Becoming a B Corp isn’t about ticking boxes or collecting badges; it’s a process that asks you to look closely at how you operate, how you make decisions, and the impact you have on your company, your supplier partners, and the wider world.
By Word of Mouth’s achieving B Corp certification has both been a significant milestone and a natural extension of how we’ve worked for years. To understand what it really took, we sat down with Matthew Thornton, who led the certification process from within the business, to talk through the realities behind the scenes – from the challenges to the moments that truly mattered.
Let’s start at the beginning. What does B Corp certification mean?
At its core, B Corp is a framework for accountability. It looks beyond profit and asks businesses to consider their impact across five key areas: governance, workers, community, environment, and customers.
What makes it powerful is the level of scrutiny. This isn’t a self-declared statement of values – it’s independently verified, evidence based, and very detailed. Every policy, process and decision must stand up to that lens.
What initially motivated By Word of Mouth to pursue B Corp status?
The motivation wasn’t about changing who we are, it was about properly articulating and measuring it.
Sustainability, responsibility and care have always been part of how By Word of Mouth operates, whether that’s the way we work with suppliers, support our team, or think about the long-term impact of events. B Corp gave us a structure to examine those practices in a more formal way and ask, are we really doing what we think we are?
It helped us move from good intentions to provable standards.
What surprised you most once the process began?
The depth.
B Corp goes into granular detail – things like how feedback is handled internally, how suppliers are chosen, what data is tracked, and how decisions are documented. Nothing is assumed.
One of the biggest surprises was realising how much we already do instinctively, without necessarily documenting it.
What were some of the biggest challenges along the way?
Time and rigour.
The process requires patience and absolute accuracy. Every answer needed evidence – policies, contracts, systems, records. If something isn’t formally documented, it effectively doesn’t exist in B Corp terms.
Another challenge was learning where we could improve. Not all feedback is comfortable but it is constructive. B Corp isn’t about being perfect, it’s about being honest, open to change, and committed to ongoing improvement.
Did it change how the business operates day-to-day?
It sharpened our thinking around accountability and long-term impact. Decisions are now viewed through an additional lens: Is this aligned with who we say we are?
It has encouraged stronger internal processes, clearer communication, and more consistency, not just for accreditation’s sake, but because it genuinely makes the business stronger.
What role did the wider team play in achieving certification?
A huge one.
B Corp cannot be delivered by one person alone, it requires input across departments, from HR to operations, finance to suppliers. It became a collective effort, and in many ways, a shared moment of reflection.
What stood out was how engaged people were once they understood why it mattered. There was a real sense of pride in formalising the standards we hold ourselves to.
Now that certification is achieved, what comes next?
B Corp isn’t a finish line, it’s a commitment.
Certification is reviewed when new standards come in, which means standards must not only be maintained but improved as they get more stringent. The next stage is about embedding learnings even more deeply and continuing to evolve how we operate.
It holds us accountable in the best possible way.
Finally, what does becoming B Corp certified mean for clients and partners?
It means transparency, integrity and intent.
Clients can be confident that sustainability and responsibility aren’t an afterthought – they’re built into how By Word of Mouth works. For partners and suppliers, it reinforces our commitment to long-term, ethical relationships, not short-term gains.
Ultimately, it’s about doing good work, in the right way, and being willing to be measured against that promise.