Business Is Personal
Every time I hear the words, “It’s not personal. It’s business,” I feel the need to take a shower. Sure, the intent behind the phrase may be innocent enough. But when a family-owned shop goes under because all their customers flocked to the big box store, try telling them, “It’s just business.” My point is, business is always personal simply because we’re human.
We’ve experienced two negotiations in the past two years. Both resulted in broken relationships. It’s devastating. Not personal?! I can’t think of a better way to describe business than personal. And saying some pithy phrase doesn’t make it any less so.
Even the most intellectual and logical thinkers are emotional beings driven by the stories they tell themselves, their environment, and their real-life relationships. While the ups and downs of running a business may be out of our control, we always have a choice in how we treat others. Hard decisions impact real humans with feelings, responsibilities, and families.
We’re humans that do business. Ignoring our humanity only makes space for a bad business to get worse. So, as soon as I’m out of the shower, I’d like to put this phrase to rest.
on my mind this week…
The Beauty of a B Corp Brand
This French brand is fairly new on this side of the ocean. I describe their style as a Parisian Anthropologie. But what I love even more than their gorgeous details is the fact that they are a certified B Corp.
B Corps are for-profit companies that meet the highest standards of social and environmental performance, transparency, and accountability.
They use the power of business to serve more than just shareholders. They use their profits and growth to positively impact their stakeholders — and the planet.
Your curated wardrobe with endless possibilities!
If you’re wondering “Okay Erin, so what’s my style?”
Well, I can’t decide that for you.
But what I can do, is share my practical experience as to how I found mine.
I wasn’t born with some magical style confidence. Confidence was simply a by-product of understanding what I did and didn’t like.
I always start by looking at my favorite pieces for the season, the ones I couldn’t live without. Then, add those to the app. Next, I look at what I’m inspired by. These two elements are the beginning of a tightly curated wardrobe, one that looks and feels like me.
I use Cladwell to play around with my style, from season to season. Curating — all before removing a single piece of clothing from my physical closet.
The result is a personal style I love.
Middle School in the Metaverse.
You know what they say…even better than consumerism in the real world is consumerism in the Metaverse.
Oh wait, no one is saying that.
Meta’s recent announcement that people can now buy “fake designer clothing” to dress their avatars is, in my opinion, exhausting.
Spun as a way to own a piece of a label you may not normally be able to afford in the physical world begs the question, why?
Status. That’s why.
Simply put, status is a way to say, “I have more than you.”
This is possibly the perfect representation of what it feels like to be the middle school kid who isn’t wearing the name brand, hating fashion because it fosters elitism & exclusivity.
Ladies and gents, welcome to middle school vibes in the Metaverse.
Personal style is about the evolution of self, not the resolution.
They say we will one day regret our aesthetic choices, but why should we?
I’ve done my fair share of experimenting. Red hair to blonde hair to the Kelly Clarkson tiger-striped hair. And that’s just from the neck up!
As for my style choices? High school brought me the J.Lo sweatsuit. North Face, Uggs and oversized sweatpants were my college uniform. Then there was my all-black maternity capsule. Biker shorts entered my wardrobe just last month.
Each “phase” reveals different aspects of our style and, more importantly, a little bit about who we are.
So let’s not take things too seriously, saying things like, “What was I thinking?” But, instead, through the good, bad & ugly celebrate the determination to embrace every part of our story — who we were and who we’re becoming.