Can I Laugh On Your Shoulder?

Here we are, it's the end of 2020, and this year has been bananas. There have been beautiful things but also a lot of really difficult things, and I wanted to end the year in kind of a unique way. I have shared openly on this show over the last few years about how my faith is the foundation of all that I am and how it has influenced my life and changed me in so many ways. In the last few years, I have read through the Bible in one year. In 2020, I finished my third reading of the bible in a year, cover to cover, chronologically. It's been formative and life changing. If you've never read the Bible, please don't click away. I'm sharing this episode from my heart about something I really believe is life changing. My guest this week is Tara-Leigh Cobble. She is the creator and host of the Bible Recap Podcast and the author of the book, The Bible Recap. She founded D-Group, an international network of weekly discipleship and accountability groups, and she hosts a daily radio show called The God Shot. She hails from Dallas, TX by way of Eastern TN, and I've had the privilege of hearing her voice every day as I read the Bible throughout the year. The Bible Recap has greatly impacted my life and I wanted to learn more about Tara and her the work behind The Bible Recap.

6:00 - The Tara-Leigh 101

• Tara-Leigh wasn't always someone who read the Bible. She might have told you she loved it, but she hadn't read it. She knew it was true, but she didn't know what it said. Cleary, that has all changed and along with writing The Bible Recap and hosting Bible Recap Podcast, she also founded D-Group, which stands for Discipleship Group. it is a weekly Bible study and discipleship group that meets in homes and churches and online and does deep dives into books of the Bible and topics of theology.
• She started D-Group the same year she started reading through the Bible because she needed and wanted to talk to people about what she was reading. She started learning about so much she never knew growing up in the church and wanted to talk about it.
• Tara-Leigh was working in ministry and not even reading through the Bible yet. She spent her days talking to people about and singing about the God of the Bible but had not read all of his word. One day, a friend asked if she's ready the whole Bible. She'd been a student of the word, but still hadn't read the Bible in its entirety.
• Her friend recommended she read the whole thing (even the genealogies). She was told it would take 12 minutes a day to read it in a year. Surprisingly, the commitment was not the hard part. It was what she was seeing when she was reading it.
• She had not yet encountered a lot of these things about the Lord and realized she'd taken things out of context, was not understanding things rightly, and was reading it as if looking into a mirror looking back at herself instead of holding a lens to see the living God and who He is.
• Tara-Leigh's friend encouraged her to stick with reading through the Bible and challenged her to look for God and His character. It was a huge awakening for her to read through the Bible chronologically the first time, but even more so the second time when she started looking for God instead of how he could make all her dreams come true.

15:38 – Through the Bible in a Year

• Tara-Leigh has read through the Bible 14 times now. Even on read 14, she's learning new things and seeing some things for the first time. She recently recorded a podcast episode on God's intervening in our lives. A few days later while she was praying, she felt like God was telling her, "I don't intervene." She measured it against scripture to see if it was really from the Lord.
• She looked through Hebrews to see if the word intervene shows up anywhere. It doesn't. She looked through the Greek and Aramaic translations and the word "intervene" is nowhere in the Bible. She looked up the word in the dictionary. To intervene, you have to be outside of a situation and insert yourself into it, and God is not outside of any situation. Tara-Leigh had to go back and edit that podcast episode. 😉
• Some resources that have been the most impactful for Tara-Leigh in her study and The Bible Recap have been sermons by pastors who teach exegetically (line by line, word by word), and John Piper's database with all scripture he's taught. You can look up specific topics and verses. It's especially great if you're an auditory learner. It helped Tara learn how to study scripture and understand it ways she never had before. John Piper also has a tool called "Look at the Book" that Tara-Leigh recommends.
• Once she learned how to study the Bible, the Faith Life Study Bible (free online resource) and a Greek/Hebrew lexicon have been helpful tools as well.

23:25 – Living, Breathing Love Letter

• Tara-Leigh has been able to maintain her passion for reading the Bible even when working on The Bible Recap for work. As she began, she realized she wasn't interested in separating what she was doing for work from her personal relationship with reading the Bible.
• She found so much joy in reading for her study and it turned into a heart of worship and arched her heart back to God. When you really start learning about God, the God in the scriptures, you want to share that with others.
• Learning about the God in the scriptures ignites a hunger in us to continue to seek the spirit of God. If you think reading the bible in a year is daunting, The Bible Recap breaks the process down in a way where the reading is a daily, comforting habit instead of an overwhelming obstacle.

30:31 – Chronologically

• The Bible is not actually laid out chronologically but more like a library. There's a history section, a law section, poetry section, and so on. It is helpful for organization but not necessarily for getting to know a person. Our aim in reading the Bible, especially as Christians is getting to know God's character and finding out who He is; the story of God rescuing His people.
• When we start at the beginning and go through the story of God rescuing His people, we can understand the entire story and fall in love with the lead character. There are parts of what God does that are not going to look good if we only see them out of context.
• When we treat out Bibles like a magic 8 ball, it doesn't help us know God. We have the gift of diving into the Bible and going straight to God to see what He has to say. It might not always be the quickest and easiest route, but if we focus on getting to know God, the answers we are seeking will actually start to come to us from our knowledge of who God is.
• The Bible Recap partners with The Bible Project to provide even more resources on each book of the bible with the day's reading, discussion, and The Bible Recap podcast to help support you and remove every obstacle in the way of people reading scripture with a clear path through. There's something for each learning style!
• There also tools and weekly and daily discussions to help readers learn how to study the bible.

40:43 – The Bible Recap in 2021

• New features to The Bible Recap include a daily study guide with 5-6 questions a day and weekly discussion guide for groups of people to use together that are about 10 questions a week. There's something for every style of learning between the individual guides, group guides, book, and podcast!
• There's also another podcast resource called "The Bible Kneecap" which is a daily prayer podcast to respond to what you're learning about in the Bible. It will help you practice prayer and grow in your prayer life.

Join The Bible Recap

• If you'd like to join The Bible Recap, email [email protected]!
• Remember that you don't have to start on January 1st and it's OK if you get behind!
• You can download the You Version Bible App for free and when you email [email protected], you can join me and I'll send you an invite to my Bible Recap group! Join us, we'll do it together!

48:10 - Getting to Know Our Guest

• Find out fun facts about Tara-Leigh like what her favorite book of the Bible is (it may change from time to time), what song she has to sing along with when she hears it, and one of her biggest goals in life which ties into what it means to her to run a business with purpose.

12:16 – "I was reading scripture backwards. I was reading it as if looking into a mirror like it was about me, and not a lens to see the living God and who He is. That was the hard part. That I thought, 'Uh oh, God's not who I thought he was, He's not here to serve me.' "

12:59 – "A lot of people will walk away from faith when they go through something hard, when they hit a trial...and they walk away from God because of the hardship in their life…but I was about to walk away from God because of what I saw in the Bible."

19:25 "God is not outside of any situation. He is actively involved and engaged in every story...God shows up and he acts on behalf of his people."

25:03 – "I was finding so much joy in what I was learning in my study that it turned into a heart of worship. It arched by heart back in praise to Him."

Thank you to our partners of the show: Ammas Umma

Did you know I have an ethical brand directory? That's what Chelsea used to start finding products for her boutique almost four years ago! Now, Amma's Umma carries over 50 intentionally sourced brands and is the perfect one stop shop for all your gift giving needs. As a thank you to the Still Being Molly community, she is offering 20% off with code SHOPWITHMOLLY. Head to shopwithmolly.com for all the details.

GOEX

At GOEX, we believe in the power of purchase. We use a simple t-shirt to connect our customers with their apparel makers. GOEX customers sustain fair wage jobs that liberate workers from poverty and empower them in their families and communities. We are proud to be a verified member of the Fair Trade Federation. Shop sustainable, eco-friendly t-shirts and sweatshirts with purpose today at goexapparel.com.

Simple Switch

I want to introduce you all to a company I believe in that helps you more conveniently purchase with purpose, SimpleSwitch.org

Simple Switch is an online marketplace for ethical and impactful shopping. They let you shop online for more than 3,000 products ranging from everyday essentials like toilet paper and hand sanitizer, to special gifts like journals or jewelry. Every product has a positive environmental or social impact, like planting trees or fighting human trafficking.

Simple Switch is offering a discount exclusively for our listeners. Check out the marketplace on simpleswitch.org and get 20% off your first order with code PURCHASEWITHPURPOSE at checkout!

The Lemonade Boutique

This episode is sponsored by The Lemonade Boutique, a women's clothing with a cause store. Featuring ethically made and fair trade items from over 10 countries, every item is made by women facing extreme challenges such as trafficking, poverty, and more. Your purchase empowers women to take life's lemons and make lemonade. Shop at THELemonadeBoutique.com. Listeners of the Business with Purpose Podcast can save 15% by using code PURPOSE15 at checkout.

The word for 2020 has been PIVOT. Especially when it comes to sustaining a business during an economy in the middle of a global pandemic. My guest today is living this idea of pivoting out. Her story about launching a business at the beginning of a pandemic and them completely pivoting is incredibly inspiring and you are going to love this conversation. Marissa Goldstein is a proud mother of two sets of twins. Yes, you heard that right – two sets of twins. She's also the CEO of the leading sustainable travel accessory brand Rafi Nova. As an avid traveler, Marissa founded Rafi Nova to encourage families to travel while creating meaningful connections with global communities. While the pandemic shifted her company's production to face masks, it expanded the company's ability to connect and protect communities and support social causes committed to inclusivity. Under Marissa's leadership, Rafi Nova will have donated more than 150,000 masks to organizations in need and workers on the front lines by the end of the year. This was such an incredible conversation and Marissa is such a leader in this area. Grab a warm, cozy, festive drink and Join me as I chat with Marissa.

4:42 - The Marissa 101

• Marissa is the co-founder and CEO of Rafi Nova. Rafi Nova is a social enterprise on a mission to create great products that meet the ever-changing needs of families and communities, and serves to connect, inspire, and encourage others to get out there and go. She and her husband are parents to TWO sets of twins.
• Marissa's family lives life on the go (or certainly before the pandemic). For the last 3-4 years, they spent half the year living in Vietnam, and the other half living right outside of Boston, MA.
• After Marissa finished her MBA in 2015, she joined her husband working at his manufacturing business helping consumer products companies in the US make products overseas in Vietnam. They've always had a wanderlust, and quickly fell in love with Southeast Asia on an around the world trip.
• They settled in Vietnam, creating their own supply chain and amazing community of friends. Their niche was bags, backpacks, duffel bags, luggage, etc. Every weekend they traveled to other Southeast Asia countries to meet with different ethnic women and tribes.
• In Northern Vietnam four years ago, they met women trying to sell their trinkets with a colorful textile wrapped around then. They discovered the women's stories as well as the story behind the artform that has been passed down from generation to generation. It started to disappear because of technology and younger generations choosing different career paths in cities.
• Marissa and her husband wanted to find a way to use that textile traditional art form and put them on meaningful products in the US while also supporting the women, telling their stories, and preserving the art form. They started their own brand, Rafi Nova, which is named after their two sets of twins. They goal was to create useful products and accessories that people can wear when they're on the go.
• All of the Rafi Nova products use upcycled textiles that have a story. Marissa and her husband spent a year building the company in Vietnam and came back to Boston to officially start the company. It was right as Covid-19 started spreading in the US, before anyone knew what was coming. They launched the day after the product arrived on February 16th and two weeks later received their town's stay-at-home orders before Rafi Nova even had a shot at thriving.
• They knew they needed to put their factory to good use to help during the pandemic as well as keep their factory opening as product orders began plummeting. It was actually their four-year-old who suggested they start making masks. In Vietnam, people wear masks every day because of the air pollution, which gave Marissa and her family a unique perspective on masks that most Americans don't have.
• They know what it takes to make a comfortable, safe, and effective mask. They called up their factory and decided they were going to make 10,000 makes to donate to front-line workers. Word caught on quickly and people were asking if Rafi Nova would sell the masks for their own personal use. It was in March, when there was a lot of dialogue about masks but nowhere to buy them.
• They put the masks on their website, and 24 hours later they'd done over $25,000 in sales with a gratitude for the opportunity and the need for a plan to fulfill the orders! Since that day, Rafi Nova has sold over 2 million masks, and donated over 125,000 masks and have more than 30 employees in a 7500 sq ft fulfillment center.
• Marissa credits her experience as a mom of two twins for preparing her for this endeavor.

19:22 – Empowering Artisans Through Partnership

• After discovering the traditional handicrafts in Northern Vietnam, Rafi Nova wanted to find a way to connect with local communities and communities around the world. They would stay in the communities in a very different environment than what they were used to and believe that exploring these differences is a beautiful part of life.
• They found that we all have commonalities. Marissa saw that the communities in Vietnam had children whose parents wanted them to thrive, just like Marissa wanted for her children. They were able to connect through their roles as mothers. Even through language barriers, the language of motherhood rose up to connect them.
• Rafi Nova fell in love with the traditional art form and after learning more about the tribes who made them, they wanted to bring the art to the US, not to profit of the artisans, but to tell the story of the textiles and purchase them at fair trade rates to help families profit and preserve the art in various forms.

22:07 – Seeking Adventure (in 2020 and beyond).

• Rafi Nova has a vision to connect the global community of families to seek adventure. 2020 was a heck of a year, and it also gave Rafi Nova an opportunity to begin. They sold a lot of masks and created a loyal customer base while also giving back during a tumultuous time in our history, fulfilling their core values.
• While masks are not the product they intended to sell originally, they are a part of Rafi Nova's story and fit their mission to connect people, keep them safe, and giving back to the community. In 2021, they want Rafi Nova to be a lifestyle brand destination of ethically-sourced products that encourage families to get out, connect, and give back.
• Even though adventure looks different in 2020, it is still relevant to Rafi Nova's mission, just with an evolved definition. Most of us have an ideal vision of adventure that involves hoping on a plane and exploring a place we've never been to. These days, it could be a family bike ride, RV trip, a camping trip, or just a walk exploring the woods behind your house together. Adventure can also mean finding new and better systems for you and your family to slow down and spend more quality time together.
• Rafi Nova will continue to sell masks and are also adding a new line of products to accompany us on our new adventures and journeys.

24:37 – The Ethical Piece

• Marissa was raised with a sense of community and giving back. It's so important to know where our products come from, how it's made, and who made it. When finishing her MBA, Marissa was the cofounder of a solar startup based in India creating solar energy machines that provided fans, cell phone charging and light to rural communities.
• Rafi Nova spends time in their factories with the factory owners every day. They are like second family and it has been eye opening to have the opportunity to join communities in understanding the lifecycle of a product. There are so many pieces of the production line and every step holds the story of a person.

27:42 – Connecting

• You can find more about Rafi Nova at www.rafinova.com and on all the social channels. If you want to follow Marissa and her family's adventures, follow @twinsonthegox2 on Instagram!

28:13 – Getting to Know Our Guest

• Find out what song Marissa has to sing along to when it comes on the radio, a person who has influenced her the most, what she would eat if she had to eat the same meal every night for the rest of her life, her favorite TV show to watch growing up, and of course, stay tuned to hear what it means to Marissa to run a business with purpose.

14:41 - "We started this pivot out of a sense of service, not out of a sense of business."

15:42 - "I think my experience as a mom to two sets of twins or even a set of twins prepared us for this. We always go into life being flexible and being open-minded and knowing things are not going to come as they seem and that you need to pivot in a lot of your everyday life."

24:08 – "Adventures have new meanings these days."

24:23 – In 2021, while we will still be selling masks, we are coming out with a line of amazing products that we're working so hard on that can accompany you on these new adventures and these new journeys.

Thank you to our partners of the show: Ammas Umma

Did you know I have an ethical brand directory? That's what Chelsea used to start finding products for her boutique almost four years ago! Now, Amma's Umma carries over 50 intentionally sourced brands and is the perfect one stop shop for all your gift giving needs. As a thank you to the Still Being Molly community, she is offering 20% off with code SHOPWITHMOLLY. Head to shopwithmolly.com for all the details.

GOEX

At GOEX, we believe in the power of purchase. We use a simple t-shirt to connect our customers with their apparel makers. GOEX customers sustain fair wage jobs that liberate workers from poverty and empower them in their families and communities. We are proud to be a verified member of the Fair Trade Federation. Shop sustainable, eco-friendly t-shirts and sweatshirts with purpose today at goexapparel.com.

Simple Switch

I want to introduce you all to a company I believe in that helps you more conveniently purchase with purpose, SimpleSwitch.org

Simple Switch is an online marketplace for ethical and impactful shopping. They let you shop online for more than 3,000 products ranging from everyday essentials like toilet paper and hand sanitizer, to special gifts like journals or jewelry. Every product has a positive environmental or social impact, like planting trees or fighting human trafficking.

Simple Switch is offering a discount exclusively for our listeners. Check out the marketplace on simpleswitch.org and get 20% off your first order with code PURCHASEWITHPURPOSE at checkout!

The Lemonade Boutique

This episode is sponsored by The Lemonade Boutique, a women's clothing with a cause store. Featuring ethically made and fair trade items from over 10 countries, every item is made by women facing extreme challenges such as trafficking, poverty, and more. Your purchase empowers women to take life's lemons and make lemonade. Shop at THELemonadeBoutique.com. Listeners of the Business with Purpose Podcast can save 15% by using code PURPOSE15 at checkout.

Marriage is beautiful. It's hard, but it's beautiful. Work can be beautiful. Hard, but beautiful. When you combine marriage and work, those things can be beautiful, but they can also be really, really hard. My guests today recently completed the largest research study on working married couples in the US, and spent the last few years interviewing couples who want to stay in love, change the world, and raise a happy family. Jeff and Andrew Shinabarger. Jeff is the co-author of Love or Work: Is it Possible to Change the World, Stay in Love, and Raise a Family. He's also the founder of Plywood People, a nonprofit in Atlanta leading a community of startups doing good. His work has been featured in Forbes Inc., CNN, USA Weekend, and Huffington Post. He's mentored over 600 startups and created the largest social entrepreneurship event in the South called "Plywood Presents." His wife, Andre Shinabarger is an adventurer who loves seeing the world. She was born in Boliva, and she has a deep passion for building community with marginalized people groups. She works at Grady Memorial Hospital as a physician's assistant and is an adjunct professor for Emory University as well as an advisor to Plywood People, host of the Love or Work Podcast, and coauthor of the Love or Work book along with her husband, Jeff. These two are incredible and I've long admired their work through Plywood People and Plywood Presents. It was such a joy to have them on the show. You're going to get so much out of this conversation whether you're married or single. This episode is for everyone.

6:41 – The Jeff and Andre 101

• Andre was born in Bolivia and Spanish is her first language. She is a physician's assistant at Grady Health System where she and her colleagues take care of underserved communities. She and Jeff met in college, have been married for 18 years, and have two children who are 10 and 8 years-old.
• Jeff leads an organization called Plywood People, a nonprofit that leads a community of startups doing good. He loves getting involved in these projects to help pass on his wisdom, lessons from mistakes, and help people grow their dream projects.
• Early on, Jeff and Andre stared a project called "Gift Card Giver." They would collect unused gift cards and give them to people in need. People started sending their gift cards from all over the nation. Because of that, people started connecting Jeff with other people with ideas. They gave away a few hundred thousand dollars in gift cards, and people started recognizing Jeff and asking him how to help them get their ideas off the ground.
• The name Plywood People came after Jeff and Andrew traveled extensively doing various relief work. He always saw Plywood as a short-term fix to a long-term problem, and people giving their lives to continue raising up a place and making it better.

11:48 – Love or Work?

• The Book Love or Work came out of a long personal journey of working with people who are starting their own business. Unfortunately, they often also saw a lot of relationships falling apart because of those startup businesses efforts. It's hard to maintain and nurture relationships when so much of an entrepreneur's time is taken up by stress and trying to get a new project off the ground.
• Often business mentoring sessions would also turn into therapy sessions with clients emotional over their stressed relationships or lack of free time to spend with their partners. They saw such a big need in the community that they started to research how many people were feeling that struggle. They wanted to know if it was really possible to do it all or is that just an idealistic notion? Jeff and Andrew started interviewing people and asking more questions.
• The book is especially timely during this pandemic we're experiencing in 2020. With many couples now working at home and in close proximity, many are struggling to adjust to this adjustment in their increased time together at home. Virtual school, kids, and general stress adds even more pressure on relationships.

14:54 – Podcasts and Pandemics

• Jeff and Andre also have a Love or Work Podcast in addition to the book. They help couples focus on their marriage with resources that help people have not only a great marriage, but also a great career and family, all at the same time. It is possible!
• They hosted over 100 couples on their podcast and did a research project where they surveyed 1500 working couples! They wanted a broad perspective backed up by data.
• Andre personally didn't think she wanted kids because she didn't think she could move up in a career if she had kids too. 83% of couples say that working has made them better parents. The proof is in the data. We really don't have to choose. We can both work and be good parents.
• Women and men feel guilt being away from their kids while they are working, but you can let go a of a lot of that guilt. Jeff cares a lot about Andre's purpose and while it is not perfect, many couples reported that they desire that support in their relationships. It should be a marriage issue, not a career issue. It's not a topic that is brought up in marriage books, but if a partner doesn't value the other's purpose, they don't value their partner.
• Women are coming out of the workforce 4x more than men right now. They are bearing a lot of the burden during the pandemic to both work and care for their children.
• Just because we're home more now doesn't mean we're connecting. Both the Love or Work book and podcast helps people connect heart-wise and get deeper into issues of work, love, and kids. It has work couples can do together at the end of the book as well. When was the last time you invested in resources to help you with your relationship? We invest in so much, but this important aspect of our lives together is too often an exception to that.

30:15 – Love and Work Through the Years

• A desire for passion and fulfilment in work has started to develop in the last few decades in our society: A real deep desire for passion and purpose in what we do for our careers, and that is only going to continue. More families are likely to include to people with deep passion for their work. The question is how to maintain partner relationships, relationships with the children in the family, and how everyone stays healthy in that.
• 95% of participants in Jeff and Andre's study believed it's possible to say in love, change the world, and raise a happy family. However, they're all exhausted trying to do it. No one goes to counseling, they don't exercise, they don't take vacations. It's not worth it to "have it all" if you're having it all in an unhealthy state. Jeff and Andre talk about practical ways to have it all in a way that's healthy.
• This increased time at home has also spurred difficult and important conversations and given couples time to reflect on their relationship and make sure they're both willing to stay on the same team long term. It's a hard but vital question. Counseling and opening the conversation for feedback to trusted friends is vital.

37:42 – Strong Marriages

• If we change the world and lose our family, we lose. Sometimes we have to say no to work and prioritize our kids. You can change your family set up if it is no longer working for you. It's your family and marriage, and you can adjust together and edit accordingly. Don't force something that isn't working for you and your family just because you said you'd do it. It will help you grow together rather than grow apart.
• A finding from their research that genuinely surprised Andrew is that only 8% of couples surveyed have ever gotten counseling. Even if counseling feels scary, even talking to someone close to you who may be further along in their journey or buying a book to help can set couples on a better path simply because they are investing in something for their relationship.
• Only 31% of couples have a shared calendar. This also surprised Jeff and Andre. Especially if you have kids, a shared calendar can save a lot of relationships from frustration, miscommunication, and fights.
• 59% of people surveyed do now use their vacation time! Taking time to step away to be together is a privilege that families should take advantage of if they have it! There are so many forms of different intimacy that can emerge while on vacation!
• Jeff and Andre learned from their sex therapist friend about the 4, 4, 4 principle. It's an idea that each person needs for hours of induvial time a week, and couples need 4 hours of time together every week. Away time invigorates us when we actually come back together to spend time with each other. It should of course be intentional time, not just watching Netflix together.

Getting to Know Our Guest

• Find out some fun get-to-know-you things about Jeff and Andre! Things like which of their pet peeves are the strangest, if they had to eat the same meal for dinner every night for the rest of their life, what song they have to sing when it comes on the radio, their favorite TV shows growing up. Be sure you hear what it means to Jeff and Andre to run a business with purpose!

Memorable Quotes

13:21 – "When you look at some of the historical leaders that we count as heroes, most of them had pretty rough family lives; Somebody took a hit because they pursued this heroic thing."

17:46 – "That is a core issue that should be a marriage issue. I've never read in a marriage book that you should be in support of your partner's purpose. That's not been a topic brought up in any marriage book before. If I don't value her purpose, I don't value her."

23:12 – "The reason why so many women take pride in their work is because they want to paint a picture for their daughters that is a new path forward. A lot of the men connected to this women in committed relationships want the same thing. They want their daughters to see a different image of what their mother is. "

27:08 - "It's important that kids see a bigger world view. Whatever you do, it's important for kids to see that it's outside of this immediate safe bubble of home, because there are hurting people, and there are bigger needs, and it's a bigger world out there."

40:08 – "If we change the world and lose our family, we lose."

About Jeff and Andre Shinabarger:

Jeff Shinabarger is the co-author of "Love or Work: Is it possible to change the world, stay in love, and raise a family?" and founder of Plywood People, a non-profit in Atlanta leading a community of startups doing good. His work has been featured by Forbes, Inc., CNN, USA Weekend and Huffington Post. He is the co-founder of Q, mentored over 600 start-ups and created the largest social entrepreneur event in the South called Plywood Presents.

André Shinabarger is an adventurer who loves seeing the world. Born in Bolivia, she has a deep passion for building community with marginalized people groups. She works for Grady Memorial Hospital in Atlanta as a Physician Assistant and is an adjunct professor for Emory University. She is an Advisor to Plywood People, host of the Love or Work Podcast and co-author of the Love or Work book alongside her husband Jeff.

Thank you to our partners of the show: Ammas Umma

Did you know I have an ethical brand directory? That's what Chelsea used to start finding products for her boutique almost four years ago! Now, Amma's Umma carries over 50 intentionally sourced brands and is the perfect one stop shop for all your gift giving needs. As a thank you to the Still Being Molly community, she is offering 20% off with code SHOPWITHMOLLY. Head to shopwithmolly.com for all the details.

GOEX

At GOEX, we believe in the power of purchase. We use a simple t-shirt to connect our customers with their apparel makers. GOEX customers sustain fair wage jobs that liberate workers from poverty and empower them in their families and communities. We are proud to be a verified member of the Fair Trade Federation. Shop sustainable, eco-friendly t-shirts and sweatshirts with purpose today at goexapparel.com.

Simple Switch

I want to introduce you all to a company I believe in that helps you more conveniently purchase with purpose, SimpleSwitch.org

Simple Switch is an online marketplace for ethical and impactful shopping. They let you shop online for more than 3,000 products ranging from everyday essentials like toilet paper and hand sanitizer, to special gifts like journals or jewelry. Every product has a positive environmental or social impact, like planting trees or fighting human trafficking.

Simple Switch is offering a discount exclusively for our listeners. Check out the marketplace on simpleswitch.org and get 20% off your first order with code PURCHASEWITHPURPOSE at checkout!

The Lemonade Boutique

This episode is sponsored by The Lemonade Boutique, a women's clothing with a cause store. Featuring ethically made and fair trade items from over 10 countries, every item is made by women facing extreme challenges such as trafficking, poverty, and more. Your purchase empowers women to take life's lemons and make lemonade. Shop at THELemonadeBoutique.com. Listeners of the Business with Purpose Podcast can save 15% by using code PURPOSE15 at checkout.

There's a lot of talk about what kindness really looks like these days. Don't get me wrong, I am someone who is deeply passionate about kindness. True kindness. One of my most important goals as a parent is to raise kind and compassionate kids because it matters. Kindness can also be fleeting. When we take it for granted, the kindness that we think we are spreading around is just very surface-level or even in some cases, harmful. What does real, true, deep kindness really look like? My guest today is on a mission to call all of us to action to exhibit deep kindness. Houston Kraft is a speaker, author, and kindness advocate who has spoken at over 600 schools or events internationally. In 2016, he co-founded Character Strong, curriculum and trainings that help teach social and emotional skills. To date, they've worked with over 2500 schools globally, serving over 2 million students. In 2019, his face was actually featured of Lays BBQ chip bags as someone who helps spread smiles. This year, his first book, Deep Kindess was released. Deep Kindness is a call to action beckoning us to a deeper understanding of kindness. It calls readers to move past that surface-level "confetti" kindness marked by cutsie phrases and empty gestures. Instead, Kraft reveals that deep kindness is an ever-growing skillset, rooted in empathy, perspective, courage, and forgiveness. Featuring a 30-act starter plan, journal prompts, and practical exercises, Deep Kindness dives into the types of kindness the world needs most today, taking an honest look at the gap between our belief in kindness and our ability to practice it well. Houston's hero is his mom, and his best life lesson is to "hug like you mean it" (adjusted safely for Covid-19 of course)! I had the best conversation with Houston. He is really funny and has incredible insights about what kindness looks like today.

6:02 - The Houston 101

• Houston is blessed with having parents who have always supported any idea he's wanted to pursue. He was really passionate about soccer growing up but broke his ankle his freshman year of high school. In lieu of playing soccer, he was invited to participate in his high school's production of the musical "Once Upon A Mattress." While honored, Houston has to inform his theatre teacher that he couldn't sing! They found place for Houston in the musical as the character of a mute king.
• He fell in love with the story-telling and collaborative process of theatre. Houston continued with theatre all the way through college and took a year off to determine whether he wanted to pursue acting or some form of leadership. He got connected with a speaker who spoke about leadership, compassion, and kindness in schools. He realized it was what he wanted to do too and started speaking at events after college. He absolutely loved being on stage and sharing stories.
• So much of his own personal story was shaped by stories shared with him in high school around leadership, paradigm shifts, and what it meant to show up for the world in meaningful ways. Houston spoke for 7 years at 600 schools or organizations all over the country. In 2016, he met with a hero of his named John Narlen. Houston wanted to see what John thought about replicating their speaking services for administrators and educational systems to teach empathy, compassion, and social and emotional skills that indicate success and fulfilment in life.
• The program now works with over 2500 schools and reaches about 25 million kids! Houston also just published his first book that came on in September of 2020 called Deep Kindness. It includes all Houston has learned about kindness and compassion over the past decade.

11:11 – Impacting the Next Generation with Deep Kindness

• Houston founded Character Strong and works to equip kids with the skills to think of others before themselves, and it's an important skill to start teaching early to instill people with lifelong empathy and compassion that inspires others around them as well.
• Houston has found that kids are really impacted by what they think their leaders and culture think about them. We are too focused on achievement over kindness and happiness, and our kids are aware of it.
• We are missing the mark. What we measure matters. What we ask young people to show us proof of matters. We are not allocating enough time toward selflessness and compassion. Anxiety and narcissism have increased, and the biggest barriers to empathy are fear, anxiety, and narcissism.
• Dr. Ross Green tells us that kids do well when they can. Kids want to please the adults in the world around them. The only reason they wouldn't is lagging skills and unsolved problems. We need to recognize that they need tools to handle the issues in front of them. There may also be things in their life out of their control that they don't know how to deal with that cause big feelings to be taken out in other areas of their life.
• It's been a tough year, and the pandemic and the political season have made it even tougher for adults to be kind to one another. How are we to expect our children to be kind when we're not doing it? There's a double standard. Character Strong recognizes that being in the business of school culture change means first and foremost being in the business of adult behavior change.

29:03 – What Gets In the Way

• Recognizing the obstacles to creating a kinder world helps us narrow the gap between our intentions and reality. Deep Kindness challenges readers to address questions like this. It's not light and fluffy and takes a little diving to find what we need to move the cultural needle forward.
• The three categories that can get in our way are incompetence, insecurity, and inconvenience. If we don't know how to put ourselves in someone else's shoes, we will treat them as a label instead of a person. With insecurity, most of the things we do in life says "I love you" or "please love me." Those fears can drive disconnection.
• It's important to practice kindness. It's not something that is as easy or simple as we sometimes paint it to be as a society. We are also often too busy to devote our time to that practice. What we give our time to is what we value.
• We can't control society or the people around us, but we can choose our reactions and how we interact with the world, and that can be a powerful modeling for others.
• Deep empathetic kindness requires listening, sacrificing, and discipline. Conditional kindness is just being nice when it's convenient for us. We must allocate consistent practice of kindness. If we don't have that discipline day in and day out, we are doing kindness, not being kind.
• We have to be careful of doing more harm than good, which is what can easily happen if we are doing kindness to feel good instead of truly serving others with an awareness of what they need as opposed to what we want to give to them.

46:14 – Character Strong

• Character Strong has Pre-K through twelfth grade curriculum for schools and works with individual schools as well as school districts. Teachers, administrators, parents, and community members can reach out to see how Character Strong can work with them!
• If you'd like to take a deeper dive into kindness, be sure to also check out Deep Kindness for conversations about kindness, a journal with 30 days of practical actions, and all the places where you can purchase the book!

48:15 – Getting to Know Our Guest

• Find out what song Houston has to sing along with when it comes on, what he most looks forward to when he gets home from traveling, what he would eat for dinner if he had to eat the same thing every night for the rest of his life, his favorite movie to watch growing up, who has influenced him most other than his parents. Listen for Houston's answer to what it means to him to run a business with purpose! You won't want to miss that one.

Memorable Quotes

18:55 – "We look at the world and sometimes we get frustrated with younger generations wondering why they are not more kind. We have to self-reflect to ask what culture we have created that they feel like these are the metrics of success that they have to live into. What we say is important and what we make to be important are two different things."

22:45 – "When it comes to school culture change, we are first and foremost in the business of adult behavior change."

24:20 – "Kids do well when they can." – Dr. Ross Green, Child Psychologist

25:52 – "I think about the filters with which I can experience the world…if I can provide a couple of layers between me and that person, if I can offer that small veil of what that person is missing or the unsolved problem in their life, it gives me that moment of distance to treat them with compassion."

33:31 – "I think one of the most damaging narratives to kindness is that it's free…being kind requires a profound amount of empathy, discomfort, and forgiveness, even if it's inconvenient to me…the biggest preventer of compassion is just that we are busy all the time."

41:47 - "Without listening, we lose the empathy side of kindness."

ABOUT HOUSTON KRAFT: Houston is a speaker, author, and kindness advocate who has spoken at over 600 schools or events internationally. In 2016, he co-founded CharacterStrong - curriculum and trainings that help teach social and emotional skills. To date, they have worked with over 2500 schools globally serving over 2 million students. In 2019, his face was featured on Lays BBQ chip bags as someone who helps "spread smiles." In 2020, his first book, Deep Kindness (Simon & Schuster, Tiller Press) was released. His mom is his hero and her best life lesson is to "hug like you mean it." Thank you to our partners of the show: Ammas Umma

Did you know I have an ethical brand directory? That's what Chelsea used to start finding products for her boutique almost four years ago! Now, Amma's Umma carries over 50 intentionally sourced brands and is the perfect one stop shop for all your gift giving needs. As a thank you to the Still Being Molly community, she is offering 20% off with code SHOPWITHMOLLY. Head to shopwithmolly.com for all the details.

GOEX

At GOEX, we believe in the power of purchase. We use a simple t-shirt to connect our customers with their apparel makers. GOEX customers sustain fair wage jobs that liberate workers from poverty and empower them in their families and communities. We are proud to be a verified member of the Fair Trade Federation. Shop sustainable, eco-friendly t-shirts and sweatshirts with purpose today at goexapparel.com.

Simple Switch

I want to introduce you all to a company I believe in that helps you more conveniently purchase with purpose, SimpleSwitch.org

Simple Switch is an online marketplace for ethical and impactful shopping. They let you shop online for more than 3,000 products ranging from everyday essentials like toilet paper and hand sanitizer, to special gifts like journals or jewelry. Every product has a positive environmental or social impact, like planting trees or fighting human trafficking.

Simple Switch is offering a discount exclusively for our listeners. Check out the marketplace on simpleswitch.org and get 20% off your first order with code PURCHASEWITHPURPOSE at checkout!

The Lemonade Boutique

This episode is sponsored by The Lemonade Boutique, a women's clothing with a cause store. Featuring ethically made and fair trade items from over 10 countries, every item is made by women facing extreme challenges such as trafficking, poverty, and more. Your purchase empowers women to take life's lemons and make lemonade. Shop at THELemonadeBoutique.com. Listeners of the Business with Purpose Podcast can save 15% by using code PURPOSE15 at checkout.

I know I've said this before, but it's worth repeating: I am so excited about the next generation of young people who are coming up in the world and how they are so motivated and determined to make the world a better place. They seem to be starting at a younger and younger age. Just this year, I've had quite a few teenagers on the show who are just doing absolutely incredible things in the world. Today's guest is not different, and she's going to knock your socks off. My guest this week is Isha Uppalapati, the founder of A Girl's Frontier, a 501c3 nonprofit organization focused on helping young girls find and harness their leadership potential while providing them with the opportunities to do so. She is also the author of Her Toolbox: Learning to Be A Female Leader with Advice from Women in Power, a compilation of advice from women leaders. Isha is a high school senior (can you believe that?!) in Marietta, GA. She is doing more by the age of 18, than I think I've done in 35 years of life! Isha is incredibly motivating and encouraging, and you are going to love this conversation.

5:19 - The Isha 101

• Isha is the founder of A Girl's Frontier, a nonprofit that helps young girls fulfil their aspirations and helps them with their dreams of becoming entrepreneurs. She's also the author of Her Toolbox: Learning to Be A Female Leader with Advice from Women in Power. This was all before she became a senior in high school!
• The idea for A Girl's Frontier started with some of Isha's hobbies. She's always loved making things or putting things together. She's always had the support of her parents, and would put together doll houses with her dad, or write her own little books and even make her own binding for them.
• Her family and friends who gave her so much love and support gave her the confidence from a very young age that she could be whatever she wants to be and do whatever she wants to do. Even when she told her support system that she wanted to be a race car driver, they believed she would do it if she said she wanted to.
• Isha created A Girl's Frontier to provide the same opportunities she had to girls everywhere. The organization helps fund education for girls around the world, including Honduras and India, connecting them to mentors who can help guide them to be who they want to be.
• They've been holding broken iPad drives. It provides books to young girls in the local community as well as iPads, which has been especially crucial during the pandemic with so many schools having to convert to virtual classrooms.
• When visiting India, Isha met a young girl who shared her dreams of becoming a doctor with Isha. The girl's family was extremely poor, and Isha was moved by the girl's lofty goals and determination. Her parents were not able to afford secondary education, and the realization that this young girl did not have the same opportunity to go to any college she chose, like Isha did, was both a jarring and life-altering moment.
• Isha knew there were so many brilliant, passionate people in the world who just have doors shut in their faces because of money and lack of opportunity. That moment fueled Isha to do what she's doing now: ensuring more young girls have equal opportunities to pursue their talents and gifts.

11:39 – A Book and Nonprofit Before the Age of 18

• Isha also credits her strong support system with helping her start A Girl's Frontier. She started researching how to start a 501c3 and started working on her business filing and making the nonprofit official.
• In Honduras, A Girl's Frontier works with a group of girls who've been rescued from human trafficking and other traumatic situations. Isha simply just started asking people for financial support and material donations, and both started flooding in.
• So many women are enthusiastic to share with A Girl's Frontier, understanding their own privileges and opportunities, and desiring to pull other young women up alongside them.
• Isha has also learned a lot from these incredible women leaders while writing, researching, and interviewing for her book, Her Toolbox: Learning to Be A Female Leader with Advice from Women in Power. Every single women she met emphasized the importance of mentors. Isha knew they were important but really began to understand their impact while writing her book.
• Mentors not only help you with your struggles, but share their own to help you learn from their failures. She also learned that it's important to learn how to fail. It's especially difficult for high schoolers like Isha, trying to pass tests and get good grades to get into college!

17:21 – Women in the Driver's Seat

• Isha wants young girls to know that they have the power to be in control of their dreams, lives, and futures. That can look like asking for help, advocating and/or standing up for yourself, and digging in and working hard and continuing to try even when things are difficult, instead of making excuses.
• Sign up for online seminars, talk to college admissions counselors, ask people who've been to college for their advice. All it is is taking control of the situation you are in and making the best of it.
• Isha is applying to college and may decide this Fall or Spring where she'll go! She is even applying to international schools. She's working hard to keep her options open.

22:27 – A Girl's (Future) Frontier

• Isha knows her generation if capable of just about anything they put their mind to. Her hope for her generation is that they follow their own dreams and what they want more than generations before them. They have so much access to the world and opportunity through connection and technology, and she wants them to make the most of it.
• With more opportunity, there's also more room for them to do more good in the world.
• Isha is looking toward the future but also staying grounded and taking things one day at a time. She wants to continue with A Girl's Frontier throughout college and settle in a new area to expand her outreach. She's also debating another book!

25:12 – Supporting A Girl's Frontier

• Head to A Girl's Frontier to learn more about supporting the organization and all of their programs. You can also find Her Toolbox on Amazon, which is linked at the top of this post in the intro!
• You can find A Girl's Frontier on Instagram (@agirlsfrontier) and Facebook to stay connected!

25:54 – Getting to Know Our Guest

• Find out some fun facts about Isha like what song she has to sing along with the second she hears it, what person in her life has influenced her the most, her favorite TV show to watch growing up, what she would eat for dinner if she could only have the same thing every night, her most unusual talent, and of course stay tuned for her answer to what it means to her to run a business with purpose.

Memorable Quotes

7:13 – "They supported me so much through anything I wanted to do, and then I came to this realization that a lot of people don't have this amazing support system that I have. This vast support system of people telling me I can be whatever I want to be, and showing me that I can and encouraging me that I can."

15:15 – "You have to learn to fail. You will never do well on every single thing in your life. If you did, it just means that you're not challenging yourself enough."

Thank you to our partners of the show: Ammas Umma

Did you know I have an ethical brand directory? That's what Chelsea used to start finding products for her boutique almost four years ago! Now, Amma's Umma carries over 50 intentionally sourced brands and is the perfect one stop shop for all your gift giving needs. As a thank you to the Still Being Molly community, she is offering 20% off with code SHOPWITHMOLLY. Head to shopwithmolly.com for all the details.

GOEX

At GOEX, we believe in the power of purchase. We use a simple t-shirt to connect our customers with their apparel makers. GOEX customers sustain fair wage jobs that liberate workers from poverty and empower them in their families and communities. We are proud to be a verified member of the Fair Trade Federation. Shop sustainable, eco-friendly t-shirts and sweatshirts with purpose today at goexapparel.com.

Simple Switch

I want to introduce you all to a company I believe in that helps you more conveniently purchase with purpose, SimpleSwitch.org

Simple Switch is an online marketplace for ethical and impactful shopping. They let you shop online for more than 3,000 products ranging from everyday essentials like toilet paper and hand sanitizer, to special gifts like journals or jewelry. Every product has a positive environmental or social impact, like planting trees or fighting human trafficking.

Simple Switch is offering a discount exclusively for our listeners. Check out the marketplace on simpleswitch.org and get 20% off your first order with code PURCHASEWITHPURPOSE at checkout!

The Lemonade Boutique

This episode is sponsored by The Lemonade Boutique, a women's clothing with a cause store. Featuring ethically made and fair trade items from over 10 countries, every item is made by women facing extreme challenges such as trafficking, poverty, and more. Your purchase empowers women to take life's lemons and make lemonade. Shop at THELemonadeBoutique.com. Listeners of the Business with Purpose Podcast can save 15% by using code PURPOSE15 at checkout.

I think we can all agree that creating a culture of integrity in our workplaces in important. We want to be able to trust the people we work for and work with. We want to know that the company we are representing as an employee or as an owner is one that people can trust; that the brand has a certain amount of ethics behind it. That doesn't just have to be regarding just manufacturing, but the fact that a company strives to have integrity on the whole. My guest today is creating and leading a revolution of ethical companies that hold integrity as a top priority. Rob Chesnut if the former Chief Ethics Officer for Air B&B, and the author of the new book, Intentional Integrity: How Smart Companies Can Lead An Ethical Revolution. Rob is a graduate of Harvard Law School and The University of Virginia. He worked for 14 years with the US Justice Department, where he prosecuted bank robberies, kidnapping, murder, and espionage cases. He joined eBay in 1999 as the company's third lawyer where he led eBay's North American legal team and later founded its Trust and Safety Team. Rob subsequently spent six years as the general counsel and first attorney and digital education leader, Chegg, where he helped take the company public in 2013. He joined Air B&B as general counsel in 2016, where he grew the legal team from 30 to over 150 legal professionals in 20 offices around the world. His team led initiatives to promote home sharing and address regulatory issues with local governments and landlords around the world. As Chief Ethics Officer, Rob developed a popular interactive employee program, Integrity Belongs Here, to help drive ethics throughout the company. He lives in San Francisco, and his website is intentionalintegrity.com. I will tell you that this was a fansicnating conversation. Rob has so much experience and knowledge and is the type of person I'd love to sit down with for dinner and ask 7 million questions. I asked him about half of those here today. 😉 You are going to absolutely love this conversation with Rob Chesnut!

5:58 - The Rob 101

• Rob is an author, tech general counsel, and has been a federal prosecutor. He enjoys the idea of variety and being tough to label! He started his career as a lawyer in Virginia. After some time in that role, he felt like he was presiding over a lot of negativity. He started to feel pulled to do something positive and uplifting. He believes business has the power to transform the world in a positive way, even more than government, which is often pulled apart by partisan politics.
• Rob started looking for companies doing good things in the world. While working as a prosecutor in northern Virginia, he received calls from other prosecutors wanting records about a company called America Online (AOL). (This is when you still received a disk and needed dial up for the internet). 😉 It struck Rob that the internet may have staying power, and he started using a few sights like eBay.
• Most companies at that time did not need (or didn't think they needed) a federal prosecutor, but Rob contacted eBay regarding the potential problems they might run into with illegal items, fraud, regulations, and more. eBay called Rob back the next day. He was asked to start eBay's "Trust and Safety" department and Rob grew the team to more than 2,000 employees who helped maintain order and prevented fraud on the site.
• Later in his career Rob moved onto Chegg and then Air B&B. Air B&B is in the Trust business. There need to be rules and order so that people can connect over their common interests. That has been a theme throughout Rob's career.

9:00 - Intentional Integrity

• While Rob was the general counsel at Air B&B, it really struck him that the world was changing. Everywhere he turned, Rob saw companies in trouble and being called out for bad behavior. At that time, the level of feedback and public criticism was really something new. People want leaders and companies to step up.
• Rob sat down with Air B&B founder, Brian Chesky to talk about how to drive integrity into the culture of a company. They had no idea how to start, but both agreed they needed to try it. They started developing a program that encouraged Air B&B employees to treat each other with integrity, and the employees truly embraced the program.
• Rob's wife, who works in publishing started (strongly) encouraging him to write a book about it. No one else was doing it at the time and she knew it was important for the world. Rob, however, was not at all interested in writing a book. Rob's wife convinced him by offering to find a co-writer and a major publisher.
• Rob thought he had all the knowledge on the subject, but the more he engaged with the writing process, the more he realized he still had a lot to learn. Rob discovered the writing was really a journey of knowledge. The book is called Intentional Integrity: How Smart Companies Can Lead An Ethical Revolution. It includes a wide range of perspectives from well-known artists and industry professionals.

13:19 – A Major Shift

• The Internet and social media have truly changed how we interact with brands and organizations. We seem to be on the cusp of an ethical revolution. Up until even just a few years ago, most companies operated under a mantra of "shareholder value." Anything was ok as long as it increases shareholder value.
• Shareholder value worked for a few decades, but parts of it did not work. It did increase short-term focus but may have hurt the planet in the long run, used slave labor in other parts of the world, and not offered employees health benefits. The world started to realize the mantra was also causing problems and was no longer working.
• Shareholder value is now being rejected as the way companies should operate. It's been replaced with stakeholder principles. Now companies need to operate with the best interest of all of its stakeholders. Air B&B must consider not only its investors, but their employees, guests, hosts, and the communities where it operates. Companies are beginning to realize they have a broader obligation to do good in the world.
• The key is to think about it holistically across all stakeholders. It should not be all about profit, but profit is important for companies to be able to fulfill their purpose. When a company is perceived to be operating ethically with its business model, with the way that it treats people, it actually outperforms the market and outperforms competitors. It's not a tradeoff. It gives companies that operate this way a wind in their back. It helps them operate and be more successful as a business.
• Employees are holding their own companies accountable and customers are jumping in as well. They both care about where their money is going. If they feel a company is not ethical, they'll move their money elsewhere and they'll share on social media to spread the word about unethical practices. Government will jump in too if they see consumers feeling this way.

23:51 - Leveraging the "6 Cs"

• Rob talks about leveraging the 6 Cs to foster and manage a culture of integrity at work. The first is for "CEO." You can talk about integrity all you want, but your CEO has to be following that and setting an example. All things are possible if the CEO is on board.
• The second C is for a "Code of Conduct." Having a Code of Conduct isn't enough. Any company can do that and follow compliance rules. It must be intentionally created with values that reflect what the company is about, and clearly communicated and followed with appropriate channels for feedback and transparency.
• The third C is to "Communicate Your Code." It's important to proactively prepare and have the message communicated from the top. Consequences are necessary for when rules are violated. Rules must apply to everyone, from the bottom to the top. There must be a clear reporting structure with fair consequences.
• Stay tuned to hear more about the 6 Cs and intriguing examples of how they relate to human behavior!

49:05 - Getting To Know Our Guest

• Find out what song Rob has to sing along to when he hears it, someone who has really impacted him with the way he approaches business, what his favorite TV show was growing up, and more! Be sure to stay tuned to hear Rob's answer to our all important question of what it means to him to run a business with purpose.

Memorable Quotes

8:45 - "I think that's been a theme throughout my career. Trying to promote good in people and promote human connections through providing a little bit of structure and order to enable the best behavior."

10:37 – "Where you work is such a reflection of who you are. The brands of the companies where you work become your brands...I think we all want to be proud of where we work. We want to feel as though we are a part of something that is doing good in the world."

16:20 – "The world started to realize that 'shareholder value' mantra was causing a lot of ethical corner to be cut, and it wasn't working. Not that shareholders aren't important, but why should shareholder thing be the only thing that matters?"

17:35 – "Why shouldn't a company also be thinking about what's good for the broader communities where it operates? And I think that part of this revolution is an understanding that we need companies to think and act differently, and I'm glad that companies are embracing this new idea of stakeholder principle.

18:51 – "You need a purpose as a company. Profit is not purpose. I think you need a 'North Star' to kind of guide your actions. I think you have to be solving a problem in the world or doing something good for the world. I actually think profit is critical. Profit is what funds your ability to accomplish your purpose."

~19:45 - When a company is perceived to be operating ethically with its business model, with the way that it treats people, it actually outperforms the market and outperforms competitors. It's not a tradeoff. It gives companies that operate this way a wind in their back. It helps them operate and be more successful as a business."

~23:45 – "You can't operate as a 20th century company in the 21st century."

Thank you to our partners of the show: Ammas Umma

Did you know I have an ethical brand directory? That's what Chelsea used to start finding products for her boutique almost four years ago! Now, Amma's Umma carries over 50 intentionally sourced brands and is the perfect one stop shop for all your gift giving needs. As a thank you to the Still Being Molly community, she is offering 20% off with code SHOPWITHMOLLY. Head to shopwithmolly.com for all the details.

GOEX

At GOEX, we believe in the power of purchase. We use a simple t-shirt to connect our customers with their apparel makers. GOEX customers sustain fair wage jobs that liberate workers from poverty and empower them in their families and communities. We are proud to be a verified member of the Fair Trade Federation. Shop sustainable, eco-friendly t-shirts and sweatshirts with purpose today at goexapparel.com.

Simple Switch

I want to introduce you all to a company I believe in that helps you more conveniently purchase with purpose, SimpleSwitch.org

Simple Switch is an online marketplace for ethical and impactful shopping. They let you shop online for more than 3,000 products ranging from everyday essentials like toilet paper and hand sanitizer, to special gifts like journals or jewelry. Every product has a positive environmental or social impact, like planting trees or fighting human trafficking.

Simple Switch is offering a discount exclusively for our listeners. Check out the marketplace on simpleswitch.org and get 20% off your first order with code PURCHASEWITHPURPOSE at checkout!

The Lemonade Boutique

This episode is sponsored by The Lemonade Boutique, a women's clothing with a cause store. Featuring ethically made and fair trade items from over 10 countries, every item is made by women facing extreme challenges such as trafficking, poverty, and more. Your purchase empowers women to take life's lemons and make lemonade. Shop at THELemonadeBoutique.com. Listeners of the Business with Purpose Podcast can save 15% by using code PURPOSE15 at checkout.

Welcome to the 2020 Business with Purpose Podcast Holiday Gift Guide Extravaganza!

I'm so happy to have my cohost Em Sexton from The Flourish Market with me today! This is our 5th year doing this, and when we recorded at this time last year, I don't think any of us could have predicted what was in store for us for 2020. We hope this year's Gift Guide brings you some energy and joy for a calm and simple Holiday season. We'll feature some fun and unique gifts for you to shop. Be sure to go to stillbeingmolly.com/blog where you can find this episode's show notes with all of the Gift Guide details, links, and coupon codes, as well as The Business with Purpose Instagram page (Instagram.com/stillbeingmolly)). I'll have an entire highlight dedicated to the Gift Guide so you can referenced everything in one location. For now, sit back, relax, grab a cup of your favorite cozy beverage, and enjoy with us! We'll be answering your questions, bringing back the trivia game (you can do it, Em!), and shopping together with purpose!

The Business With Purpose Podcast would not have been able to make it through 2020 without our amazing partners of the show: The Lemonade Boutique, Simple Switch, GOEX Apparel, and Ammas Uma.

5:53 – Question #1 from Molly to Em: If 2020 were a Christmas ornament, what would that Christmas ornament be?

• Em: First we have to acknowledge that we hold the heavy, hard, unimaginable situation we've experienced worldwide because of the level of this pandemic. We have grieved as a team at The Flourish Market for the people behind our products. At the same time, joy, laughter, and rest are signs of resistance against horrible things happening in the world.
• I have two ideas for ornaments for 2020. One would have all the new things we sell at The Flourish Market in 2020 like masks, branded toilet paper, and cross stitch kits! The second would be the PIVOT COUCH from Friends! The word of the year for business owners has been pivot. Shoutout to all you pivoting in 2020!

8:50 – First Feature: GOEX Apparel!

• GOEX Apparel is an incredible company that cuts and sews their items in Haiti and screen print them in Kansas City. They have an eco-friendly, low carbon footprint, and even provide custom tees like the Business with Purpose podcast "Do Something Good with Purpose on Purpose" tee!
• • Ladies Red Cardigan – Comes in 5 colors and is your perfect basic, everyday, long cardigan with pockets!
  • Holiday Deer Sweatshirt – Comes in adult and youth sizes!

Business With Purpose Podcast listeners gets 20% off with the code "podcast20"! You can also check out goexapparel.com/mollystillman to see my curated collection of my favorite items from GOEX!

11:39 – Question #2 for Molly from Em: What is a new holiday tradition?

• Molly's family has been doing a Sunday night family movie night. They watch movies that they have not seen together. The first weekend in November, they started watching holiday movies. Molly's kids just saw HOME ALONE FOR THE FIRST TIME! They loved it and laughed so much! 😊
• This year maybe it's ok to go ahead and put up your Christmas decorations before Thanksgiving. Rules are out the window and we encourage you to go ahead and get festive if you want to!

13:55 – Our next feature is from Freeleaf: This company provides employment, wholistic care, and sustainability to at risk, exploited, and abused women. Their tagline is "For a world where women are knot for sale." All of their products have knots in them somewhere to remind us that women are not for sale. We are also featuring two of their items:

• Infinity and Pippa Wall Hangings: They are perfect for putting on a gallery wall with framed prints and for those who love home décor, especially since many of us are home more often these days!
• Harmony Tassel Hoop Earrings: These rose gold hoops with deep purple knotted tassels are the perfect stocking stuffers!

We have another coupon code for you! Use "purpose15" for 15% off at Free Leaf!

17:32 – Here's our first TRIVIA QUESTION for Em! In the song Frosty the Snowman, what made Frosty come to life?

18:53 – A trivia question for Molly: What is your worst decoration or decorating story?

21:37: Our next company is Simple Switch

• Simple Switch is your ethical version of Amazon. Right off the bat, we have a 20% off coupon code good for ANYTHING ON THE SITE! Use code "purchasewithpurpose"
• Simple Switch is also offering free shipping for orders over $200.00!
• There are a few very unique items here that you might normally go to Amazon to find, but can find ethically-sourced instead here on Simple Switch like fully engravable wood items at all different price points: Money clips, customized items, an engravable flash, all made from genuine cherry and beautiful.
• Ethical wine and chocolate! There is a variety pack you can customize for yourself and they come in CANS! You can pair that with Molly's favorite chocolate, Alter Eco Chocolate. They are great gifts to drop off your friend's porches, order in bulk, and/or stick in someone's stocking!

26:14 – Next Trivia Question! How many reindeer are featured in the poem 'Twas the Night Before Christmas?

27:32 – The Lemonade Boutique's mission is to work with companies working with women who take life's lemons and made lemonade. She carries so many gifts for everyone on your list.

• This year we're featuring a unique item called Tea Drops. They dissolve in hot water and your tea is ready to drink in just a few minutes! They are ethically sourced and wrapped in eco-friendly packaging without any added preservatives. They're also made in the US! Em's favorite flavor is the Chai Spice. They're also great for tea on the go in a travel mug!
• The other product is their Quilling Christmas cards. Quilling is an ancient Japanese art form where strips of paper are turned into decorative art. These quilling cards are made in Vietnam by artisans who are hearing impaired. These are beautiful for both sending a note of encouragement and throw in a gift card for some cash for a self-care coffee or tea break!
• Molly's favorite products from The Lemonade Boutique are the earrings for young girls! How cute?!

Your coupon code for The Lemonade Boutique is "holiday15" for 15% off! You can also get free shipping on orders of $29 or more!

32:53: It doesn't feel like the holidays until…

• Hear about what moments make both Em and Molly feel like it's officially the holidays.

36:29 – Azizi Life

• They have been featured on the show before, and Em has actually had the opportunity to travel to Rwanda with Azizi Life!
• • We are highlighting their Sutton Woven Storage Basket. Not only are they great for storing pillows, toys, blankets, and more, they're also gorgeous with handmade tassels and come in different sizes for unique décor in your home!
  • Hand-Carved Lela Long Handle Measuring Spoon Set: These are unique, hand carved wooden spoons featuring uniquely made handles that are long enough to be stored in a utensil holder with your other wooden spoons.

Use code "mollychristmas2020" for 10% from now until December 31st

41:01 – Beza Threads work with women coming out of human trafficking and prostitution. Their products are stunning hand made leather goods and I cannot say enough good things about them! They have a ton of leather goods, but we are going to feature a few for you today:

• Mini Tote: Comes in three colors. It's a great bag for wearing over the shoulder or cross body. You'll carry it forever!
• Double Clutch Cross Body: This bag is at such a great price point and is a great sidekick for carrying your keys and phone and all the things you need for errands around town!

Use code "molly15" for 15% off!

44:05 – Time for another question: What is something people love about Christmas that Molly and Em just aren't into? (don't "@" us)!

50:23 – Sela Designs sells earrings and other jewelry that will set you apart from the crowd while still being on trend.

• 100% of profits are donated to several organizations that fight human trafficking like Mercy House and IJM (International Justice Mission).
• Use code "purpose10" for 10% off! Be sure to check out the earring studs Sela sells that are great for girls with newly pierced ears! And be sure to stay tuned just in case something special comes along for the holiday season! 😉

54:52 – Amma's Umma has special ties to the Business With Purpose Podcast. Amma's Umma founder, Chelsea used my Ethical Brand Directory to find brands for starting Amma's Umma. Go to shopwithmolly.com for a special deal! Today we are featuring some of the new products:

• Riverside Open Cardi: It has beautiful stripes and is a great weight to throw on between fall and winter.
• Hand Knit Beanie: Perfect gift for your friends in cold-weather clients. Hand-knit and made in the USA.
• Use coupon code "mollyholidays" as many times as you'd like for 20% off through the end of December! Amma's Umma has donated over $22,000 to adoptions, and $75,000 has been sent to artisans, and all that is in addition to providing ethically sourced products. Amma's Umma is a great gift for your friends who've adopted or have a heart for adoption.

57:57 – Trivia! Let's go EM! In the TV special, "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" what are the three words that best describe the Grinch?

1:00:15 – What food items are Em and Molly most looking forward to this holiday season?

1:04:19 - ABLE ABLE started by selling scarves from Ethiopia. You can hear more about their story on this previous episode with Barrett Ward.

• Today we are highlighting ABLE's leather goods. They are made in Ethiopia and they invest in local leaders and buy from small businesses in Ethiopia.
• • Rachel Utility Bag – this bag has three main sections and pockets all over the inside! This is the link to send to people who are buying your Christmas gifts!
  • The Debre Wallet – these also fly off the shelves at The Flourish Market! It's a modern wallet that comes in three colors of leather. It will last you forever and is a great, classic look for a wallet!
  • ABLE also sells jewelry made by domestic violence survivors. The women get to work alongside each other and it raises up a community of strong, empowered women.
  • ABLE is a great ethical gift option for the people in your life who love brands like J.Crew and Madewell.
  • ABLE doesn't do coupon codes very often, but you're getting "mollys20" for 20% off (and listen in for a special surprise regarding this code)! Thank you ABLE!

1:10:21– HOT OFF THE PRESS is Elsa Jewelry – They are a BRAND NEW ethical jewelry company that is launching in December. They may not be full launched yet by the time you read this. They emailed me recently and I was so blown away by their products that I wanted to share them with you NOW! I don't have the coupon code yet but stay tuned for it!

• "Elsa is the newest ethical jewelry brand on a mission to make 50% of the world's entrepreneurs' women. Elsa was born not far from the sea in a small town in Portugal. Each piece is touched by hand and heart and is shaped by women seeking to make something so much more than ornamental. Simple, soulful jewelry. Elsa's first collection of four designs were intentionally made to fit your every day wardrobe and are perfect for layering."
• These will be made of 14 ct gold and handmade in Portugal!

1:13:34 – Rapid Fires Questions with both Molly and Em!

1:16:38 – This brand is not new to the podcast. I've had their founder, Amy Blair on the podcast, and has been featured on this gift guide every single year. They are Batik Boutique. Everything is handmade and hand-painted using traditional artist techniques. The gifts we are featuring this year are for men! Men can be hard to shop for so we hope you find some items here to help!

• Men's Boxer + Shave Set – comes in a gift box with hand-painted Batik Boxers, shave cream from Italy, and brissel brush.
• Men's Long-Sleeved Dress Shirts – straight fit, hand-painted cotton button ups with hints of pattern. Snag these for your men and their Zoom calls!
• Baking Sets – Baking sets for adults and kids. Each comes with an apron, whisk, cookie cutter, and cookie recipe! Gifting made so easy!
• Use code "molly10" for 10% off

1:19:44 – ONE MORE TRIVIA QUESTION: What famous Christmas movie did our beloved Catherine O'Hara star in?

1:21:01 - The Flourish Market – Our very own Em tells us more about the gift section that has exploded, especially during 2020. It's amazing to think how much The Flourish Market has transformed since the first pop up truck!

• There are some unique items we want to tell you about:
• • 0% alcohol mixers for delicious mocktails!
  • Giftsets!
  • Be sure to check out the $20 and under gift section for accessible gift shopping HERE!
  • Representative Memory Games and Jumbo Puzzles
  • Vegan and Gluten-Free Baking Kits!
  • Shower Steamers
• Use the code "molly" at check out for any orders over $75 or over and Em is throwing in two packages of shower steamers and an "I Will Choose to Flourish" print.

When we choose to flourish it should make a path for others to flourish as well. Every dollar you spend is a vote and I want you to think about your daily and holiday ballot box. Don't feel the burden about how you're shopping right now but enjoy the experience of shopping ethically in the way you choose the opportunity to realize the power of where you choose to spend your money. You will decide what brands and nonprofits make it through this time we are in in this pandemic and beyond. That's not a burden, but an exciting opportunity! Your power and impact is real! Thank you so much for joining us today. Let's keep making opportunities for others to flourish!

Thank you to all of the incredible brands that have been featured here today! We love these companies and would not have them on here if we did not absolutely love buying from them. Please join us in supporting them. Go to stillbeingmolly.com/blog and stillbeingmolly.com/podcast. Thank you so much Em for being my cohost toady. I had a blast!

"It's never been more important to use our platforms and our influence for good."

Thank you to all of my listeners who've been joining us for this gift guide through the last five years for all your support! If you're new here, welcome! Hit the subscribe button and that will be the best Christmas present for me! Leave a review and tell me what else you'd like to hear!

Whatever you're celebrating, I hope it's the best ever even in the midst of 2020! Cheers!

One of the reasons I started this podcast was to provide a medium to share stories that matter around topics that matter, and to hopefully bring on guests that challenge you, encourage you, inspire you; Maybe to make you think of things in a way you haven't previously. 2020 has been an exceptionally difficult year between a pandemic, elections, and everything surrounding the topic of race. I am so excited about today's guest because he is someone who has had an impact on me. I pray our conversation is one that impacts you too. This conversation is challenging, encouraging, funny, and heart-wrenching. I know you are going to walk away feeling inspired. My guest this week is Corey Paul Davis, more widely known as Corey Paul. Corey is a Houston-based rapper, creator, and entrepreneur. Throughout his life, he as overcome several incredible adversities including drug addiction in his family and witnessing his mother shot by his father at the age of seven years old. Eventually he completed high school and served his community as a firefighter, where he won the Ann Sullivan award for heart and courage. He has a heart for kids who grew up in similar situations to him and started a nonprofit program for youth in the juvenile detention centers of Houston in hopes of providing them mentorship and resources. They successfully graduated over 100 teens from their Hope program and built foundational relationships with the youth in their community. Music has always been a passion of his and an outlet for his pain and thoughts. Corey started his first media company in 2011, and eventually became a full-time creative entrepreneur. Through music, he was able to amass more than 6 million streams, performed international shows, and built a strong social media presence. He has released three studio albums, two of which made it on the Billboard charts! As a young business owner, Corey quickly learned how little he knew about money management due to his lack of exposure growing up in the marginalized, low-income community. That experience started his financial literacy quest, which would ultimately lead to his desire to start The Literacy Kings Podcast. For over 10 years, he has worked to build his platform as a trusted voice for creatives, entrepreneurs, social justice, and faith. He still believes that this is only the beginning. He is married to his high school sweetheart and they have a beautiful two-year-old daughter. Join me as I sit down to hear more from Corey about the ways God has woven his path so far, and Corey believes God has in store!

12:37 - The Corey 101

• Corey was born in Houston, TX in a low-income neighborhood called South Park. Unfortunately, the neighborhood has a 30% high school drop out rate. Corey's mother kept the family together. His father became a drug addict, and over time it got worse and worse. Corey started witnessing verbal and physical abuse.
• His father could not overcome his addiction and passed away when Corey was just 9 years old. Corey tried to find his way and became immersed in street culture and rapper. When he was just 12, he knew he wanted to rap. He started experimenting with codeine and soda. All he and his friends wanted to do was party.
• When Corey was 16, he met a Christian girl and at the same time, one of his best friends got saved and started talking to Corey about church. When he was 17, Corey became saved and started changing his rapping to contextualize the gospel with Hip Hop.
• Corey started putting out albums that made it to Billboard and started touring. Music was the seed for Corey's other passions and ministries. Corey was also served as a Houston firefighter! He met a firefighter when he was 16, and that firefighter told Corey he loved his job. It struck Corey that someone said they loved their job when so many people talk about hating their jobs.
• Corey always admired firefighters because they he saw them as very community-oriented, which is something his community very much needed growing up: mentors, rays of light, people to look up to. When he was younger, Corey was more focused on rapping and partying. As Corey started to fall in love, he realized he needed to make money to take care of his spouse, so he applied to be a firefighter.
• At the same time, Corey's music was doing well and started to take off. The firefighter schedule allowed him flexibility in his schedule to keep going with his music career at the same time. God granted Corey so many amazing experiences with both passions, and as a firefighter, he literally witnessed people coming back to life.

22:00 – A Change in the Rap Game

• When Corey started changing his rapping to match his faith, many people were encouraged by it. Some were not convinced; those who'd been along before and after he became a Christian. Corey had always been in search of a way to help his people. He was inspired by a line in a rap song, Big Picture that says "this been goin' on too long to get even" speaking about systematic oppression.
• When Corey's pastor explained that Jesus already came and fixed things. It was about worshipping the Creator, not the created. It was super intriguing to Corey. It was never about leaving his peers or telling them to straighten up. Corey knew he could bring the promise of the Gospel back to them.
• Corey never tried to force his new beliefs down anyone's throat but did bring the Gospel back into his regular life. When he started having a Bible study in his house, his mom would listen in and one day, dedicated her life to Jesus too.
• Jesus helps us along our path and sends people to sharpen us (iron sharpens iron) while ALSO showing us in scripture that it it's ok and that we are called to go out and be among the mess in the world as well.

29:24 – A Perfect Segue

• Corey encourages us to be open to experiences we have not lived, breathed, walked. It is the foundation of his next story. Corey is from a neighborhood that is low-income, systematically oppressed, undeserved areas. When a person grows up in one of these areas, there is a certain way they learn to receive people and information.
• Corey is from South Park, George Floyd grew up in Third Ward, a similar neighborhood as Corey's in Houston. Corey's church was in Third Ward, and they wanted to connect with the people there. It's just not as simple as going in and connecting though. People have been taken advantage of so much that trust is very hard.
• Corey knew they had to find a person of peace. Someone who is respected and loved with similar ideas and beliefs. Big Floyd (George Floyd) was that person. He was the connector. Big Floyd came to a concert that Corey's church put on where they provided food and school supplies to give back to the community.
• Big Floyd came to the concert and connected with Corey and complimented them for trying to give back. Corey and Big Floyd connected and became friends. Big Floyd told Corey about his neighborhood and the people and said, "If it's about God business, it's my business." Big Floyd said he'd spread the word to the community and the word Corey's church was trying to do in the community.
• Big Floyd really started spreading the word about church events and helped run baptisms, church ceremonies, and community events. The things Corey and Big Floyd both went through growing up where they did give them a voice for others. Their pasts give them voices for other young boys to listen to them and change their lives.
• Corey knew people would try to bring up Big Floyd's past and use it against him, but Corey knew the 180 Big Floyd did in his life and witnessed Big Floyd facilitating baptisms in the hood, changing young lives, and advocating against drugs and gun violence.
• After Floyd's death, it was important to Corey for people to know more about Floyd and that he was so much more than what can be Googled about him. It's also important that we continue to spark change for racial justice and equality. It's not a magic solution, it's a marathon, a continuous work that is on our shoulders.

43:10 – Faithful Hearers of the Word

• We have a long way to go on the fight for civil rights. The changes we've seen in civil rights have only just happened in the last 50 years and it has taken slow, steady progress, and we still have a long way to go.
• We must be faithful hearers of the word. You can read the Bible from a self-centered perspective, knowing you should forgive your enemies but not recognizing that you could be an enemy that someone else needs to forgive.
• In James, the Bible tells us of forgetful doers of the Word, not hearers of the Word; a person who looks in the mirror, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of person he was. Our perspective matters, and when it's selfish, it's not biblical. We are called to fight for the least of these, and our brothers and sisters who are not different from us. Jesus did not come for one type of person.
• There is a difference between being not racist and being anti-racist. It's important for white middle class America to bear the beautiful burden of actively using their privilege to fight racism and for being anti-racist. Corey believes it's his beautiful burden to build a bridge in his neighborhoods in a progressive and united way. It can't be an "us" vs. "them" progression. It has to be a united front.
• It is important to know that we will mess up. We can't cancel people for making mistakes. We must humble ourselves to link arms and hike these mountains together. We will stumble and need to be there for each other to pick one another up again. We must work through our emotions together and move forward together.

1:00:00 – Seeking Understanding:

Tune in to hear Molly and Corey discuss important ways to create safe places to approach difficult conversations with care and productivity. At 1:05, hear more about how to keep these lines of communication open with the young people in your life.

1:08:26 – Literacy Kings

• Corey became an independent musician after leaving a label with an album that made it to #16 on the Billboard charts. Now he works on a podcast called Literacy Kings with JaMorcus Trayham. The podcast breaks down popular financial books in culturally relative ways, contextualizing the material and using examples that are relatable to people from low-income, underserved areas.
• Many of the valuable financial education materials require you to have some knowledge of the terms from the start. Culturally, it's hard to think about buying stock or getting an LLC and building a business from the ground up if you're struggling just to pay your bills.
• Corey and JaMorcus share the mental, physical, emotionally experiences and barriers that affect people who may have never been introduced to these financial terms and contextualize them in relatable ways.
• The goal of the podcast is to transform it into a network that invites more voices to speak on financial topics, and to curate topics to any group of people that has been marginalized.

1:16:31 - Getting to Know Our Guest

• Find out what song Corey has to sing along with when it comes on, the first thing he does when he gets home from a long trip, and what artists have influenced him the most. Be sure to stay tuned to hear what it means to Corey to run a business with purpose!

Memorable Quotes

21:05 – "As a believer, it shows you how powerful that we are in Him. Death to life is a real thing…he enables us here on Earth to work through Him in order to really cause true change."

38:03 – "You will never be able to truly understand it until you lean in and listen to the voices that he (George Floyd) served."

42: 17- "The chant, 'We want justice and we want it now.' I get it. I get the chant…but it's not practical… 'We want justice. We want it over time, continuously' is more accurate."

45:23 – "It's just recognizing the magnitude of something in order to better equip ourselves for a lasting solution."

57:33 – "It's recognizing a very clear advantage and disadvantage and then leaning in and saying: Do I have something I can offer in this situation?"

Thank you to our partners of the show: Ammas Umma

Did you know I have an ethical brand directory? That's what Chelsea used to start finding products for her boutique almost four years ago! Now, Amma's Umma carries over 50 intentionally sourced brands and is the perfect one stop shop for all your gift giving needs. As a thank you to the Still Being Molly community, she is offering 20% off with code SHOPWITHMOLLY. Head to shopwithmolly.com for all the details.

GOEX

At GOEX, we believe in the power of purchase. We use a simple t-shirt to connect our customers with their apparel makers. GOEX customers sustain fair wage jobs that liberate workers from poverty and empower them in their families and communities. We are proud to be a verified member of the Fair Trade Federation. Shop sustainable, eco-friendly t-shirts and sweatshirts with purpose today at goexapparel.com.

Simple Switch

I want to introduce you all to a company I believe in that helps you more conveniently purchase with purpose, SimpleSwitch.org

Simple Switch is an online marketplace for ethical and impactful shopping. They let you shop online for more than 3,000 products ranging from everyday essentials like toilet paper and hand sanitizer, to special gifts like journals or jewelry. Every product has a positive environmental or social impact, like planting trees or fighting human trafficking.

Simple Switch is offering a discount exclusively for our listeners. Check out the marketplace on simpleswitch.org and get 20% off your first order with code PURCHASEWITHPURPOSE at checkout!

The Lemonade Boutique

This episode is sponsored by The Lemonade Boutique, a women's clothing with a cause store. Featuring ethically made and fair trade items from over 10 countries, every item is made by women facing extreme challenges such as trafficking, poverty, and more. Your purchase empowers women to take life's lemons and make lemonade. Shop at THELemonadeBoutique.com. Listeners of the Business with Purpose Podcast can save 15% by using code PURPOSE15 at checkout.

Sex trafficking is a $99 billion industry, and human trafficking in its total is a $150 billion industry. The statistics around human trafficking can feel incredibly overwhelming and at times it can feel like there is just no way that we could ever make a real change in this industry. A denim company is striving to make a dent and a real difference in fighting human trafficking. My guest this week is the incredible James Bartle, founder and CEO of Outland Denim. Outland Denim started as a means to provide stable employment and income opportunity to women who would otherwise be vulnerable to human trafficking. But James didn't stop there. He innovated on industry standards to create an incredible line of jeans with a minimal footprint. This was an absolutely phenomenal conversation. James has been a highly requested guest this year, and I was really honored to have him on the show. We touch on some important topics and you'll see what I mean when I say that I could have talked to him for hours!

4:32 - The James 101

• James is the CEO and founder of Outland Denim, which has been in the marketplace for about four years now. They've spent the last six years developing their business model to impact people around the world and right environmental and social injustices. James knew in order to truly accomplish this, he needed to be impacted first.
• James was first introduced to what human trafficking is while seeing the movie Taken. The film mentioned in text that human trafficking happens in the real world, and it really affected James. Over the next few years, James and his wife started researching more about the issue. James had a chance to travel with a rescue agency through Southeast Asia and witnessed a life-changing and heart-breaking situation where someone was selling a young girl.
• James thought of his young nieces and now his own daughters. He was horrified that any human has to be sold for their own survival, family's survival or are stolen and held captive. They knew it was an economic problem and if they wanted to solve it, they needed to come up with something that addressed the economic system and/or situation that was making them vulnerable.
• It is important to recognized that human trafficking is very nuanced and complex. It can't be summarized in one movie. For James it was a very gradual learning experience. He wished he could go fix the problem immediately but realized it would be much more complicated than that.
• James realized that it wasn't until they could address the roots of the problem and systemic issues that they could really start to help people out of trafficking. They knew they needed to equip people to make their own decisions to change on their own through education and opportunity.

12:19 - Change Can Come from Us

• Sometimes there is a disconnect approaching Human Trafficking from a business standpoint when a portion of profits go toward a cause. James and Outland Denim began early-on by melding with another industry: the ethical fashion industry. At the root of the fashion industry is trafficking. James chose to merge the two things by fighting trafficking while building a sustainable fashion brand.
• James learned early on in his education about trafficking that nearly 80% of people that come through rescue programs often end up in a worse position later down the road because there's no way for them to move forward with a plan or new life.
• Before Outland Denim, James never gave the health of the environment a second thought, but once he was able to link environmental degradation to social injustice. He realized that his worldview as a Christian should also include a responsibility to protect the planet and that doing so also helps protect marginalized people groups.

16:10 - The People and the Planet

• Outland Denim understands that you can't care for people without the planet or the planet without the people: they are very much connected. They decided to try to use industry to challenge the environmental degradation of the planet by the fashion industry while also impacting not only the lives of marginalized people groups all over the world, but even the sales associate and the brand's stakeholders.
• James sees denim as the ultimate product for changing the world. It's one of the most unsustainable and damaging fabrics in fashion. The chemicals, water, and energy used is massive.
• Denim can also hold a nostalgic comfort in our psyches. James compares it to music. It can conjure memories and emotions. Everyone has their favorite pair of jeans that they never want to throw out that can transport them to another time or distant memory. The goal is to remove the environmental damage and keep the positive impact. Outland Denim even prints messages of thanks in the jean pockets from the women makers who made that pair of jeans.
• If ethical brands are not thinking about making a product that customers want, it's just a "pity purchase." It doesn't empower the artisan who made the product. When a product has consumer demand, you sell more product and are able to employ more people.
• We can't push people into the change, but we can inspire them to want to be a part of the movement. More Christians can lead the way in supporting ethical fashion. If we are called to love our neighbors more than ourselves and deny ourselves and follow Jesus, we can invite others to be a part of a bigger story like Jesus does for us.

34:39 – Global Brand

• Outland Denim had a successful launch in Australia, and then James' wife told him about WWD (Apparel and Retail CEO) Summit happening in New York (about 5 years ago). There was no mention of sustainability in the presentations he heard. It was all about finding cheaper production in another country and how other markets were doing. It was disheartening for James to witness where the fashion industry was then, about five years ago.
• James sat next to a man and the two got to discussing what James did for a living. The man grabbed a handful of James' jeans and told him, "Tell all your investors they're about to lose all their money!" The man's wife, embarrassed by her husband's actions, invited James to lunch and they stayed in touch after the Summit.
• It turns out the man was a distributor in Canada, and he invited James to come visit to show him the jeans. He took a big risk and put James in front three of the biggest retailers in Canada. They gave him 20 minutes, looked at the product, heard the pitch and an hour and a half later, everyone is crying and wanting to know how to help.
• The next day, another retailer came with a family member who was extremely passionate about sustainability and that retailer, Harry Rosen, Inc., still supports Outland Denim to this day. They've helped evolve the brand, the product, and bring relevance to their customer.
• Not long after that, Outland Denim signed a contract with David Jones, one of the biggest retailers in Australia. And shortly after that, Megan Markle visited Australia, WEARING OUTLAND DENIM JEANS! The media went crazy and James had to jump on a plane for TV appearances. She really opened the brand up to the world and because of the attention, Outland Denim was able to hire 46 new seamstresses!
• That lead to more exposure to other retailers and right before Covid-19 hit, Outland Denim launched with the new Nordstrom store in New York City! Many retailers really do want to be a part of creating change now and are supportive of brands that do. To support the brand, it is important for purchases to go through retailers, and is generally sustainable well into the future.

43:05 -

Tune in to hear how Outland Denim has been affected by Covid-19 and the creative ways they are working toward the future. Find out how we can turn the word "consumerism" into a positive phrase and solve global issues that the government isn't able to solve.

46:54 - Getting to Know Our Guest

• Enjoy hearing some fun facts about what James' favorite movie was when he was growing up, his guilty pleasure, some common misconceptions about Australians and Americans, and of all of his pet peeves, which is the strangest, and more! You've got to tune in to the end to hear from James what it means to him to run a business with purpose!

Memorable Quotes:

9:54: "If we really want to create change, we've got to change people's hearts in countries like ours ad well as countries that we work in. We've got to be able to create opportunity that gives everybody, people in developing and poor nations, the same opportunities we have to be educated, have health care, save (money), and live with their families. Just the basic stuff."

11:46 "It is incredibly powerful when you put the power back in the hands of the people to make the change themselves: you give them what they need to be successful at it and everything changes."

32:02 – I hope that's a legacy about the brand, that it would have a small part to play in motivating our staff that "You're not a victim, but you're somebody that has so much to offer in your community and in the world." If we all look for that opportunity and use it, we're going to create massive impact.

Thank you to our partners of the show: Ammas Umma

Did you know I have an ethical brand directory? That's what Chelsea used to start finding products for her boutique almost four years ago! Now, Amma's Umma carries over 50 intentionally sourced brands and is the perfect one stop shop for all your gift giving needs. As a thank you to the Still Being Molly community, she is offering 20% off with code SHOPWITHMOLLY. Head to shopwithmolly.com for all the details.

GOEX

At GOEX, we believe in the power of purchase. We use a simple t-shirt to connect our customers with their apparel makers. GOEX customers sustain fair wage jobs that liberate workers from poverty and empower them in their families and communities. We are proud to be a verified member of the Fair Trade Federation. Shop sustainable, eco-friendly t-shirts and sweatshirts with purpose today at goexapparel.com.

Simple Switch

I want to introduce you all to a company I believe in that helps you more conveniently purchase with purpose, SimpleSwitch.org

Simple Switch is an online marketplace for ethical and impactful shopping. They let you shop online for more than 3,000 products ranging from everyday essentials like toilet paper and hand sanitizer, to special gifts like journals or jewelry. Every product has a positive environmental or social impact, like planting trees or fighting human trafficking.

Simple Switch is offering a discount exclusively for our listeners. Check out the marketplace on simpleswitch.org and get 20% off your first order with code PURCHASEWITHPURPOSE at checkout!

The Lemonade Boutique

This episode is sponsored by The Lemonade Boutique, a women's clothing with a cause store. Featuring ethically made and fair trade items from over 10 countries, every item is made by women facing extreme challenges such as trafficking, poverty, and more. Your purchase empowers women to take life's lemons and make lemonade. Shop at THELemonadeBoutique.com. Listeners of the Business with Purpose Podcast can save 15% by using code PURPOSE15 at checkout.

Our words matter. Especially as a business owner, an entrepreneur, as a creative. Our words really matter. Words are often how we can fundamentally ensure the success or even failure of a business. How we use words to market our businesses or communicate our message often becomes an afterthought and can cause unintended harm when it comes to how our business comes across to our customers or potential customers. My guest today is using her gift of words to help businesses have the biggest impact. Kaitlin Senter is a social media manager turned conversion copywriter and brand strategist who is obsessed with pairing social impact and targeted messaging to create industry-changing content. She's made it her mission to teach all that she knows about cause-marketing and sales-messaging to help businesses create deeply rooted impact that drives results with connective content. I was fascinated by this conversation with Kaitlin. I was a creative writing major in college and I naturally love words. It was so impactful to hear from Kaitlin about how we use words to market our business.

4:56 - The Kaitlin 101

• Kaitlin's journey to where she is today as a conversion copywriter and brand strategist began on an untraditional path. Kaitlin started as a virtual assistant, and more in more during that time, people started asking her for help with social media.
• Kaitlin became a social media manager but realized the actual issue most people were having using social media centered around their messaging. At the time, Kaitlin wasn't even aware of what copywriting was!
• She dove into education and became a copywriter! Once she homed in on those skills, Kaitlin started learning about cost-marketing and the unique niche it has become. Social entrepreneurship is on the rise and people are starting to realize how much power they have as consumers. They want to spend their money with brands who are doing things the right way.
• Often there are brands that provide beautiful products at the right price point, but their message is not getting to those who would most want to know about it. That's where conversion copyeditors like Kaitlin come in.
• There is a delicate balance for ethical brands in communicating their mission and still making a profit. Kaitlin works with brands to lead with that mission without compromising sales. Since so many ethical brands are great at focusing on their mission, Kaitlin often starts her focus working with them on business strategies.
• Kaitlin helps brands determine why people want to shop with them outside of the mission. What are the problems that a brand is solving for people outside of the mission?

9:50 – Products Pique Interest, Words Make Sales

• Often there are brands who look like they are super successful because the aesthetic of their brand is beautiful. Many people think that if they have something beautiful, it will sell itself, but it's not true. The beauty of a product primes people and pique their interest, but the words behind them are what makes sales.
• Kaitlin realized she had a gift for turning words into an experience for people when working as a social media manager when critiquing her client's social media marketing. She thought about what she would want to read and examples of when she'd seen it done well. What feelings do the words bring up, what thoughts do they bring up, what is the world going to look if everyone could shop this way?
• One of the brands that does this well is called Known Supply. When Kaitlin buys a t-shirt from them, instead of feeling guilt for making a purchase, she feels good knowing it goes toward providing a good job to an artisan and that she is not making a fast fashion purchase. It's not about giving out information, it's taking a shopper on a journey.
• It's important that messages are genuine as well. People know when a brand is being disingenuous. Every business can be a cause-based business. Producing a great product that connects followers to the maker of the product or a story behind it creates brand loyalty with referrals and high quality, loyal brand ambassadors.

21:12 – Social Media Hiatus

• Would you believe that Kaitlin recently took 6 months off of social media?! As someone who runs an online business, it was certainly a revolutionary act! It helped her get clear about what kind of messaging people want to see that makes them feel refreshed instead of tired or uninterested.
• Without outside thoughts, opinions, and noise, Kaitlin was able to find clarity in what she wants for her own unique message.
• It's so easy for us to get caught up in the world of social marketing as small business owners. If there is a feeling of anxiety around it, it's time to take a break. There is a way to find a health balance between being connected and taking time for ourselves offline. It's about creating real, meaningful connection online, rather than feeling pressure and/or anxiety to keep up with everything happening online.

25:27 – Help with Writing!

• If you are feeling overwhelmed with the idea of getting your copy in order, Kaitlin suggests beign mindful of who you're writing to and why what you have to say matters to them.
• It's going to take a lot of thought and time, but if you don't know these answers, you will start to feel stuck or could be tempted to simply copy the methods of others. That is when you start contributing to the noise of the internet instead of sending out messages that matter.
• It's also important to "name your customer." Go on a deep dive about who you think this person is who would want to know about your brand, who would want to buy from you. Write to that person!
• Kaitlin uses the "Jobs to Be Done" framework. You can Google it to learn more, but it's basically teaches you how a product connects to the better version of the customer; the person the customer wants to be. It's how they imagine their life after they have a certain product. It's less about the task, but the emotional feelings a product produces; the "true job" of what your customer wants to accomplish.

30:12 - Getting to Know Our Guest

• Find out what Kaitlin's not-so-guilty pleasure is, what she's reading right now, her favorite show to watch when she was growing up, and what it means to Kaitlin to run a business with purpose.

Memorable Quotes:

5:58 - "I think this cost-marketing niche is really unique because it's on the rise and I think more and more consumers are worried about what their dollars are voting for."

6:16 – "I think there's this fine line that you have to walk between keeping your life on and making sales, but also educating in a way that doesn't alienate those on the fringes of the cause who are just learning and they don't want to feel bad for past decisions they've made or for not knowing about sustainable fashion or ethical ways or farming, but also in a way that still makes sales without feeling disingenuous."

9:26 – "That's what we really have to focus on: You meet the need of the customer and that mission where they connect, that intersection between mission and meeting the needs of the customer."

18:46 – "Connection is one of the biggest components of successful marketing."

About Kaitlin Senter:

Kaitlin is a social media manager turned Conversion Copywriter & Brand Strategist obsessed with pairing social impact & targeted messaging to create industry changing content. She has made it her mission to teach all she knows about cause-marketing & sales messaging to help businesses create deeply-rooted impact that drives results through connective content. Connect with Kaitlin:

• strikingconversation.com
• https://www.instagram.com/kaitsenter/

Thank you to our partners of the show:

Ammas Umma

Did you know I have an ethical brand directory? That's what Chelsea used to start finding products for her boutique almost four years ago! Now, Amma's Umma carries over 50 intentionally sourced brands and is the perfect one stop shop for all your gift giving needs. As a thank you to the Still Being Molly community, she is offering 20% off with code SHOPWITHMOLLY. Head to shopwithmolly.com for all the details.

GOEX

At GOEX, we believe in the power of purchase. We use a simple t-shirt to connect our customers with their apparel makers. GOEX customers sustain fair wage jobs that liberate workers from poverty and empower them in their families and communities. We are proud to be a verified member of the Fair Trade Federation. Shop sustainable, eco-friendly t-shirts and sweatshirts with purpose today at goexapparel.com.

Simple Switch

I want to introduce you all to a company I believe in that helps you more conveniently purchase with purpose, SimpleSwitch.org

Simple Switch is an online marketplace for ethical and impactful shopping. They let you shop online for more than 3,000 products ranging from everyday essentials like toilet paper and hand sanitizer, to special gifts like journals or jewelry. Every product has a positive environmental or social impact, like planting trees or fighting human trafficking.

Simple Switch is offering a discount exclusively for our listeners. Check out the marketplace on simpleswitch.org and get 20% off your first order with code PURCHASEWITHPURPOSE at checkout!

The Lemonade Boutique

This episode is sponsored by The Lemonade Boutique, a women's clothing with a cause store. Featuring ethically made and fair trade items from over 10 countries, every item is made by women facing extreme challenges such as trafficking, poverty, and more. Your purchase empowers women to take life's lemons and make lemonade. Shop at THELemonadeBoutique.com. Listeners of the Business with Purpose Podcast can save 15% by using code PURPOSE15 at checkout.