In this episode of Take-Away with Sam Oches, Sam talks with Norman Wu, the cofounder and CEO of Seattle-based Conscious Hospitality Group (CHG), which leverages conscious practices like paying employees more than minimum wage, using sustainable materials and sourcing sustainable product. CHG’s signature brand, Just Poke, is going from 15 locations at the beginning of 2022 to an expected 31 by the end of the year. Norman joins the podcast to talk about how putting people over profits makes good business sense, how scale is everything when it comes to running an eco-friendly business, and how the company’s ethos was key to Just Poke’s incredible growth in 2022.

In this conversation, you’ll find out why:

• Customers are willing to pay a premium to support brands they think are doing things the right way
• A strong brand ethos can help you scale more quickly
• Customers are more perceptive than ever about sustainability — but you should still communicate it as much as possible
• Eco-friendly products and practices aren’t as expensive as you think
• A conscious business may be more expensive, but ultimately leads to positive ROI
• Brands that align with customers’ values might be recession-proof

Have feedback or ideas for Take-Away? Email Sam at sam.oches@informa.com.