Sustainability Is Good for Business: A Conversation with Mary Fehlig

What does it really mean for a business to live its values—and why does sustainability matter even more now?

In this episode of the Riveo Impact Lab, Elin sits down with Mary Fehlig, Founder and President of The Fehlig Group, to explore how sustainability, ethical business practices, and commercial success are far more connected than many people realize. With more than 30 years of experience helping organizations navigate responsible business practices, Mary brings both a long-view perspective and a deeply practical approach to what it means to build a business that benefits people, planet, and profit.

From her early work helping companies understand corporate responsibility before it was part of the mainstream conversation, to guiding businesses through today’s shifting political and cultural landscape, Mary shares why sustainability isn’t just a trend or compliance exercise—it’s a business imperative.

In this conversation, we explore:

• Why sustainability must benefit the business in order to endure
• How responsible business practices have evolved over the last three decades
• Why small businesses have more power and impact than they may think
• The role of values in shaping business decisions and long-term success
• How supply chains, consumer expectations, and purchasing power are driving change
• Why language like ESG and DEI can become complicated—and how to bring the conversation back to what really matters

If you’re a business owner, entrepreneur, or leader trying to make sense of sustainability in a changing world, this episode offers both encouragement and clarity.

Because building a better business doesn’t mean doing everything at once—it starts with recognizing the impact you’re already making, and choosing to build from there.

🎧 Listen now and discover how values-driven business can create meaningful impact—for your company, your community, and the future.

The Riveo Impact Lab is produced for you by Riveo Creative. For more Riveo Impact Lab content, including the video versions of all our episodes, please visit https://riveocreative.com/riveo-impact-lab/.