00:00:57: I am very happy.

00:00:58: Hello Tobias, I'm happy too.

00:01:00: And I'm really excited to see what we're going to get up and running together here

00:01:03: on the topic of sustainability, which can also be very complex.

00:01:06: But it's also fun and that's what we want to show you.

00:01:09: Yes.

00:01:10: But before this gets too philosophical, let our listeners first explain what it's all

00:01:14: about.

00:01:15: First, for example, the title.

00:01:17: What does business shift mean?

00:01:18: Yes, the term business shift describes the profound change that many companies are inevitably

00:01:22: going through today.

00:01:24: In other words, a change that is driven both by external pressure such as legal regulations

00:01:28: and by inner convictions such as the pursuit of more sustainability.

00:01:32: It's about fundamentally changing the way companies work and keeping companies in the

00:01:35: driver's seat.

00:01:37: This applies to business models as well as culture and mindset.

00:01:40: This is a real paradigm shift.

00:01:41: So you mean how we can set up our companies in a way that is suitable for grandchildren?

00:01:45: Yes, right.

00:01:47: Because in the past, the focus was often only on economic success.

00:01:50: It was about maximizing profits, about growth.

00:01:52: But today, many companies also realize that they can only be successful in the long term

00:01:56: if they also take responsibility for the environment and society.

00:02:00: That means they need to be resource efficient, treat their employees fairly and also find

00:02:03: innovative ways to meet their customers' needs all in a way that doesn't exploit the

00:02:07: world.

00:02:08: So it's about the change towards a business model that, as I said, is sustainable, capable

00:02:13: of grandchildren, economically, ecologically and socially.

00:02:18: And that, I believe, is also the core of business shift.

00:02:20: Ultimately, it is a movement towards a new understanding of success.

00:02:24: Yes, actually, you put it perfectly in a nutshell to bias.

00:02:28: Change is not easy, but it is necessary and it also offers opportunities to open up new

00:02:32: markets, drive innovation and promote sustainable growth.

00:02:35: And companies that make this shift will take the lead in their industry.

00:02:38: That's clear.

00:02:39: And that's basically what we want to convey in this podcast.

00:02:41: How this change succeeds and what the company can do specifically to successfully follow

00:02:46: this path.

00:02:47: And that brings us to our motto, just do it.

00:02:49: How do we actually name that correctly?

00:02:51: Just do it or just do it simple?

00:02:53: Yes, both.

00:02:55: Just do it and just do it simple.

00:02:56: These are the two meanings for us.

00:02:58: On the one hand, it is intended to lower the inhibition threshold.

00:03:01: Many people think that sustainability is incredibly complex and difficult to implement.

00:03:05: This is often about taking the first steps instead of waiting for the perfect solution.

00:03:10: So just start.

00:03:11: And on the other hand, it is about the fact that changes really have to happen.

00:03:14: Being alone in the Rhineland, they also say Babel is not enough.

00:03:17: We have to take action.

00:03:19: Sustainability is not a theory, but has to do with practice.

00:03:21: In other words, something that we can and must actively implement.

00:03:25: I really like that.

00:03:26: Doing is like wanting only more blatant, you could say, because projects often fail because

00:03:32: they are simply too big and too complicated before you even get started.

00:03:36: Yes, which then brings me to the question, what topics exactly will we cover in business

00:03:40: shift?

00:03:41: What can our listeners expect in the next episodes?

00:03:43: Yes, so we will cover a wide range of topics. This ranges from sustainability management to social

00:03:48: social issues, regulations, everything that is important in principle for sustainable business.

00:03:54: But one focus, and I think that's also the beauty of our podcast, will be on how companies can make

00:03:59: processes more sustainable. So it affects everything from energy efficiency to the supply chain to

00:04:04: social responsibility issues that play into the whole topic of sustainability. And we will also

00:04:09: deal with new technologies such as in the context of the circular economy or the opportunities

00:04:14: offered by digitalization, which also goes hand in hand with sustainability. And just as

00:04:19: important are topics such as leadership culture or employee management and commitment because

00:04:23: change begins with the people in the company. So people are not always to be underestimated.

00:04:28: They are a great lever even when it comes to living and implementing sustainability. Yes,

00:04:33: and I would like to discuss all this with you as practically as possible so that everyone who

00:04:37: listens to us can also do something with it, i.e. something to take home. That sounds like a very

00:04:42: exciting and versatile mix. And I'll take it with me. We're not talking so much about people who

00:04:46: have already come a long way, but about the people who are now on their way. And how do I start?

00:04:51: And then there is also the question for me. The best way to learn is by doing it yourself and by

00:04:56: giving examples that inspire you. Exactly. And that's exactly what we want to aim at with this

00:05:01: practical relevance, namely to bring people here to our podcast who have already put ideas into

00:05:06: implementation, who deal with such topics. And we already have some great discussion partners for

00:05:11: this, whom we will also invite. But I won't reveal who that is yet, because there has to be a bit

00:05:16: of a surprise. In any case, these are entrepreneurs who have already gone through this shift and who

00:05:21: then share their success stories, perhaps even learning paths with us. That also sounds very,

00:05:26: very exciting. I think it's going to be pretty exciting to bias. Why are you dealing with this

00:05:30: topic of business shift and sustainability? Yes, because it is so exciting and because it is so

00:05:35: extensive and also fun. Well, I've been dealing with the topic for a really long time and have

00:05:40: also been talking about it at a time when organic was still a dirty word. Since then, a lot has

00:05:45: really changed. Unfortunately, I have been able to support many companies in becoming more sustainable

00:05:50: and going through this shift and transformation. And it's fun to see that it works and that you

00:05:54: can really achieve something through it. And that's why I'm going to continue to do it for the rest

00:05:58: of my life. That is a promise. Okay, then let's see how far we get with the podcast, how far we

00:06:03: are still with it in the following years. So we don't seem to have to save the whole world right

00:06:08: away. So we have a little time, but we can start today with a few small pieces. Baha, I am very much

00:06:14: looking forward to our common mission, to the exciting topics, to the guests, simply great.

00:06:19: I'm also happy to bias. And there is really so much to discover. And I also hope that our listeners

00:06:25: really take away a lot of practical ideas and also take things with them that they might want to

00:06:30: suggest in their company, implement them. And yes, just take everyone with them a little bit on the

00:06:36: journey. And if you want to learn more about it now, dear listeners, just stay tuned. Subscribe to

00:06:42: our podcast and we will bring you the most interesting tips and stories on the topic of

00:06:46: sustainability in business innovation and transformation in a resource efficient way

00:06:52: directly into your ear canal. You can receive us wherever podcasts are available and wherever you

00:07:00: are in the home office, in the car, in the bathroom, in the shower, when walking in nature,

00:07:08: ironing or or or. As always, you can find all information and tips in the show notes.

00:07:14: And don't forget change in business starts right with all of us. So until next time, your business

00:07:21: shift, business shift, just do it. Simply do it. The podcast for decision makers and executives who

00:07:28: want to engage sustainably with the topic of sustainability. Stay curious. Bye bye.