Marketing With Purpose Kit: Purpose as a Strategic Filter
Purpose-driven decision making helps a brand say no to the shiny distractions that dilute it. In this Marketing With Purpose Kit, hosts Stephen Sakach, Tullio Siragusa, and Mike Liwski explain purpose as a strategic filter, share how REI and Dr. Bronner's held their ground, and offer three questions to test any opportunity.
Purpose-driven decision making is how a brand stays focused when everything looks like an opportunity. In this Marketing With Purpose Kit from The Bliss Business Podcast, Stephen Sakach, Tullio Siragusa, and Mike Liwski explore purpose as a strategic filter: a way to say no to shiny distractions so you can say yes to what truly fits.
In this episode we explore:
• What it means to use purpose as a strategic filter
• Why off-purpose growth erodes trust inside and out
• How to say no, or yes within clear parameters, without losing your team
• How REI and Dr. Bronner’s turned down revenue to stay true to their values
• Three questions to test any opportunity against your purpose
• Turning purpose filters into a scorecard for leadership meetings
Mike defines the filter: using your core purpose to evaluate opportunities, campaigns, hires, and product ideas. Tullio warns that chasing every growth opportunity can pull a brand off course, and Stephen calls purpose a compass for your clear yes and your clear no.
Saying no is not easy, especially with aggressive growth goals. Tullio says leaders have to be okay with the dirty looks, because protecting the integrity of the brand means passing on hollow campaigns and partnerships that bring reach without resonance. When a flat no is too blunt, he suggests saying yes within clear parameters.
Tullio recounts how REI closed its stores on Black Friday in 2015 and paid employees to spend the day outdoors. Mike shares how Dr. Bronner’s turned down retail deals that asked it to tone down its labeling and messaging.
Mike offers three questions: does this support or dilute our purpose, would we be proud of it five years from now, and will it create clarity or confusion for our team and customers? Tullio suggests baking them into leadership meetings as a scorecard.
Holding every campaign to the same purpose filter, across paid search, social media, and programmatic advertising, is the kind of discipline Zero Company helps purpose-led brands build.
Key Takeaways
• (1:10) On what a purpose filter actually screens, from Mike Liwski: “using your core purpose to evaluate opportunities, campaigns, even hires, or what products you’re going to pursue”
• (3:54) On protecting the integrity of the brand, from Tullio Siragusa: “saying no to things like campaigns that sound good, but they feel hollow or partnerships that bring reach, but no resonance.”
• (6:01) On REI keeping its stores closed on Black Friday, from Tullio Siragusa: “they’re living the purpose and they’re embodying that purpose. And that’s probably a better commercial than any words you could possibly say.”
• (10:23) On why purpose protects loyalty, from Mike Liwski: “it takes so long to build that loyalty. But just in an instant, you can really lose that.”
• (11:30) On scoring new projects for alignment, from Tullio Siragusa: “even if the numbers look good, it’s a red flag.”
• (12:21) On what purpose really is, from Stephen Sakach: “purpose is more than a statement on your website. It’s really a tool for clarity, for courage, for consistency.”
FAQ
What does it mean to use purpose as a strategic filter?
Mike Liwski defines it as using your core purpose to evaluate every opportunity, campaign, hire, and product idea, so decisions that dilute the brand get filtered out and the ones that truly align get a confident yes.
How do you say no to opportunities that do not fit your brand?
Tullio Siragusa says protecting the integrity of the brand means passing on campaigns that feel hollow and partnerships that bring reach without resonance. When a flat no is too blunt, he suggests saying yes within clear parameters.
What questions help a brand make purpose-driven decisions?
Mike Liwski offers three: does this support or dilute our purpose, would we be proud of this decision five years from now, and will it create clarity or confusion for our team and our loyal customers?
Purpose is a tool for clarity, courage, and consistency, and saying no with it is powerful. Watch the video version, meet hosts Stephen Sakach and Tullio Siragusa, and explore more Marketing With Purpose Kit conversations.
🎙️ Hosted by Stephen Sakach, Mike Liwski, and Tullio Siragusa
🎧 Produced by Tullio Siragusa
Founder and CEO of Zero Company and AICMO
Stephen Sakach is Founder and CEO of Zero Company | Visionary in Purpose-Driven Business Practices
Stephen Sakach is a transformative leader and the driving force behind Zero Company, where he is pioneering a new era of purpose-driven business. As the creator of the BLISS concept—“Build Love Into Scalable Systems”—Stephen is redefining how businesses grow, fostering empathy, connection, and sustainable impact at scale.
Under Stephen's visionary leadership, Zero Company has evolved from a traditional command-and-control structure into a thriving self-managed organization. This decentralized model has empowered teams, enhanced engagement, and fostered a culture rooted in transparency, collaboration, and shared purpose.
Stephen is also at the forefront of innovation in the AI space with the development of AI CMO, an empathy-driven, purpose-led marketing platform. Designed to make businesses more human-centric, AI CMO helps organizations build authentic connections with their audiences while aligning their strategies with core values.
Guided by the ethos of BLISS, Stephen has dedicated his career to embedding empathy and human-centered principles into every layer of business—transforming brands, systems, and cultures to prioritize care, understanding, and genuine connection from the inside out.
Empathy-Driven Leader | Fractional COO | Podcast Host | Purpose & EQ Coach
Tullio Siragusa is a seasoned business strategist, author, and speaker, renowned for integrating disruptive technologies with emotional intelligence (EQ) to drive transformative growth.
As the founder of Inventrica Advisory, and the EmpathIQ Framework™ he provides strategic guidance, serving as an Operating Partner, Strategic Advisor, and leadership coach.
An accomplished author, Tullio has written extensively on leadership, innovation, and self-management. His books challenge conventional thinking and provide actionable insights for individuals and organizations striving for sustainable success. His published works are available on Amazon, where he explores themes of emotional intelligence, business transformation, human-centric leadership, and purpose-driven success.
Tullio shares his insights through various platforms, including The Bliss Business Podcast, where he explores empathy in leadership and the future of work. His multimedia content on leadership, innovation, and personal growth is featured on his YouTube Channel.
His deep commitment to promoting a human-centric approach to innovation is exemplified through significant roles as an Advisory Board Member of the University of California, Riverside, Design Thinking Executive Program, the University of San Francisco, School of Management, Digital Marketing Program, and as co-founder of RadicalPurpose.org
Furthermore, his role as a Board Advisor at AI2030.org amplifies this commitment, steering AI development towards a horizon of sustainability and ethical practices. Throug… Read More
Founding Partner of aiCMO and VP, Strategic Performance of Zero Company
Michael Liwski is a trailblazer in empathetic, purpose-driven marketing and a Founding Partner of aiCMO (AI Chief Marketing Officer - aiCMO.io) as well as VP of Strategic Performance of Zero Company Performance Marketing. With a focus on authenticity, purpose and human-centered innovation, Liwski has been instrumental in developing aiCMO's vision and features, ensuring it empowers businesses to craft meaningful campaigns that resonate deeply in an increasingly automated world.
An advocate for reviving authenticity in marketing — a response to decades of lifeless metrics-driven content—Liwski believes that brands that prioritize purpose will set the standard for the future. His leadership at aiCMO and Zero Company Performance Marketing is a testament to his commitment to helping brands thrive by aligning cutting-edge AI technology with empathy, purpose and authenticity.
With two decades of marketing experience in industries such as financial services, SaaS and cybersecurity, he has driven innovation and growth, leading global teams with a clear vision and deep empathy. Liwski’s philosophy is clear: In an era flooded with content and automation, businesses that lead with empathy and purpose will inspire action and
create a lasting legacy.
