Jon looked at the numbers, saw every bill paid with money still in the account, and whispered, "I think this means we're profitable,". That moment is the story behind Windy City Comfort Project: steady, deliberate growth, built one order at a time.
After 20+ years in corporate retail operations, Jon left to build a blanket and towel brand with his wife, Cheryl. For every item they sell, they donate a blanket. It's a real blanket, not a percentage of revenue - they are shipped in bulk to partners like A Safe Haven and Family Shelter Service. If you've ever wondered whether "gifts that give back" do what they claim, this episode walks through the real mechanics: the math, what shelters ask for, and the products they've turned down because the give-back numbers didn't work.
IN THIS EPISODE, YOU WILL LEARN:
- Why they chose one-for-one over a percentage of sales, and why Jon thinks percentage models "get lost"
- What the donated blanket is, why it's different from the ones they sell, and how one shipment ended up serving six different uses
- How they picked their first shelter partner from a shortlist of three, and why their second came from the first running out of room
- The 0% APR card that got them through their first year
- How a bar napkin sketch became their bestselling summer Turkish towel, made by a manufacturer who DM'd them on Instagram and followed up six months to the day
- Why they say no to some product ideas even when customers are asking
- What it sounds like when a customer tells you the shelter you support once helped them
RESOURCES MENTIONED
Windy City Comfort Project: https://windycitycomfortproject.com/
Windy City Comfort Project on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/windycitycomfortproject
A Safe Haven: https://www.asafehaven.org/
Family Shelter Service:https://www.metrofamily.org/FSSofMFSD/
Good Looks: https://shopgoodlooks.com/
CONNECT WITH GOOD LOOKS
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TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@shopgoodlooks
