The Profile Classic: The Philosopher King of Cashmere
The Profile Classic: The Philosopher King of Cashmere“I would like to make a profit using ethics, dignity, and morals."I first published this Profile Dossier two years ago, so I wanted to re-surface it as a refresher. There are a lot of practical tidbits that you can apply to your own life immediately. I hope you enjoy. — Brunello Cucinelli is often called the "King of Cashmere," but he rules his fashion empire with a gentle hand. Born on a farm in the central part of Italy, Cucinelli has never abandoned his roots. Today, his eponymous Italian fashion brand specializes in luxury menswear, women's wear and accessories. Cucinelli has built a $600-million fashion empire based in Solomeo, a tiny town with roughly 400 inhabitants, most of whom he employs. Every year, Cucinelli re-invests 20% of the profits for the upkeep of Solomeo and its residents. He has given money toward infrastructure improvement, he has restored the church, opened a school, and built a brand new theater. His employees receive generous time off and they are not allowed to stay past 5:30 p.m. His motivation for creating an ethical workplace came from watching his father, an uneducated farmer, be demeaned by his superiors when he worked at a cement factory. “My father was humiliated,” Cucinelli says. “He didn’t make much money at all. His work didn’t do anything to make life more beautiful. He worked in a very tough environment.” When Cucinelli saw his father's "teary eyes," he decided that the objective of his life would be to give those with whom he worked a moral and economic dignity. As a result, the fashion mogul has been preaching a new business approach called "Humanistic Capitalism," in which money is seen as a tool to improve the human condition. Services, schools, places of worship, and cultural heritage require capital, but they empower the community. "I believe in capitalism," Cucinelli says. "I need to make a profit, but I would like to do it with ethics, dignity, morals. It's my dream." Here's what we can learn from the business powerhouse who finds inspiration for building his company's culture in the ancient texts of philosophers, artists, and writers. ✨ The rest of this newsletter is only available for premium members of The Profile, whose support makes this work possible. If you’re not already a premium member, consider upgrading your subscription below for access to the full Profile Dossier. ✨ ... Keep reading with a 7-day free trialSubscribe to The Profile to keep reading this post and get 7 days of free access to the full post archives.A subscription gets you:
|
Older messages
The Profile: The CEO stepping down to fulfill a religious promise & the founder badmouthing the company she founded
Sunday, August 27, 2023
This edition of The Profile features David Smith, Ty Haney, Diane von Furstenberg, and more.
The Profile Dossier: Annual Birthday Check-In: 10 Lessons from My 32nd Year of Life
Wednesday, August 23, 2023
I started writing this newsletter when I was 25 years old. Tomorrow, I turn 32.
The Profile: The CEO of one of software’s buzziest unicorns & the No. 1 podcast in tech
Sunday, August 20, 2023
This edition of The Profile features Assaf Rappaport, Grimes, Ben Gilbert and David Rosenthal.
The Profile Dossier Classic: Tommy Caldwell, the world's most resilient adventurer
Wednesday, August 16, 2023
“We as human beings are capable of so much more than we could ever realize."
The Profile: The ‘jerk’ running Goldman Sachs & the Uber CEO creating an all-purpose platform
Monday, August 14, 2023
This edition of The Profile features David Solomon, Gilbert Arenas, Dara Khosrowshahi, and more.
You Might Also Like
🔍 How To Build An Organic Content Flywheel
Friday, September 20, 2024
September 19, 2024 | Read Online All Case Studies 🔍 Learn About Sponsorships Nearly every brand makes this mistake: their organic content team operates in a silo. Huge mistake. Organic is the testing
Your Invite To BUILD Summit 2024
Thursday, September 19, 2024
Hey everyone, ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏
GPT o1 vs. 4o 🥊, Accelerator List 🚀, AI Coming To Your Ads 🤖, and Game-Changing AI Guides 🧭
Thursday, September 19, 2024
Plus: CRO Hacks 📋, B2B Gems 💎, UX Mockup Tutorial Using AI 🎨, Elevator Pitch Tips 🎤, and more!
FREE AI training for marketers…
Thursday, September 19, 2024
Hi Reader, Do you know you need to do more with AI? If so, I've got some high-quality video training for you. It's designed by me. And for a limited time, it's free. GET ACCESS TODAY I can
Exciting announcement
Thursday, September 19, 2024
I've got an announcement just for you: Our master class series last year had a 99% satisfaction rate. Several people have emailed me asking for a repeat of the experience this year... So, we're
📣 Now open: free registration for Litmus Live, SEO for email, and more
Thursday, September 19, 2024
The latest email resources from the Litmus blog and a few of our favorite things from around the web last week. ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏
Discover the new Digiday Streaming and Video Awards categories
Thursday, September 19, 2024
Showcase how your company is modernizing streaming and video
Fed Begins Easing Cycle with Jumbo 50bps Rate Cut
Thursday, September 19, 2024
Plus House Committee Questions SEC's Crypto Strategy in Divisive Hearing
[Webinar] 👀 Unlock lululemon’s winning social media formula
Thursday, September 19, 2024
Join us for an exclusive peek on October 1! ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏
🦄 The GTM coach for 12 unicorns
Thursday, September 19, 2024
An interview with Scott Leese, Founder and CEO of Scott Leese Consulting. 🤝