Awarepreneurs - #1039: Awarepreneurs interview

🔖 Titles

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1. Building a Better Future: Growth and Impact with Second Chance Hiring at Awake Window and Door 2. From Recidivism to Results: Scott Gates on Second Chances in Manufacturing Success 3. Awakening Opportunity: How Second Chance Hiring Fuels Growth at Awake Window and Door 4. Second Chances, Superior Growth: Scott Gates’ Mission for Inclusive Employment 5. How Hiring the Formerly Incarcerated Drives Innovation at Awake Window and Door 6. Creating Social Impact: The Business Benefits of Embracing Second Chance Hiring 7. Scott Gates’ Journey: Scaling a Mission-Driven Company with Second Chance Employees 8. Unlocking Talent: How Awake Window and Door Finds Growth in Unconventional Hiring 9. The Power of Purpose: Scaling Awake Window and Door Through Second Chance Hiring 10. Shattering Barriers: Second Chance Employment as a Catalyst for Business Success

💬 Keywords

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second chance hiring, recidivism, social entrepreneurship, formerly incarcerated employment, Awake Window and Door Co., luxury window manufacturing, custom homes, impact business, private equity, raising capital, self-funding startups, business growth, employee retention, inclusive hiring, social justice business, workplace culture, manufacturing startups, leadership, hiring practices, talent development, career advancement, rehabilitation, waiting list for jobs, product innovation, complex window design, mission-driven business, reintegration, corporate social responsibility, entrepreneurship, employee promotion

💡 Speaker bios

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Certainly! Here’s a short bio for Paul Zelizer, in summarized story format, using your provided text: --- Paul Zelizer is the founder and host of AwarePreneurs, recognized as the world’s longest-running podcast for social entrepreneurship. Through engaging conversations and insightful interviews with industry leaders, Paul has cultivated a global community focused on positive social impact. His passion lies in helping social entrepreneurs amplify their reach and effectiveness. With a warm and inviting approach, Paul encourages listeners to play an active role in supporting the show, ensuring that stories—such as those of leaders providing second chance employment—continue to inspire and foster change.

ℹ️ Introduction

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Welcome to another episode of Awarepreneurs, the world’s longest-running social entrepreneur podcast, hosted by Paul Zelizer. In this inspiring episode, Paul sits down with Scott Gates, the co-founder and CEO of Awake Window and Door Co.—a luxury window and door manufacturer with a bold mission: reducing recidivism by providing meaningful second chance employment to those who have been formerly incarcerated. Scott shares the unique journey that brought him from teaching Sunday school to launching a multimillion-dollar business, all while staying committed to a powerful social impact mission. Listen in as Scott reveals how he and his team intentionally built their company around Second Chances Hiring before even choosing their product, the challenges and rewards of self-funding a purpose-driven business, and the innovative ways they infuse their mission into every aspect of Awake’s operations—even down to the naming of their products. You’ll hear about Awake’s rapid growth, their commitment to creating career pathways for justice-involved employees, and the tangible, wide-reaching benefits—both human and financial—of their model. Whether you’re interested in building a business with impact, hiring practices that transform lives, or simply love a story of hope and innovation, this episode will leave you motivated. Tune in for practical insights, hard-earned lessons, and the real-world impact possible when business and social justice come together.

❇️ Key topics and bullets

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Here's a comprehensive sequence of topics covered in the Awarepreneurs episode featuring Scott Gates, along with detailed sub-topics for each primary area: --- **1. Introduction to the Podcast and Episode** - Brief overview of Awarepreneurs and its focus on social entrepreneurship. - Introduction of guest Scott Gates, founder and CEO of Awake Window and Door Co. - Overview of the episode’s theme: The growth benefits of Second Chances Hiring. - Reference to related past episodes on second chance hiring and HR topics. **2. Scott Gates’ Personal and Professional Background** - Early exposure to the luxury window and door industry through a church connection. - Reflection on an innate entrepreneurial drive and previous business leadership experiences. - Inspiration from socially conscious businesses (example: TOMS Shoes). - The influence of his wife and shared social justice values. **3. Founding Awake Window and Door Co.** - Circumstances leading to the formation of Awake (transition from former company, onset of COVID-19 pandemic). - Collaboration with former colleagues and development of a business plan. - Notably, the decision to focus on second chance employment was made prior to choosing the actual business model. **4. Deciding on the Business Model and Mission Alignment** - Exploration of alternative business models (barbershop, food-based ventures, clothing design). - Advice received regarding leveraging industry expertise and existing networks. - Final decision to focus on luxury windows and doors to maximize the chance of success while pursuing social impact. **5. Funding Awake Window and Door Co.** - Description of the capital needs (approx. $5-6M). - Use of liquidity from the sale of previous company as the founding capital. - Discussion of the risks and rewards of self-funding versus taking on investors. - Reflection on the importance of alignment between founders and investor values. **6. Integrating Second Chances Hiring into the Company** - Commitment to make second chance hiring a core part of Awake’s identity from the beginning. - Navigating the initial challenge of lacking personal experience with the justice-involved population. - Setting internal benchmarks (e.g., aiming for at least 40% of staff from justice-involved backgrounds). - Early-phase decisions about messaging: front-and-center mission or quietly building up. **7. Branding and Messaging on Social Impact** - Description of the dual messaging on Awake’s website—highlighting both engineering excellence and the focus on reducing mass incarceration. - Creative integration of the mission into product naming conventions (e.g., series numbers with social justice statistics). - Intentional and educational marketing strategy. **8. Learning and Preparing for Second Chances Hiring** - Acknowledgment of the founders’ lack of direct experience in this area. - Hiring a social worker with relevant background to co-create employee support systems. - Creating community partnerships for wraparound support (e.g., with nonprofits, governmental agencies for clothing, housing, ID cards). - Role design: combining traditional plant roles (OSHA safety) with social work responsibilities. **9. Company Scale and Impact Metrics** - Reporting company size: ~100 employees and $35M in revenue within a few years. - Achievement of >50% second chance hires, surpassing internal targets. - Emphasis on retention, career advancement, and staff transformation stories. - Diversity of justice-involved employees across all company levels (blue-collar and white-collar roles). **10. Company Culture and Advancement Pathways** - Active efforts to avoid bias and pigeonholing formerly incarcerated staff solely in lower-tier roles. - Promotion of internal upward mobility, with success stories of staff advancing from entry level to leadership. - Encouragement of ambition and skill development among all employees. **11. Growth Benefits of Second Chances Hiring** - Retention, performance, and loyalty advantages observed in second chance hires. - Unique labor market benefit: a waiting list of applicants driven by company reputation and mission. - Discussion on how building an inclusive culture translates to business growth and impact. **12. Customer Perspective and Brand Differentiation** - Explanation of how Awake’s technical excellence and social mission reinforce each other in the luxury market. - Customer engagement: architects and homeowners respond positively to the dual problem-solving ethos. - Examples of marketing and sales pitches that integrate both product uniqueness and social impact. - Observations of emotional and personal connections customers form with the mission (including those affected by incarceration). **13. Looking Forward: Vision for the Next Five Years** - Aspirational goals for doubling the company in size and impact. - Reflection on balancing company culture with growth, and maintaining personal connection as the company scales. - Ongoing commitment to innovation—both in social mission and in product development. **14. Product Innovation and Market Responsiveness** - Adapting and expanding product lines based on customer and architect needs. - Emphasis on engineering creative solutions for uniquely challenging luxury projects. - Role of curiosity, market listening, and problem-solving as core company values. **15. Final Advice and Takeaways** - Encouragement to other social entrepreneurs: the strategic business benefits of second chance hiring go beyond moral arguments. - Importance of open-mindedness in talent acquisition and the business case for inclusive hiring. - Offer to connect with listeners interested in Awake’s mission, products, or operational model. **16. Closing and Call to Action** - Information for listeners to reach out to Scott or learn more via Awake’s website. - Host’s reminder to share the episode and leverage the value for other impact-driven entrepreneurs. - Closing thoughts on the importance of values-led business actions. --- This structured breakdown covers the episode’s entire journey from Scott’s background and the founding of Awake, through strategies for integrating second chance hiring, into its practical, cultural, and commercial implications, and out toward future growth and advice for listeners.

📚 Timestamped overview

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00:00 "Second Chances in Social Entrepreneurship"

06:30 "Exploring New Business Ventures"

08:30 Entrepreneurial Pivot Boosts Success

11:27 "Balancing Impact and Profitability"

14:12 Mission-Driven Hiring Commitment

17:29 Educating Consumers Beyond Politics

22:35 Dual Role: Safety Director & Social Worker

27:15 "Second Chances Hiring Benefits"

29:14 "Growth Through Second Chance Hiring"

33:19 "Culture-Driven Growth Benefits"

34:59 Cultivating Talent and Growth Opportunities

40:21 "Luxury Glass Homes with Purpose"

41:36 Architects Rally for Social Justice

47:21 Inclusive Hiring's Strategic & Moral Benefits

50:45 "Share and Impact"

🎞️ Clipfinder: Quotes, Hooks, & Timestamps

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Scott Gates 00:09:25 00:09:37

Viral Topic: The Importance of Connections in Entrepreneurship: "And sometimes I think having the right connections and if you are going to do something entrepreneurial, making sure you're in a space where you can play to all the strengths that your career has afforded you."

Scott Gates 00:15:30 00:15:54

Viral Topic: Hiring Practices That Make a Difference: "we want at least 40% of our staff to be formerly incarcerated or have Sanit justice involved backgrounds. And that was a bar that we felt like was kind of a true north to aim for, to hold ourselves accountable, that as we grew that this wasn't just something that was part of our marketing or what we were explaining who we are, but we were making it very real."

Scott Gates 00:18:00 00:18:10

Viral Topic: Recidivism Is a Human Issue, Not a Political One: "we felt like once people understand recidivism, this isn't a left leaning or right leaning thing, it's just a human thing."

Scott Gates 00:23:27 00:23:35

Viral Community Hiring Strategies: "What we've done is made them the hub of pulling in all these other partnerships to help this group of people succeed."

Scott Gates 00:35:55 00:36:14

Viral Topic: The Power of Opportunity and Growth at Work: "And as his skills grew, so does his income, so does his potential. And that is just, I think it's an organization and a founder's job to leave that type of space for their staff and not pigeonhole the mission into one tier of employee."

Scott Gates 00:39:45 00:39:55

Viral Title: Turning Architectural Visions into Reality

Quote: "The company that Architects thought that they could call when they had something really tricky or really complex and they needed someone to solve it for them."

Scott Gates 00:41:09 00:41:24

Viral Topic: Luxury Homes with a Purpose: "We're saying we're going to give you your unique solution to make this incredible luxury home a reality. In exchange for you giving us this solution, you also get to be a part of the solution to this real world issue."

Scott Gates 00:42:19 00:42:42

Viral Topic: The Overlooked Impact of Criminal Justice Involvement
Quote: "I mean, there's a crazy stat that 1 in 3 people now in America have some type of justice involved background. So what that means is if I'm doing an architect presentation to 20 architects, there are probably a good portion of them in there that either have some type of record or have a friend or a family member that does. So it's an issue that matters to everybody."

Scott Gates 00:45:22 00:45:33

Viral Topic: The Importance of Listening to the Market

"If we stayed beholden to decisions that we made four or five years ago of what we thought the market would need, we're not listening to where the market's taking us."

Scott Gates 00:47:21 00:49:37

Viral Topic: The Overlooked Power of Second-Chance Hiring
Quote: "the profitability, the talent, the, you know, retention, the innovation that have made us successful are as much or more of a benefit than feeling like we have a bigger purpose. So, you know, I would use it as encouragement to people, you know, like us, that are trying to do right in the world, that if, if those things end up overlapping, well, they're not only going to help make a difference, but they're actually going to make your business more successful and more profitable and grow faster than maybe you even thought it could."

🎬 Reel script

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Today on Awarepreneurs, I sat down with Scott Gates, CEO and co-founder of Awake Window and Door Co., to talk about the incredible business benefits of Second Chances Hiring. Scott shared how prioritizing formerly incarcerated talent has not only reduced recidivism but fueled rapid growth—over 100 employees and $35 million in revenue in just a few years. By merging social impact with top-tier product innovation, Awake is proving you can grow fast, attract top talent, and make a meaningful difference. If you want to learn how purpose-driven hiring can be your competitive edge, don’t miss this episode!

👩‍💻 LinkedIn post

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Excited to share some highlights from my recent appearance on the Awarepreneurs podcast with Paul Zelizer, where we dove deep into the transformative power of Second Chances Hiring at Awake Window and Door Co. At Awake, our mission goes beyond designing luxury windows and doors—we're committed to reducing recidivism through meaningful second chance employment for formerly incarcerated individuals. The results? Rapid growth, strong employee engagement, and business success. Here are 3 key takeaways for leaders considering a similar path: 🔹 Leading with Mission Attracts Top Talent By placing our social impact front and center—not just in marketing but embedded in product lines and internal culture—we've built an environment that attracts and retains driven, loyal employees (56% with justice-involved backgrounds across ALL levels). 🔹 Strategic Partnerships Drive Impact Recognizing our gaps, we hired a social worker and formed partnerships with nonprofits and community organizations. This has been critical to supporting our team and helping our employees thrive professionally and personally. 🔹 Business Benefits Follow Bold Values Far from being a “nice-to-have,” our commitment to Second Chances Hiring has helped us build a waiting list of applicants, achieve $35M in revenue in under five years, and consistently promote from within—proof that values-driven growth is smart growth. For anyone exploring purpose-driven entrepreneurship, I encourage you to think big about the positive ripple effect your hiring practices can have—on your business, your team, and your community. Want to talk about mission-driven growth or learn more about our journey at Awake? Let’s connect! #SecondChances #SocialImpact #Hiring #PurposeDriven #Entrepreneurship #Awarepreneurs

🗞️ Newsletter

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**Subject:** Second Chances, Big Impact: The Power of Inclusive Hiring with Scott Gates --- Hi Awarepreneurs community, This week’s episode is a masterclass in social entrepreneurship, innovation, and second chances. Paul sits down with Scott Gates, the co-founder and CEO of Awake Window and Door Co.—a fast-growing company disrupting both the luxury home market and the world of fair-chance employment. **Here’s what you’ll find inside this episode recap:** **🌟 Mission Meets Method** Scott shares his journey from Sunday school teacher to leading one of the nation’s most unique window and door manufacturers. But at Awake, the work is about so much more than products—it’s about reducing recidivism by giving formerly incarcerated people meaningful, career-building roles. **📈 Impact by the Numbers** - Awake hit $35M annual revenue and 100+ employees in just a few years—all while keeping a commitment that at least 40% (currently 56%!) of staff have justice-involved backgrounds. - They didn’t just open the door to second chance applicants; they built a culture where team members can move into all levels of the company—entry level to management. **💡 Innovation At Every Level** Not only are Awake’s products turning heads in luxury architecture, but the way they weave their social mission into every part of the business is truly special (the numbers on their products actually represent statistics about incarceration and foster care—a brilliant touch!). **💬 Key Takeaways:** - Leveraging your own industry connections and expertise can make the difference when launching mission-driven ventures. - Hiring justice-involved talent isn’t just a feel-good initiative—it can solve talent shortages, fuel growth, and inspire deep loyalty and innovation in your team. - Building a transparent, supportive company culture helps employees from all backgrounds thrive and move up. **Ready to listen?** Don’t miss Scott’s inspiring story and actionable wisdom for any business owner looking to create both social impact and business success. 🎧 [Listen to the episode now!](#) If you’re inspired by this story or want to connect with Scott, check out Awake Window and Door Co. [here](https://awakewdc.com). And if you know someone who’d benefit from this episode—from impact founders to business leaders ready to rethink hiring—please share this newsletter! Thank you for being part of a community where purpose and profit go hand in hand. With appreciation, Paul & the Awarepreneurs Team P.S. If you want to strategize about funding, scaling, or building a talent pipeline for your own impact business, check out Paul’s strategy sessions [here](https://paulzelizer.com)! --- **Stay tuned for more stories on courageous leadership and social change—next week on Awarepreneurs!**

🧵 Tweet thread

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🚨 THREAD: The Growth Power of Second Chances 🚨 1/ Meet Scott Gates, CEO of Awake Window & Door Co—a luxury window & door manufacturer with a mission that goes beyond breathtaking views. They’re using *second chance hiring* to reduce recidivism. Here’s how it’s fueling explosive growth (and how you can learn from it). 🔽 2/ Scott’s journey started in (of all places) Sunday School. A parent saw his heart for people, invited him into the window biz, and the rest is history. But Scott always wanted to build something *bigger than profit*—a company with lasting, positive impact. 3/ When Scott started Awake, the *mission came before the business model*. He & his co-founders decided FIRST: “We’re going to create jobs for people coming out of the justice system.” THEN they chose what to build (giant, stunning windows 🌄). 4/ Awake set an *internal goal*: 40% of all hires would have justice-involved backgrounds. Fast forward—today, over 56% of their 100+ employees are formerly incarcerated. And these folks are thriving, moving from entry-level to management, marketing, even data architecture. 5/ Building this didn’t mean reinventing the wheel—Scott leveraged his decades of experience & industry contacts. Lesson: when your mission is bold, double-down where you’re already strong. Don’t start from scratch if you don’t have to. 6/ Talent shortage? Not at Awake. They have a WAITING LIST of people eager to join—and retention is sky-high. Why? People want more than a job. They want *meaning* and a real chance to succeed. 7/ But it’s not a “charity” operation. Awake’s revenues soared from near-zero in 2021 to an estimated $35 million in 2025—all while self-funding growth and never compromising their mission. 8/ Here’s the kicker: putting impact front & center = great business. Clients love that buying stunning windows helps solve mass incarceration. Every product’s SKU number even educates you on justice issues. The mission is woven into every detail. 9/ For leaders/entrepreneurs: Second chance hiring isn’t just “good”—it’s a competitive advantage. It gives you access to loyal, driven talent AND supercharges your culture & customer story. 10/ Scott’s advice? “If you care about impact, don’t relegate purpose to the bottom tier. Bake it into every hire, every opportunity. Don’t just open the door—unlock real career paths.” 11/ For more insights & the full conversation, check out the @Awarepreneurs podcast. Your business CAN grow *because of* your values—not in spite of them. Know someone building for good? Tag them! Let’s keep the momentum going. 🔄🔥 #SecondChances #SocialImpact #Entrepreneurship #Leadership #BusinessGrowth #Awarepreneurs

❓ Questions

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Absolutely! Here are 10 discussion questions based on this episode of Awarepreneurs featuring Scott Gates: 1. **Scott and his co-founders decided on the second chance hiring mission before settling on their business idea. How does starting with a social impact mission first shape a company’s identity and strategy?** 2. **Scott references a 40% internal benchmark for second chance hires, which they have now exceeded. What challenges or benefits might arise from setting such targets in a for-profit business?** 3. **Awake Window and Door Co. incorporates education about social issues (like recidivism) into their product branding—even using product numbers as statistics. How might this approach affect customer perception and engagement?** 4. **Scott mentions that the company’s waiting list to work at Awake is seen as a reason to keep growing. What does this say about their culture and the unmet needs in the workforce?** 5. **The company employed a social worker/safety director as one of their earliest hires. What unique challenges does this dual role address for second-chance employees, and how could other companies replicate this approach?** 6. **Awake pushes for internal promotions across all levels, ensuring second-chance hires aren’t locked into entry-level roles. Why is internal mobility important in mission-driven organizations—and how could "tiering" undermine impact?** 7. **Scott highlights the strategic benefits (like talent and innovation) of second-chance hiring alongside the moral ones. Do you think these benefits are widely understood by most business leaders? Why or why not?** 8. **With luxury home clients, Awake is transparent about their mission. How can businesses balance telling their social impact story prominently without alienating or distracting potential customers mainly motivated by product?** 9. **Awake opted for self-funding to protect their mission from possible investor misalignment. What are the pros and cons of bootstrapping versus seeking outside capital in impact businesses?** 10. **Scott describes the company’s rapid growth and aspirations for doubling their size in five years—largely driven by their mission. What risks or opportunities does fast growth present for maintaining core values and impact?** These questions should spark meaningful conversation, whether you're in a classroom, team meeting, or community gathering.

🪡 Threads by Instagram

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1. Scott Gates proves business can drive social change. By hiring those with justice-involved backgrounds, Awake Window and Door isn’t just making luxury products—they're making opportunity part of their product DNA. 2. Culture isn’t what you say, it’s what you build. Awake’s 56% justice-involved staff, from warehouse to marketing, shows that true inclusion starts at the top and shapes every level of growth. 3. Growth isn’t just financial. Awake’s success includes a waiting list of team hopefuls and employee retention because opportunity and second chances are woven into their culture and brand. 4. Don’t box people—or roles. At Awake, career paths are open to all, and internal promotions are celebrated. Lifting barriers fuels innovation, loyalty, and powerful stories of transformation. 5. Profit or purpose? Why not both. Awake’s journey shows that strong social missions don’t slow growth—they attract world-class talent, customer loyalty, and make business a force for good.

SEO Description Summary

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In this episode, Paul Zelizer interviews Scott Gates, CEO of Awake Window and Door Co., about the growth and positive impact of Second Chances Hiring. Discover how integrating formerly incarcerated individuals into a luxury manufacturing business delivers innovation, talent, and purpose—while actively reducing recidivism and helping to solve complex problems in the U.S. workforce.

LinkedIn Thought Leader post

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**1.** What does it really take to build a fast-growing, values-driven manufacturing company—while tackling one of the toughest social challenges of our time? How can social entrepreneurs balance profitable growth with second chance hiring? What if closing the talent gap actually meant welcoming those society often overlooks? On the latest episode of the Awarepreneurs podcast, I sat down with Scott Gates, CEO & Co-Founder of Awake Window and Door Co., to explore these questions. Scott’s company isn’t just building jaw-dropping luxury windows—it’s built a business where over 56% of employees are formerly incarcerated individuals. Scott shared this insight: “We had kind of set an internal benchmark for ourselves… we want at least 40% of our staff to be formerly incarcerated or have justice-involved backgrounds. Two years later… a vast majority of that staff are still here. They’ve transitioned from being vulnerable, maybe just out of prison, to stable… They are now the company veterans training our new staff.” Key takeaway for fellow impact leaders: 📈 Embedding your social mission in your business model isn’t just an ethical choice—it’s a growth strategy. Awake has grown from zero to $35 million in annual revenue and 100+ employees in just a few years, with a waiting list of people eager to work there. Curious how second chance hiring can create talent pipelines, improve retention, and scale your impact—all while building a world-class product? Listen to the full episode for actionable strategies and inspiring real-world examples. What’s your experience with hiring from overlooked talent pools? I’d love to hear your approach in the comments. --- **2.** Is your company missing a massive opportunity by overlooking “second chance” talent? What if your next high-performing employee comes from a background society too often writes off? How does integrating social mission at the core of your business drive not only impact, but also sustainable growth? On Awarepreneurs, I had the pleasure of interviewing Scott Gates of Awake Window and Door Co.—and his story challenges a lot of assumptions. Awake’s luxury products grace some of the most remarkable homes in the country, but their proudly front-and-center mission is fighting recidivism through employment. Scott revealed: “We make it our mission to actively explore opportunities to find anybody that could fit. While we don’t reverse discriminate, we’re open to anybody with a record for any position we hire… One of our employees started in the plant, moved to CAD, then marketing—based purely on drive and aptitude.” Big takeaway for purpose-driven founders: 🔑 Don’t just offer jobs—build real upward mobility for second chance hires across all roles, not just entry level. It’s not only the right thing to do, it attracts talent, drives innovation, and makes your business more resilient. How are you cultivating untapped talent in your business? The full conversation dives deep into building an inclusive, high-performance culture and why it can be the ultimate growth hack for social entrepreneurs. Let’s talk: How have you seen unconventional hiring practices fuel innovation and growth? Drop your thoughts below. --- #Awarepreneurs #SocialImpact #SecondChanceHiring #Leadership #TalentStrategy #ImpactBusiness

Key takeaways

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Certainly! Here are the 3 key takeaways from the Awarepreneurs episode "Awarepreneurs interview – Scott Gates," each illustrated with a resonant quote from the episode, in the requested style and format: --- **1. Mission-Led Business Models Drive Growth and Impact:** Building Awake Window and Door Co. around a social mission—specifically, providing meaningful employment to those with justice-involved backgrounds—was foundational to its rapid growth and its ability to attract both customers and top talent. The social impact was intentionally woven into the company’s DNA from the very beginning, not added as an afterthought. > "We had kind of made a commitment that the second we start to take orders and start, you know, processing and building up our manufacturing and shipping and receiving teams, that this is how we're going to hire. And we had kind of set an internal benchmark for ourselves of as we grow, we want at least 40% of our staff to be formerly incarcerated or have Sanit justice involved backgrounds." --- **2. Second Chance Hiring Unlocks Untapped Talent and Organizational Loyalty:** By directly hiring, supporting, and promoting individuals who were formerly incarcerated—and doing so company-wide—Awake not only addressed recidivism but discovered tremendous, previously overlooked talent. This approach led to exceptionally high retention, a sense of pride and ownership among employees, and the rare situation of a business having a waiting list of job applicants. > "As you make a company culture where people like that can be successful, no surprise they are successful. ... A vast majority of that staff are still here. ... And they've transitioned from being vulnerable, maybe just out of prison, to stable, stable home life. ... They are the company veterans that are training and developing our newly developed staff." --- **3. Integrating Social Mission Enhances Brand Value and Customer Engagement:** Blending a strong social mission with a high-quality product offering increases differentiation and customer loyalty, even in a luxury market. Awake wove their social mission into every facet—from website copy to the very product numbering system—creating both awareness and emotional buy-in from customers and partners. > "The same customer or architect that gets energy by doing something different and creative, typically there's something in their psyche that also gets energy from like the dual purpose of Awake ... That ability to connect the dots between those two things, they seem to be the same type of person." --- These takeaways highlight how Awake’s commitment to second-chance hiring served both their business and social goals, unlocking growth and impact in ways that serve as a compelling model for other impact-driven entrepreneurs.

Leading question

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What if the key to scaling your business—and solving pressing social challenges like recidivism—was as simple as reimagining who gets a second chance? These are just a few of the provocative questions we explored with Scott Gates on the latest Awarepreneurs podcast episode, hosted by our very own Paul Zelizer.

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