Blaine Bartlett: Compassionate Capitalism and the Journey to the Soul of Business

Emerging Future Podcast

#1 International best-selling author of Compassionate Capitalism, Blaine Bartlett, joins me on the Emerging Future Podcast. The title, Compassionate Capitalism, is intentionally an oxy moron because compassion is far from a central core value in the world of business. Blaine makes a case for why compassion is the essential antidote to widespread greed, accumulation, consumerism, and planetary destruction. By embracing compassion, Blaine says we can move our reality towards what we truly want...flourishing of all life on the planet. As you quickly discover from our conversation, Blaine's work is not compartmentalized to the business world. Although he travels globally consulting with multi-nationals, Blaine offers a deeply personal vision for the future that can be practiced and realized today, one that enables individuals, society, and the planet an opportunity to thrive. Our exchange was held on Blaine's back patio overlooking the Salish Sea and the Straight of Juan de Fuca, the body of water separating the U.S and Canada. It was the ideal setting to have this conversation as much of his work draws wisdom from the natural world. He offered his home, which he aptly named Avatar, as a retreat center for many years before moving there full time with his wife, Cynthia. An Avatar is a physical manifestation of an idea, much like any business at it's conception. Blaine once dreamed of his home, and he imagined it into reality. This is a core philosophy of Blaine's work. In his book, Compassionate Capitalism, which he co-authored with David Meltzer, he paints a vibrant picture of what the future of capitalism could be if approach it with compassion, which ultimately brings the heart and soul back into business. The idea of imagining our desired future into our current reality is integral to the purpose of the Emerging Future Podcast, which is to learn and embody wisdom from the curious, compassionate, and courageous co-creators of our desired and emerging Future.