Still not going back.
We are so grateful to you, our customers and fans, all over the world and here in the United States who help us live out our values as a small Midwestern manufacturer of wellness solutions. Sadly, as you probably know by now, voting season here has closed with an enormous lurch to the far right. We are so sorry for the ramifications this may have for your own situation. We ourselves are grieving but we are not giving up. Now, more than ever, we are committed to business being a force for good. Thank goodness we are not alone, as we look to the B Corp community for support, inspiration, and collaboration.
However, as a business owner, I regularly get the message that it is unwise to be specific about our values and the choices we make to manifest those values through a business. “You will alienate a large portion of your customer base, it’s not sustainable.”
As an organization, we will differentiate ourselves from that point of view. By choosing to be a part of our project, you help us bring our whole selves to work. We gain such great satisfaction hearing about how our products have helped you be less numb to your body's needs, to have more to give to your loved ones at the end of the day, and to have more focus on your responsibilities throughout the day as well.
We all didn’t arrive at this mutual benefit by pretending pains or discomforts didn’t exist, or simply had to be endured or medicated away. A holistic approach to wellness doesn’t settle for just getting by. Our products, solutions, and their unique way of challenging existing workstyles are an expression of our commitment to thriving. Community policies and social blindspots need as much redesigning as the way we sit and move throughout the day. We will not pretend it is any different now, simply to not offend someone who wants wellness to be limited to individual privilege. If our communities are not well, our own individual healthspan efforts will be severely limited and often canceled out.
The other night, our granddaughter, who is usually skittish about being out in the dark, was exploring our rainy yard with us. She seemed to be relaxing her grip on the umbrella when the yip of coyotes pierced the air. They often move through our neighborhood. And for us larger adults, their calling to each other feels like a gift to city living, a confirmation of the health of our woods. But our granddaughter’s reaction was immediate and instinctive. “We should go inside now.” she said firmly and resolutely. We didn’t belittle her concern, because that was the wise response from her 3-year-old perspective. She understood on a cellular level what those calls meant.
The same healthy intuition is informing those in our community who are being targeted by our president-elect. As a white cis-gender male, I will be following their lead. Help us be part of a global effort to lift up and support the voices of those marginalized. There’s no sustainable path for this planet that doesn’t include all of us. We’ll do our best to keep you informed about how we’re figuring out how to contribute to the resistance as a business. We will be grateful for any stories and insights you can share.
Our employees, suppliers, and customers don't live outside the realm of "Politics". As an organization in the wellness landscape, we have no pretense about the effect politics has on the well-being of our customers. If our company taking a stand on the politics of women's reproductive health, LGBTQ well-being, and policies that directly affect the blood pressure and health span of people of color, doesn't seem to align with your values and offends you, then you aren't likely in the market for a holistic wellness solution for yourself. That’s fine, we’re building a different sort of circular market, one that is capable of learning, not simply growing and extracting. If that sounds like it aligns with your values though, please join us.