Most work environments prioritize profits over people. But there are other ways businesses can look—if we’re willing to imagine them.

Rachel and Travis Gertz are the founders of Louder Than Ten, a cooperative company on a mission to democratize the workplace through project management. Through their training and apprenticeship programs, they show digital organizations how to give power back to the people leading their projects. 

When some people talk about this, it seems like such a radical idea, but it's actually so practical. It's just a very common-sense way to make sure that you're more sustainable. Worker cooperatives last longer, people stay longer, they ride out through the rough times. Because the first thing that a capitalist framework company is going to do is they're going to cut their workers, right? And then they're going to retain all the earnings up at the top. But if you're a worker-owned cooperative, everybody has to support and pitch in. So I just think it's just a very practical system.

—Rachel Gertz, CEO of Louder Than Ten

We talk about:

• The history of cooperatives
• How does a co-op work?
• Louder Than Ten’s journey from “traditional” company to co-op
• Steps to turn a workplace from profits-focused to people-focused
• How gig workers and small businesses can leverage their power to build a more equitable workplace
• Resources and readings to learn more

Plus: in this week’s You’ve Got This, Sara offers tips for how to foster transparency in the workplace. How could you experiment with transparency, with authenticity, with honesty around something that maybe makes you a little uncomfortable? Who do you want to sit down with and explore other ways of working? For all this and more, check out https://www.activevoicehq.com/podcast.

Links:

• Rachel and Travis Gertz
• Coax
• Owning Our Future
• Companies We Keep
• Active Voice