Savanah, Author at K.HAGGÅRD DESIGN

When is it time to grow your team?

The time is now!

By hiring somebody, if only for a couple of hours a week, is an investment in the growth of your business. Even though you are handling everything fine on your own right now, at one point you may want to grow or take vacation without bringing your work with you.

In all honesty, it is impossible to be great at everything in your business.

Also, I’m sure there are few things you don’t enjoy doing anyway.

Those are the things you can start getting help with!

The stuff you constantly dread doing and wish somebody else could do for you…

Yep, that is the stuff you don’t need to do, instead you can have somebody help you with it.

If you’re reading this and saying, “I can’t hire somebody right now!”, I hear you.

You don’t need to hire somebody full time, or even part time. There are plenty of people who would love to just get a few hours here and there, maybe they have multiple clients they are working a few hours for.

In other words, hiring somebody as soon as possible for just 2 hours a week, to do the little things you don’t love will relieve an incredible amount off your plate.

The “I can do it better myself” mentality will only take you so far. Even if it takes more time to teach them how to do it, remembering that hiring is an investment in your future, as well as your business, and the long-term success of both.

It is also good to train your mind not to think about everything you need to do on your own, as that can create a lot of stress and later build up to spreading yourself too thin. Rather, remembering to hand off tasks because things become too much will set you up for success.

Does hiring someone have to be costly?

Hiring somebody for just two hours doesn’t have to be expensive either. There are plenty of options and tools out there to help you find people either locally, domestically, or internationally.

By getting help with the stuff you don’t love for two hours a day or week means you will get two more hours to focus on the stuff you enjoy and are good at.

Slowly but surely, you are working towards focusing on the stuff you do the best while letting others do what they are good at.

What are the things you dislike doing?

Business Highlight: Bosh Bosh

Educate. Empower. Inspire.

This is the mission that the NGO Bosh Bosh so proudly and elegantly executes by way of education, business, and fashion to provide their members with vocational training, access to extra-curricular educational opportunities, scholarships, and employment.

I first heard about Bosh Bosh in January of 2019, and instantly knew I wanted to collaborate with them forever.

The inception of Bosh Bosh began when Charlene Espinoza joined the Peace Corps in 2011. She served as an English teacher in rural Salala, Liberia, where she saw first-hand the challenges that women and girls face on a daily basis. This experience led her to deciding that she needed to start the nonprofit organization as a force to educate, empower, and inspire girls and women in the area; but she didn’t stop there.

Now, Bosh Bosh is an ethical fashion brand and nonprofit organization based in the United States that unites people from all over the world who believe that poverty can be alleviated by empowering women and girls through education and economic development. They use social enterprise as a way to create opportunities for Liberian and Mexican women and girls in education, livelihood creation, and vocational training.

Which reminds me a lot of Sir Richard Branson and what he has been able to accomplish with Virgin Unite. In his book “Screw Business as Usual”, he talks about the importance of empowering people with the skills they need to take their life into their own hands, and not always just handing out money. This is something we feel like Bosh Bosh has expertly accomplished. They want girls to take charge of their own futures and empower themselves, their communities, and in turn the world.

It’s like that old proverb that says “give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime”.

Bosh Bosh has several programs and products, a few of them include:

Scholars

Scholars is their program where they provide specific knowledge through seminars and workshops that deal with central issues such as: Health, Family Planning, HIV/AIDS Awareness, Life Skills and Female Rights. Bosh Bosh also helps to motivate and encourage their scholars (female students) to stay in school by offering them full school scholarships, advising and tutoring, which is important because over 62 million girls around the world are not in school.

But of course, they don’t stop there.

Production Team

Bosh Bosh’s Production Team is a team of survivors! Survivors of the civil war that ravaged Liberia from 1990-2003. Now they work to start a new life for themselves and their children in Salala. Through Bosh Bosh, they are not only learning the trade of sewing (traditionally a trade reserved for men in Liberia), but they have the opportunity to attend school for the first time in their lives.

Education Team

They also have an Education Team and what they call their Star Program, where they promote social entrepreneurship and community service.

Bosh Bosh is nothing less than exceptional, and I know I am grateful for and admire the hard work they are putting in in both Liberia and Mexico to improve the lives of women and girls.

If you are interested in supporting Bosh Bosh [like we also do!], you can check out their growing number of products that are sewn by their production team right here: http://boshbosh.org/products/lappa/

Or donate right here: http://boshbosh.org/donate/

We are so impressed with all Bosh Bosh has accomplished to empower, inspire and educate women and girls, and we are very proud to call them out as a monthly business highlight, truly making important moves and a greater impact.

The Value of Attitude + Perspective

I just came back from a trip to Ivory Coast, West Africa.

The whole trip was fantastic in so many ways. I truly believe it is a gift to experience other cultures as it challenges you to look at things from a different perspective.

I mean, who says what you are doing is the right way of doing things?

Just because you have always done something one way does not mean you need to keep doing it that way.

A new perspective can bring a lot of gratitude to surface, especially when visiting a developing country.

If you stay in your “world”, oftentimes known as your comfort zone or bubble, you will limit your challenge of thinking differently.

However, you don’t need to travel across the world to alter your perspective, to challenge your comfortable way of thinking.

Let’s think about it, when is the last time you joined a group of people who are vastly different from you?

Or when was the last time you decided to give something new a chance?

For me, I felt majorly challenged in Ivory Coast.

In addition to a culture that was vastly different from mine (a combination of living in Sweden and the United States), the challenges expanded far beyond cultural differences.

I was immediately challenged by the terrible infrastructure issues, found myself eating foods that I would not normally consider eating (and probably wouldn’t have, if I knew what I was eating) in ways I would not choose how to eat the food.

I felt sad by the non-existent waste system and lack of cleanliness, stressed by the non-existing traffic rules and awful about the obvious signs of corruption, and felt feelings of guilt as I watched children play soccer on a dirt field without shoes.

I felt remorse as I watched so many people with very little opportunity live in poor conditions, and it was difficult to communicate with others whose culture and language I do not understand, all while being consistently sticky from mosquito spray.

Despite these challenges, my experience was absolutely incredible!

Because really, at the root of all experiences is your attitude.

Your attitude is formed by your willingness to accepting a challenge and how you decide to act.

It’s no secret we had issues, saw sadness, and ran into problems every single day, but if instead of looking at these obstacles as barriers, viewing these experiences as opportunities to learn, help, and grow allows the uncomfortable to become comfortable.

Just because something is difficult does not mean there is not beauty in it.

It was fascinating to see how people used their creativity to make money and how they moved through traffic with the unspoken rules of honk and go as you please. Rather than questioning these unorganized traffic rules, I learned this was their way of working together to get through life.

Although many things in life are out of our control, how we choose to see and interact with the world, our perspective and attitude, are the largest impacts on how we experience life.

I met amazing, warm, and hard-working people, saw incredibly beautiful nature, was blown away by colors and designs, ate fantastic food, became excellent at maneuvering in a chaotic city, and developed a newfound patience and appreciation for rules and opportunities.

Most importantly, Africa reminded me of the value of perspective and attitude.

The Importance of Consistent Branding

Have you ever walked into a hotel room expecting something magnificent, just like the picture you had seen online, but it looks nothing like it?

Well, it is false advertising, but it is also inconsistent branding.

When done well, branding makes the user feel a certain way throughout the entire experience.

Let’s use the hotel example.

When you look up the hotel online, when you call to reserve a room, the way you get welcomed when you arrive, the quality of bedlinen, pen, shampoo, towel, etc., it should all give the same level or type of experience.

If you are at a luxury hotel you might expect things like light and airy surroundings, beautiful flowers in the entrance, magnificent art, a high celling, a glass of champagne handed to you by a gentleman with white gloves at your arrival, the best linens and fluffy white robe, a leather-bound menu with a golden logo embossed.

At every interaction with the hotel, you have an exceptional experience.

If you’re at a motel, you might expect something very different, and it’s different at every touch point too, from arriving and no one greeting you, no fresh flowers, no high ceilings, darker rooms, so-so beds, and a laminated menu. Although not as luxurious, it is the same level of experience in every interaction.

This is consistent branding, consistently impressing or not.

We as humans like to put things in boxes.

Yes, even you…

We are masters at jumping to conclusions based on our previous experiences.

It’s one of those things that is human nature, we try to interpret our experiences as soon as we interact with them. If we don’t know how to receive them, we simply “push” the experience into a box of something similar that it reminds us of so our brain can take it in and spit out a translation of how we should feel or react.

That’s why first impressions are important.

To keep that impression throughout the experience, is however just as important.

Consistency through all touch points on how you do things will reiterate who you are, what you believe in, and how you serve. Again, our brains are trying to find the shortest/easiest route (which is both a blessing and a curse).

Make sure that initial impression is what you wanted to give and create that experience by consistently showing up. Before you know it, you are in the user’s mind as the best/most/healthiest/cheapest etc. _______ in town.

This is also why it is important to start with defining your brand first, so you know in what way and style you want interact with your user/customer before you start creating all touch points from logo, marketing material, interior, exterior etc.

Is there any touchpoint you just can’t get around to matching the rest?

You Can Do Hard Things

I have a few sticky notes on my desktop, one saying “You can do hard things!”.

Silly? Maybe, but whatever helps you push through challenges. A little reminder like that works for me and maybe it would for you too!

Whatever you must do to tackle the uncomfortable stuff.

I don’t know about you, but there has been a lot of uncomfortable stuff in my life lately, like a lot… to the point where I’m wondering, what’s going on?

But then I’m reminded that life’s hurdles come and goes in waves. I’m not sure if that is scientifically proven or not, but if not, I’m sure it could be!

As the true optimist that I am, that can only mean one thing, that soon there will be a wave of goodness coming my way! 😉

But let’s be real, what’s hard?

We set up these imaginary boundaries in our heads, yep, they are “homemade” imaginary boundaries.

Like:

“I can’t jump from a high rock because I’m afraid of heights.”
“I can’t public speak because people might think what I say is irrelevant.”
“I can’t make that phone call because they might tell me no.”
“I can’t charge more because who am I to charge that much?”
“I can’t grow my business because I just don’t know how.”

Well, I’m here to tell you (and me) this a bunch of BS! You can do hard things!

You made up those boundaries, so you can also throw them out the window and make new ones. It’s actually a simple choice.

Instead of doubting yourself and making excuses, try this:

Take one more step and you will be jumping.
Find another audience who resonate with you.
Push one more button and wait until they pick up.
Increase your prices.
Reach out to somebody who has grown a business before.

One of my favorite things to watch and support is when people around me do really hard things. I know they can do it and all that is needed is a bit of encouragement and a reminder that they can do hard things. That reminder can be anything from a sticky note, mentor, friend, or family member who knows your homemade boundaries are simply that, homemade.

On the other side of those boundaries are beautiful achievements:

A sense of accomplishment, growth, and the realization that these boundaries were all made up in your head.

Now imagine what else you can do!

So, today, I simply want to remind you (and me) that you can do hard things!

Not only can you, but you should.

Ways to Connect With Your Client

So you have your color palette, logo, website, and business card handy…. But now what? Do people use business cards still?

As summer begins and business doors re-open the thoughts of, “Where should I go to network?” and “What should I say?” may pop into mind.

Setting it all up is one thing, but letting the world know you exist is a totally different one.

Here is a list of handy-dandy suggestions to connect with the people that want to hear from you.

Content Marketing

Write original content weekly/bi-weekly about your industry. It can be long in-depth articles, short nudges, or a list of suggestions. Take a stand and be bold. A bit time consuming but long-game goodness.

YouTube Channel

Do you like to be in front of the camera (or even if you don’t)? Start a YouTube channel sharing your knowledge and maybe even a few jokes.

Invite people

It could be that simple. Have you emailed, say, 10 people to just let them know about your insightful and delightful weekly posts? While you are at it, suggest they sign-up so they don’t miss one and maybe even remind them that they can share the news with a friend

Interact in Facebook groups

Find groups that fit your industry and expertise and go interact. Answer questions, suggest things, help others. This online presence will showcase your expertise and let people know you are available and know knowledgeable.

Ask to be a guest

Look up podcasts that are related to your industry, where you could provide support/guidance to the audience. Reach out to the person running the show and let them know you have some content you think would really benefit their audience.

Do some work for a discount or free

You can give away your service or product to let people try it out/see what it is like to work with you in exchange that they mention you every time they go anywhere. Or, a good ol’ positive review does the trick too.

Social contest

Show your audience that you do something neat. Take a photo, like, follow and tag a friend. Ta Da!

Write about the right thing

Do your research to see what topics your audience is curious about. Use the specific keywords and phrases from this research in your titles, subjects, articles, and social posts.

Interview somebody

Do you know some thought leaders, interesting, or not so interesting people? Interview them and write about what you found out, credit your interviewee, and ask them to share your post.

Do the work for your client

There are so many options out there, for products/services/tools etc. How about you compare and let users know what conclusions you came to?!

Collaboration

I have always been a team player; it makes doing things more fun while quickly extending your reach. Partner with a charity you like, a related business, co-host, co-author… co anything basically.

Recycle

Use your content in multiple ways. For example, if you have a podcast, video record it, transcribe it, pull snippets for social post about it, maybe use it for a course, etc. Each solid content you create, you should be able to at least use in three more places

Ok, I hope these helped, sparked some ideas, and got you inspired to connect and step it up.

I inspired myself… anybody want to collaborate? If yes, hit replay and maybe we can come up with something fun!

Let’s go.

Business Highlight: Church of Music

If you know me, you know I love to dance.

There is no better feeling than being on the dance floor, feeling the freeing energy created by smiling strangers, knowing that you are all here for the common purpose: to dance.

As the light at the end of the tunnel slips open, dance floors are beginning to make a comeback in very creative ways. One organization that came alive due to the barriers of dance floors during the pandemic is Church of Music, founded by one of the most bold, courageous, and amazing women I know, Alina Gordon, who I am proud to call my soul sister.

This month’s business highlight is one that is close to my heart.

When people in my surroundings do massive things, I want to support them all the way. Alina is doing exactly that. She is materializing a dream of creating a compassionate community with boundaries and a focus on impact.

You may be thinking, “How were people finding places to dance during the pandemic?”.

Well, Church of Music, often known to parishioners (attendees) as COM or “church”, is a weekly service experience where love is their faith, music is their religion, and dancing is their practice. Just like many other religions, service takes place every weekend, mixing between Saturday and Sunday, at a different, beautiful, outdoor San Diego location.

COM’s Mexico Experience is just the beginning of a global vision, one which includes sharing the COM Ethos with the world.

Unlike other dance floors which can often be filled with drugs and alcohol, Church of Music was established on ten beliefs, known as the COM Ethos. These beliefs set COM apart from other dance floors, creating an inclusive, communal environment rather than a rave-like setting.

The COM Ethos are as follows:

Unlike the common rave culture, which is often stigmatized as dangerous and harmful, this ethos is emphasized at each service and has created a community founded on music and connection.

For many, they have never heard of an ethos, I get that. So, to help our fellow parishioners, as well as future parishioners, understand what makes COM the beautiful environment that it is, I broke down each portion of the ethos to bring light to the careful intentions which were taken into consideration when creating the ethos.

1. Radical Inclusion

Accepting all humans/ aliens, old and young, any race, faith, gender, and political view.

2. Gifting/Participation

Who doesn’t love gifts? COM parishioners love to share and everyone is encouraged to share their gifts/ talents. Although sharing is encouraged, mindfulness of space and acceptance is necessary, and anyone is free to decline with kindness.

3. Decommodification

The world is full of things, COM puts more value on nature, love, and connection over commodities.

4. Radical Self-Reliance

A beautiful trust on one’s own powers and resources rather than those of others.

5. Communal Effort

Without community, we are nothing. We come together to co-create magic together in our weekly services.

6. Civic Responsibility

Actively participate in the COM community, we want to get to know and give back to our community! When we care, give, and show respect for the people, places, and spaces we are in, the world becomes better for all!

7. Leave No Trace!

Leave the world better than we found it. We are guests on this planet. COM Parishioners leave every space we occupy better than we find it.

8. No Alcohol/Open Containers

COM is not a rave, we are not a party. We are here to dance and celebrate one another with clear minds and raise our vibrations.

9. Radical Self-Expression

Be YOU. This is your space! Wear what makes you feel free, dance however your body moves, be who you want to be.

10. Take Care of the Machines (Bodies)

We get one body, treat it with respect. When we treat our bodies with love, we treat the machines that assist us with respect and all the equipment that provides the ability for us to make our magic for all.

Together, parishioners and COM Crew ensure that the ethos remains at the foundation of each weekend service, reminding the community that we are together for one reason: to enjoy music, dance, and create community where all are welcome and respected.

Another exciting part is their logo, which I created! Inspired by Alina, a church window, sunshine, community, and of course bold creative colors, their logo is now widely known in San Diego.

If you haven’t had a chance to check them out, it’s time.

COM’s location changes weekly. To find out where they are all you need to do is send Church of Music a donation via Venmo (@COMSD) of your choosing ($35 suggested), and the location will be sent to you!

If you want to be a part of something uniquely different, love dancing to incredible music, see live ballet, electric violin, fire dancers, and much more, go check them out @churchofmusicsd on Instagram and join one of their services!

I hope to see you on the dance floor!

As COM Parishioners say, In Music We Trust.

Can You Build a Brand on Your Own?

Believe it or not, I often recommend building your brand and website on your own…!

You might wonder why, I of all people would suggest that… I’m about to tell you.

When you start out, you don’t need a flashy website, a visual identity that is spot on, or unique messaging designed to fit you and your audience just perfectly. It’s a “nice-to-have”, at that point.

Yes, I said you do not need all that.

In the beginning you just need to start. Which on its own is not an easy feat, but that’s it.

Start with A DIY website.

Maybe have a logo on it, then go out there and figure out what you are doing, how you do things, and for who, THEN hire somebody to help you communicate that. Not the other way around [unless you have heaps of money laying around that you just need to get rid of, because it is of course very helpful! 😉 ]

I often see people hiding behind fixing and editing a website to be just “right” before they can go out and sell their goodness… yeah you know what I’m talking about, I know you have done it too.

Smiling, it’s ok, it’s also a time to think and define what you are doing and how. Just remember to not do it for too long because clarity comes from acting…not thought.

Oh, have I done that? Yes, of course. It’s even trickery when you are a brand designer and own an agency, ha, but the same rules go for me. Being aware of the excuse, [yes, it’s an excuse] can get you to change direction quicker though.

So today, I’m hoping I’ll nudge you into action, with your maybe not so perfect set up, and let you know that you can do it on your own.

Well, you don’t have to do it fully on your own.

There are lots of great tools and support out there, which brings me to something exciting! I have been working on this idea for quite some time, understanding why we make excuses for ourselves.

Sometimes you need to let things marinate, get the right experience before you can release something you are really excited about into the world. I have finally carved out time to create a course to help folks who aren’t ready to work with a professional still get fabulous guidance and support!

The truth is, there is just sooo much to know about setting up your business online – so much.

This course is something I wished I had way back when I got going, it’s a collection of all the goodness I have learned in the past decade or so.

Launch w/ Ease will not only teach you how to set up your brand and website, but also how to build your business with confidence so you can start making money.

The best part – I will be there alongside you during the whole process to support, because without support…ugh, it makes things everything a whole lot more difficult, that’s a fact.

So, hey! If you are interested in learning more about this lovely course of mine, please click here, or simply sign up below, and you will be the first to know when it’s available!

If you are not interested, no worries!

I still hope you take action on whatever you are working on, put it out there and share your goodness with the world!

A Photoshoot Brings Your Website to Life

DO YOU WANT YOUR WEBSITE TO LOOK 10X BETTER (IF NOT MORE)?

Simple trick: Have a photoshoot.

It is seriously such a big difference if:

1) You have real photos versus stock photos (although in some areas great stock photos can work like a charm!)

2) If those photos are great, you are much more ahead of the game.

I work with a lot of different photographers, and I’m always just as excited and anxious to get the photos because the quality of them will make a tremendous difference.

You can think of it like sourcing the best ingredients for cooking a meal… you know the difference on a store-bought tomato and a home grown one… yeah, it’s like that!

Today I thought I would give you some tips on how to set up a great photoshoot.

FIRST, FIND YOUR PHOTOGRAPHER.

You can ask a friend for recommendations
Search Instagram using hashtags, and easily get a spread of delightful photos so you can see if you like their style
If you are on a budget, ask a photography student
Or simply just ask a friend who has a creative eye

Type of photos

Client meeting – invite a client (or ask a friend to act like a client) and have him/her dress appropriately – colors, style etc. – then set up a meeting with them portraying exactly how it would be in real life. The point of a photoshoot is to let your potential new client get a sneak peek into your world, who you are, and how you do things, so be authentic.
You at work – you at the computer, in your office, at your desk, etc.
You working – you with a notepad, pen, on the phone, researching, etc.
You communicating – you on the phone, video conference, talking to co-worker, etc.
Filler photos – they should not have you in them, or you in focus, but rather portray your essence. It can be a blazer on a chair, big jewelry, glasses, fun socks, nice car or watch, a glass of wine, etc.
Family – if family is part of your life bring them either in focus or out of focus
Pop of brand color – incorporate your brand colors in accents like an armchair, wall, plant, flowerpot, pen, bag etc.

Technicalities

Horizontal images: Because we are shooting for a website, horizontal images work better. I know it is tempting to do vertical photos for bio/head shots, but I would suggest shooting horizontal, so you have space next to you, and the images will fill up the computer screen. If you don’t need the entire image, you can always crop it to fit. Having space next to you gives more depth as well as a perfect opportunity to lay a call to action on top of the photo
Interesting angles: Shooting at slightly unexpected angles makes for a much more interesting shoot and immediately takes your site to another level
Lighting: Great lighting is essential. You want it for removing shadows, illuminating your face, etc. You can also use lighting in a creative way, for example if some sunlight is coming in creating a ray on your desk etc. Lighting can take your photos to whole other level.
Negative space: Negative space is, actually, positive 😉 What negative spaces means is that you have empty space around you/the object. As mentioned above, it’s a great place to lay text over the photo, but it also gives the viewer breathing room and a sense of space.

What to wear

Wear what you would wear when meeting with a client
Brand colors: Dress in something that has your brand colors or complementary to your brand colors. However, you do not want to go overboard (unless that is your thing). Using subtle placement makes the photoshoot natural while reminding the user of your colors.
Multiple looks: If you can, shoot in a couple different outfits. Changing up your looks is as simple as swapping out your blazer, changing your blouse, or putting on a new pair of shoes! It will give you better variety for the site, give it more life, and it is fun!

Where to shoot

Your office – If it is on brand and looks nice
Office-like space – Find a space you like visually, can be a coffee shop, hotel lobby or co-working space. It’s okay that it’s not your space. What you are doing is creating the experience of working with you and if it’s not exactly where you would work that’s totally fine.
Home – Depending on what kind of work you do, or how you work with your client, you can just shoot in your kitchen, your patio, etc.
Outdoors – Shoot in a park, city scape, beach, hiking trail, biking to work etc.

I HAVE CREATED A GUIDE FOR YOUR PHOTOSHOOT, DOWNLOAD IT BELOW!

Extra goodies

It can be a little uncomfortable if you are not used to being in front of the camera, so make sure to have fun. I recommend candid lifestyle shoots; they are more genuine and comfortable. Perhaps bring a friend who can help with the shoot, provide their perspective, or just make you feel at ease.

I also recommend, checking out the location beforehand so you are comfortable know what to expect. Being comfortable in your environment will make your photoshoot run smoothly and be more fun!

Whether you have a friend or photographer shooting, optimizing your time is thoughtful.

Have fun!!

I hope this inspires you to get in front of the camera!

Business Highlight: Vuori

As a small business owner in San Diego, it is my pleasure to highlight a company that embodies the lifestyle of San Diego in their brand. As a premium performance apparel company located in the quintessential surf town of Encinitas, California, Vuori’s integration of fitness, surf, sport, and art is evident throughout their entire brand, product, and purpose.

Oooh, I’m not sure it can get much better than that!

Well, they get me. Anyone who knows me, knows I am an active person, not only one who loves being outside getting my heart rate up, but one who truly believes movement is essential for business and life, allowing creative flow and overall health.

*For you who have been asking, the Make a Move business talking workout group will soon be back up and running – pun sort of intended ;)*

One reason I picked San Diego to call home is because you can almost always be outside moving, giving me a daily feeling of happiness.

This leads me to why I was initially drawn to Vuori. Their Investment in Happiness is the foundation of their brand, a guarantee that they are more than a nice product and positive customer experience.

Although those are important, Vuori’s “Investment in Happiness” goes much deeper, it is the philosophy in which the company was built on – how they do business, how they care for their team, community, nature, and most importantly, one another.

At Vuori, their guiding principles are simple and genuine:

“We aim to make great products, be in great relationships, and live extraordinary lives”

That is a lifestyle I can get behind!

As if their Coastal California mentality is not making enough of a positive impact on their community, Vuori makes a greater impact on the world through their use of ethical manufacturing, focus on sustainability, and emphasis on community.

Vuori has set up their own Code of Conduct, a commitment to ensure fair treatment of labor, enforcing safe and healthy working conditions and strict environmental factors. To support and encourage safe and healthy working conditions for factory workers, Vuori requires the signature of this Code of Conduct from all their suppliers. Not only are they promoting ethical manufacturing, but they are ensuring their product process is one they can be proud of.

In addition to ethical manufacturing, sustainability is a primary foundation of Vuori’s business with a mission to create quality products for the pursuit of a happy life, one which empowers deeper connections with fitness, nature, creativity, and community. Keeping their Coastal California influences at the forefront, Vuori’s approach to sustainability focuses on the materials they use, reduction of waste, offsetting 100% of their carbon footprint, social responsibility, and finally, community leadership.

Community is important to me, just as it is important to Vuori. They describe Encinitas as their “background and playground for active living”, serving as a direct influence for the brand as they focus on deepening relationships with their staff, partners, and the communities they operate in. Rather than being a company that does not interact with their customers and community, Vuori “aims to bring together people from all walks of life to create and share positive, meaningful experiences.”

Then of course, they are looking the part too. In my book, you can’t just have function, you must have both form and function. Visiting their site is like a walk on the beach, it is refreshingly airy and natural. It’s like I just want to take in a deep breath in…and let it all out…!

The colors they have picked not only for their products, but their photoshoot locations are on point. The clean, modern, and airy feel gives exactly the experience they want to portray.

Environmentally friendly, a focus on community, and investment in happiness - they nailed if you ask me.

I love when I see companies like this, those who do business and care like this. It excites me!

When you can, support local great companies like this who focus on greater impact!

Keep up to date with Vuori here, as well as on Instagram (@vuoriclothing)