Written by Sophie MacAulay

15 Years of Growth, Guided by Values

Turning 15 this year marks a very special moment for YOURGB. Milestones like this naturally make you pause and look back at everything that has been built and developed, but they also encourage you to think carefully about the future and what that means for us as a business.

As we approached our anniversary, we wanted to mark it with something more meaningful than a celebration alone –  a goal that would challenge us and reflect the values that matter most to us as a business, while also formalising the practices we already have in place and holding us accountable to continually strive to do better.

That’s when we set our sights on achieving B Corporation Certification™. Achieving it in our 15th year felt like a fitting way to recognise how far we’ve come, while committing ourselves to how we want to operate in the years ahead.

My Personal Perspective

Alongside my role as an Event Coordinator at YOURGB, I also take the lead on sustainability within the business. My role involves helping shape our sustainability strategy, supporting the team as we continue to embed better practices across the company, and working with our clients to champion more sustainable choices throughout the event design process from concept through to delivery.

With this in mind, it felt natural for me to guide YOURGB and the team through our B Corp journey. Admittedly, B Corp was completely new to me, so I was a little intimidated – perhaps even slightly terrified at the thought of taking the lead, I was absolutely up for the challenge!

Starting from scratch gave me the opportunity to really get under the skin of it and build the understanding and confidence needed to guide others along the way. I was genuinely thrilled to lead the team through the process – albeit with a pinch of self doubt, and a tablespoon or two of blood, sweat, and tears in the mix.

Getting into the Nitty Gritty

When we began the process in March 2025, it quickly became clear that this wasn’t just a sustainability checklist, but a  comprehensive deep dive into how we operate as a business. I pictured it a bit like taking my car in for an MOT – every part checked, nothing hidden, and a few things flagged for a tune-up so everything could keep running safely, smoothly, and responsibly. Nothing scary about that prospect or the amount of work ahead whatsoever… (she says through bated breath!)

So what does becoming a B Corp actually mean, and what does it involve?

Developed by B Lab, B Corporation Certification is awarded to businesses that meet high standards of social and environmental performance, transparency and accountability. Rather than focusing purely on profit, B Corp certification looks at how a company operates across every part of the business – from how it supports its employees and engages with communities, to its environmental impact and governance.

At the heart of the process is the B Impact Assessment, a comprehensive review that examines five key areas: governance, workers, community, environment, and customers. It’s a rigorous process designed not just to measure what businesses say they stand for, but how they actually operate day to day. Yikes! intense, right? My inner monologue certainly thought so.

I would be lying if I  said the thought of it all didn’t intimidate me – not because I felt we didn’t have the policies and procedures in place, but because of the unknown. What would it entail? How long would it take? How was I going to manage leading the team through it all alongside my main role in the business?

This is where the fantastic support of Jayne and Simon at Edinburgh B Corp 500 came in. While many companies choose to hire a B Corp consultant to guide improvements, gather evidence, and embed sustainable, responsible practices, we took a slightly different approach: combining their expert guidance with the collaborative effort of the YOURGB team – a path that felt both practical and achievable for the business.

Over many months, their workshops and 1:1 guidance provided incredible mentorship and support throughout the peaks and troughs of the process. They helped us pave the way as one of Scotland’s first solely event design companies to achieve this, while also shaping and strengthening the foundations of our B Corp values. I absolutely applaud their incredible commitment to supporting 500 local businesses on their journey to B Corp certification by 2030.

Working Collaboratively 

At the heart of it all, it was a genuinely collaborative process. Different members of the YOURGB team contributed a variety of insights, documents and ideas, helping to build a fuller picture of how the business operates day to day.

I truly believe that’s a big part of who we are at YOURGB – we’re a collaborative group that each brings something different to the table, and one that I am incredibly grateful to be part of. I have learned  something new from each of my colleagues.

Along the way, there were moments we realised we were already doing more than we had formally documented, alongside areas where the process encouraged us to think about how we could improve further. The B Impact Assessment required us to gather a wide range of information – from company policies and internal processes to data on how we work with suppliers, support our employees, and measure our environmental impact. Much of this was already part of how we operated, but we hadn’t yet formalised it into structured processes and policies. Formalising these practices helped us see just how much we were already doing, while giving us a clear framework to do even better going forward.

Reflecting & Moving Forwards

Now, as I reflect on the past year and the journey we’ve been on, I’ve realised that, in many ways, the journey itself became just as valuable as the outcome. It prompted important conversations internally, helped us recognise the positive practices already embedded within the business, and highlighted opportunities to strengthen them even further.

It was about taking a step back, taking a breath, and realising that the foundations were already there – this process simply gave us the structure, language, and accountability to build on them with real intention.

Achieving B Corp certification isn’t a finish line for us; it’s a marker of where we are right now and a commitment to where we want to go next. It gives us a framework to keep asking questions, to keep improving, and to make more considered decisions as we grow.

As an event design collective , we have a unique opportunity, and responsibility to influence the choices we make, from the materials we use to the suppliers we work with and the experiences we create for our clients. B Corp allows us to do that with greater clarity and purpose.

For us, this journey has never been about being perfect. It’s about being better – more thoughtful, more transparent, and more accountable in the way we operate every day.

And as we step into our next chapter, that feels like the most meaningful way to mark 15 years of YOURGB.