I know I’m not alone when I say that the last 12 months have been loaded with lessons, challenges and discoveries for Beauty Heroes, and for me personally. I am grateful for every last one of them. In the end, they have made us more resilient, more compassionate, and more committed to our cause: to use less and love more everyday. In fact, 2016 was just what I needed to make 2017 the best year yet.
When I started Beauty Heroes, I knew in my heart that there were other people who, like me, value quality over quantity. People who want to live lighter, but still live fully and enjoy all the things that make them feel good. The more committed we became to this cause, the more we attracted a like-minded community. After two full years in business, I can confidently say that 2016 was the year we finally discovered our Beauty Heroes tribe. Step by step, we are changing the way we value and consume beauty, one Hero product at a time.
Also this year, I challenged myself to begin writing a book about my path to using less and loving more. The book is a work in progress, as am I. Everyday there is a new opportunity to practice what I preach, as I build a company culture that deeply embraces less, but better. Perhaps the best example of this is the #Herogram. Let me explain.
There is no doubt that my biggest inspiration is hearing from you each month through your emails and posts on social media. There is no end to the joy that I and the Beauty Heroes team experiences each time we see a #Herogram. And, let’s be honest, your #Herograms have been getting more and more creative. I see every single #Herogram each month – and I can tell you that your photos and words are what fuel us to deliver a better service to you, year after year.
The #Herogram concept was born over a cup of coffee with my designer at the time, Ana, at a Starbucks in Northern California, in early 2013. We were talking about packaging when Ana, being the whimsical designer she is, said, “We should wrap each product in a cape.” Knowing she was on to something, but also knowing a cape was not quite it, we sat in silence for several minutes while I pondered. Then, as if on cue, our eyes met and we blurted out at the same time “a mask!”
By the way, if you ever wondered who assembled each little superhero mask and wrapped it around the Hero Product, I can tell you that all along it was me and the Beauty Heroes team. I have personally assembled thousands of masks over the last 2 years, and I have loved every minute of it!
However each time I went to source the fun glittery card stock and the elastic, I knew that these materials were not sustainable, and it bothered me. We had gone to great lengths to select compostable and recyclable materials for all of our packaging, with the exception of our mask. But, it was a little thing, and it brought so much joy to me and to our community, so I let it pass.
A few months ago however, when purchasing the components, I felt it again. These materials were not in alignment with our work and with my values. And so, after many discussions and a lot of soul searching, I decided to replace our Beauty Heroes mask with a new type of inspiration, which I hope you will embrace. It is just one way that I, and Beauty Heroes, are taking steps to Use Less and Love More every day.
How Beauty Heroes is Using Less
and Loving More in 2017
1. Beginning with our January Hero product selection, instead of our glittery hero mask, each of our monthly discoveries will include a #Herogram card with an inspiration straight from the heart of Beauty Heroes. We hope these cards will prompt you to find new ways to Use Less and Love More in 2017. You can share them in your #Herogram posts, post them on your fridge, keep them by your desk or bedside, your journal or vision board. The sky’s the limit.
2. Beauty Heroes has been mindful to select recyclable materials (with the exception of our Hero mask) and choose materials that are sustainable. While all of our paper was always FSC certified and our stickers have been printed on recycled paper stock, we are taking it a step further in 2017. All of our printed materials are now on 100% recycled paper stock, the highest standard of sustainable printed-paper.
3. This year, we are delivering beauty that is more than skin deep. We love our skincare products and they will always be core to what we deliver. But we all know that beauty comes from the inside out. So you can expect some Hero products that will be good for your skin, but will benefit your overall mind, body and soul.
4. Keeping up with my email is one of my biggest challenges as a business owner, and as a consumer. We have always been mindful about our communication with you, and will continue to deliver less, but better communications in your inbox.
5. We want to continue the conversation with you about mindful consumption. One of my biggest challenges is how to build a sustainable company that holds true to the value of using less. The traditional model is to sell more, meet goals and deliver profits. My hope is to reach more people, shift consumption and deliver products that perform while supporting your health and the health of our planet.
Using less and loving more has become the lens thru which I look at every aspect of my personal life, and it extends beyond the way I consume physical products. I’ve made small adjustments that have added up in big ways over time, like carrying my own stainless steel straw and bamboo utensils in my purse, reducing my consumption of plastic, and considering what I buy and from whom. But using less and loving more is a practice, and everyday presents new opportunities, especially when it comes to using less of my own energy. I know you can relate. In the spirit of Inspired Curation, I’m sharing:
in my own life next year.
2. My son recently turned seven. Luckily, he’s not one of those kids who need, nor would ever get, a new shiny toy to keep him content. Nevertheless, it is important that he understand our values. This year, I am committed to talking to him about mindful consumption, so he’s not just learning by example, but also learning by instruction. The challenge will be how to make these conversations fun! Like many seven-year-old boys, he pays the most attention to things that are silly and funny. I look forward to sharing highlights from this experiment!
3. The best way I have learned to use less and love more is to write about it. Writing is clarifying and cathartic, especially when I approach it with no agenda. The words flow through me without any constraints so my soul can fill the paper. The decision to let go of our beloved superhero mask came through my writing! This year I commit to writing more and sharing more of my words.
4. My father just moved to California from Hawaii, and into our home. He is my best friend and mentor. He has so much life experience and wisdom to share. My dream is to write his life story. This year I am making time to spend with him and begin to tell his story.
5. And last, I will continue to work on something that’s been a life long challenge for me, and that is to strive less and allow more. While it may sound a little woo woo to some, I know that many of you totally get it. I have always believed in hard work, and don’t believe things just take care of themselves. But I am old enough to know that I can’t control the outcome of my efforts, and allowing what is of the highest service to me, to you and to the planet needs the space to shine through.
I believe that 2017 will be a year of deeper connection, greater inspiration, and more love. I look forward to sharing this with each of you. Thank you for being a part of this tribe. Happy New Year.
