Last month our team received a note from a now former affiliate saying she could no longer support us because our products are made by people of a different faith than her.
I was stunned.
At first I closed the message because I was hurt by it, but I reopened it and finished it a few minutes later because I wanted to know why she felt that way.
She indicated that her own faith forbid her from supporting products made by people of a different belief system. She said the idea that our brand celebrates these “other holidays” alongside our makers is offensive to her. She said that we misrepresented own values and that they don’t align with anything she believes in.
We are a brand that celebrates diversity, acceptance, and opportunity. She did get one thing right—it’s clear that the values of our brand don’t align with her personal values. We are a brand that speaks from the heart, that finds joy in bringing together people from all different backgrounds, cultures, religions, and villages. We stand for these ideals loudly and have never shied away from the tough conversations.
Are we a brand for everyone? Absolutely not. But we hope those that hold closely the same values as us will find us so we can share what we hold most important.
Defining What's Important
