Impact report 2022-23

Measuring my business as a force for good.

I’m in business to bring back nature

A big change in early 2023 was a change in my mission statement, aka my WHY - a wee tweak, but one that makes so much more sense to me. I always knew in the back of my mind that photography was just the vehicle to demonstrating how I can run my for-profit businesses better and more sustainably, but thinking about my why in this new way opens up the opportunity to do so much more than just take photos.

This is my third impact report, and like last year - a very late one (published in late April 2024). It’s difficult to write it so late, as it’s so tempting to focus on more recent impact - so that’s my first lesson learnt right there (mental note - impact report #4 is already due in a couple of months!). So jumping forward to the present, when it came time to write this impact report, I wanted to re-assess what I measure my impact against. Previously it’s been business, clients, community and environment - loosely based on the B Corp certification categories. But with the tweak to my why, I wanted to make it more relevant to what’s meaningful to me. So I did some brainstorming, and was inspired by Odonata’s 7C’s.

And this is what I came up with. All the impact areas below are intertwined and overlapping but resonate with me - so that’s what I’m going to use going forward. I’ve also benchmarked them against the relevant Sustainable Development Goals and B Corp impact areas, and put goals and how I’ll measure them against it. You can see the more detailed table at the end of the report in the Looking Forward section.

Clients

I use photography to increase the impact of my clients, who are working towards the Sustainable Development Goals (primarily those relating to sustainable architecture, climate change solutions and biodiversity and conservation).

My services support the operations of purpose driven businesses and organisations, and I use my network of press and publications to shine the spotlight on the work they’re doing.

Since drawing a hard line in the sand about the type of clients I work with in late 2021, my rate of purpose driven clients climbed from 48% of all jobs in 2021-22 to 90% in 2022-23. This equated to only 3 of 30 shoots that weren’t particularly purpose driven (general interiors rather than high performance buildings).

Client satisfaction

Asking clients about their satisfaction can be daunting, but having a formal process can yield valuable feedback. Every year, I conduct a survey with set satisfaction goals. I evaluated the results at the end of the financial year to assess my performance against these targets.

I had 29 responses to my survey, and some key takeaways were: 100% of my respondents said my pre-shoot communication was just the right amount, and 93% said their understanding of licensing was good and they understood the basic principles. 69% said that shoot day was “fun, so much fun” or “calm” (24% weren’t there on shoot day), 79% said they were blown away by my deliverables and they were much better than they imagined. 83% said they’d recommend me as a 10/10, 3% said they’d recommend as a 9/10 and over 10% said they’d recommend me as a 7/10. One figure I’m especially proud of as a business owner trying to do meaningful work: 100% said my value for money was good or great. 

The summary table breaks down this survey over the last three years and how I met my targets. 

Conservation

This impact area is a change around how we tend to look at the environmental impacts of business with just a ‘climate’ lens on. For a long time, nature and biodiversity has been largely ignored when considering the impacts of business. However, there is now a growing recognition of the importance of assessing both nature impacts and carbon emissions, signifying a positive change in perspective.

In light of this, a few things relating to nature that I did in 2022-23 were:

  • I donated 96.5 hours of my time to a non-profit called BioDiversity Legacy - a charity that is dedicated to supporting a groundswell of individuals, communities and organisations who want to protect biodiversity and ensure the equitable transfer of land to future generations.

  • My Prints for Wildlife series is still ongoing, although very slowly - I donated just over $1000 to three wildlife sanctuaries.

  • Right at the end of the financial year, I started another pro bono relationship with the Odonata Foundation, which led to the pilot program of Business of Biodiversity.

  • Continued to look for suitable habitat to establish our own threatened species sanctuary, with a long term view of leaving it in community ownership.

Climate

For the third year in a row, I certified as carbon neutral (all together as a business and also a two person household). I changed who I did the certification with, which meant that I was certified twice as such for 6 months of the year - as the new one (Change Climate, formerly Climate Neutral) calculated carbon on a calendar year, not financial year. You can see my report here, including my Reduction Action Plans.

I’m not sure if I would certify with Change Climate again, as it wasn’t as accurate for a small business as what I’ve done with PathZero - you put in your expenses and they give you an estimated output. My result was 4t of carbon for a two-person household and small business - which didn’t seem correct to me as the previous two years have been around 20t. So I opted to offset for 25 tonnes to cover what I thought would be my true emissions. I purchased 15 t of offsets through the Bonneville Environmental Foundation for the Unitor REDD + Project, Brazil (VCS2508, Vintage 2019) and 10t of offsets through the Agrocortex Forestry, BRazil (VCS1686, Vintage 2019) - both being emissions avoided or removed from nature.

Again, just like the previous two financial years, almost 40% of my emissions are from the use of two diesel cars and the energy from using a 50-year-old gas AGA stove. My goals remain the same (to purchase an electric car and an electric AGA), which will reduce my total emissions substantially. This is a slow burn (so to speak) as we are still looking for land to build a small passivhaus on, and will start our all-electric journey from that point.

I also wrote an article for the Image Makers Association on 10 steps to becoming carbon neutral.

Next year I have a goal of using local carbon offsets that also increase biodiversity and habitat.

Currency

This impact area encapsulates my passion around putting your money where it matters under the broad categories of banking, super, spending and giving.

I started working on digital course that delivers a simple step-by-step process to ensure your banking, super, and spending are aligned with your values. This is still in progress however, as it got waylaid by the Business of Biodiversity pilot program!

I wrote an article for the Image Makers Association on how to make an impact with money, and followed that up with an instagram series on the same topic.

On a personal level, I moved my banking to Bank Australia (which my business account is with), and closed down all ING bank accounts due to their continual lending of money to fossil fuel projects.

Cashflow is also an important metric to measure - to keep my business profitable in order to create a lasting positive impact. This was achieved.

Coaching

As mentioned in my introduction, there is a lot of crossover with my 8 impact areas, and this one is a prime example. Coaching covers my work on the pilot program for Business of Biodiversity, the work on my money matters course and all additional educational work around impact in business (such as my Three Neat Things newsletter), guest posts etc.

Causes

Pro bono

I removed my formal pro bono program in lieu of focusing my pro bono work on areas I’d like to work more in (climate change solutions, biodiversity and conservation, and sustainable architecture and affordable housing). I found that applicants for my pro bono were very enthusiastic, but often not ready to commit to a photoshoot.

So in the 2022-23 financial year, I donated 96.5 hours of my time of pro bono work with BioDiversity Legacy - which is part of a broad movement of individuals and organisations that are looking for innovative pathways to expand the amount of land protected for our native species, whilst also looking to transition private land into a stewardship model rather than a capitalist one.

In addition, I donated the equivalent of $5,381 of photography services to Climate Council, Renew and the Australian Environmental Grantmakers Network.

1% For the Planet

I’ve been a member of 1% For the Planet since 2018. In previous years I’ve pledged to give at least 2% of my revenue to non-profits in the form of cash donations, although I fell a bit short this year with only 1.59%. My 1% For the Planet commitment was made up of donations to the Climate Council, The Change Climate Project (formerly Climate Neutral), and Bungalook Creek Wildlife Shelter.

I need to get clearer about my commitments in terms of what makes up pro bono time, pro bono services (i.e. photography deliverables) and cash donations as it tends to get a bit confusing with all three and what I pledge to do.

A summary for the 2022-23 year:

Culture

Recognising the critical importance of Indigenous cultural awareness in Australia is not just an exercise in corporate social responsibility, it’s a foundational step towards creating a more inclusive, respectful, and sustainable business landscape. As someone who has committed to intertwining nature's revival with business acumen, I must acknowledge an area ripe for improvement within my operations - deepening my understanding and appreciation of Indigenous cultures and their intrinsic connection to the land we all share.

Next year, I will organise cultural heritage information sessions for fellow B Corps. This initiative represents a concerted effort to foster a corporate ethos that values and integrates Indigenous wisdom and practices. By participating in these sessions, we aim to cultivate a more profound respect for the traditions, rights, and perspectives of Indigenous communities, thereby embedding these principles into the very fabric of our business operations.

Moreover, these sessions are envisioned as a bridge, facilitating dialogue and partnership between the business community and Indigenous peoples. By engaging directly with Indigenous leaders, elders, and educators, we anticipate a learning experience that transcends the traditional business training model. This approach not only enriches our cultural understanding but also informs our business practices, ensuring they are aligned with the principles of sustainability, respect, and equity.

Community

Community has been a facet of both my personal life and professional endeavours where I've sensed an opportunity for improvement. While I am an active member of the B Corp community, the scarcity of in-person events in Victoria limits deeper engagement. Similarly, my involvement in the high-performing/passivhaus community is somewhat peripheral, given my role as a photographer rather than a builder or architect.

A great addition to the photography community is the initiation of the Image Makers Association, an industry body representing Australian professional and emerging photographers. I had the privilege of joining as a founding member. My contributions include an article about impactful financial practices and a corresponding Instagram series, illustrating my commitment to enhancing our community through actionable insights and shared knowledge.

Measuring impact

In order to compare my social or environmental performance scorecards year on year, I needed to define some measurable impacts when I started writing my impact reports.

I did this by tracking the metrics below for the Australian financial year. This will be continued to be tracked on an annual basis.

Looking forward

Looking forward to 2023-24, I‘ve changed my approach to assess my business (and life) against eight main impact areas that are most important to me. These core impact areas are aligned with the relevant Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and B Corp impact areas, to ensure that my operations not only fosters a business that thrives, but also nourish the environmental and social ecosystem that we all inhabit.

I will continue to choose only clients who are actively working towards the SDGs, particularly those focused on sustainable buildings, climate action, and nature and biodiversity. I aim to bolster my efforts in regard to nature, enhancing biodiversity by supporting threatened species and educating businesses on how to work in a nature positive manner. My climate strategy will continue to minimise my carbon footprint, and I hope to elevate my 1890s cottage to an electric only building, and transition to electric vehicles.

My coaching efforts will empower others through guidance on sustainable and ethical practices, expanding through the 'Business of Biodiversity' program and my 'Money Matters' digital content. Causes that reflect my core values will receive my support, with a commitment of at least 5% of my time and resources annually.

I am continually directing financial resources towards ethical sources, promoting responsible consumption and supporting suppliers that empower economic growth. Lastly, my community initiatives will solidify connections within my networks and endorse cultural respect, particularly for Indigenous heritage.

Measurement of these goals is both qualitative and quantitative, ensuring a methodical assessment of my impact. This forward-looking strategy is my blueprint, a promise for a sustainable, equitable, and prosperous future.

Hawson Consulting Pty Ltd is owned by Marnie & Ryan Hawson who are the beneficial owners of the company.