I recently went one on one with Etienne Cadestin, founder and CEO of Longevity Partners.

Adam: Thanks again for taking the time to share your advice. First things first, though, I am sure readers would love to learn more about you. How did you get here? What experiences, failures, setbacks or challenges have been most instrumental to your growth? 

Etienne: I have always wanted to work in fighting climate change, from a very young age. All my projects in high school and at university had a climate, energy or ecological focus. My first job was to intern for Waterkeeper Alliance, an amazing water conservation program based in New York. I then went to the London School of Economics to specialize in urbanization and development, a program that looks at bridging the development gap in developing countries while ensuring that development doesn’t exacerbate climate change or the impact we have on natural capital.

My dream job was that one day I would work for the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). 

Halfway during my masters program, I was asked by the United Nations Environment Programme if I would be available to support them with the green building and green cities chapters of the Green Economy Report, the first report that was published by the UN to define the Green Economy. I stayed with them for two years before I moved to the dark side of the business world, where I joined the sustainability team at JLL’s European HQ called Upstream. I then moved to Knight Frank’s global HQ in London where I was supporting the business with the development of a sustainability and energy branch which was very successful. 

After nearly five years at Knight Frank, I decided to set up Longevity Partners to create a leading global firm that provides the right expertise to decarbonize the planet and secure a safe future for our children. 

Adam: How did you come up with your business idea and know it was worth pursuing? What advice do you have for others on how to come up with and test business ideas? 

Etienne: Before I set up my business, I was responsible for more than half of income generation and I was also in charge of delivering the work with my team. I had a dream to create the first independent, global ESG advisory business to reduce the impact of climate change, adapt to it and work towards a more inclusive society. Now this is pretty much what we are doing, advising our clients in nearly 40 countries.  

My biggest advice is to follow your instinct and have the courage to follow your dreams. Taking this huge personal risk was one of the most frightening decisions I had to make in my life, it is also the most rewarding and fantastic to see what we have been doing in the last six years. But it’s just the beginning and now we have a global network, we are going to focus on mass implementation of net-zero carbon programs. 

The best way to start a business is to make sure that you have a business case before you jump. If you know you can generate income and that there is a market for your product, then go for it. 

Adam: What are the key steps you have taken to grow your business? What advice do you have for others on how to take their businesses to the next level? 

Etienne: At first, you need to build up a track record, and it’s the hardest part of the journey. People will tell you that you’re too small, you haven’t got enough track record and that they don’t want to engage with you. They pretty much all say - come back when you’re bigger because you’re too much of a risk right now. It’s true, 95% of businesses die within 5 years of inception, so to some extent Longevity is a survivor!

Once your clients see the real value of your services, and the uniqueness of your team or your products, it’s all about the energy you will put towards the growth of your business. I personally have invested in the best salespeople I could find on the continent and have built up trust with our key partners which seems to be a winning combination!

Adam: What are your best sales and marketing tips? 

Etienne: The best marketing is your reputation and word of mouth in the B2B sector. If you keep delivering the best services and have the best team members around you, it will be a lot easier to grow the business. 

I always see business as a mutually beneficial transaction and the result of a cooperation between two parties. And there is no cooperation without trust, the most valuable commodity to our business. 

Adam: What should leaders understand about ESG?

Etienne: ESG is not an option, the planet is heading towards mass extinction of species and global climate change is causing irreversible tipping points that will only accelerate the patterns of extreme weather events. We have a collective responsibility to address the impact our business has on society and do something about it. Businesses that will not address climate risks will face serious difficulties in the future as the pressure is tri-dimensional: it comes from the regulators, the market, and investors.    

Adam: In your experience, what are the defining qualities of an effective leader? How can leaders and aspiring leaders take their leadership skills to the next level? 

Etienne: I guess there are as many types of leadership as there are leaders out there so I wouldn’t say that I have got a magic answer to that question. In general, I am a huge believer in creating the next generation of leaders within your business, if you want it to strive. Then it’s all about giving them enough space to fly and most of the time they will blow your mind. 

Good leaders have to listen, support, be empathic and more importantly, put their ego aside - the real enemy. 

I’m a big believer of participative leadership, most of the time your team will find the best solution if you give them the freedom to collectively think about the resolution of a problem. 

Adam: What is your best advice on building, leading and managing teams? 

Etienne: To build a team, your future colleagues will need to believe in the firm they will be joining. It’s not just about a job, people work at Longevity because they have looked at our culture, our vision, our track record, where we’re heading ...etc.  So to attract the best talent, you need to have vision, that’s the first step. 

I built a company based on very strong cultural foundations around trust, excellence, impact, mutual support and mutual respect. As long as our managers keep these key foundations in mind when managing their colleagues, I think that we will go a long way!

Work is also about having fun, so we give our employees an hour every day to do sport, we organise staff retreats and we have numerous parties which allows us to create an unshakable bond. 

Adam: What are your three best tips applicable to entrepreneurs, executives and civic leaders? 

Etienne:

1- Invest in your workforce by rewarding and empowering them (not sure if it’s two but I see it as one)

2- Develop a fantastic vision for your firm and stick with it!

3- Surround yourself with the best people. 

Adam: What is the single best piece of advice you have ever received? 

Etienne: Probably inspired by Marcus Aurelius. “The hard way is the way”. If you manage to create a business with solid barriers of entry, and a unique way of delivering your services, then you will have a clear competitive advantage and you will be set for success. Don’t ever cut corners!