Men Doing Wonders Series - Scott
This year, to celebrate the month of Father’s Day, we asked men that running impactful enterprises and are part of our Ethical Lifestyle Hub Directory, what is driving them to lead a business with purpose. Those we highlight are men of strength, compassion, and resilience - working toward bettering the world around them as well as being a Father or mentor. This blog highlights Scott Goddard of RREPP
RREPP as an Australian social enterprise is Fairtrade & Social Traders certified, and supports Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) certified businesses which is the leading processing standard for textiles made from organic fibres worldwide. Their signature range of Fairtrade Sports Balls are all match quality, and made up of Soccer, Futsal, Netball, Rugby Union, Touch Football and Rugby League. And their beautifully made RREPP branded Classic Cotton Tees and custom made Polo shirts (for School Uniforms, Clubs & Businesses) are made with only the finest quality ring spun Organic and Fairtrade certified cottons.
Tell us about you and why you started your organisation
My name is Scott Goddard and I am the Chief Purpose & Vision Officer / Founder & Director at RREPP. Over many years I have acquired a diverse range of business expertise & personal experiences and this is what provided me with the confidence to branch out on my own in 2013. Entrepreneurial by nature my formal qualifications extended initially from Psychology with my core interests aligned to Business & Sport, and then into Corporate executive roles where through leadership & collaboration I was privileged to have guided teams to the highest levels of Global Recognition. I am well-travelled both Nationally & Internationally which has increased my understanding of cultural diversity, human rights & social justice issues via first hand experiences.
I launched RREPP in 2013 as I felt it was time to apply my experiences, values and energies into my own business. My key objective was to create an engaging & transparent corporate enterprise with social justice and environmental sustainability at the core of its mission. So after a year of extensive research and preparation, I took what many told me at the time was an unattainable business objective, and turned it into a full blown reality. Nearly 10 years on and RREPP is now independently ranked as one of Australia's most ethical corporate enterprises.
Did fatherhood encourage you to set up an impactful business? Why?
Definitely – being a Dad for me is my most important role. I have 3 beautiful daughters – Shanti and Malie my 15 year old twins and Jess my 23 year old eldest. In relation to this, my motives for setting up my business were always multifaceted. Firstly it was time for me to set out on my own as part of my own personal growth cycle as a person and entrepreneur. Secondly I wanted to create flexibility in my business life to be able to be there for my kids. To witness first hand their own personal achievements, and more importantly to always be there when they needed me. Kids don’t need ‘stuff’ to make them happy, they need support, unconditional love, security, and wisdom and guidance from a parent who will always be there for them when needed. I knew I could achieve this through running my own business as even though being self-employed is extremely challenging in so many ways, it can also provide the flexibility to focus on the many other important things in your life. With the most important one for me being family. The key at the end of the day is to not become a slave in your own business, because if you do, other areas of your life will start to suffer – your family, your friendships, your health. RREPP for me doesn’t feel like work as it is driven by passion and knowing that what we are doing is creating a better life for many plus looking after the environment at the same time. And with passion comes energy. All of which my kids feed off, witness first hand, and hopefully learn from.
What impact do you hope to achieve through your business?
RREPP is already having an impact in everything we do. Our supply chains are transparent which is rare in most businesses across the world, so no worker is hidden or left behind. Our business is Fairtrade certified as are the businesses we support overseas. Combined with all our garments also being 100% organic certified through GOTS. In 2022 we started an initiative where we plant a tree on behalf of our customers for every product they purchase from us. Effectively making our products carbon neutral and the RREPP business carbon neutral by the end of 2022 and beyond. And we have also laid the RREPP business out in the open for all to see via producing a Modern Slavery Statement that has been accepted into the Australian Government's Online Register of Modern Slavery Statements under the Commonwealth Modern Slavery Act 2018. These are big achievements for a small business like RREPP.
How can we make even more of an impact in the future ? The simple answer to this is by growing our business over the coming years with even more customers coming on board and supporting us. More Schools making the change to RREPP’s Fairtrade certified match sports balls and organic fairtrade school uniform polos. More sporting teams and clubs making the swap to RREPP’s fairtrade sports balls. And more corporates purchasing our ethically produced merchandise, tees and polos. The more business that comes our way, the more we can give back to the communities we support, the more trees we plant, and therefore the greater impact we will have across the board. As well as producing a high quality ethical product for our customers to enjoy, and that looks after people and planet.
What legacy do you want to leave behind as a father to your children?
I guess it’s more of an understanding that as an individual you can make significant positive change in this world. Small change , Big impact is a favourite saying of mine, especially as many people go through life not willing to take the necessary risks to follow a different path. Nor have the belief that they can actually make a difference. You’ll never find your passion unless you’re willing to let go of security. Yet if you can find the courage to let go of security, you’ll find that you can actually have both. I want my kids to be courageous, to understand that success comes from failing over and over again, so to never hold yourself back through a fear that you might fail. YOU WILL NEVER BE BRAVE IF YOU DON'T GET HURT, YOU WILL NEVER LEARN IF YOU DON'T MAKE MISTAKES, YOU WILL NEVER BE SUCCESSFUL IF YOU DON'T ENCOUNTER FAILURE. There is a wonderous world out there ready for my girls to conquer – I want them to believe that they can make a difference, and to never hold back from chasing their dreams!
To learn more about RREPP, visit: https://www.moralfairground.com.au/rrepp
Become an Ethical Lifestyle Hub Member today : https://www.moralfairground.com.au/ethical-lifestyle-hub-membership